An Amazing Grace

What makes grace so amazing?

During a marketplace conversation with a man named David, from Austria, I felt like his objections to Christianity boiled down to a simple rejection of anything that might put him in a position of “owing” something to a higher power. I found myself trying to explain what is so amazing about God’s grace.

David has an intense interest in people and religion, to the point that he took several semesters of theological studies in college and loves to talk about it still. Nonetheless he does not believe in God, so his understanding of the Bible or religion is limited to seeing it as a man-made phenomenon and it limited our conversation to a cognitive understanding of religion rather than a heart-felt conviction.

Still, even on just a cognitive level, I felt like David couldn’t really comprehend the concept of God’s grace as understood in the Gospel – of salvation as a very expensive but totally free gift given to us with great sacrifice on the part of the giver, with no expectation or possibility for repayment on our part.

David had problems with a couple aspects of grace. First, he felt like if there is a God and he is indeed a sinner, he should take the responsibility for his sins upon himself. Why should someone else take the consequences for his own bad behavior?

I explained that, while this is a noble sentiment, the payment or punishment for our sins has already been paid for, long before we were ever born. We did the crime, but Christ already paid our fine. The best way to honor such a gift is not to reject it but humbly receive it and “pay it forward” in service to others.

Second, David said he felt like this offer of salvation in Christ is like a gift given by someone despite our forewarning them not to give us anything in the first place. David feels like he has everything he could ever want, so why should he allow some religion to clutter up his life with gifts he doesn’t want?

This idea that the Gospel has nothing to offer us because we already have everything we want is fairly common, especially in an affluent society such as ours. The temptation is to try to make Christianity so attractive that people begin to feel like they are missing out on something that might make their life even more full or enjoyable.

But the message here needs to be the same as the message to the affluent church of Laodicea in Rev. 3: “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

I think David understood the idea that our sin makes us morally bankrupt before God, at least on a cognitive level. But the heartfelt conviction that cuts a person to the quick to the point of saying “God have mercy on me, a sinner!” is another aspect of what makes grace truly amazing.

Grace isn’t just found in the gift of salvation available to us in Christ. It’s found in the conviction, repentance and faith needed to receive that salvation. We didn’t muster it up for ourselves the hour we first believed, and when we reach out to others like David who don’t have it we are reminded of just how valuable these gracious gifts are.

“How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed” – yes – and every time we reach out and see the need for grace in others as well.