“Finding Grace or Falling Short”
Just as God instructs every follower of Christ to passionately and continually promote and pursue healing, peace and purity, we are also commanded to continually address three specific peace and purity busters in the Christian community; three things that hinder the pursuit and realization of these divine directives.
Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
Most translations then begin a new sentence in the next verse. It is actually a continuation of the previous instruction beginning with “seeing to it” followed by three things we are to see to it don’t become characteristic among believers. King James gets the connection right.
Seeing to it
that no one comes short of the grace of God;
that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Hebrews 12:12-17
Here are three major hindrances to spiritual growth.
A failure to appropriate God’s empowering grace resulting in a flesh driven life.
A failure to forgive resulting in a bitter root which defiles and poisons all those around.
A failure to pursue eternal values resulting in a meaningless wasted life.
Top three life struggles.
Pride – Bitterness – Temporal values.
They will cause us to hurt rather than heal. They will defile the individual and all those around them. They will stunt our spiritual growth and keep us from deepening our relationship with God. When these things infect a community they hinder healing, peace and purity.
First we must look at the action God commands every believer to take to heart.
“seeing to it”
This is a present active plural calling for continual effort on the part of the whole group.
The word means to oversee, look diligently, have regard to, investigate thoroughly.
It comes from the same root translated overseer or elder or bishop – one assigned to oversee the church. Peter used this specific verb addressing church elders.
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 1 Peter 5:1-2
Here, all believers are called to carefully look after the health of their community. This verb applies to three specific infections that afflict and threaten a church community.
1. “seeing to it that no one fall short of the grace of God”
“Fall short” means to fall behind, lack, fail to attain, be in want, come up short, come too late.
The use of the present tense active verb indicates that the falling short has to do with something related to the one falling short. The failure to appropriate God’s grace could be traced to something they did or did not do.
What does he mean by “falling short” of God’s grace? We must first understand this word grace. The concept of grace in the Scriptures is gigantic. It should never be limited to one tidy little phrase. Although helpful, it tends to limit a most prominent Biblical concept – GRACE!
We sing about it. We talk about it. We say it over meals. We take it, we give it.
What is it?
A base meaning.
A favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor.
Its core meaning has to do with blessing, favor, kindness, granting of a gift based on the character of the one giving not on the conduct or merit of the one receiving. It is, without a doubt, unmerited and unearned favor. It most assuredly has to do with Christ’s Riches At God’s Expense. It is both attitude and action. There are at least five aspects to God’s favor toward undeserving sinners and saints alike. To explore the full dimension of God’s grace would be a whole sermon series in itself. It would require a study of the entire Bible. It appears in nearly every book of the Bible either by demonstration or by declaration.
Common Grace
This is the favor God demonstrates to every creature of His creation. He sends rain on the just and unjust. He demonstrates His abundant kindness and favor to both believer and unbeliever.
Saving Grace
By grace you are saved. God saves us completely apart from anything we can do. In fact, there is nothing we can do to make up for our failure to follow God’s ways. God saves us on the basis of His decision to favor us in spite of our sin.
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight Eph 1:4-8
Forgiving Grace
Forgiving grace always keeps ahead of sin. (Where sin abounds grace much more abounds.)
You can’t fall behind saving grace. This grace comes in the face of daily sin.
Resurrection Grace
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13
A special demonstration of God’s favor, God’s grace is planned for the day of Christ’s return.
We are to fix our hope on that day and its promised blessing.
Eternal Grace
We not only experience His saving favor in this life and at His coming but there is even more to be experienced throughout all eternity.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-9
Living or enabling Grace
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:15-16
What do we find from the throne of grace? Not common grace – only believers can confidently approach God’s throne. Not saving grace – they are already saved. Not resurrection or eternal grace – we are not there yet.
This is enabling grace or living grace. This is a power that God grants by His Holy Spirit to desire and do His good pleasure. At the throne of grace we receive mercy and the empowerment to help in our time of need. The word “help” comes from “rope or chain”.
We find a divine tow rope to rescue us and get us through the storm.
