Gracism: the Art of Inclusion by Dr. David A. Anderson

Author:Dr. David A. Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2017-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

(Psalm 103:8-10)

The words above that say “he does not treat us as our sins deserve” are the ones that are etched into my mind. God really is not fair. Grace is not fair. Theologians often argue for the justice of God based on the death of Christ. In many ways I agree that the justice requirement for our sin debt has been satisfied through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. But that still isn’t fair. Justice may have been served, but Jesus still suffered for sins he did not commit. While it is true that God the Father is satisfied with the moral payment, do any of us believe that Jesus got a fair deal?

I can’t rejoice over the sufferings of Christ on my behalf. It breaks me up. It makes me weep to think of the price my Savior paid. My redemption was invaluable. Reflecting on it is evoking an emotional response even as I write this line. It is not fair. Jesus got a bum deal.

The reality is that we are all bums who have not earned one thing we enjoy. If you have an education, it is because God blessed you to get it. If you are smart and can think with a clear mind, it is because God blessed you with a brain that works. If you are athletic, the use of your limbs is a gift. The air we breathe is a gift. When I begin to think like this, I am reminded that, spiritually speaking, I was a beggar on the side of life’s road when Jesus gave me the bread of life to eat, living water to drink and clothes of redemption to wear.

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