Some years ago, when I was alone in the house, I suffered a severe case of bronchial asthma. I could not breathe! I could not inhale any amount of air!
Have you wrestled with such trauma – to be deprived of air, or unable to breathe? Have you reached the point in your life that nothing was more important to you, but air you could not breathe?
Maybe, I just struggled for a few seconds, but I felt it was much longer that I was gasping for air.
It was good, then, my heart was in a better condition and I did not suffer heart attack. But during that time I struggled to take in air, I could not also think of anything! Oxygen could no longer reach my brain. I could not desire, or think of any short prayer. For I could not even think of God!
Later, after the incident, I was even filled with guilt that at that time I desired air and be in this world more than the Creator of air and be in His Kingdom!
Anyway, it was really painful – to find your life at a point of great need and God was not even in your consciousness. Actually, it was a very fearful thing!
Before the incident, I suffered intermittent coughing for almost a month and I would just drink lukewarm water to ease my painful throat.
Instinctively, that’s also what I did. So thankful, I felt again the air was filling my lungs. It seemed I could taste it. Believe it or not, it was sweet!
But what was really “sweet,” as I breathed again, I grasped more the meaning of the Grace of God. As if, it was emphasized to me that He could give us physical life, an extension of it, or even eternal life – not because of our own doing (in thought or in action). I could not even exercise my freedom of choice to choose what would be the best option to restore my breath. Because of the absence of oxygen, my brain or my mind could not function properly and my body could just wrestle with pain.
My physical life or even the extension of it did not depend on my own choice or effort that proceeded from my own will, but on God’s Sovereign Will.
In spite of my inability – both physical effort and conscious effort – to save myself, my life was extended! Surely, I was able to breathe again not because of my physical strength, nor because of the so-called power of the human will, but because of God’s Grace. He enabled me to receive or to take in air once again.
We could also see how His Grace is illustrated in Luke 10:30-37:
“Then Jesus answered and said: ‘A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.” So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’ And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (NKJV).
Notice the condition of the victim of the thieves. He was “half dead.” He didn’t have the strength to bandage his wounds, or to take care of himself. He didn’t even have the consciousness to ask someone to help him! He was not even aware of his helpless condition. And if he was a Jew, who had no dealing with the Samaritan, he could not even exercise his freedom of choice to resist the assistance rendered to him by the Samaritan.
Now consider how the Samaritan showed his mercy. He did not even wait for the victim to ask for aid. Nor he asked the victim if he would want to be assisted. When he saw the victim, he had compassion, and he just cared for him.
So, the victim got himself into the inn and continued to receive further treatment – not because of his own choice, or effort. It’s because of grace.
When we read Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast,” we just understood grace, as a favor that we received for free, a favor that we do not deserve, or a gift that we could have not by our own effort, BUT by our OWN choice of acceptance – as if we are spiritually conscious and able just to receive it, or even reject it.
Thus, if we follow that kind of thinking, because we are able to stamp our own approval, we could even be tempted to boast. For if we have believed, or accepted God’s offer of salvation, we could regard ourselves not stubborn, or “less” stubborn compared with those who refused God’s offer!
But if realize that we are helpless “spiritual victims” – half dead – not only we do not deserve to be saved, but we do not even aware how helpless we are and we are incapable to save ourselves in any way, but solely on the mercy of the Good Samaritan (God) – we have no avenue to boast. For we are saved by grace.
When God provided us the light of the sun, it was not only given to us freely, but He also enabled us to enjoy and behold it by providing us with our eyes!
When He would provide you with the Light of the Son, He would also enable you to see His Glory by providing you with “spiritual eyes,” or by removing the veil that covers it.
Consider Ephesians 1:6, “…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”
The phrase “by which He has made us accepted” is translated by the International Version as, “which he has freely given us…” and the American Standard Version, “which he freely bestowed on us...”
If we are not careful, we could think that when God would freely give or bestow His Divine Favor, still we would not have it, unless we accept it. But, if it is by His Grace, we do not actually decide, give the permission, or assess if His Gift is worthy to be taken!
Let’s read again Ephesians 1:6 in the New King James Version, “He has MADE US ACCEPTED…”
Notice it. Those who received His Gift were actually not even worthy or able to receive it. They could not have it on their own ability. So, God made them prepared, qualified, or enable them to have it!
It is the Sovereign God who decides to whom His Grace should be given. And He enables the recipient to have it. For He is the One who assesses the recipient. Not only everyone is found wanting, but also unable (1 Cor. 2:14).
God does not limit His Grace, even if He decides to give it only to a single person. Because God would not stop until His Gift is delivered to the prospective recipient. His Grace is offered not with an attitude of “take it, or leave it.”
But if we say, God gives His Grace to everyone, yet there are those who would fail to have it – we are trying not only to limit God’s Grace, but we are actually accusing God of offering an UNdesirable Gift, for others could refuse it.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with His Gift. What is wrong is with us – we are spiritually unconscious even to realize our helplessness and to perceive the Great Worth of the Gift.
We read in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
So glorious, indeed, is His grace that He gave us the Son and enabled us to come to Him and receive Him. We are able to believe, because not only He sent the Light but He also “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6, NIV).
We are able to respond to Him, because He opened our heart to His Words (Acts 16:14).
While there are those who believe that because of our freedom of choice, we could respond negatively to God, though He would open our heart – we have learned from God’s Word that His Grace enables – not disables -- us.
So, when He opens our hearts, we heed or respond positively to His instruction. Or, when He makes His Light to shine in our hearts, we receive – not reject – “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
And when we are saved through faith, He also enabled us to have the faith to be saved – not by our own doing (in thought or in action), but it is the gift of God -- by His grace.
If ever I was able to breathe again, I could not boast that it’s because of my so-called “presence of mind.” Nor the victim in Luke 10:30-37 could boast that he was taken care of and was brought to an inn, because he submitted willingly to the mercy granted to him.
And If we receive the grace of God, no one among us have anything to boast.
For, not only He gives the favor freely, but He enables us to enjoy it. That’s His Grace worthy of our everlasting praises!
PRAYER: Our Merciful Heavenly Father, we praise You for the Grace You lavished on us. We acknowledge not only our unworthiness to have Your Gift, but also our inability to receive it. Help us to experience more the “sweetness” of Your Grace, so we can also grow in our praises! In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
