When Grace Doesn’t Make Sense
Grace.
It’s one of those words we hear so often in church that I think sometimes we forget just how amazing it really is!
We talk about God’s grace. We sing about it. We thank Him for it.
But what exactly is grace?
One Biblical definition describes grace as a spontaneous gift from God…generous, free, completely unexpected, and undeserved. It is God’s favor and love extended to people who could never earn it.
And then there’s our everyday definition of grace: Courteous goodwill.
Ummm…those two definitions are a little different, aren’t they?
God’s grace is so much bigger than simply being nice to someone.
Grace is getting something you could never earn and never deserve.
And that’s exactly why grace can be so hard for us to receive.
Grace Is a Gift
Think about the prodigal son.
He asks his father for his inheritance before his father is even dead. Then he takes that inheritance and squanders it on a life of reckless living.
Eventually, he finds himself in such a desperate situation that he is eating the same food he is feeding to pigs.
So he heads home.
He’s prepared to be a servant. He knows he has messed up and he knows he doesn’t deserve a warm welcome.
But that’s not what he gets.
Luke 15:20 says:
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
The son comes home expecting judgment.
Instead, he gets grace.
The father doesn’t make him earn his way back into the family.
He doesn’t hand him a list of everything he needs to do to prove he’s changed.
He runs to him.
He embraces him.
He celebrates his return.
The father’s response wasn’t based on what the son deserved.
It was based on the character of the father!
And that is such a beautiful picture of God’s grace.
Grace Isn’t Something We Earn
I think this is where we sometimes get ourselves into trouble.
We understand that salvation is a gift from God. We know we can't work our way into heaven.
Somewhere along the way, though, we start living like God’s favor is something we have to earn.
At least, I did.
I knew salvation was a complete work of Christ. I knew there was nothing I could do to earn it or keep it.
But after I was saved, I somehow started thinking I needed to work and strive to earn God’s grace and favor in my life.
Maybe you’ve done that too.
We have a good day spiritually and we feel close to God.
We mess up and suddenly we feel like we need to crawl back into His good graces.
We serve.
We pray.
We read our Bibles.
We try harder.
And those are all good things.
But none of them are currency we use to purchase God’s love.
Grace cannot be earned.
If it could be earned, it wouldn’t be grace.
Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us:
“For 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.”
Salvation is a gift.
Not a paycheck.
Not a reward for good behavior.
A gift.
And because it is a gift, we don't have to spend our lives trying to prove that we're worthy of receiving it.
Grace Can Make Us Uncomfortable
There’s another character in the story of the prodigal son that we sometimes overlook.
The older brother.
When he discovers that his father has welcomed his younger brother home and thrown a party for him, he is angry.
Why?
Because he thinks his brother doesn’t deserve it.
And honestly, if we're being real, we can probably understand why.
His brother made terrible choices. He wasted his inheritance. He walked away from his family.
And now Dad is throwing him a party?
That doesn’t seem fair.
But that’s the thing about grace.
Grace isn’t fair.
Grace is generous.
And that can make us uncomfortable because we are constantly tempted to measure who deserves what.
We can even find ourselves doing that with God.
We look at someone else’s life and think, After what they’ve done, how could God possibly forgive them?
Jonah did the same thing with Nineveh.
God showed mercy to people Jonah didn’t think deserved it…and Jonah was angry about it.
Why?
Because grace offends our sense of fairness.
But thankfully, God’s grace isn't limited by our calculations of who deserves it.
And that should make us incredibly grateful.
Because if God only gave grace to people who deserved it…
None of us would get any.
Grace Doesn’t Just Save Us. It Trains Us.
This is another part of grace that I think we sometimes miss.
God’s grace doesn't stop at salvation.
Titus 2:11–12 says:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives…”
Did you catch that?
Grace trains us.
God’s grace doesn't simply forgive us and then leave us to figure out how to become holy on our own.
The same grace that saves us begins changing us.
It teaches us to put off the things that don't look like Jesus and to grow into the character of Christ.
And yes, that process can be hard.
Our flesh is strong.
Our old habits can be stubborn.
Some sins don't disappear simply because we decided we want to be better.
But we aren't doing this work alone.
The Holy Spirit is working in us and through us.
And the beautiful thing is that spiritual growth isn't how we earn God’s grace.
Spiritual growth is one of the things God’s grace produces in us.
That's a big difference.
Grace Should Change the Way We Treat People
If we have received this kind of grace from God, shouldn't it begin spilling over into the way we treat other people?
We have been forgiven.
So we forgive.
We have received compassion.
So we show compassion.
We have been given grace when we didn't deserve it.
So we learn to extend grace when someone else doesn't seem to deserve it.
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 reminds us that God comforts us so that we can comfort others.
What we receive from God isn't meant to stop with us.
Grace changes us.
And then grace changes the way we respond to the people around us.
That doesn't mean we ignore sin or pretend wrong doesn't matter.
It means we remember that we are standing on the receiving end of grace too.
You Can't Outsin God's Grace
And maybe this is the reminder someone needs today.
You cannot sin your way beyond the reach of God's grace.
That doesn't mean sin doesn't matter. It does.
It doesn't mean there aren't consequences to our choices. There can be.
It means our sin is never bigger than God's ability to forgive.
Romans 5:20 says:
“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
I love that.
Because sometimes the enemy whispers that we've gone too far.
That this time we've really messed up.
That God has finally had enough.
That maybe our sin is the one thing His grace can't cover.
But Scripture tells us something different.
Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.
We don't have to minimize our sin to receive God's grace.
We simply have to stop believing that our sin is bigger than our Savior.
Rest in Grace
I think one of the hardest things about grace is that it requires us to admit we can't earn it.
We can't work for it.
We can't be good enough for it.
We can't pay God back for it.
We can only receive it.
And maybe that's why we struggle with it so much.
We like earning things.
We like checking things off.
We like knowing exactly what we need to do.
But grace leaves us empty-handed.
And that's exactly where God wants us.
Not striving.
Not performing.
Not trying to prove that we're worthy.
Just receiving what He has already given.
Grace is a gift.
And when we finally learn to rest in that gift, something beautiful begins to happen.
Gratitude grows.
Striving begins to loosen its grip.
The Holy Spirit begins producing real spiritual fruit in our lives.
Not because we're trying to earn God's grace…
but because God's grace is already at work in us.
Maybe today you need to stop trying to earn what God has already freely given.
Maybe you need to stop measuring whether you deserve His grace.
Maybe you simply need to come home.
The Father is not waiting for you to become worthy.
He is inviting you to receive His grace.