A dear friend of mine (now Senior Minister of a church in Sydney) had been a regular churchgoer at a good church, 2-3 times a week since he was in utero (and now he’s about 6’4”!).
Many years ago, we were sitting under a tree in his front yard, discussing the Bible passage below. And the lights came on for him, the penny dropped. He surrendered to Jesus there and then.
This was the passage that made him come to life, and the scales fall from his eyes right there as we sat in the shade.
Ephesians chapter 2:6-10
“You are saved by GRACE! (God) also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8. For you are saved by GRACE through faith, and this is NOT from yourselves; it is God’s GIFT—
9. NOT from good works so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”
Grace, that exorbitant, luscious gift from God that I can never earn, work for, or deserve. It is a GIFT- that’s what gifts are. I can never buy it or pay for it. That’s not a gift.
So how could I ever arrogantly boast that I had been given a gift?! The focus is always on the giver.
My dear wife Chiq gave me 10 sessions with a PT at a gym for Christmas. (I had asked for it 
). But I didn’t earn it, and I can’t beg, borrow, or steal it. All I did to work for it was overeat and under exercise. The generosity was all hers, and I do proudly boast about her kindness in giving it to me. And that’s entirely appropriate. She’s the best!
But God’s gift of grace is better still. And this’s where it gets crazy. Dissecting grace and seeing inside it, a cross-section of it, what do we see?
Two things, seamlessly and perfectly intertwined, in one flawless act of God. Co-inherence, like a “dove tail” joint at the corner of a draw. Intentionally inseparable.
Number one, grace is God HOLDING BACK from us the just judgement we deserve. Blocking it. Preventing it from reaching us is. Protecting us from it. Hospital, passing it back to Himself.
It was as though Jesus stepped in between us and God and said, “Father, I know Charles deserves to be judged, I don’t deny that. But we both love Him dearly, so please let ME take his dire judgement instead of HIM.”
And at this point, He willingly hanged on the cross and died, receiving MY punishment, NOT His own (after all, He didn’t deserve any.)
Because this judgment is the one thing I HAVE earned, bought, and paid for. Worked for, deserve, and have coming to me. Like my salary, but for ignoring Him. Never giving Him a thought, pretending He doesn’t exist, rejecting His kind authority over me. Rebelling against Him as my Ruler, using Him, or treating Him like a block of wood.
2. If that’s the first part of grace, what’s the second?
Well, not only did God HOLD BACK from me the just judgement I DID deserve, but He went WAY BEYOND that.
He GAVE me what I DON’T deserve. Two gifts in one. The perfect “Quinella”. The heavenly “hendiadys” (look it up).
You see, when Jesus hanged, not ONLY was I protected from my just desserts. I was also forgiven, set free, and adopted as His child. Given spiritual sight, raised from spiritual death, and given a new life with Him for eternity.
Given a new, soft, warm, beating heart towards Him. So that, for the first time, I WANT to obey Him. And I’m ABLE to. Before I became a Christian, I WASN’T ABLE NOT to sin. Now I AM able, with the generous help of His Spirit of holiness. ALL… AS A FREE… GIFT.
And that’s the TWO parts of grace.
And where do two parts of grace, all of it, the whole box and dice, come together? Where’s the cross-over point? Here – Isaiah chapter 53:4-7:
“(On the cross, Jesus) himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; we… regarded him stricken, struck down…, and afflicted.
But HE was pierced because of OUR rebellion, crushed because of OUR iniquities; punishment for OUR peace was on HIM, and WE are healed by HIS wounds.
We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way, and the Lord has punished HIM for the iniquity of us ALL.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep, silent…”
Saved by good works? HARD-LY. (Or as Paul the apostle would say, “Mair genoito!” (“Over my dead body!”)
No – it was over Jesus’ dead body.
Image: Under a tree talking. Image Credit: RDNE Stock project / pexels