Unapologetic Grace
Can you imagine apologizing for the grace of God? God's grace changes us, and any time to distance ourselves from the changes God wants to make in our lives because someone doesn't like them, that's exactly what we do. This unfortunate dynamic deserves close consideration because it can come to us cloaked in very "spiritual" garb.
Understanding the sacred claims of the Lord Jesus Christ on His holy day of worship, I was shocked recently as I listened to a speaker that advocated cleaning up trash along roadways as acceptable—and even laudable—use of holy time. It seemed that this person believed that doing things that bring favorable attention and the approval of people renders various common activities sacred.
While this person’s intentions were good, the Bible presents a different idea. Listen:
“And he said unto him, If thy presence go not [with me], carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? [is it] not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that [are] upon the face of the earth,” (Exodus 33:15 & 16).
The popular, contemporary notion, widely accepted and (perhaps only passively) promoted is that right religion will make us popular and well-spoken of among men. Although mostly—if not entirely—unstated, this belief rests upon the notion that grace received will make true believers fit in with worldly people more seamlessly than anything else. “The more we’re like the world, the more they’ll admire us and pay attention to what we say,” is the mantra of this school of evangelistic thought.
Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. According to God’s own Word, because of God’s grace received, “so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that [are] upon the face of the earth.” And as if this clarion declaration is not clear enough, the Lord points this reality out multiple times throughout His Word! Listen:
“lo, the people (God’s people) shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations,” (Numbers 23:9).
“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,” (John 17:14).
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty,” (2 Corinthians 6:17 & 18).
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (Babylon), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues,” (Revelation 18:4).
(This verse, by the way, has special reference to the end of time—to our day.)
God wants us to be different from the world, and His grace changes us. Paul, the transformed terrorist to the early Christian Church, says it best. Referring to his own transformation he writes:
“by the grace of God I am what I am,” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
When we receive the grace of God, it transforms us away from likeness to the world—and in Paul’s case, away from likeness to the worldly church (and worldly churches still exists, by the way). It doesn’t make us more in harmony with the world. It actually heightens the differences between us and others that are outside of God’s grace—even if they claim to be in Christ. Let me repeat, the grace of God received does not make us more like the world!
How does God’s grace change us? In every way! Listen:
“Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Before we came to Jesus, we said whatever we felt like saying—and some of it wasn’t very nice. After receiving Jesus, however, we lived by different principles:
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers,” (Ephesians 4:29).
And,
“Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man,” (Colossians 4:6).
The grace that we’ve taken in now comes out of our mouths! And it doesn’t end there.
Before we came to Jesus and received the grace of God, we ate and drank whatever we pleased. After receiving God’s grace, however, our diets changed:
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God,” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Following God’s lead, we treat our bodies with grace, and live longer and healthier lives.
Before we truly accepted God’s grace and were transformed by it, we dressed however we pleased—mostly to fit in and to draw positive attention to ourselves. But after we allowed God’s grace to exercise its influence over us and in us, our focus changed:
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works,” (1 Timothy 2:9 & 10).
And by the way, this principle applies to men, too. After all, Rolex watches and expensive vehicles are male jewelry.
Because of God’s grace, we are changed. We speak differently than the world. We eat and drink differently than the world. We dress differently. We go to church on a different day. We even use our time on this different day of worship differently than worldly worshipers utilize their day of worship. Our money gets used differently. We recreate differently. Everything is changed.
But the changes made in us don’t begin and end with behavior. They go much deeper. The grace of God changes our beliefs and attitudes (which is why our lifestyles changed). As a result, we become loving and concerned about others, as opposed to self-centered and apathetic. We start caring about people that we didn’t even notice or think about before. Grace makes us forgiving instead of grudging and vengeful. It makes us thoughtful and self-possessed instead of impetuous. It puts peace in our hearts where unrest used to reign.
Altogether, grace makes us better people, better friends, and ideal to be in relationship with. Yet, at the same time it changes us away from fitting into the cultures of the world—away from the cultures of people who need friends like Jesus makes us into.
This is where it gets tricky. While our love and concern for everyone increases because of the work of God’s grace in our hearts and minds, at the same time the aversion of many people to us increases—because of the changes that Jesus and His grace have made in our lives! So, while we become ideal friends for people, we encounter negative peer-pressure from people that need us against the very work of Jesus in our lives that has makes us into the very type of friends that they need!
At this point, the temptation to downplay the distinctive characteristics that set us apart from the world, so as to enable us to “reach them for Christ,” comes flooding in, threatening to swamp and sink the work of Jesus—His desired goal of changing us into His likeness—in our lives; and we must repel it!
When we are tempted to hide, apologize for, or even erase the distinctive differences that Jesus tells us in His Word that He’s wanting to make in our lives, please understand that all consideration you give to doing so is consideration for Satan’s will in your life, NOT Jesus’ will! When this temptation comes around, please know that it means that Satan in on-site, seeking to match his strength against the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Do not give in!
Adopting worldly ways for evangelistic purposes is like booking passage on the Titanic. Remember:
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever,” (1 John 2:17).
So, don’t hide your colors. As a Bible believing Christian, don't apologize for God's work of grace in your life. Instead, let Jesus keep doing His transforming work in your life, unaffected by worldly people, their approval, or their popular ways. In the end, you will have souls won to Christ—souls that could not have been won through you in any lesser way!