Here’s something I quickly hashed up in the middle of all that’s seemingly entered my mind today. I couldn’t stop.
One famous definition of grace is unmerited favor.
But perhaps we need to come back to our definition of favor… because it doesn’t always mean we let people off the hook.
Consider favor in the form of stern correction, or a harsh confrontation; While the rest of the world would tolerate a person’s continued behavior, building up consequences until the pain is irreversible, it’s only favor, and favor totally undeserved or unmerited that would intervene before it’s too late.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]
John 8:3-11
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 2:13-17
All I’m saying that it’s also grace for us to intervene, and not merely for us to let things happen. I believe that the same Christ who was full of grace in rescuing the harlot was as full of grace when He overturned tables and brandished a whip against the moneychangers.
Consider: The ones who didn’t deserve mercy got mercy, and the ones who didn’t deserve correction got correction.
It also doesn’t mean that we all people to do their thing.
Consider favor in the form of vision, or direction. As I’ve written (too long, actually) in my last tirade, I’ve placed too much energy into getting people overwhelmed with the goodness of God, with the hopes of all of us springing into action, complete with vision and direction.
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Mark 10:46-52
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.”
John 9:1-11
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
Mark 1:40-44
But now that I’m writing all this, I believe that the same Christ who was full of grace in asking the blind Bartimaeus what He can do, is the same Christ who was full of grace in telling the other man born blind what to do, specifically, to wash in the pool of Siloam; This was also the same Christ who was full of grace in telling the healed leper to make the appropriate offering (knowing he would not stay silent), and the same Christ who was full of grace in telling Peter the specific task of catching a fish for their taxes.
Consider: The ones who didn’t deserve vision got vision, and the ones who didn’t deserve instruction got instruction.
As we can clearly see, the dispensation of grace in any situation can be described most accurately, this way: It depends on the situation. There are no specific guidelines, especially as we are dealing with the hearts; remarked as deceptive in some scriptures, but ultimately futile for us as creations to gauge, much less discern – Only God knows the hearts of others, and ours.
It’s during these times that we ourselves would find ourselves failing to demonstrate the grace of God as He would want us to, in any given situation – what hope, therefore, do we have?
But there it is – it is exactly in our hopelessness that we recognize the grace of all grace, in the form of our salvation.
Friends in the body of Christ, we do have unmerited favor – ultimately in the form of the Creator of the Universe, present and for us in the best of times, and faithful, not against us, in the worst of times.
Grace is not merely a guideline. Nor is it a system of if-then-else flowcharts that we ought to find ourselves following. Good luck trying to apply anything like that to its utmost, in a world so full of variables!
The thing is, it’s a continuous experience. Grace is a value as precious as eternal life, placed upon our otherwise meaningless existence.
Grace is Christ, and Christ is Grace. Alive in us. We would do well to know that this is another facet of the salvation we have, only through the finished work of Jesus Christ. And I MUST clarify – we are NOT gods, but we have something even better – we are as we are, creations alive in the full and complete grace of our Creator, just as He is alive in us – not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ did!
I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
It’s by God’s Grace that we have Christ – the living Word, and the Word of Life. It’s in Christ that we are able to look beyond the legalism, and into the beautiful grace written into, say, the wisdom of Solomon:
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:3-8
Again, Grace is Christ, and Christ is Grace. Alive in us.
It’s not for us to understand, more than for us to appreciate.
It’s not for us to contain, more than for us to trust.
I’ve had to write all this because apparently I’ve been holding back on grace in my own congregation. I haven’t been rebuking when I needed to rebuke. I haven’t been instructing when what was needed was to give instruction. I haven’t been directing, I haven’t been leading – All this time I thought that I would lead by example, but it’s not as if I see these folk every day… and because of this, it is grace for me to at least give my suggestions as to what to do and where to go.
And I’m starting off with entrusting more responsibilities and delegating… delegating tasks such as exhortations for giving and for Holy Communion. The idea is for me to find Scripture and add my own commentary for folks who would step up to the podium to speak. Expect this as my content in the days to come.
And until the next post, God bless you. May we all continue to appreciate the many rhythms and facets of this great grace we have in Christ.
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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