2 Corinthians 4:15 — For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
I didn’t know what I was going to write about tonight. Then there was choir. We practiced “This Is Amazing Grace”. It’s a wonderful song. The first verse and chorus are:
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
Who leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You would lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Jesus, I sing for
All that You’ve done for me
Grace is amazing. The usual definition of Biblical grace is God’s unmerited favor towards man. The whole idea is baffling. What have I ever done that God should do good to me? Nothing, that’s what! In fact not only have I never done anything, there is nothing I could do. Perfect Unchangeable God does good to me because that is His nature and because it suits His purposes. It’s nothing to do with me!
There’s another amazing thing about grace. It has no limits. Oh I get that there is nothing too large to ask God. What really delights me, though, is that there is nothing too small either. Do you want a little example? Myra was driving me to church tonight, and voiced a little prayer. “Father”, she said, “are you going to make it rain, so I don’t have to wash the car?” Well that was a funny little prayer on a beautiful dry evening. No way that was going to happen … except that when she collected me an hour and a half later … it was raining! It was a funny little prayer that it pleased an all powerful God to answer to please His children. I know some of you will say it was just coincidence, but if you’d been there you would know better …
Of course, in this week just after Easter the aspect of grace that’s top of mind is that amazing sacrifice on the cross. That’s what “leaves us breathless in awe and wonder”. The idea that God, the Son of God, would submit to the ugliest death imaginable is the most extraordinary unmerited favor … There are no limits to grace.