Grace Guy - www.graceguy.org

In Lam 3:23, God tells us that His wondrous Graces are renewed every morning. This prompted the following question: what exact Graces does He have in provision for me every day ? Does the Bible get more specific about things God does for me every day, even if I deserve nothing ? In short: yes.

Every day, these Graces are there for me:

I am led and guided Ex 13:21-22, 40:38, Num 14:14, Neh 9:19, Ps 78:14
I am watched over 1Ki 8:29, 2Chr 6:20
I am at peace when I sleep Ps 4:8
I am accompanied Ps 23:6
I am shown my sins Ps 32:3-4
I am protected Ps 121:6
I am being accused and defended Rev 12:10

Grace, it's every day.

"Before we see the cross as something done for us, we need to see the cross as something done by us" 
- John Stott

I asked him to heal me and feed me without any intention to follow him
I tested his teachings and refused to let go of my beliefs
I expected him to liberate us from the Romans

I betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver
I broke bread with him at his last supper
I fled when the soldiers came to take him
I kissed him to show the soldiers who he was
I took him into custody and brought him before the high priest Caiaphus
I put him on an illegal trial with false witnesses
I brought him to the governor Pilate
I questioned him about the accusations
I brought him to Herod and returned him to Pilate
I let the crowd decide his fate and washed my hands of it
I wanted the liberation of a known murderer instead of his
I sentenced him to death to appease the crowd and my ego

I beat and flogged him multiple times with whips
I spat on him
I made a crown of thorns and placed it harshly on his head
I made him carry his cross up the mount and pushed him to the ground
I put his hands on the cross and nailed him to it
I put his feet together on the wooden block at the base of the cross and nailed them to it
I lifted the cross and slipped it in the hole
I divided his clothes and cast lots for it
I placed a sign above his head 
I give him vinegar to drink
I pierced his side and saw blood and water spill out
I looked on approvingly, content of his death
I mocked his lack of power, even while I was hanging on a cross beside him
I denied ever knowing him, three times
I doubted his messianic claims
I heard him say ridiculous words to his supposed father
I saw him draw his last breath

I took the limp body off the cross
I placed it in a tomb and rolled a massive stone to close it
I guarded the tomb and prevented anyone from reaching it
I kept the empty tomb a secret
I persecuted those who thought he was risen

I was there that first Easter. My sins did all of this. And yet, through faith, His Grace covered me.

- GraceGuy

I often marvel at Jesus' ability to see the heart, the intent and the thoughts of the person in front of Him. This ability, a unique characteristic of God, was prevalent in the Old Testament as well. For example, when Samuel searched for the next king after Saul, The Lord told him 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.' (1 Samuel 16:7)

Jesus really saw them, saw who they were and what they were thirsting for. He saw their quest. With those who humbly and genuinely searched the truth, He graced them with His time, His knowledge, His healing, His love. He could judge their humility in 'real-time' and dispense Grace to those who needed it.

There are too many examples of Jesus seeing people truly as they were: naked, desperate, sick, humiliated, curious, empty, hungry, thirsty. 

Of them: the disciples at their calling, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the centurion, the thousands of followers and the multitudes, the widow of Nain, Jairus, Peter on the water, the Gentile woman, the blind man in Bethsaida, the adulterous woman, Mary and Martha, Zacchaeus, the paralytic lowered from the roof, Lazarus, the one leper who came back, the rich young ruler, the blind man near Jericho, all of Jerusalem, the thief on the cross, the weeping women at the cross, Mary Magdalene at the tomb, the disciples at His appearing, etc.

One particular telling example is the forgiven woman, told in Luke 7:36-50. Simon, the Pharisee, saw what we would have seen: uncleanness, sin, a wasted life. Jesus saw the worth of her soul, the warmth of her sacrifice, the willingness of her service which brought her to the withdrawal of her sin. Ironically, Simon did not realize the depth of his own sin and his lack of love resulted in a lack of appreciation of God's forgiveness.

There were unfortunately ample 'Simons' in His time. Jesus saw hardened hearts and pride in those who seeked only to discredit Him, hurt Him, discount Him, trap Him, kill Him. He could see their insidious intentions and was often able to respond in kind (link to Pharisees). 

Of them: the Devil, the Pharisees, the scribes, the Sadduceens, Judas, the moneychangers in the temple, the followers who wanted more signs. 

So what about me ? It's great to see Jesus' ability in action, but how can I emulate Him ? This strange person in front of me: what is the intent ? the heart ? the thoughts ?

Here's what I discovered was the way to get to know them:

1. Find the time to be completely available
   
2. Ask open-ended questions
   
3. Listen intently to their answers
   
4. Repeat to make sure I understand
5. Admit I don't know the solution
6. Listen to them some more
   
7. Connect with their emotion, no matter how irrational it sounds
8. Genuinely care
   
9. ... And did I mention listening ?
   

Are they frustrated, irritated, overwhelmed, doubting, dissapointed, searching, discouraged, angry, worried, insecure, carrying guilt, unworthy, desperate, fearful, powerless ?

Why ? and how can I listen more ?

It's at that point that Jesus gave Grace. And it's only then that I can give Grace.

A common yet erronneous thought about Grace is that is 'easier' than the Law that Moses was given. We tend to think that since we are given unmerited favour, we have a larger freedom of action than those poor souls who had the Mosaic Law. We hear quotes like 'Thank God, we are under Grace and not the Law, so I can do this anyway' or 'The Law isn't important, we have Grace now, so be free'. Without explicitely saying it, we promote a certain laxism towards the principles God gives us, simply because of what we think Grace does for us.

We could not be more wrong.

In Matthew 5, while in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ exposed that lie by showing how Grace digs much deeper than the Law. 
- Under the law, I would be a murderer if I took a life. Under Grace, I am a murderer if I hate my neighbour and verbally abuse him.
- Under the law, I was an adulterer if have sexual relations outside of marriage. Under Grace, I am an adulterer if I covet and desire to do so.

Under the law, my actions determined how good I was. Under Grace, my motives, my intent and my heart are what defines me. Grace penetrates the deepest recesses of my soul and my secret thoughts. Grace is about who I am inside, not what I do on the outside.

The Forerunner Commentary aptly wrote 'Men's governments deal with the end of the act, Christ deals with the beginning. Jesus changed the law's restraint from the act to the motive. For the Christian, merely abstaining from the act is not sufficient. Jesus imposes the positive obligation of the spirit of the law on him. He seeks to prevent crimes of violence by rooting out the attitudes and drives in a person's character that make him kill. The New Covenant law searches the heart without doing away with the Old Covenant letter.'

The bar is much higher with Grace. But the good news is that Grace empowers us to clear that bar. And the pleasure is fuller and the glory of it... eternal.

Growing up, I had a distorted, warped view of Grace. The journey described on this site is my way back.

I knew Grace as the source of my justification. I was made righteous by the cleansing blood of the Lamb who sacrificed Himself for me and paid my debt of sin. After being justified, I never really thought about Grace again. 

That is why the following text seemed like it was written just for me. In 2003, Jerry Bridges wrote an article in Modern Reformation Magazine called Gospel-Driven Sanctification. 

Jerry has gone through the same thought process I am now going through and his conclusions have helped me see how I need Grace so desperately in my daily walk, long after the initial experience of Grace. That is why I found so many verses where Grace was at the source of sanctifying characteristics.

Jerry is known for authoring the wonderful and life-changing phrase: "preach the gospel to yourself everyday." It then becomes clear: God's grace saves; God's grace sanctifies; God's grace glorifies.

You can download the article here or read it below.

Thank you Jerry for putting words to my journey.