Fearing we’ll out sin grace.
Apr 28th by Jon- Tagged in:
- serious wednesdays
A few weeks ago, someone emailed me a question about you.
That’s right, it was about you. Readers, folks who comment, people who peruse the halls of Stuff Christians Like. And it was nice to have a question that wasn’t about me. I get those sometimes. A person once asked me, “Do you have a theologian read what you write on your site before you post it?” I want to be honest, with over half a million words on the site, that would be one generous theologian. So I replied with, “Yes, I have a small theologian who lives in a closet under the stairs. He eats cracklin’ oat bran exclusively and reads everything I write.” OK, I didn’t respond that way. I told him I could see doing that with some Serious Wednesday posts. But that’s not the point. The point is that someone had a question about you. What was it? Here is an excerpt of what they asked:
“Have you ever noticed that frequently your comment section can go a little too far with the whole “Christians are covered by grace” thing? I’ve noticed that quite a few SCL commenters seem to see grace as a license to sin.”
Essentially the question they were asking is simple, “Do you feel like some people take grace too far?” I wrote them back and let them know I would address their really well written email on the site.
Here’s what I think:
I believe we risk a great danger when we try to say that people “go a little too far with the whole ‘Christians are covered by grace’ thing.” And the danger is simply that we downsize grace.
We establish a limit to grace and God’s love. We start to draw boundary lines on grace and it’s not the first time we’ve seen this kind of thing happen.
There was a guy in the Bible who was the worst. He was such a failure. He lied once and got an entire village murdered as a result. A priest and his family were killed because of his lies. He committed adultery. He cheated. He trusted in his own strength instead of the Lord’s. And when he did, when he failed, thousands and thousands of people died as a result. His family suffered from incest and murder and his hands were so covered with wrongfully shed blood that eventually God wouldn’t let him do something really important.
Now imagine if that person was a commenter on Stuff Christians Like. Imagine if they confessed to homicide and adultery and a laundry list of other sins. I mean there have been some crazy comments on this site, but no one has ever said, “I saw this girl online and thought she was really hot, so I slept with her, got her pregnant and then arranged on craigslist for her husband to be killed.” But this guy, the guy in the Bible, he could have left that comment. And if he did, would you or me or the writer of that email instantly think, “He didn’t take grace too far?” No, we’d be horrified. We’d be terrified.
So how is he referred to in the Bible? Here is what God says about him:
“I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart,”
What? Are you kidding God? David, the murderer? The adulterer? That can’t be right.
Surely David himself knows what a mess he’s made. Aren’t we all our worst critics? David knows that there is blood on his hands. How does he describe himself in Psalm 26?
“Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.”
No. No. No. David hasn’t led a blameless life. He hasn’t trusted in the Lord without wavering. He ran away and got people killed by trying to cover up his tracks when he was afraid. How can David say these things? How can God say these things?
Because grace is scandalous.
Grace does not make sense to our tiny human brains. We can’t control it. We can’t draw boundaries and borders on it. And when we try I think it breaks God’s heart.
I think we insult the cross when we act as if we can “out sin” it.
I think we wound our father when we think we can “out filth” his love.
I think we hurt our Christ when we believe that we have found the end of his grace.
I know, I know, I know that it is possible to mistreat the Lord. To blasphemy his name with our actions and our attitudes. David certainly did and he paid the consequences. I don’t think we get discipline or grace. I think we get both. I think discipline is a by product of grace and in my own life I have received large amounts of it.
But above that, I think God understood the grand risk when he offered us grace. A book called “True Faced” called it the New Testament Gamble. I think God knew the risk that we’d misunderstand grace and try to take advantage of it. I think he knew we’d try to find the limits of it with our sinfulness. Which is why he made it limitless, which is why he made grace infinite and never ending.
I don’t know what you’ve done. I don’t know your life or the bumps or bruises. Maybe you actually have murdered more people than David. I don’t know. But I do know, as many readers pointed out on this post, we serve a God who accepts our repentance and confession. We serve a God who when offered a chance to reveal himself to Moses, chose one thing to show, the most important thing, his goodness.
We serve a God who “rises to show us compassion.”
A God who delights in you.
A God who sent his son to the cross not to show the end of his grace, but rather the beginning.
I only got married two years ago, at the very end of my 20s, so...
Comments
Jon….I love you. really. wholeheartedly.
I fear that it isn't God's wonderful grace we downsize but our own capacity for sin and the absolute bloody and painful cost Christ paid for those sins. Each time we casually revisit those sins we crucify Him again!
Thank you for this powerful reminder today. I almost forgot about His grace when I was drowning in my failure today. So thanks again. Dusting myself off and pressing ahead.
