We value grace

by David Bode

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls His disciples to set their eyes on things above rather than things below: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth,” He cautions, “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19,20 ESV). He then explains, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 ESV).

Too often the things we count as treasure are not the things Christ would have us value. Our hearts are filled with the things of man and not of God. But He, in grace, calls us to set these sinful desires aside and calls us learn to love the things He loves.

Perhaps you have heard of the “prosperity gospel.” Proponents of this religious movement insist that God wants every believer to be healthy, wealthy and successful in everything they do. Teachers of this so-called gospel encourage their followers to pray and even demand of God everything from cars and trucks to homes and furniture. Large bank accounts also tend to be a popular request. If your faith is strong enough, they say, God will love you because of that faith and will shower you with material blessings. Many people not only expect God to give them everything they want, but also believe they deserve these things from God.

The prosperity gospel and its desire for material gain reminds us how often people in the Church miss what is truly important in this world. It is just one way in which we see that the things we treasure are often not the things God would have us treasure. That’s why Lutheran Church–Canada is committed, by the grace of God, to making those God-given values more and more a part of our Christian lives.

In 2009, Lutheran Church–Canada produced “Our Vision for Lutheran Church–Canada”, in which those who serve us as church leaders identified the core values of our church body. The document clearly spells out those values: “In faith, as Christ’s ambassadors, we value grace, worship, unity, people and faithfulness.”

Let’s look at the first of those five values: grace. The word means so much to us as God’s people. At its core, it means salvation. As St. Paul declares, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV).

What is grace?

When speaking of grace, we must always remember it is God’s undeserved favour and mercy given to us for the sake of Christ; that wondrous love God shows to sinners, even though we are not worthy of that love. It is the “good will toward men” of which the angels sang. As sinners, we deserve only His wrath and punishment. But God, in grace, looks beyond our sins to the cross of Calvary. As the saying goes, grace is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. That God gave His own Son to bear the punishment we deserve, to suffer in our place, so that we, by faith, might have forgiveness and life with God – that is grace.

We cherish this grace as an undeserved gift of God. We see how grace and forgiveness have been God’s plan since Old Testament times in Isaiah 62 (ESV):

1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

God promises to bestow glory and honour upon His people – not because they deserve it, but because of His grace

God disciplines His people Israel because of their faithlessness, for chasing after the powerless and empty gods of their pagan neighbours. But He doesn’t do this out of vindictiveness. Instead, He does it because He loves them. They deserve to be forsaken; to have their land made desolate. But instead, God, in grace, promises forgiveness: “You shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:4 ESV). God promises to bestow glory and honour upon His people – not because they deserve it, but because of His grace.

If it’s earned, it’s not a gift

We see that grace throughout Scripture. Think of the wedding at Cana. What did the bride and groom do to deserve the wondrous supply of wine Jesus miraculously produced? Nothing! And He didn’t just make any wine; it was the best wine and provided in abundance! Did the people at the wedding somehow deserve this bounty and blessing simply because they had invited Jesus to the wedding? No, it is one occasion among many where God in grace provides richly for His people. And it was God’s grace that, through this miracle, Christ was revealed to His disciples as the Promised One, so that “His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11 ESV).

What have we done to be blessed with any of the spiritual gifts God gives to His church? Nothing! Even faith itself is a gift given through the Holy Spirit. As Paul explains, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV). Does God bless us because we are better than others? Does He give us His mercy because we are worthy of it? Does He give us His Spirit because we have proven ourselves better followers than others? No, it is never about us. Instead, it is always about God and His grace. As Paul explains, “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5 ESV).

If we are honest, we know none of us deserves earthly wealth and success.

Grace is not something we deserve from God. It’s not a promise (as the “prosperity gospel” teaches) that everything in our earthly lives will be smooth sailing or we will enjoy great material blessings. Rather, it is the assurance that God has forgiven our sins and adopted us into His family for the sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christ, God bestows grace upon us, and that grace is there, no matter what life may bring: joy, pain, prosperity or loss.

If we are honest, we know none of us deserves earthly wealth and success. Consider the words of St. Paul: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19 ESV).

Like Paul, we are sinners and, as such, do not deserve anything from God except wrath and punishment. But He gives us grace—grace greater than our sin, grace that brings us forgiveness and life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He gives us grace that leads us through our days, and blesses us in ways that the world cannot understand. He gives us grace, and He calls us to show and share that grace with others.

When we say that we value grace, we acknowledge we owe our salvation and every good and perfect gift in our lives to the God of grace and mercy. We owe everything to the God who entered into this world of despair to save us from sin and death. Grace is not the “get rich quick scheme” of the prosperity gospel, it is something infinitely better! Grace gives us the assurance that our retirement benefits are truly out of this world!

God’s grace alive in His people

As people who have experienced the grace of God in Jesus Christ in our lives, we must learn to value that grace in our relationships and in our witness. We show we value grace in responding to needs like those of the people of Haiti. Following the devastating earthquake a year ago, Lutherans donated generously to organizations like Canadian Lutheran World Relief and Haiti Lutheran Mission Society.

Likewise, the value we place on grace is also seen in the prayers we offered and continue offering for those affected by the earthquake. We pray for the sick, for those left homeless and for those who have lost loved ones. We pray for those who do not know what the future holds for them. Because God has shown grace to us, we too want to show grace to the people of Haiti. In grace, we are called to help those who are helpless.

May we always value that grace for what it is: the undeserved gift of God

But we are also called to proclaim the power of God’s grace closer to home. Whether in our families, at school or doing our jobs, grace is at work in us. It leads us to forgive our spouse, or show patience, mixed with loving discipline, for the erring child. The grace of God in us responds to those around us with openness, forgiveness and love. It manifests itself as we share our hope and joy in Christ with those who do not know Him. They may not deserve His grace – but then, do any of us deserve it? What a treasure is ours in God’s grace! May we always value that grace for what it is: the undeserved gift of God. And may that recognition be constantly at work in us, leading us to share with others the gift of grace given for them too.

Rev. David Bode is pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in London, Ontario. He also serves as first vice-president of Lutheran Church–Canada East District.

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