The God of All Grace

“…the God of all grace…” 1 Peter 5:10

What do we do when there's nothing we can do? When we make a mess that cannot be cleaned up, what's next? How do we respond when there's not a redo? When mulligans, second chances, and take-backs are not offered as an option, what else is left?

I ask because this is more than hypothetical. This was recently our reality. We made a mistake that could not be undone. We missed an opportunity that was a one-time deal. There was nothing we could do to right our wrong.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever wounded a loved one with your words? Has "I'm sorry" ever felt insufficient? Have you ever pushed things too far? Have you ever forgotten an important date or event? Have you ever been careless or just accidentally blown it? If it couldn't be fixed, if reconciliation couldn't be found, then you can surely relate.

So how did we respond, you ask? Well, honestly, we grieved. Filled with frustration and disappointment in ourselves due to our self-inflicted loss, we cried. We searched for tangible ways to make things better and came up empty. Our attempts were futile. Time had expired and our chance had passed, so we did the only thing we could... We asked for mercy.

In this particular scenario, much grace was extended our way. Forgiveness was offered and the world apparently will not come to an end on account of our blunder. Nevertheless, this fact remains: we cannot fix our past failure.

"Man Matt, you're being really vague." Well, that's because the details are beside the point. We fouled up and will likely live long enough to let folks down again. Maybe I'll share the specifics sometime later on down the road, but it's still, as the kids say, “Too soon!”

While I would gladly fly Doc Brown's Delorean back in time a few days if I could, I must admit that I'm grateful for what this failure has reminded me. This is exactly where I once stood with God. In fact, it is where we all would be, if not for Christ. Without Him we are utterly helpless. We are dead in our sins. The ability to reach reconciliation does not reside in us. We have erred and if left alone, face an insurmountable deficit. I was completely powerless to improve my situation with the holy and righteous God of the universe.

I’m not saying that I couldn’t ask for forgiveness – that I couldn’t repent and plead for mercy. I’m saying that’s all I could do. I could not undo my sin. I couldn’t take back my selfishness. I couldn’t retract the worship I had given the idols of my heart. I could not become faultless. Plain and simple, I was guilty.

Yet, what’s even more remarkable is that the only thing I could do (repent), I didn’t want to do. So while my wife and I messed up this past weekend, knew it immediately, and desired to make things right, on my own, I would never have desired a restored relationship with God. Scripture tells us that none come to the Son unless the Father draws them (John 6:44). Again, I was dead in my trespasses (Ephesians 2:1-3).

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with Him and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV).

Truly, how wonderful is this truth! Dead, disobedient, rebellious, and deserving of wrath, yet now through Jesus’ blood, we’re recipients of His grace and mercy. Again, I have much regret for falling short and injuring ones we so dearly love. At the same time, my appreciation for God’s love and unmerited goodness has been rekindled on account of our slip up.

And what if that’s the point? What if we are allowed to blow it from time to time so that we might remember our great salvation? What if we are occasionally brought low to turn our eyes to the heavens? Would a regular recollection of God’s grace help us be more gracious to each other? Would it perhaps enable us to grant a little more grace to ourselves?

May today’s struggles and missteps serve as arrows pointing you to Him, the God of all grace.

Matt Fowler
Associate Pastor of Missions & Students
matt@nbchurch.info
@fattmowler