Who can begin to understand the depths of God’s grace? Reflecting on the meaning of the word itself – undeserved favour – makes His grace even more difficult to understand. I believe that it is easy to take God’s grace for granted unless we reflect on the enormity of our sins. Sin, of course, is an unpopular word, but the acts of sin are very ugly. And the consequences of sin are dire, not only for individuals but for whole countries and continents. It was the poet, Robert Burns, who said: ‘Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.’ How powerfully applicable is this quote to the intense suffering men, women and children suffer in times of war – think Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan. And what about the suffering caused by greed, corruption, horrible crimes like extortion, murder and rape…the list could go on. And lest we become puffed up by our own ‘goodness’ or ‘innocence’, just think of all the evil thoughts that flash through our minds every day, thoughts of envy, slander, pride…
That God could love us despite the state of our hearts is beyond understanding. That He could extend His grace to us despite our evil thoughts, desires and actions is truly remarkable, especially when we consider how difficult it is for us to forgive others when we have been wronged. Even long before God sent His Son into the world, He was guiding His people, helping them, encouraging them, and speaking to them either directly or through the words of the prophets, but they would not listen. They ignored Him, practised idol-worship, being unfaithful to Him, going their own way, definitely not obeying His laws. Over and over again, God withheld His mighty hand of justice on his unrepentant, obstinate people, but still they would not listen. He sent warnings, He sent encouragements, He sent prophets, but still they would not listen. How tremendous is the patience of our God. And how holy. How hurtful it is for Him to look on sin. How painful it must be for Him to punish mankind because of sin. That He destroyed the whole beautiful world He had made in the flood is an indication of how much He detests wickedness. But also the story of Noah demonstrates how He rewards righteousness. He is, indeed, a just and gracious God, so holy that He cannot look on sin. Which presented Him with a huge dilemma: How could He be a God of justice if He allowed sin to go unpunished? Being God, He absolutely had to punish sin. Which brings me to the unfathomable act of grace He enacted for the whole world.
How much He must love His people that finally, when He saw there was no other way, He sent His own Son, Jesus, into the world so that He could legitimately save His people from all their wickedness. Jesus, the perfect man-God, took the punishment for all our sins on the cross, the most amazing act of grace that has ever, and will ever be performed in the whole world. What a statement to the world was made on the night that Jesus died. What a statement about God’s unconditional love for us, His people. And what a statement about Jesus’ obedience, even to death on the cross.
How can people turn their backs on Jesus, on his amazing act of self-sacrifice, on the impact of His rescue, on God’s promise of eternal life for those who believe in His Son. There is so little we have to do to be redeemed: believe in Jesus – confessing with our mouths that He is Lord – and we will be saved. And there is so much that God did to redeem us – sacrificing His beloved Son to agonising physical, mental and spiritual torment on the cross – to save us.
As difficult as it is for us to understand the enormity of what God did for us, we can, however, embrace His great gift of grace as we bask in His amazing love for us. I can’t help thinking of a simple Sunday school song that sums up God’s message of love and grace: ‘Wide wide as the ocean, deep as the deepest sea, High, high as the heaven’s above, Is my Saviour’s love, I though so unworthy, Still am a child of His care, Yet His love teaches me, as His love reaches me, Everywhere.