Grace – what is it?

We’ve been getting a few enquiries lately about grace, and what it really means in laymen’s terms, so I thought I’d have a go at explaining it simply, and it seems to me that the best way to understand what grace is is to understand what it does, so let me detail that quickly.

As the author of Romans says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), and the result of this sin is death, both physical and spiritual (Rom 6:23). Because of our crimes against God (our sins) we cannot be permitted into His presence, and so when we face judgement, we are found (rightfully) guilty and cast into the “darkness” (Matt 8: 12; 22;13; 25:30), what most know as hell. What exactly hell is like is a matter of some debate (and maybe another post), but what is not debatable is the absence of the presence of God. If we, in our sin, cannot be permitted to be in God’s holy presence, then our place of punishment must be far from Him. Imagine the pangs of loss we feel when loved one dies, but magnified infinitely! A terrible fate, to be sure!

Nothing we can do will make up for our crimes: no good deeds, no amount of giving to the poor, no level of love for our family or fellow man, nothing! The prophet Isaiah says it right when he says “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Is 64:6). (Actually, a more literal translation of “filthy rags” is “menstrual rags”. Can you imagine standing before the all holy God clothed in nothing but filthy menstrual rags? Shrivel up like a leaf indeed!)

So what’s to be done, then? How can we be forgiven our sins and allowed into eternal fellowship with the Almighty God? Only through the sacrifice made by Jesus can our sins be covered. Only because Jesus took the punishment that was rightfully due us are we able to enter God’s presence. Only this gift makes that possible! But why did Jesus do that for us? What compelled Him to endure the worst, most excruciating death the ancient world had to offer? Was it something we deserved? Was it something He had to do? No and no. He did this of His own free will, because He loved us and He didn’t want us to be separated from Him for eternity. We were granted this favour, this unmerited favour, not because we deserved it, but because He wanted to give it! And that is grace! A gift beyond compare to people who did not deserve it, to people who He knew would frequently spit it back in His face! You want to know what grace is? Look to the cross. That is the best expression of grace you could ever see!

Christ the Lord: Road to Cana

I wrote to Anne Rice some time last year after reading Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt and she wrote back right away, busy woman though she be. I cannot tell you how kind and sweet her words are - though, of course, you may know this, she being one of the most gifted writers of our age.
Many know by now what a wonderful story she tells - one that seemed impossible and almost even heretical at first glance. Yet it is masterful and sincere. Ms. Rice bends no corners and takes the Gospels seriously and reverently, throwing in some 'legends' from the Apocrypha, she portrays the life of Christ and makes it so wonderfully tangible. Her conversion bears fruit and I applaud her and thank God for the gifts He has given. I defend her in the midst of many who would condemn.

If you would tear down Ms. Rice for the work she has done, you must tear down the Sistine Chapel as well.

Now what a blessing was the second installment, Road to Cana! The book lasted a few hours in my hands and I lost a night of sleep reading right till morning. It was absolutely compelling. Anne Rice has linked the Gospels together beautifully, made Christ's life so real and immediate - I can almost say as much as the Gospels themselves. I cannot imagine any better way to honor God with one's gifts and hard work than with what she has done here.

The intricacies of the web she has woven, showing the visceral life of our Lord and yet making it so holy, making real and credible the miracles and the (very human) reactions to them, I applaud her. I haven't read anything that fills me with such "a longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we now feel cut off," something so indescribable since Bunyan or Lewis.

John Akers wrote:
“Where are the creative men and women, the writers, the artists, the filmmakers who will capture the imagination of our confused world in the name of Christ? Where are those who will expose by their work, those vanities and contradictions of our age and affirm with all the skill they can master, that only in Christ are the hidden resources of his wisdom and knowledge?

"Unless we communicate to our generation through the art forms that influence it, our convictions will continue to be judged irrelevant, unworthy of examination, by modern secular man. May God raise up those who will fill the gap”

Thank you Anne Rice for filling that gap and inspiring others to rise up and do so as well.