Calvin (5/8/03)
- 1:4b
- No comment
Again we find grace at the root of all that is lovely. We know full well that faith is a result of grace. Here we have a reminder that peace also flows from a source of grace. Some look to this verse and find mercy standing between grace and peace, and this is not unreasonable. Were I to put an order to it, I think I would place mercy very near that source of grace.
God, in His grace has shown us mercy. Where He had every just reason to come in judgment, He has come instead with the means of our redemption in His hands. Where our foolish hearts sought to remain at war with Him against Whom we could not prevail, this Mighty Warrior came with the offer of peace we did not deserve. He came, but we could not accept His offer. Again, His mercy took action on our behalf, as He brought to us a faith in Him that we never knew, nor would know were it not for His intervention. His mercy towards us was of no gain to us until He also gave us the faith to accept what His mercy offered. Now we have peace with Him. In faith, we have accepted the Redemption He freely gives, we have understood that all of our rebellions have truly been paid for, our crimes against the heavenly state have been fully accounted for, and no further charges are levied against us in the courts of the Lord. That is peace! Truly, it is brought about by grace, through His mercy, to be acquired by the faith He also freely gave.
It is only in this fashion that a soul can know its salvation, and know that it need fear nothing from God. God has declared by very active deed that He is for us and not against us. Indeed, as Paul has written, if God is for us who can be against us! If God works all things for the good of those who love Him and serve Him (those very ones in whom He has planted these gifts of mercy and faith to believe), what can disturb me in this life? We are content in the hands of our God, knowing that He knows our condition, that He cares for us, and that He is more than able to provide more than we can even think we need!
Lord, I look once more on the gifts You have given to me, and shall I not rejoice and shout of Your great love? However often I look upon the greatness of Your mercy, the largesse You display in Your gifts to this undeserving man, it never fails to strike me with wonder. Why, Lord? Why do You care for us so much? What is it about us that You find cause to love, even though we so often neglect, reject, and struggle against You? I may never understand the why of it, Lord, but I am forever thankful for the truth of it! What is there, my God, of which I might boast in this salvation? Truly, it is no glory of mine that has brought it about, but solely Your own goodness that has caused me to be such as I am. Truly, there is no cause here for me to shout about how wonderful I am, that You would choose to bless me. No, indeed! All I can do is shout about how wonderful You are, that You should bless me in spite of who I am! All I can do is thank You that You chose to bless me.
Yet, I can also sorrow, my God, for those You have not so chosen to bless. Lord, I would ask that You look upon those others with that same mercy You have shown so wonderfully towards me. Give them, my God, the faith to accept what You so freely give. Open their eyes, Holy Spirit, to the condition of their souls. Open their eyes, sweet Spirit, to the offer of peace in these troubled times, the only peace that matters, the only peace that lasts. Oh, Jesus! Would You plead their cause? Would You reveal Yourself to these lost ones that they might come home? Are they less Your brothers than I? Is their flesh any different? Surely not. I know, Lord, I know. It wasn't anything in this flesh that drew Your attention to me anyway. I know that I don't understand what it is that motivates Your decisions, and I know that Your decisions stand as final. Yet, I would plead that You, in Your just wisdom and mercy, would look upon these whom I love with kindness, and impart to them what You have given me.
Now we have peace with God, and it is clear to any reasonable mind that peace cannot exist except there be harmony and order between us and our Governor. He has brought us to the place were we are in harmony with His rule. He has brought us into a submission to His authority wherein we are willing and able to take up the positions to which He assigns us, and to serve well in those positions. These are the things which establish our peace with Him. It is no different between us and our fellow Christians. In the churches He has placed us, He has also placed authorities. In the ministries within which He has commanded us to work, He has also placed authorities. He has arrayed His troops in orderly fashion, and He has done so in the expectation that order will be maintained. As we submit to Him, to His command, so we also need to submit to those His command has placed over us, insomuch as they fulfill the office to which they have been assigned in godly fashion.
Ours is not to seek the place of honor for ourselves, but to serve in humility in whatever task he may assign. This same attitude should extend into our work habits, as well as into our habits in the community at large. The same obedience to authority is demanded of us by the Word of God, for these authorities are also assigned by Him. We must not be striving for position, even there. If we are worthy of position, it is because of Him who empowers us. If we are to attain to position, it is because He chooses to exalt us to that position, and whom does He choose? He will exalt the humble. Don't presume to take the place of honor, lest you find yourself asked to give place to one more honorable. Rather, take the least honorable place, that you may be honored by His recognition in placing you more honorably. Be faithful in little, and He will entrust you with more. Be diligent to perform whatever simple task He may ask of you, and allow Him to determine how best to use you next.
2Peter 3:18 entreats us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Without His grace shown towards us, growth would be impossible. Yet, in this we are being told that grace can increase, and that the growth of that grace is in some way a matter we have control over. It doesn't just happen, it requires our effort. Knowledge of our God is not going to be simply thrust into our minds overnight. It requires our effort. Yet, even though our effort is required, our effort does not earn us the right to glory in our accomplishments. No, His is all the glory. However much our grace may grow, whatever heights of understanding we may attain in Him, it remains in Him. It remains His doing, His good and perfect gift given to us. Our greatest effort cannot increase our grace or our knowledge in the least except that He be present to bestow these good gifts to us. Should He choose to withhold His hand, our greatest labors would be in vain. Our best efforts to learn of Him would fail utterly should He choose not to open our eyes to the Truth. He requires our effort - He tells us often that He is not fond of the lazy - yet our effort requires Him. Without Him, all is vanity. Grow, friend, work with all that is within you to grow, yet never forget that your growth is His glory.
