A Time to Laugh

Defining Grace

THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE IN THE CHURCH. The teachings of Scripture respecting the grace of God stress the fact that God distributes His blessings to men in a free and sovereign manner, and not in consideration of any inherent merit of men; that men owe all the blessings of life to a beneficent, forbearing, and longsuffering God; and especially that all the blessings of the work of salvation are freely given of God, and are in no way determined by supposed merits of men. This is clearly expressed by Paul in the following words: “For by grace have ye been saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory,” Eph. 2:8, 9. He strongly emphasizes the fact that salvation is not by works, Rom. 3:20-28; 4:16; Gal. 2:16. This doctrine did not go entirely unchallenged. In some of the early Church Fathers, particularly of the Eastern Church, we already meet with a strain of moralism that is not in harmony with the Pauline emphasis. The tendency that became apparent in that section of the Church, finally culminated in Pelagianism. Pelagius’ conception of grace was rather unusual. According to Wiggers he comprehended under grace:

a) “The power of doing good (possibilitas boni), and therefore especially free will itself.”

b) “The revelation, the law, and the example of Christ, by which the practice of virtue is made easier for man.”

c) “Our being so made as to be able, by our own will, to abstain from sin, and in God’s giving us the help of His law and His commands, and in His pardoning the previous sins of those who return to Him.”

d) “Supernatural influences on the Christian, by which his understanding is enlightened and the practice of virtue is rendered easy to him.”

He recognized no direct operation of the Spirit of God on the will of man, but only an indirect operation on the will through the enlightened conscience. In his view the operation of the grace of God was primarily, though not exclusively, external and natural. In opposition to the Pelagian view, that of Augustine is often designated as “the theology of grace.” While Augustine admitted that the word “grace” could be used in a wider sense (natural grace), and that even in the state of integrity it was the grace of God that made it possible for Adam to retain his uprightness, his main emphasis is always on grace as the gift of God to fallen man, which manifests itself in the forgiveness of sin and in the renewal and sanctification of human nature. In view of the total depravity of man he regards this grace as absolutely necessary unto salvation. It is wrought in man by the operation of the Holy Spirit, who dwells and works in the elect and is the principle of all the blessings of salvation. He distinguished between operating or prevenient, and co-operating or subsequent grace. The former enables the will to choose the good, and the latter co-operates with the already enabled will, to do the good. In his struggle with Semi-Pelagianism Augustine emphasized the entirely gratuitous and irresistible character of the grace of God.

Louis Berkhof. Systematic Theology. (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996). 429.

Not Grace

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Momentary Grace

O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
Who builds his hopes in air of your good looks,
Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,
Ready, with every nod, to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

King Richard III, III, iv.

Amazing Grace

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 

Romans 8:12-17

When your house reaches the ripe old age of six, those more disposable items plan their escape to appliance heaven all at once. This week marked the garbage disposal’s passing. I knew buying that bone-in chuck roast was a bad idea no matter what the bargain.

The frenetic-but-blissful thing I never expected about family life was the random togetherness. No matter what the activity, it always ends up that all five of us — terrier included — congregate in the same 6′x6′ space. Usually it’s the sink area in the Master bedroom. This morning, however, we gathered in the business end of the kitchen to replace the garbage disposal. Pounding, babbling, reading, barking, chewing, slobbering, helping, whimpering, sniffing, tightening — that was our morning.

After our breakfast of French toast, Daddy announced the morning’s project. Daddy was thrilled to have a little Bob the Builder helper. Little Bob (a.k.a. Isaac) immediately loaded up his tool belt with toy saw, wrench, hammer, and pliers. He fetched the screwdriver. He improvised a megaphone. He flashed a light. He bailed mid-project for a Mommy-snuggle. But he returned to help and inquire. Daddy consulted flash instructions online and read directions in a vampire voice (or as Isaac calls it, a “grampire” voice).

Watching a little toddler work with Daddy tickles me. The relationship is really the key, and things get done along the way. We all sing, snuggle, and chatter. We are working with each other. The dog, as much as we love her, is really a non-participant — window-dressing that adds a touch of exasperating humor.

That’s what amazes me about God’s relationship with us. We’re not His pets — included for His whim. We’re His children. He’s planning a work, and He graciously invites us to participate. Sure, all we can bring is our made-for-3-years-and-under toy pliers, and an omnipotent God can even make those work. He’s not just tolerating us or placating us or distracting us. He’s not just throwing a rubber ball out in the other room or frantically dog-proofing cabinet contents. He’s enjoying working with us just like a Daddy enjoys having his bustling family help during a rather dull chore. I think, for us, it’s a matter of recognizing work as playing with Him and of finding the grander work in even our play. 

