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Let’s understand grace and mercy. . .
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16, ESV).
When sin entered God’s creation, He had three options. . .
- Annihilation. Just completely wipe us out. This would satisfy the holy/just side of God’s nature but not His loving nature.
- Indulge. Just let it go. This would have satisfied the loving nature of God but not His justice.
- Jesus. Sending Jesus with His death, burial, and resurrection gave legitimate forgiveness for sin, satisfying justice, and allowed restoration, reflecting God’s love.
Amen for Jesus!
Two theological terms describe what Jesus did on the cross. Because of the blood of Jesus, we receive grace, something that we don’t deserve (love fulfilled through sacrifice), and we find mercy withholding the judgment of what we do deserve (justice satisfied by forgiveness).
John Stott, one of my favorite theologians, writes. . .
We must therefore, hold fast to the biblical revelation of the living God who hates evil, is disgusted with it. In consequence, we may be sure that, when he searched in his mercy for a way to forgive, cleanse, and accept evil doers, it was not along the road moral compromise. It had to be a way which was expressive equally of his love and of his wrath.
This grace/mercy combination is unique to Christianity. Philip Yancey, in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace, shares this story about C.S. Lewis. . .
During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus?” he asked and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”
In all the world’s other religions a person must work to be good enough for God, but in Christianity, Jesus does the work for us to be good enough for God! And this grace is free.
With Buddhism, we find the eight-fold path; with Islam, there’s the Code of Law; with Hinduism, the Law of Karma; and in Judaism, the Ten Commandments — all working to be good enough!
Praise God for grace and mercy, as the Apostle Paul writes. . .
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
An OG (Old Guy) note: This is part of a new series about “Understanding Christianity.” Part 1 is Interruption #1568, explaining that Christianity is about integrity relationships. There will be a part 3, 4, 5, probably ad infinitum over the next several years!