This is why the fulfillment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God’s promise arrives as pure gift. That’s the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions and those who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father—that’s reading the story backwards. He is our faith father. (Romans 4:16 The Message)
I cannot tell you how much I love that God's promise is a promise and not a contract. Do you remember the last time you eagerly awaited a promise to come true? Maybe it was the promise of an event you'd get to attend? Maybe it was the promise of a mate forever? Maybe it was the promise of a father that he'd be at your game? Whatever your promise was, can you remember the anticipation that was in your heart during those days? Most of us know the pain and anguish of a promise broken also. The event that got cancelled, the marriage that didn't last, or the father that never sat in the stands. Promises are double-edged swords. You know that to be true because even as I write about promises you feel a weird feeling inside you that hangs somewhere between joy and sorrow, love and hate, happiness and anger.
God made a promise to Abraham. A promise to build a great nation from him and his wife. It was a promise that was outlandish. He was 99 years old! It must have sounded like an insane proposition, more than a promise he could trust, but he trusted in the One making the promise, not the fulfillment of the promise. It's a big difference to trust in the one who promises, isn't it? There is more risk...but maybe more reward also.
Thankfully for us, the One Abraham trusted was completely worthy. This wasn't like when your parents promised you ice cream when you made all A's. That's just payment for something you did. Sure, we called it a promise because we wanted to make sure that what was said would happen would happen. But it was more like a contract. A promise would be to get ice cream, with no conditions. Then it wouldn't matter if you made an A or a D, you would still get ice cream.
God's promise to Abraham, and now His promise to us has nothing to do with what we do or don't do. It has everything to do with who He is and what He wants. Everyone has the chance to get in on this, whether you follow all the rules or you don't even know what the rules are. Abraham is our faith model. Abraham is our faith father.
Is this good news for you because you know what it's like to mess up? Or do you feel like it might be a little unfair that God offers the same thing to others who don't follow the rules, when you do everything right?
A key day in my life as a believer was the day I learned that as much as I despise those acts carried out at Jesus' crucifiction, it was just as if I was the one peircing His side, spitting on Him, mocking Him, cursing Him.... and yet He forgave them and me. No ranking, no less no more, it's all sin and we all need Him to cover for us. How can we ever feel more worthy than someone else?
ReplyDeleteI am just so thankful that our God is so magnanimous in how He treats us in regards to grace. I have spent most of my life in church. I came to Christ at a young age. Yet I am continually humbled how I must daily rely on His grace and forgiveness. I fully presume upon His grace to cover my failures and sins. Without it I couldn't function. All the more reason that those without it be shown the value of receiving it and living under His grace.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments to both of you. Suppose a man comes up to you at work and says, "Hey, I've been thinking about this whole Christianity thing, and you appear to be a Christian. I have a question for you, What is the value of receiving this 'grace' you speak of and what does 'living under it' mean?"
ReplyDeleteHow do you respond? (It's a short break, not a long lunch! ;-))
There are eternal costs/consequences for sin. There is an accounting that will need to occur. For me it is the freedom of knowing that these costs have been settled up front, paid for, dealt with. As a result of crossing the line and placing my faith in Christ, I am set free from the shame and guilt that comes with my sin, and I am free to approach God without that burden. Now I can focus on the relationship that God offers.
ReplyDelete