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As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world (Ephesians 2:1-2a, NIV).
Mercy and grace were commonly used words in the ancient world until they met the blood of Jesus; then they became supernatural, resulting in new definitions that wouldn’t be understood by unbelievers living in the first century — but a huge blessing from that time till now for believers.
Like seeing a drug addicted high school friend who was arrested, then sent to prison, driving up to the 10-year class reunion in a $135,000 new Corvette, getting out of the car with the clothes and swagger of a Hollywood star on the red carpet, with you asking, “Is it really you?”
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).
With Paul’s Spirit-inspired redefining of grace and mercy in Ephesians, the words are no longer common as they now manifest the supernatural. And those who experience Biblical mercy and grace become new — with former friends and even the hosts of heaven asking, “Is it you?”
In his book The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard teaches that our good works aren’t holiness but “sin management.”
History has brought us to the point where the Christian message is thought to be essentially concerned only with how to deal with sin. The current gospel then becomes a ‘gospel of sin management.’ Transformation of life and character is not part of the redemptive message.
Fortunately, with mercy and grace, there’s no need to manage our sin and its impact because we are forgiven. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of the first century (if there was one) would define “mercy” as kindness and “grace” as favor extended toward others. But Dallas Willard taught that the Bible’s concept of mercy has God withholding what we deserve, and grace as giving us what we don’t deserve.
Mercy withholds what we deserve, and grace gives us what we don’t deserve. Amen!
Instead of accepting His mercy and grace, we try to manage sin through self-denial, blaming others, and overconfidence in our self-improvement efforts — or perhaps by attending church, listening to Christian music, and memorizing Bible verses. But we are dead, and nothing helps. We need the clemency of mercy and grace.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Understanding mercy and grace doesn’t mean we do nothing. Dallas Willard also said, “Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.” Receiving mercy and grace empowers us to love God more than we love sin, and this change in desire motivates our spiritual formation into the image of Christ.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10, emphasis added).
The Greek word for “handiwork” is “poema” (from which we get the English word “poem”). We are His poem and His workmanship. Consider a great work of art like Rembrandt’s painting The Return of the Prodigal Son.
Let’s not mar His masterpiece with our efforts of sin management; allow the mercy and grace of the Master to write His poem.
An Update of Rembrandt’s “Return of the Prodigal” — mercy and grace!