Transforming Grace

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Genesis 50:20

To advance China’s godless state, Mao Tse-tung unified all of China by nationalizing Mandarin Chinese, simplifying their writing, improving their infrastructure, and promoting literacy. And God has used that to create the fastest growing Christian population in the world.

To foreground Enlightenment ideals and emasculate religion’s power, the Continental Congress crafted the first amendment to forbid establishing a state religion while permiting religion’s free expression. And God has used that equality-liberty tension to orchestrate the most diverse and robust religious creativity in human history.

This is so like God. To take something intended for evil and make it beautiful. Just like He can cherish an adulterous king or disciple a smelly fisherman. He even makes a sin-sick sinner into His own child. What beautiful thing is God, in His immeasureable and undeserved grace, going to make out of today’s hardship? Satan can keep throwing rocks if he wants. God just uses them as our stepping stones.

Grasping Grace

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Isaiah 49:15-16

When Isaac was still in the NICU, our nursing relationship was pretty rocky. I was desperate to make it a success because I needed to heal from all our previous losses. There’s nothing that’s more a kick in the gut than your body preparing to nurture a little life that’s no longer on this earth. So in order to fully heal, I needed to make nursing a success.

But it wasn’t working. The whole NICU experience was overwhelming for all of us, and I was afraid that we’d never get that nursing “dance” down pat. In those few minutes we were home each day before heading out to the hospital during that Christmas week, I’d weep in prayer asking for God’s help in getting him to just latch on. On New Year’s Day, just as I was about to give up, we figured it out!

Months later on graduation morning–exactly a year after we discovered that our little Isaac was growing in my tummy–I fully understood the meaning of this passage in Isaiah. That 3-hour Convocation ceremony was the longest time Isaac and I had been apart, and I began to grasp what God meant in verse 15.

God aches for us when we’re apart. He can’t forget us. He can rest when He’s nurturing us, cooing at us, and enjoying us. Understanding that God loves me more than I love that little nursling was one more step toward grasping what His Grace was all about.

Growing Grace

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen

2 Peter 3:14-18

Sally Clarkson’s latest e-mail seems to summarize Peter’s last words best.

Know that you are on the heart of God today. He dearly loves you where you are, right now, in the midst of the messiness of life. He cares for you and wants you to know that He has won, on your behalf, all of the battles you have now or will ever face! He brought you all to my mind today because you are on His mind. Let me share just a few ways that help me to keep going.

1. Reject the law and legalism. If you try to be perfect, you will always come up short. Live in the grace of the life of Jesus that He came to give because He knew we couldn’t make it without Him (Galatians 5:1—“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”  (Romans 8:1). . . .

5. Give grace to all. Don’t be a source of criticism, legalism, or discouragement in the life of others you know. As far as it is possible with you, be at peace with all men. Show them the grace that God has shown you.

Finding Grace

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:8

According to Matthew Henry:

We have here Noah distinguished from the rest of the world, and a peculiar mark of honour put upon him. 1. When God was displeased with the rest of the world, he favoured Noah: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, v. 8. This vindicates God’s justice in his displeasure against the world, and shows that he had strictly examined the character of every person in it before he pronounced it universally corrupt; for, there being one good man, he found him out, and smiled upon him. It also magnifies his grace towards Noah that he was made a vessel of God’s mercy when all mankind besides had become the generation of his wrath: distinguishing favours bring under peculiarly strong obligations. Probably Noah did not find favour in the eyes of men; they hated and persecuted him, because both by his life and preaching he condemned the world. But he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and this was honour and comfort enough. God made more account of Noah than of all the world besides, and this made him greater and more truly honourable than all the giants that were in those days, who became mighty men and men of renown. Let this be the summit of our ambition, to find grace in the eyes of the Lord; herein let us labour, that, present or absent, we may be accepted of him, 2 Co. 5:9. 

Saying Grace

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I’m going to focus in on Grace until the big feast day. Would you like to join me?

The Spirit’s Fruit

1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. 

2-3 I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. 4-6 I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

7-10 You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This detour doesn’t come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. And please don’t toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment.

11-12 As for the rumor that I continue to preach the ways of circumcision (as I did in those pre-Damascus Road days), that is absurd. Why would I still be persecuted, then? If I were preaching that old message, no one would be offended if I mentioned the Cross now and then—it would be so watered-down it wouldn’t matter one way or the other. Why don’t these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves! 

13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? 

16 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.

Galatians 5