God also grants this enabling grace through the ministry of believers to other believes.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29
We can energize and empower one another through encouraging words; uplifting words.
God promises sufficient “grace” to help in time of need. It is up to us to seek it and receive it.
It includes the power to face life’s tribulations. It includes the gifting and power to carry out ministry in this age.
Paul understood the necessity of living life and ministry by God’s strength.
God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Colossians 1:27-29
Failure to function by His grace means we live by our own energy; flesh power. I believe this is the “grace” that God warns us not to miss and see to it that no one else misses it either. See to it that no one in your community fails to grab God’s rope in their time of need. Be keenly aware of those missing God’s grace and do what we can to get them reconnected.
What causes us to miss God’s grace in our time of need?
Ignorance
We are not aware of the resources available to EVERY believer. We are not aware of God’s longing to favor us. We are not aware that God’s throne is one of grace not condemnation and rejection. We have grown up in legalist system that robs us of the wonder of God’s grace that He not only lavished on us at salvation but wants to shower on us every day. We can help each other through testimony of God’s grace in our own life. Share scripture and words of encouragement that point to God’s grace.
Neglect
We get so wrapped up in the affairs of this world that we simply forget where the true power for living comes from. We struggle day after day because we neglect the avenues for strengthening that God has established like the word, prayer, the disciplines, the help and counsel of others.
God freely offers His abundant grace but we must take the steps to find it; at His throne of grace. We must visit the grace warehouse. He throws a rope but we must look for it. He provides a way of escape that we will be able to bear up under the trial but we don’t take it.
How do I know if I have missed it? How do I know if I am falling short of God’s grace?
Simple!!!
God promises to provide sufficient grace to meet every circumstance of life. If I am frustrated, angry, sinning, quitting, failing to respond as Christ would respond – I have fallen short of God’s grace.
How can we help one another?
Again, we inspire others when we share words of testimony concerning God’s grace. When we share how God floods our life with His grace it reminds others that that same warehouse is available to EVERY believer. We can offer words that encourage, energize, comfort. We can use our spiritual gift (grace) to minister to the body. He has blessed us with every blessing and wants to continually to bless us; grace us.
Pride
The third thing that causes us to fall short of God’s enabling and empowering grace is pride.
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." James 4:4-6
God continually opposes and resists the proud. God continually grants grace to the humble.
When we are too proud to ask for help or admit our need or even our failure, we make ourselves an enemy of God. We also end up making enemies of those around us. Those who fall short of God’s grace because of pride are miserable to be around. They demand that others fix their mess, do their homework, cover their failures. They expect you to continually overlook and excuse their attitudes and fleshly behavior. They pressure you to make their life better.
They are miserable because they have failed to appropriate God’s grace. They are dealing with life without the power of God. They hold to a form of godliness but deny the power necessary to live godly. They have failed to seek God’s grace for the marriage, the rejection, the abuse, the life circumstance, the illness, the struggle, the tribulations that come from living in a fallen world. In their own strength they fail and fail again and fall into discouragement, disillusionment, anger, dissension.
Is God’s grace enough? Will He come to your aid? Will He give grace to help in time of need?
Not if we don’t go to Him. Not if we are too proud to deal with what is going on inside of us!
Not if we don’t deal with our failure to appropriate His grace and do the things that cultivate it in our life. God must resist the proud. If he were to give grace to the proud it would be like pouring more gas on a destructive fire. It would be like stepping on the accelerator to a car headed in the wrong direction. It would be like giving more money to one spends irresponsibly.
What we direction not more energy. We need repentance not resources. God withholds His empowering grace from those who deliberately defy Him. Those who spend their lives in earthly pursuits and make friends of a God-defying world system ignore the very purpose for which He saved them.
He jealousy desires fellowship with the renewed spirit He implanted in us.
He shares loyalty with no one. For those who turn back to Him, he gives a greater grace; a new empowerment for living. He grants grace to the humble. He grants grace to those who will admit their need and turn to Him for life. It is our job to help one another make that turn.
The cure for those who fall short of God’s grace due to pride follows in the James passage.
