“for the law was given through Moses, but God’s grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” – John 1:17
There’s a little known song by U2, titled simply “Grace” that wanders through the labyrinth of Grace and exposes its many meanings. The story goes that CS Lewis once wandered into a fierce debate amongst senior church leaders over what singularly separated Christianity from other religions. That’s easy announced Lewis – it’s Grace.
The mere mention of the word in the English language summons up images of beauty, of stillness, rest. In this passage, John contrasts Grace with the harshness of the Law. Paul later tells us that the law gives power to sin; in other words, we are able to define our sinfulness because of the law, the law is the standard by which we are to be judged and because of it, our failings are all too obvious. We understand we are fallen.
What then of Grace? Through Jesus, God tells us that we will no longer be measured against the law, but rather through the merits of his Son. That the debt we have built up because of our sin and selfishness has received a never-ending credit, that is the righteousness of Christ. This righteousness covers our debt of yesterday and will cover our failings tomorrow.
Grace tells us that the final whistle has been blown, the game is over and we can all line up for the winners medal because there are no losers. All we need to do is to receive it. Even more, it tells us that everything that the Son inherits in the kingdom of God, also becomes part of our inheritance. There is no second place with God.
Two things about Grace.
Firstly, people find it incredibly difficult to accept Gods grace. We prefer bringing our own works, and measly efforts before God, rather than accept his overwhelming bounty. The man in the street finds it so hard to agree that his efforts at being good are worthless before God, that God in Christ has already done the work entirely. We start to put our own spin on the eternal ‘they’re not good enough debate’ as we decide who is righteous and who is not. The Bible tells us that Grace is sufficient for everyone, all of their sin, no matter what they have done or how often they have done it. The only sin that will cause them to stumble is to refuse the gift God gives us, yet we are told that many will prefer their own efforts to God’s saving Grace.
Secondly, Grace rests on atonement. We need to understand that while Grace is completely free in God’s equation, it is also priceless. There needed to be an exchange made. On the passover night in Exodus, the angel of death flew over the houses of the Israelites if they had put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. The Israelites knew that an exchange was made, that the lamb was sacrificed in place of them (not because the angel couldn’t find his way!). So it is with the Grace that John proclaims here; under the law everyone of us is condemned, and we know we are each of us, deep inside ourselves. But Grace has been given, provided for all of us no matter our condition. We were standing in the dock waiting for our sentence, and because of Christ’s sacrifice, each of us has the chance to walk free.
This week, spend time searching the Scripture for God’s Grace, meditate on it, thank him for it and then tell the world, so desperately in need, that his Grace is available to them if they would only ask. Grace gives us what we don’t deserve.
And, may the Grace of our Lord Jesus, hold you and keep you until he comes again.