Thought for Today
Jeremiah 31:2 Thus says the LORD: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest,
Zechariah 4:7 What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'"
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--
grace – (Gr. Charis, Lat. gratia, “favor,” “kindness”) Unmerited favor. God’s grace is extended to sinful humanity in providing salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ that is not deserved, and withholding the judgement that is deserved (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Titus 2:11) (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, pg. 120)
Recently, it seems that I have referenced Ephesians 2:8 more than any other verse in the Bible. The subject of God’s grace and our salvation has been the focus of much of what I have written and preached. Yet, in the 5 years I have been sharing these Thoughts, I cannot ever remember writing about grace itself.
Grace, in Greek ἡ χάρις, is a very beautiful word in English and in Greek. Some have even adopted that word as a name. The idea the word encompasses is equally beautiful. That definition above is from an exclusively Christian perspective. But, the concept of unmerited favor is not restricted to Christians or an exclusively Christian concept. An online search for a definition of grace yielded via merriam-webster.com some other definitions including: approval, favor, a special favor, disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, a charming or attractive trait or characteristic, a pleasing appearance or effect, ease and suppleness.
Hopefully it is obvious that my own interest is mostly in our use of the word grace in a religious sense, and especially from a Reformed, Christian perspective. That dictionary definition above is one of 23 definitions offered associated with the word grace. Among those 23 is one of specific interest to those of us who are Calvinists. One of the traditional 5 points of Calvinist theology is irresistible grace. The definition for that is , “An emphasis of Reformed theology that God’s grace is always efficacious and accomplishes its purpose in those whom God has chosen to receive salvation (the elect).” (ibid., pg. 120)
Ironically, irresistible grace is one of the Calvinist concepts with which I struggle and find problematic. I firmly believe that God’s grace is freely offered to all of God’s children. I understand election and being one of the elect as terms referencing the reality that God knows before offering his grace that some will refuse the offer. The elect will accept and God knows us so well that God knows ahead of time who will accept.
Some of God’s children refuse even to believe in God. Others profess to have some measure of belief, either in God or in some sort of ‘higher entity’ but who claim to be ‘spiritual but not religious.’ When I encounter such folks, I must admit, I am always tempted to say to them, “May the force be with you.” I usually restrain myself. For me, these people are resisting God’s grace, refusing to allow our Creator God to bring about a reconciliation in their relationship.
Thankfully, it is not my responsibility to determine whether those who self-identify as ‘spiritual but not religious,’ or those who profess not to believe are saved. I am not called upon by our Creator God to determine who is or is not saved, who will or will not be in heaven. I just hope no one will be surprised to find me in heaven when the time comes.
I believe the apostle Paul was correct when he wrote those words above to the nascent church in Ephesus. For me, as a Reformed Christian, I find Paul’s words to be reassuring and reaffirming. By grace I have been saved through faith, and this is not my own doing; it is the gift of God. Each day I thank God for God’s gift, for the gift of life itself, for the gift of God’s Son and for the gift of my faith. I am always thankful that my salvation is not the result of my works. At the same time, I am always mindful of the words in the epistle of James, “2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.”
Stay safe, accept God’s gift, keep your faith alive, trust God,
Pastor Ray