Grace is scandalous. Grace has no limits. Grace is a gift. Grace is amazing. Thanks for the blog.
God loves us with a love that we can't wrap our brains around. It's just hard for us to grasp. Great post.
so blessed to read about the intertwined mixing of grace and discipline that God pours out, out of love…thanks for sharing, and for yet another stellar serious wednesday…that 2nd book needs to come out real soon, k?
This was a great post, but mainly, I just want to say that I love cracklin' oat bran.
I've gotten to the point in my relationship with God where I just admit that grace is big and scary and I don't "get" it.
I want it, I need it, and there are times I hit my knees and beg for it.
But comprehend it?
Nope.
Legalism, that's easier to understand. Do this, do that. Rules. Yeah, that I can do.
But it's not how God interacts with us.
He chose grace.
I don't get it, but that's what God gives me.
And I am profoundly grateful.
May have been said more than the time I saw, but I so agree with the person who referenced what those who deliberately "repeat" cause it'll be forgiven miss out on. It reminds me of the person who turns to the Lord on his or her deathbed. Praise God he or she "gets in" , but wow, what was missed – and maybe it's even a little scary "passing over" because you're hearing that you're loved, but you haven't lived with the experience. I keep hearing Jesus' comment to the disciples re: John – "what is that to you – follow me" – being allowed to follow, THAT's grace! (PS – love, love, love Yancey's "grace-based" book – Amazing
[...] >Jesus administers limitless grace. [...]
Way to throw down the theologian card, Jon! That's as good a hook as any!
I agree that grace is scandelous. Wonderfully put. And I also salute your saying that saying grace or discipline is a false dichotomoy. But, i wonder if we miss an important point of grace. Grace gives us the ability to enjoy His presence and put aside deliberate sin. What were we saved from? It wasn't just hell, but also our sin. Why would we want to continue to do things that kill us? Especially, when we are offered the awe of being with Him.
Skipidy-do-dah! I LOVE Serious Wednesdays – even when they happen on Guam time. It's Wednesday somewhere in the universe right?
I love this post, and, I have to admit, your serious Wednesdays are my favorite. That's because I'm just such a serious person, I guess! But this one is great. I love the David connection. The comments you get are always so thoughtful and insightful too. There is no limit to God's grace; there is no limit to God. It's so hard to wrap our minds around those truths.
I fancy the part that says God made His grace limitless.What a wonderful Father He truly is.
Thank you for your thoughts. I really needed to hear this : )
[...] love following the comments I get and finding new blogs to read that way. This morning I found Fearing We’ll Out Sin Grace on Stuff Christians Like from another blogger’s Saturday Stumble list. It would have been on my list of [...]
needed to hear this
Attention Hall Grace Monitor:
Holy Spirit called… He wants His "I am God" badge back!
It is equally funny and upsetting how self righteous Christians can get in a blink of an eye. As if we can come close to reading the hearts of people around us accurately. Heck! We can't get our own hearts under control.
God's God… I'm not… You are not… He is bigger than my grace withdrawals. If He can call me to Himself in salvation, I'd put my money on the fact He can call me from any sin I throw at Him.
[...] sure. But, my identity lies in the fact that I’m redeemed. As I read last week: “Grace is scandalous…” and I’m invited into the [...]
[...] how the normally-humorous author Jon Acuff describes it at his blog, Stuff Christians Like: There was a guy in the Bible who was the worst. He was such a failure. He lied once and got an [...]
What amazes me is that when we believe that it is possible to "out sin" grace, we try to Jesus right back on that cross. How many times must He die for us for it to take effect?
What I have found is when we look to define the grace line it is rarely for our brother's benefit. More so for our own self righteousness. When we get a small glimpse of what He did for us, we will never look at our brothers and sisters the same again. We will only look at how pathetic we really are and how we need Him more than ever. That is real freedom. Thank you Lord!!!
[...] Jon Acuff, Stuff Christians Like [...]
Well said, Jon. As a repeat offender myself, I have to admit there are times when I've felt like I'm still at the beginning of my walk with God, still doing the same things I should be long past, after being a Christian all these years.
God is gracious and will continue to forgive when we confess our sins to Him. But, is it possible that, by being a repeat offender, I am spending time traveling the same route when God is patiently waiting to show me amazing new roads and places to travel? Is it possible that, by going back to my own vomit, I am filling myself with the same old, same old, when God wants me to taste the splendid feasts and desserts He has in store for me? Yes, He is patient and He will continue to forgive… But is it possible that, with a little more discipline on my part and His grace and strength (and sooner, rather than later), I can move past the old me and into the new me He knows I can be?
I may be asking questions you have already addressed in your post, but if there are any you have more answers to, or wish to expand on, I'm all ears (eyes?)!