Amazing Grace!

"Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal's death on a cross."

Philippians 2:6-8 NLT

I've heard it said that grace is getting what I don't deserve;  the unmerited favor of God.  I can think of many example of God's grace in my life.  Salvation from eternal punishment.  Abundant life.  Intimate relationship with the One who loves me most.  There is so much evidence of His grace.

The ultimate manifestation of His grace and the conduit by which grace His delivered to an undeserving humanity is Jesus.  Jesus is both the best example of God's grace extended to me as well as the means of His expression of that grace.  Without Jesus, a holy God could not show His grace toward sinful man.  Here are some of the sacrifices Jesus made in order for me to experience a constant flow of God's grace into my life.

Poor.  Recently, my family and I have tasted what it is like to be homeless.  During the time when we had no address and nowhere to call home except a local motel, I often thought of Jesus who had, "nowhere to lay his head." (Luke 9:58 ESV)  The One who possessed ultimate riches sacrificed such bounty in order to deliver God's grace to His own.

Missionary Sid Halsband put it this way.  "He who had unspeakable wealth said, 'Shew me a penny' (Luke 20:24).  He who abode in the ivory palaces of heaven borrowed a pillow in Bethany (Matthew 21:17).  He whose heavenly podium was the Great White Throne borrowed a boat from which to preach (Luke 5:3).  He who spoke worlds unknown into existence, borrowed loaves and fish to feed a hungry throng (John 6:9).  He who owns the cattle upon a thousand hills borrowed a donkey (Mark 11:3).  He who inhabits eternity borrowed an upper room (Matthew 26:18).  Finally He who is the source of life borrowed a tomb (Matthew 27:60)."

He who was rich became poor so I could taste true treasure (Matthew 6:19-21,  Matthew 19:21).

Mortal.  Aches and pains.  Suffering.  Aging.  Injuries.  Illness.  Death.  There are many disadvantages to living the mortal life, all of which Jesus willingly took on in order to show God's love and grace to mankind.

When Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, it was not as God disguised as man.  He was not some kind of superbaby who had to pretend He didn't know all things as He grew at His mother's knee.  He truly gave up His divinity in order to become a man.  He exchanged His divine nature in order to take up a human one (Hebrews 2:17).  And He made such a sacrifice for me, despite my unfaithfulness and my wayward spirit (Romans 5:8).

He who was divine became mortal so I could taste immortality (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

Criminal.  He was scorned, accused, beaten, mocked, spat upon, and crucified.  Even though He had done nothing wrong, He was killed along with the other criminals.  Despite the fact that Pilate could find no wrong in Him, He was condemned to death on a cross by this symbol of human authority who bowed to political pressure (Luke 23:13-25).  He was treated like a common criminal even though His name is above all others (Ephesians 1:20-21).

As a result of His unspeakable sacrifice, I am made right with God.  My sin is covered by His perfect blood, ushering me into the presence of my Father who loves me perfectly but whose holiness requires separation from such filth as is found in my heart.  This redeeming aspect of Christ's sacrifice is remarkable evidence of God's grace in my life.

He who was sinless became sin so that I could taste the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Sometimes I take God's grace for granted, not truly appreciating all that Jesus sacrificed in order to deliver the unmerited favor of God to my undeserving life.  Today, let me turn my attention to Jesus' willingness to become poor, mortal and to be considered as criminal, all for my sake.  Such grace is amazing indeed!  

As I begin this day may I truly appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made in order to deliver God's grace to me.

When do I take God's grace for granted, not recognizing what was given in exchange for that grace?

How am I ungrateful?

   

Wave Offering

"Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community

did with the Levites just as the LORD commanded Moses.

The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes.

Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering

before the LORD and made atonement 

for them to purify them.

After that,

the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting

under the supervision of Aaron and his sons.

They did with the Levites just as the LORD 

commanded Moses."

Numbers 8:20-22

It was a strange turn of events.  What once was traditionally a part of the peace offerings that were given to express gratitude to the Lord, in fulfillment of a vow and to convey thanks for benefits thusly received, or to simply offer something out of devotion to the Lord, now took on a whole new twist.  In the past, these offerings were given, in part, as a way to provide for the priests. (Leviticus 7:28-34)  Once they were waved before the Lord as a special presentation to Him, whatever was offered by the people became the property of the priests. The offering was waved toward God and then back toward the priests as a symbol of how God provides with what was offered to Him. Now, however, Moses told the people that the Levites themselves were to be presented as a wave offering before the Lord.

This reminds me of Jesus.  First the sacrifice of animals was given as the way of atonement for God's people. (Leviticus 4-6) Then Jesus Himself became the sacrifice offered before the Lord as a punishment for my sins and a way to make me right with God.  (Romans 3:25)  As He willingly gave His life, Jesus provided a way for all those who believe to receive atonement.  He gave, we receive.

