I had a typical childhood; we played outside, got dirty, and managed to survive even without our parents constantly watching us. When I went into high school, though, my home life changed. My parents separated, eventually divorcing, and both later remarried. My step-mom and I did not have the best relationship in the beginning. Some of that mended when I had my first child. She loved being Memaw. She insisted on bestowing certain gifts over the years – microwave, washer and dryer, and other things. She gave me a set of decorative plates that I fell in love with. They portray the four season of the year and they were one of the few gifts that had no real purpose other than they looked pretty.
About a year after she had given them to me, she asked if I still wanted them – if not, could she have them back? What? Maybe it was a cultural thing (Korean), and I wasn’t offended by it, but it’s something I’ve never forgotten. She had given me a gift, a beautiful gift, but in the event I wasn’t using them or happy with them, I should just give them back. My step-mom passed away almost eight years ago and I’ve come to cherish those plates.
This instance of how my step-mother viewed gifts – the giving and possible getting back – led me to think about the gift of salvation. Many Christians speak “Christianese;” they say things that don’t always make sense, but they may sound nice and biblical. Things like “plead the blood” or “hedge of protection” or “If it’s God’s will…” and a favorite of mine: “We owe it to God.”
One of the reasons I was so caught off guard with my step-mom asking for the plates back was because they were a gift. What exactly is a gift? Some define it as something given without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Merriam-Webster defines it as “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.” Many know that God gave us the gift of salvation, but I love how Paul described it as an “indescribable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15).
How often have you heard things like, “You owe it to God…” While that seems logical, I’m not so sure. Sounds like a debt to be paid, shackles and chains; a heavy burden.
“So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” John 8:36 (NIV)
If we back up a little, there’s a part of this passage of scripture that gets really exciting when connected to another.
“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.'” John 8:34-35 (NIV)
Now let’s make a connection:
“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12 (NLT)
And…
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are…!” I John 3:1 (NIV) abridged
I’m sure there are many out there that would say I put too great an emphasis on grace and love. Some would insist that I need to talk about the dangers of sin more, but is sin still an issue? Can you fathom what it means to have something separated as far as the east is from the west? What separates us from God?
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels no demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
Emphasis on the word “nothing.” It’s either grace or it’s my own power. I would rather not put a greater emphasis on myself. Further, who am I to argue with God? Jesus himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted scripture verses in the world. It’s also a verse that seems to have lost a lot of it’s shock and awe. Did you catch the word of emphasis? He SO loved the world that he gave the gift of his Son. Most of us just breeze over it when reciting or reading and, in doing so, we miss a great deal of the passion directed towards us from our Creator, Savior, and Father. We see this same kind of emphasis again in Ephesians.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)
There are about 120 English translations of the Bible and, barring a few, they all have an emphasis on God’s love for this passage from Ephesians. His love for us is described as great, intense, exceeding, abundant, deep, and is even described as having an unfathomable richness in quality. We’re even encouraged to try to grasp what surpasses knowledge – the love of God. God SO loved us!
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” I John 4:11 (NIV)
Perhaps if we put the emphasis in its rightful place, we wouldn’t insist on spending so much time on something that is a non-issue between us and God. Unfortunately, there are many people teaching eternal consequences, instilling fear, in an attempt to bring people to God – a noble reason – but it is the love of God and His goodness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). While I say this, I want to make sure it’s understood: Sin no longer separates us from God. I also know that I would be remiss if I denied there being earthly consequences to sin. But everything has its own place, and guilt and condemnation have no place in the pulpit.
Jesus put an emphasis on love. He showed mercy to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11). The woman with an issue of blood who had no right to be in such a crowd (Luke 8:43-48) was not only healed, but Jesus went even further and restored her by calling her “daughter.” And He forgave the criminal who hung on a cross next to him (Luke 23:39-43).
Notice that the emphasis in Jesus promising paradise to the criminal had nothing to do with any “right-living” and had everything to do with Jesus’ love. Jesus becoming man and sacrificing himself had nothing to do with our deeds and everything to do with how He so loved us. Put the rightful emphasis on God and all that He did. There’s no Christianese that can compete with God’s Word, and every possible gift pales in comparison to God’s love. I look forward to sharing what I know of His goodness, mercy, grace, and love… even if I never fully grasp the magnitude of it.
Love it!