“But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”
Romans 11:6 (RSV)
Grace is defined as unmerited favor by God. We cannot earn it, because grace by definition, is unearned. It’s a gift of God, and there’s nothing we can ever do to merit God’s grace. It’s a treasured gift and after we have received it, we are obliged to grant it to others, out of our gratitude to Him.
Everyone wants to receive God’s grace for themselves, but it’s easy to fall into the mindset of judging others as unworthy of grace. We are such merit driven beings, which is why God’s grace is so difficult for us to thoroughly comprehend or extend to others. The Lord expects us to follow Him by showing the same unmerited favor, to others. That’s the pure truth about grace.
A minister once told a story of a young woman who went to church for the first time in her entire life.
She was dressed very immodestly, since it was the only type of clothing she ever wore. She received lots of stares from the congregation, and although nobody said anything to her, they couldn’t hide the subtitles of judgement displayed on their faces.
As she exited the church, the Pastor said to her, “When you go home-pray and ask God what you should wear to church next time.” She nodded with sincerity that she would. The next week she returned wearing the same type of immodest clothing and the Pastor said to her, “Didn’t I tell you to ask God what you should wear to church?” She said, “Yes, Pastor, I did.” He said, “Well, what did God say?”
She replied, “He said, I don’t know because I’ve never been to that church before.”
I could hear that story a hundred times and though it reveals a somber truth, it makes me laugh every time. Sometimes humor sheds the best light on the human propensity to judge others. It reminds us that we all need to come to God as we are, without trying to make ourselves presentable first. We come just as we are and receive the grace of forgiveness, just as we are. God is doing a lifelong work of transforming all of us into the image of Christ. (Colossians 3:10)
The Lord wants to transform us from the inside out, not from outside in. Since we come to God as we are, He loves us, as we are. Everyone is a work in progress, and since God is patient with all of us, He asks us to be patient with others. Whatever is seen on the outside doesn’t always reveal what God is doing on the inside.
Jesus said the phrase over and over, “Come to Me…” He calls everyone to come as they are. He said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.” (John 6:37)
It should be the mantra within every soul, to just “keep coming to Jesus”, with all of our flaws, our injuries, our heartbreaks and our sorrows. We come as we are because His grace is forever sufficient for us. Then we remind ourselves that we are also beholden to offer that same grace to others.
Lord, we all come to your throne of grace just as we are, and thank you for loving us just as we are. Help us to also share the grace of your forgiveness to others. Amen
