"But for the Grace of God"

“But God.”

            It’s hard for me to think of a more powerful combination of two words in all of scripture. These two sum up the whole gospel, the whole truth to why we live and breathe and find our being. Chapter two of Ephesians begins by spelling out our sinful nature, our filthy inclinations to fill “the lusts of our flesh” and to please our own selves as “children of wrath.” It is fitting that in my Bible this first paragraph ends at the end of one page, and it is only when I turn the page that I can continue on with verse 4, the “But God”:

            “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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 2:4-9

This passage is humbling and also encouraging for the very awesome reality of its truth: there is nothing we can ever do to receive the gift of His grace, our salvation. Our sinful nature will forever keep us from attaining the type of perfection we glorify in the life of Jesus Christ. While we can rejoice in the power of this truth, it is not to convey that we are free to deliberately sin and please our own earthly desires, knowing that we will ultimately receive forgiveness because of the cross. Though our sins, once confessed, are always forgiven, we are called to something greater: we are called to make Jesus known, and to be Him to those on earth who do not know Him. We have each been created “to declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

So while it is unnatural- to say the least- since our spirit and flesh will always be in conflict with one another, we are called to be like Him; and this must start with grace, since the story of Christ’s death is one of grace, one where we get something (eternal salvation!) of which we are so terribly unworthy.

But despite our shortcomings and weaknesses, God can and does use us to further his kingdom (2 Cor. 12:8-9). Just as we are forgiven in our own sins, we are called to forgive others and reveal a supernatural type of grace that can only come from Him, even when (especially when) it makes no sense (Col. 3:12-14). To forgive someone does not mean you must be happy, it means rather to accept what has happened as a part of God’s permissible will. God will stretch and grow you, and He will call you to do more than you could ever think of or imagine, even if it is something as small as forgiving when you are hurt (Eph. 3:20):

“And then there is the love for the enemy--love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens, and inflicts pain. The tortured's love for the torturer. This is God's love. It conquers the world.” ― Frederick Buechner

This gift of grace applies also to forgiving ourselves. If God forgives us of our sin, we have no choice but to forgive ourselves as well and to be free of the guilt and shame we all too often subject ourselves to. God’s love “covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8) and by offering this to both ourselves and to those around us, we reveal His goodness and are living proof of His grace which He freely offers to us all.

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            “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5: 1-5

Written by Caroline Crabbe of Alpha Delta Pi