If we really know how the Sovereign God exercises grace, we will truly be amazed!
After our denomination changed many of its teachings and began to recommend other Christian books, the first one I read was Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges. Grace is defined in that book as “God’s free and unmerited favor shown to guilty sinners who deserve only judgment. It is the love of God shown to the unlovely. It is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against Him.”
In his book The Grace Awakening, Chuck Swindoll wrote: “To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. . . Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver.”
Mr. Swindoll stated further, “It is absolutely and totally free. You will never be asked to pay it back. You couldn’t even if you tried.”
Our denomination did not explain it before that way and for me it was totally new. I could really jump with joy and fall in love again with God to know this fascinating aspect of His character. Never I thought that as I become more acquainted with His grace, I could even jump higher with joy!
Let’s go to God’s Word and see how God really illustrated grace. Let us use the same Scripture mentioned by Mr. Bridges in his book Transforming Grace -- the 9th chapter of 2 Samuel.
We read in verse 3: “The king asked, ‘Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?’” King David was determining to whom he can show the favor – “… of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness.”
God, as the conveyor of grace, is the One who chooses to whom He will grant the favor. We cannot direct Him or should not even think that He ought to give the same favor to everyone.
GOD CHOOSES TO WHOM THE FAVOR WILL BE GRANTED. And some of us will object to that. We tend to define grace in human terms and even believe that God will conform with our own definition. The unconverted will say, “Everyone should have an equal treatment from God!” And there are even sons of the kingdom who will “sing out” with the same “tune” of the elder son in Luke 15: “`Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. . .” (verse 29.)
Next, see verse 4 of 2 Samuel, chapter 9: “’Where is he?’ the king asked.” David sought for the recipient of the favor (Mephibosheth), just what the father was doing in Luke 15, as he was always searching the horizon for his son. So when his son returned, the father was able to see his son at once: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (verse 20).
When God exercises grace, He is the One who seeks for the recipient. He does not need to wait for someone to request before He could extend His grace. HE SEEKS WHOM HE WILL GRANT THE FAVOR.
Then, in verse 7, David told Mephibosheth, “Don’t be afraid . . .for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
David did not just offer the favor to Mephibosheth! He gave it to him: “Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, ‘I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table."
Unfortunately, many teachers of grace failed to emphasize or even see this point. When God practices grace, He does not just offer the favor. He gives it and He sees to it that the favor is delivered! (Is there any Bible scholar who can help to pursue this deeper or preacher who can proclaim this aspect of grace?)
Consider also how the father in Luke 15 gave the favor to his son: “But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate…’” (verses 22-23.)
Do we hesitate or even refuse to believe that the father did “impose” the favor to his son? One thing is certain: he did not just offer it. In the same way, there are also instances that God does not just offer. He also gives.
And when He exercises grace, HE BESTOWS THE FAVOR – NOT JUST OFFERED, BUT GIVEN AND DELIVERED.
And why do you think the recipient could not refuse the favor? Because it came from a king? Because it came from the Sovereign King and God who can bestow adversity and pain we cannot also avoid or refuse?
Focus on verse 8 of 2 Samuel chapter 9: “Mephibosheth bowed down and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?’”
The recipient acknowledged his unworthiness for the favor. He believed he deserved death not favor. Notice also the confession of the son in Luke 15, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” He acknowledged, too, his unworthiness not just for any physical favor, but even for what was rightfully belonged to him – his sonship.
If Mephibosheth was willing to accept even death, if the son was willing even to be treated as a slave – in their unworthiness, will they refuse the favor? Are they worthy to REFUSE the favor? (Any Bible scholar who can help to make the point more clear?)
When God administers grace, HE IMPARTS THE FAVOR TO SOMEONE WHO REALIZES HIS UNWORTHINESS.
Not only that, consider also the kind of favor. Consider if the recipient could afford to refuse it. Let’s remind ourselves of what David said to Mepheboseth: “I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." One who was stripped off of everything and later would receive not only what was lost, but the privilege to eat always at the king’s table is unimaginable!
And if in our time, we could not appreciate such favor, consider the physical favor that the son received in Luke 15.
He came to the point of his life that his only need was something – in fact, anything -- for his stomach: “He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything” (Luke 15:16).
You know what he did receive – not only for his stomach, but also something for his finger, feet and body! His father said, “Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.”
A fattened calf is too much for someone who is just longing for “the pods that the pigs were eating”! But add something more that even exceeds the longing: the robe, a ring and sandals!! Will you be overwhelmed?
When God exercises grace, HE GIVES AN OVERWHELMING FAVOR YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO REFUSE!
Many are teachings that we are now under the dispensation of grace and God is "giving" salvation to every person in the world. But, could it be that, as God exercises grace, regardless of what some theologians and Bible teachers taught, the plain and simple teaching of God’s Word as in Ephesians 1, when God “chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless…” -- He was referring “us” not to every person, but “for us who believe” (verse 19)?
Perhaps, we define grace when someone chooses ALL or chooses EVERYONE. But we do not find the words in the Bible: “God chose everyone in the world in him before the creation of the world.”
In many examples in the Bible, GOD CHOOSES TO WHOM THE FAVOR WILL BE GRANTED. HE SEEKS WHOM HE WILL GRANT THE FAVOR. HE BESTOWS THE FAVOR – NOT JUST OFFERED, BUT GIVEN AND DELIVERED (What greater favor that could be given to a would be mother, like Mary, to become the mother of the Savior of the world? Yet, the favor was not just offered. It was practically “assigned” or decreed). HE IMPARTS THE FAVOR TO SOMEONE WHO REALIZES HIS UNWORTHINESS. HE GIVES AN OVERWHELMING FAVOR YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO REFUSE!
What favor are you longing for right now? To have joy? Peace? Security? Healing? Forgiveness? Higher attendance in your church? Greater income? Unity in the body of Christ? Deeper Biblical understanding? Long life? Contentment? Deliverance from the condemnation in hell?
Don’t just settle for “the pods that the pigs were eating”!
If the God of Grace has chosen you even “before the creation of the world,” you have from Him an overwhelming favor – the Bread of Life – Jesus Christ! Our genuine satisfaction is in Him. Rom 8:32 states, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all ("all" whom "God has chosen" [verse 33])-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Salvation is just one of the "things" we enjoy because of Christ. He is the "bread" -- the main course -- not salvation! Apart from Him, we will still suffer "hunger", even if we have salvation.)
As we appreciate the grace of God as He manifests it, we will not only jump with joy, but even jump higher with unspeakable and glorious joy! And the time is coming, as He reveals more of His grace, that we will not only jump "higher", but even "fly"! Our joy then will be truly beyond our comprehension.
