Grace in Motion

We are hardworking people. We pay our fair share in life. We have earned everything we have — almost. Did we earn our relationship with God? The truth is we are covered by grace that has been earned by another, the one called Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. It is this Jesus who has put forth the hard and brutely painful work of providing the grace we enjoy. A grace that is worth more than all of the wealth of the world. A grace that daily is taken for granted.

The grace of God through the work of Jesus is a gift that leaves us feeling good about where we are in our relationship with God. This is as it should be, fueled by a faith that is itself made possible by grace. With all this divine giving, it becomes obvious that there is no room for us to pay our fair share.

Consider we are talking about the grace of God that bridges the gap between each person and Almighty God. The grace that forgives us of our sins against God, the thoughts and acts that separate us from the Lord, regardless of our opinion about right or wrong. Who can buy forgiveness from the One who created everything? It’s like the old question: what do you give the person who has everything? The answer quickly becomes nothing. Add to that the availability of grace to the world and we find ourselves thinking in terms of nothing required then nothing given. Certainly nothing as pressing as the demands of the world around us.

How many times in a day do our thoughts and work focus on God? Life has worries and needs that require our attention. Jesus took care of our sins and fixed our relationship with God so do we need to be focused on the Lord? We have our wants, desires, and the practical needs of life that require our focus. Sometimes it’s like the Lord is not around. We hardly pay attention to the reality of God unless we need Him.

Many years before Jesus, there was an ancient prophet in Israel named Isaiah. He was what we would call a holy man. He often spoke up for the Lord among the people. I doubt very many people questioned his righteousness with God. Except, of course, the people who didn’t like him. Outspoken prophets always have enemies. One day, he was praying in the Temple of the Lord and he had a powerful vision of God. The presence of the Lord filled the Temple and angels hovered around him singing:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah said “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! Then one of the seraphs (angel) flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” (Isaiah 6:3-8)

So here is a man whose life is truly focused on God. He is praying to the Lord he loves. But when he meets him face to face, he knows he has met true Holiness in the presence of God. Isaiah sees the difference between his own attempts at being holy — set apart — for God. The Holiness that surrounds and pours forth from God is so great that even the renowned prophet knows he is without hope to do anything to make himself worthy before the Lord. The difference between him and God is too great and he is terrified. Any image he has of himself living and speaking righteously is shown to be a weak imitation of the Lord. The full-on presence of God rightly strips any idea of righteousness away leaving him condemning his own speech as woefully inadequate. But without even being asked the Lord shows him mercy and his sins are forgiven. It is then that Isaiah can hear the Lord speak, asking who He can send to do his work. Isaiah quickly spoke up and asked the Lord to send him. Isaiah saw the gulf between himself, his people, and Almighty God. The Lord knew Isaiah’s heart and forgave him, then asked the question He knew the man would respond to. “Who shall I send?” This was grace, unearned, freely given, but with an expectation that this man loved him enough to do His work among the people of Israel.

What do you give the God who has everything? In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Like Isaiah, we are given grace with the expectation we will exemplify and live out God’s grace to the world, so the world will also know His grace. So through each of us, empowered by God, the world will know the Lord’s grace and love for them. Now that is something worth focusing on. Certainly not to be taken for granted.

There is so much joy and beauty in God’s word I pray that we will all see and be a part of His grace in motion in our world.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Pastor Rick