Willing to be Pleased No. 2
“You must pay for everything in this world one way and another. There is nothing free except the Grace of God. You cannot earn that or deserve it.”
― Charles Portis, True Grit
While the quote above is fire, especially in the context of the story recounting the seeking of justice against Tom Chaney in the book, or movie(s) that tell it, it is not entirely true.
The second part of the quote about the grace of God is a theological 10 out of 10. It is right at the center of the power of the gospel. We cannot earn grace, nor can we deserve it. The grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is free to all who call on the name of the Lord!
The first part of the quote, however, is mercifully untrue. It misses an important part of the grace of God. I have not paid for everything in this world and neither have you. Outside the context of salvation, there are a million mercies in everyday life that work to the benefit not just of every believer, but of every person. I will not here get into the theological world of common and prevenient grace, a subject for those more learned than I. The clear Truth God reveals to us in Scripture is easier for me:
The second part of the quote about the grace of God is a theological 10 out of 10. It is right at the center of the power of the gospel. We cannot earn grace, nor can we deserve it. The grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is free to all who call on the name of the Lord!
The first part of the quote, however, is mercifully untrue. It misses an important part of the grace of God. I have not paid for everything in this world and neither have you. Outside the context of salvation, there are a million mercies in everyday life that work to the benefit not just of every believer, but of every person. I will not here get into the theological world of common and prevenient grace, a subject for those more learned than I. The clear Truth God reveals to us in Scripture is easier for me:
Matthew 5:45(b) (New King James Version)
for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
We all get less than we’ve earned and more than we deserve. Woe to the peddlers of doctrines like karma, an idea, in another form, held even by Jewish contemporaries of Jesus Christ.
Luke 13:1-5 (New King James Version)
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Jesus blows up ideas like “karma” and “just desserts.” The clear fact from Scripture is that in this fallen world, sometimes you will seem to get bad things you don’t deserve, and sometimes you will get good things you don’t deserve. Jesus focused on repentance rather than assigning greater sin to those who suffered tragedy. Repentance helps us recognize that we are all guilty before a Holy God and we all deserve the wages of our sin.
Romans 3:23 (New King James Version)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 (New King James Version)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is here, in this second verse, that we find the truth in the quote True Grit hints at. It is not the murderer Tom Chaney that will pay “one way and another,” but every man, and every woman will pay what they owe, if they will not make Jesus Lord of their life and call upon the grace that was paid for with His broken body and His shed blood.
It is no shocker to find that evil befalls the people of this fallen world, even evil that seems to be undeserved. People twist themselves in knots over “The Problem of Evil.” Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?
The simple answer is, there are no “good people.” Jesus claimed to be God by bringing out this very fact:
It is no shocker to find that evil befalls the people of this fallen world, even evil that seems to be undeserved. People twist themselves in knots over “The Problem of Evil.” Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?
The simple answer is, there are no “good people.” Jesus claimed to be God by bringing out this very fact:
Mark 10:18 (New King James Version)
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
God is the only One who is Good, therefore, bad things do not happen to good people. Bad things happen to fallen people. And God sent His only begotten Son so that whoever believed on Him would NOT perish but have everlasting life! (John 3:16) The real conundrum is the question: Why do good things happen to fallen people? And the answer is that God so loved the world. (John 3:16)
The grace of God is not just in salvation but in the million mercies we receive every day. It is in every breath that fills the lungs He gave us. It is in every smile turned in our direction. It is in every meeting of friends that warms our hearts. It is in every day the sun shines on our faces. Trouble is to be expected in this fallen world, but we should never have expected all the joy God gives.
The grace of God is not just in salvation but in the million mercies we receive every day. It is in every breath that fills the lungs He gave us. It is in every smile turned in our direction. It is in every meeting of friends that warms our hearts. It is in every day the sun shines on our faces. Trouble is to be expected in this fallen world, but we should never have expected all the joy God gives.
James 1:17 (New King James Version)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
The good you experience (and you should not wait for Thanksgiving turkeys to ponder your blessings) comes from God. Even unbelievers are recipients of blessings. They may be unaware and ungrateful for them, or worse, arrogant, presumptuous, and entitled. (Romans 1:18-21 NKJV) The believer, redeemed and transformed by the Holy Spirit of God, ought never to let a day go by without thanking and praising God for all these mercies, Thanking Him for His love and praising Him for His provision. We are not only saved eternally, we are gifted blessings every day.
Why do good things happen to fallen people? And the answer is that God so loved the world. (John 3:16)
Take the time to stop, think about His goodness, and thank God.
Philippians 4:4-9 (New King James Version)
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Peace be with you, Brothers and Sisters.
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