Grace the size of the ocean
In his book, Transforming Grace, Jerry Bridges says there are some telltale signs that show we don’t really understand grace. Here are the first five roadblocks in Bridges’ book to walking in the power of God’s grace as a believer. He says you don’t understand God’s grace when you…
Live with a vague sense of his disapproval. That means you live with a performance-based acceptance mindset. Instead, with the understanding that God is for you, you can live with acceptance-based performance. You do what pleases the Lord because you love him and you know he accepts and loves you perfectly. Tim Keller wrote in his book, Forgive, “We are so united in Christ in the Father’s eyes that when he sees us, he sees Jesus. Christians are so one with Christ that we are as forgiven as if we had already died for our sins, as if we had already been raised. We are so one with Christ that when the Father sees us, he treats us as if we deserve all the glory and honor that Jesus deserves. Over 160 times in the New Testament, Paul speaks of being ‘in Christ’ or ‘in him.’ He calls himself a ‘man in Christ’ in 2 Corinthians 12. It utterly dominated Paul’s self-understanding and it must dominate ours.”
Next, you don’t understand God’s grace when you…
Hesitate to bring your needs to him when you’ve just failed him. The Bible says in Isaiah says that God has cast all our sins behind his back. So all of our failures, past, present and future, are out of sight, covered by God’s grace. Why would we wait to come to God when we fail again? Do we want our children to ever be afraid to come to us? Of course not. How much more our heavenly Father welcomes us with open arms. Next, you don’t understand God’s grace when you…
Think that grace is something that makes up the difference between the best you can do and what you think God expects from you. That would be like two of us trying to jump across the Grand Canyon, which averages nine miles apart. I might jump 15 feet after a full sprint. You come along and blow me away with a 30-foot jump. We both end up in the bottom of the canyon. God is not a taskmaster, but a loving father. Next, you don’t understand God’s grace when you…
Feel you deserve an answer to prayer because of your hard work and sacrifice. That reminds me of the Pharisee who prayed thus with himself: “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” He went down to his house unjustified, not like the tax collector who threw himself on God’s grace and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” To the degree that we or our children trust in our own self-righteousness, putting any confidence in our own good works or achievements, to that same degree we are not living by the grace of God. Next, you don’t understand God’s grace when you…
Assume that forgiveness no longer applies to you now that you’ve sinned so many times you’ve used up all your credit. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is not a Coke machine who one day runs out of product. He’s not a bank that runs out of money. Paul said, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
If God’s grace is the Pacific Ocean, too much of our life is spent happily paddling around in a plastic kiddie pool. What we know of God’s grace is so limited, and always will be. I think that’s part of what eternity is for. Exploring the depths of God’s grace. Exploring the depths of God!
Why wait? We can start now swimming in the ocean of God’s grace.