Seven stages to this process. Seven? Pride is such a stubborn disease it requires a seven-fold cure; seven high-powered antibiotics.
1. Submit therefore to God.
Since you walked away, you must turn around and affirm you allegiance again.
2. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Since you defected to the enemy’s camp you must renounce your connection and affirm your intention to serve God and God alone.
3. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
The heart of those who walk away from God become hardened and needs to once again long for God. This goes beyond an intellectual decision to submit to God as God. This involves a heart that wants to relate to God as Father.
4. Cleanse your hands, you sinners
This involves an honest and courageous inventory of my hurtful actions.
5. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Not only my actions but my thinking needs to be evaluated.
6. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
This is a realization of how deeply I have offended God. It is an honest look at the gravity of my sin against Him. My pride and friendship with the world has been spiritual adultery. I have sought satisfaction from sources other than God. It is deeply offensive.
7. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Come into His presence with no demands, no complaints, no agenda, no bitterness, no anger.
Come simply to humble yourself in His presence as His faithful servant, His special creation, His grateful child, His passionate worshiper. Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart and give Him praise. Come humbly to His throne of grace where He promises then to extend mercy and grant grace to help in your time of need for He resists the proud but continually grants grace to the humble.
We must not fall short of His empowering grace either through ignorance, neglect or pride.
We must camp at the throne until we find the grace necessary to help in our earthly pilgrimage.
We must realize that without it there will be neither healing, nor peace, nor purity in our life or the life of our community. It is only by His grace. Let us go forth in that most marvelous grace greater than our sin, greater than our struggle.
REFLECTION
What evidence is there to indicate I have “fallen short” of God’s grace?
Explore you relationship, your attitudes, your emotions, your words, your actions, your work, your marriage, your response to trials or life circumstances, your reaction or response to people. Any failure to exhibit trust in God or demonstrate Christ honoring response indicates a failure to appropriate His grace to do so.
Out of the three possibilities for falling short which one best describes this failure to appropriate God’s grace.
Prayer to Appropriate God’s grace
Gracious Father,
I don’t completely understand the full dimensions or your glorious grace showered upon undeserving rebels. It is truly Amazing Grace that extends to every creature on this earth; that saved a wretch like me; that will be marvelously demonstrated at Christ’s coming and through all eternity. You have clearly promised to grant sufficient grace and favor to not only endure any and every trial in this life but to endure as Christ endured; to joyfully and graciously respond as Christ would respond. You promise to empower me to consistently deny my flesh and to victoriously walk in newness of life. Yet I find myself struggling to find the strength to rise above this feeling of helplessness to live as I ought and want. My life at times looks nothing like the Bible describes as a true follower of Jesus and a bearer of Your glorious image. I feel like Paul did in Romans 7. What I want to do I don’t do and what I don’t want I fid myself doing. But in the deepest core of my being, I joyfully desire to please You. It is evident that since You promise the empowerment to please you and I don’t always live that way, that it must have something to do with what I am doing or not doing. I have obviously fallen short of Your promised grace. I have failed to appropriate the resources You have made available to live like Christ. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I am for the first time really alive and the every day life that I live in this body I choose to live by faith in the one who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Gal 2:20). My pride has kept me from coming to You and to do what is necessary to receive the necessary grace to help in time of need. I therefore repent. I willfully submit to You as Lord and Master of my life. I renounce any allegiance to the devil I have specified by my daily choices. I deeply draw near to You with all my heart. I acknowledge my sinful actions and attitudes and resolve to do what is pleasing to You. I am willing to face the gravity of my proud rebellion against You and my intentional self-centered choices. I humbly enter Your presence and humbly approach Your throne of grace where I anticipate Your marvelous mercy and ask that You grant me your empowering grace to help in my time of need today and everyday. Help me to draw upon Your empowering grace for every are of my life; my marriage, my family, my relationships, my work, my ministry, my emotional struggles, my physical and mental struggles, life’s turbulence, my daily life and help me to recognized when I don’t. I need You. O, I need You. Every hour I need You. O bless (grace) me now my Savior. I come to You. Amen!