Supernatural

She was powerless to help herself.  The girl was drowning and she needed someone to save her or she would sink down to the bottom of the lake and meet her demise.  She tried to stay afloat by kicking her legs, but she must have been doing something wrong because it did little to keep her head above water.  As the fatigued young woman bobbed up and down, she cried out with all her might each time she came up for air.  "Help!"

Suddenly, a savior grabbed her from behind and towed her to safety.  Without the lifeguard's help, she would have died.

In the same way, I am completely powerless to save myself from the predicament in which my sin has placed me.  I can put as much effort into meeting God's standard, but I fail every time. (Romans 3:23)  The Lord, in His holiness and righteousness, condemns me to hell because of this failure.  (Romans 6:23)  If someone doesn't intervene, I'm destined to spend eternity apart from God, suffering as a punishment for the sin I can't help but commit. (Romans 7:18-19)

Suddenly a Savior reaches out His hand and snatches me from the jaws of death.  Before I even knew I needed Him, He rescued me from eternal suffering. (Romans 5:6-8) Jesus Christ, in dying on the cross, accomplished for me what I was unable to do for myself:  He took the punishment meant for me, satisfying God's righteous requirement for my sin and giving me a clean slate. (1 John 4:10, Hebrews 2:17)  

Jesus Christ, in offering Himself as a sacrifice to satisfy God's wrath against me as a helpless and condemned sinner, provided a way for me to be reconciled to God.

Free

"Free Stuff."  I spotted the sign on the side of the road as I drove out of the neighborhood.  Someone had piled some of their belongings at the curb in front of their house in an effort to get rid of things they no longer needed, offering the items to whoever wanted to haul them away.  As a result, my family gained enough landscaping bricks to create a border around a flowerbed in our backyard.  

It's hard to believe that I could receive something for nothing.  In this world, if something is labeled as "free,"  there is usually a catch;  a fee that must be paid, or a contract I'll unwittingly enter into, or a hidden agenda I won't discover until it's too late.  Even the bricks that I paid no money for required some labor to haul them to my house and then into the backyard.  There is always some kind of price that must be paid.

When Jesus died on the cross, however, He paid the only price that was required for my sins.  When He uttered the words, "It is finished," He signaled to us that He had completed the mission He was sent by His Father to fulfill; He had paid the penalty for all of my sins.  There is nothing I can do to earn the benefit of eternal life and reconciliation with a holy God that is found in Christ Jesus.  Instead, this salvation is a free gift from a loving God.  (Ephesians 2:8)

Sometimes I might think I need to earn my salvation by doing good deeds.  It just seems too good to be true that I could gain such riches for free.  Other times I might begin to think I must be on the right track or that I've gotten on God's right side in order to receive such a valuable gift.  I may even think I can't accept such extravagance, that my heart is just too black.  In all instances, I must realize the complimentary nature of the gift means that my salvation cannot be earned and is not at all connected to my performance, whether good or bad.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Jesus Christ freely gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice for my sin so that I can freely receive salvation from the separation from God I rightly deserve.

Undeserving

"You deserve a break today."  This was the advertising slogan for McDonald's from 1971-1975, 1980-1983, and again from 1989-1990.  This successful campaign worked because it spoke to the very heart of our sin nature: We deserve all the best life can give us.  We think that we work hard, we do our best and should therefore be rewarded for our efforts.  

When I take this fleshly principle and try to apply it to the salvation that comes freely through faith in Jesus Christ, I wrongly believe that I deserve to be saved.  Or, on the flip side, I don't believe I'm good enough to receive such a costly gift so I turn it down, unable to accept the fact that I could be an heir to righteousness through simple faith.  (Romans 4:13-16, Romans 8:17, Romans 3:22)

In reality, the gift of salvation I receive through Jesus Christ is not based on my worth, my performance or my standing in life.  Instead, it is entirely rooted in God's great love for mankind.   If it wasn't for His love, I would be left standing on the outside of His kingdom, feeling the full brunt of His wrath. 

Jesus Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice for my sin, not because I deserve to be saved, but because God loves me enough to rescue me from certain death for all of eternity. (John 3:16)

I see the Levites being presented as a wave offering whose service benefited the people as a type of Christ.  Christ's loss was our gain.  This unspeakable gift is as a result of a supernatural work of God, at no cost to me, and stands apart from my own worth.  In these ways, Jesus is a kind of wave offering that provides eternal benefits for those who believe in Him.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will never forget the price that Jesus paid so that I can be made right with God.

When do I take this gift for granted, living my life without thought to what He has done for me?

How do I feel I don't deserve such extravagance and reject the freedom that comes through faith in Christ?