Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
- James 1:17
If grace is the currency in God’s economy, then in the world’s economy, creature-credit (ala Romans 1:25) is the currency because that is what is most valuable to fallen human flesh. We can easily identify one’s desire for this form of currency, as the Bible describes it for us:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
- 1 John 2:15-17
Creature-credit is designed to bring glory to man. God’s grace is designed to bring glory to God.
The Apostle Paul wrote voluminously about God’s grace. He wanted God’s children to focus on the Source of all good. He didn’t want believers to fall into the temptation and resultant sin of glory-seeking which so pervades this world (I dare suggest even “Christianity”). He fought tooth and nail against attacks on grace, establishing one simple, inescapable fact:
To pervert grace is to ruin the whole of Holy Scripture’s good intentions, starting with the Gospel.
In brief:
For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
- Philippians 2:13
God gives grace because it pleases Him. My fear, as Paul’s was, is that contemporary “Christianity” looks at grace like a cookie jar, as if grace was designed primarily to satisfy the pleasures of man (ala 1 John 2:16). This is a wholesale perversion of Truth. Sure, it fills seats in churches on Sunday mornings, but that brand of grace doesn’t fill seats in Heaven.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
- Ephesians 1:3-14
Take a moment, if necessary, to reread the above passage of Holy Scripture. Focus on the boldfaced sections. What do you see? Do you see God giving all that grace so that man can somehow lay claim to it, or do you see God’s grace having the definite purpose of bringing glory to Him?
You see, if we apply the rules of the world’s economy, where creature-credit reigns supreme, to grace, we ruin God’s intended outcome by siphoning good gifts to our own glory. We don’t have that right! But, you see, this error suits the narrative of today’s “Christianity”, where grace is nothing more than an alternative self-help strategy, incentivizing man to come to Christ for the wrong reasons, as in, “Come to Christ and all of your worldly problems with finances, relationships, and so on will be solved!” Talk about rubbish!
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
- 2 Timothy 3:12
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
- John 15:20a
The truth about grace is that it is designed for people who understand their own depravity and, therefore, their dire need for a Savior.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
- Mark 8:34-38
Our introduction to God’s grace is through mercy, not a cookie jar solution to our worldly woes.
God gives grace to His glory.
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
