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Archives: June 2009
Getting to grips with grace
By Mike Pilavachi
Evangelical Christians are good on the doctrine of grace. We get “God’s riches at Christ’s expense”. We understand the reformation formulation that we are “justified by grace through faith”. But I am increasingly convinced that most of us are hopeless at receiving grace and useless at giving it away.
Big on truth, small on grace, that’s us. It shows up in lots of ways. Our Churches are full of folk who live with secrets and guilt. And guilty secrets.
Our culture doesn’t allow for an honest confession of weakness, brokenness, sin, failure or despair. If we are in the conservative wing, we probably would be stigmatized for not living in holiness and if we are in the charismatic wing we would be suspect because we are not ‘living in the victory’. God help those of us who are conservative evangelical charismatics - a double whammy of condemnation!
Then, sometimes, there is a lack of grace and prideful infighting between leaders. The secret gloating when another ministry fails, gets it wrong or begins to shrink. The gossip that takes place under the twin veils of ‘concern’ and ‘truth’. In this culture the pressure is on to magnify your successes and hide your failures, to conceal your doubts and not admit to present temptations.
The apostle Paul would surely have something to say to us: “You foolish charismatic’s and evangelicals, who has bewitched you?” I’m beginning to believe that many of us don’t give grace because we don’t know how to receive grace.
Luke 18 recounts an encounter between Jesus and a rich ruler. The ruler says, “What must I do to be saved?” and Jesus replies “Keep the commandments”. “I have been keeping them since I was a boy,” comes the response.
Jesus then tells him to sell all his possessions in order to follow him and the man can’t do it.
This encounter has always puzzled me. Didn’t Jesus read Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians? Doesn’t he know that we are justified by faith, not works lest anyone should boast? I certainly didn’t sell everything to become a Christian. I just said a prayer out of a John Stott booklet.
What is then even more puzzling is Jesus’ encounter with Zaccheus in the very next chapter. Jesus tells Zach to climb out of the tree because he is coming to his house for tea. No “sell everything you have “ here. And Luke tells us that Zach was very wealthy too.
What do we make of this apparent double standard? The clue, I believe, comes in the different attitudes of the two men. The rich ruler asks “What must I do?” Zach knows he can do nothing. The rich ruler proudly informs Jesus he has kept the law all his life. Zach knows he’s failed miserably.
The one comes on the basis of the law and so Jesus treats him accordingly. The other knows he has nothing to offer so he receives from Jesus mercy and grace.
The law brings death. It is there to show us how bad we are, not how good we are. The gift of grace brings life. When the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai three thousand people died. When the Sprit was given on the day of Pentecost on mount Zion, three thousand people came to life.
What is the point of this? We are losing many young adults from our churches, not because they don’t love Jesus or want to live holy lives but because they are put off by the lack of acceptance and the dishonesty that is too often a hallmark of the body of Christ.
They are tired of putting on plastic smiles and pretending, all the while living lives of quiet desperation because secretly they don’t think they are making the grade.
This is not a plea for lowering our standards, far from it. “Should Sin abound that grace much more abound? God forbid!” says Paul. No this is a plea for grace as well as truth. For gentleness and understanding of failure. For acceptance of one another instead of a childish need to point out one another’s failures. To rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Otherwise we are in danger of stuffing up yet another generation.
About the article...
Mike is the director of Soul Survivor and Pastor of the church Soul Survivor Watford. He's a nice bloke who likes telling stories about Jesus!
This is an edited version of an article Mike originally wrote for YouthWork Magazine. We're grateful for their permission to use it.
Soul Survivor is a Christian charity that puts on events for young people. Our registered charity no. is 1080720. We are also a company limited by guarantee in England & Wales. Our company registered number is 03991111, which is nice. Thanks for caring.
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