The Way Of Grace Series

I. We have been taught and conditioned to respect and seek fairness. In fact, a sense of justice is probably part of the law that is written upon our hearts as talked about in Romans 2:14-15.

J. We are pretty good at spotting situations that are not fair. From a young age, children has a sense of fairness. When I was growing up, I would often say, “But Dad, that not fair!” Finally Dad got disgusted and said to me when I was older, “Davon, life is not fair!”

K. No wonder so many try to apply this “fairness mentality” to salvation itself. Look up and read Luke 18:9-14. Notice the Fair- I- See.

L. The fact is this: the fairness approach to the salvation of sinners is futile. James 2:10: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

N. Do we want God to be fair with us in the final judgment?

The Grace Mentality

As children we are taught to be fair and play fair. We expect and desire our courts of law to apply justice and fairness. This is the way it should be- in matters of this world.

Here is the bottom line: when it comes to salvation, we must stop thinking in terms of fairness, in terms of what we deserve.

Our thinking must be like that of the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14. What did he pray- “God, be fair with me, the sinner!” No, he prayed, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!”

The only balance scale judgment that really works is this: all our sins go on one side of the scale, and Christ’s atoning death goes on the other side. Christ’s side is heaviest

How we perceive our relationship with God determines our overall attitude or state of mind. Those under law will be dominated by one kind of mental state; those under grace will be dominated by an entirely different mental state. What are those two:

Those who think in terms of law are filled with dread and terror whenever they think of death and judgment. In their hearts they know they are not good enough to be saved, and they know what they deserve: hell! At the least they will never be sure of their eternal destiny.

Those who understand that they are under grace are filled with joy and hope and peace and assurance. This comes from understanding grace and knowing that we are under it.

Christians are under grace, but many still think and act as if they were under law. Still have the mentality of someone who is under law. Mentality has not caught up with the reality.

The transition from the law mentality to the grace mentality is the greatest imaginable transition in thinking. It is a Copernican revolution. Nicolaus Copernicus came up with idea that the sun is the center of the solar system. It made sense but for many, especially those in the church, it was difficult to accept. “We are not the center of the solar system.”

This means shifting our focus from our personal righteousness to the gift of God’s righteousness. It means thinking of eternal life not in terms of something we earn but in terms of something God gives us as a gift. It means ceasing to trust our own works to make us good enough for heaven, and beginning to trust the cross of Christ as our sole means of entering heaven. It means taking our eyes off of ourselves and placing them on Jesus Christ. It means ceasing to be dominated by hopelessness and fear and drudgery, and beginning to be filled with hope and joy and assurance.