The Complexity of Grace

A short time ago an atheist, typical of all atheists tried his hand at understanding grace. Hopelessly and pitifully inadequate, he bungled it badly. How could it be otherwise? For Grace is a concept totally and completely foreign to the human mind. In fact, the closer an atheist comes to understanding Grace, the angrier s/he becomes. God’s grace is the antithesis of what humans consider “common sense.”

One of the bizillion reasons for trusting the inspiration of the Bible is the fact that Grace is a concept that no human could or would invent. No one but our Creator would ever freely justify someone who is guilty of torturing to death a perfectly innocent man; a truly good man; the only truly good man who has ever lived. No one but our Creator would freely forgive, at His own expense and suffering those who have lived in open rebellion; those who have sinned fast and furious and taught as many as possible that their Creator does not even exist. No one but our Creator would endure the wrath of God for those who having once tasted the goodness of God, and have then turned their backs on Him; who have mocked the Gospel and crucified their Lord again and again. No one but our Creator would sacrifice Himself on the cross and endure the punishment that we deserve, and do this for people who repeatedly refuse his offer of mercy and persist in living in opposition to His decrees.

"I'd rather stand in hell than kneel in heaven."

There is only one way for such individuals to be forgiven, to be shown mercy, to find grace in their time of need. And that is to come humbly to their Creator, Lord and Saviour where if they confess their sins He will faithfully keep His promise to forgive their sins and wash them clean from all unrighteousness. This is not true for just those who are pretty good people. This is true for the most hopeless cases on the face of planet earth. This is true for those who even the worst humans look down upon with distaste, distain and disgust.

The Grace of God, unmerited favour, unearned forgiveness, the Just dying for the unjust, willingly, lovingly, passionately given. His life for yours. Set apart before the founding of the universe, before you were able to do anything to merit salvation; in fact while you were still His enemy, your Creator made provision for your salvation.

What fool would ignore this Grace?

Not one human on this planet exists who would invent the idea of an innocent and perfectly just King willingly and purposely pardoning and then declaring not guilty a guilty enemy, an enemy who is out to kill the King. No human would invent in mythology or otherwise the Just dying for the unjust, the righteous for the unrighteous. As the saying goes,

“It would take more than a Jesus to invent a Jesus.”

The only reason that we know of Grace today is because it has taken place in fact, not in fiction.

What fool would reject this Grace?