Grace Upon Grace

“What makes Lutherans different from other Christians,” was a question recently posed by a neighboring woman who stopped by my church’s Saturday morning coffee cart outreach.  It led to a long conversation about God, life and world views.  I admit I am grateful for being there with a friend who is more articulate and knowledgeable than me in these situations.  My forte is more in the connecting with people in life daily and not necessarily the deep theological drive by questions.

It did get me thinking though.  The woman we talked with was vocal about her perspectives and her desire to just be a good person and preserve the world for the next generation. She knew some things about the Bible and had a faith in things such as the sun and moon, or balancing her heart and mind through Yoga.  She still asked questions though and I enjoyed the open conversation about what we believe.  Most people shy away from asking these types of questions.  Her perception of Christians was that most of our actions do not match what we say we believe.

I’ve never been good at being a Christian in the sense of doing everything perfect.  I thank God that me trying to be perfect is not the gospel.  I think of what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15.

 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Paul was raised in religion.  He persecuted the church of God while thinking he was carrying out God’s will. He expresses feeling the least and unworthy of being called an apostle.  But he also expresses a deep understanding of grace and his ministry and actions that flow out of that grace.

I have thought a lot about grace lately and how continual it is in my life.  I’ve been through many life phases if you will. I’ve had the home schooled insecure nerdy childhood, the punk rock band days, the late-night college life with part-time jobs, the reckless party years, the years where you feel like you are living in an episode of “Friends,” the adult full-time work and full-time school years, and the intense career years.  When I look back at everything God has done with my life I can’t help but be grateful for the grace he has repeatedly given me in each phase of life.  There is a peace in knowing that wherever I have been or will be in life God’s grace remains.   Maybe He’ll keep me where I’m at, or maybe I’ll give up my career and raise a family someday.  His plans have always ended better than mine even when I don’t think they are.

I have been continually thinking on John 1:16 this past week:

¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

I can’t help but think of "grace upon grace" as a continually rolling ocean of the grace that God has given me daily in life.

I am thankful that from Christ’s fullness I have received grace upon grace and like Paul by the grace of God I am what I am. 

Today I am thankful that I do not have to be good at being a Christian.