Grace and a Mediator in Jesus
The prayer meeting was very nice tonight. The subject for study was God’s grace. Beyond the regular textbook concepts, we talked about the requirements of a Mediator, as well as the abundance of His grace.
God requires us to have a Mediator when dispensing to us His grace. Why the formality? Or why the screening? Why can’t we just come straight to God and get the grace? Does He have reservations about being gracious to us so that He can’t give it unreservedly without a go-between?
The reason for the Mediator is because of us. Without an intercessor we would not appreciate God and His grace. We would take it for granted and become presumptuous with it. Nothing could spell our destruction better and quicker than for us to be presumptuous with His grace. And, without the Mediator, we would naturally presume upon God’s goodness. Since God doesn’t want to outright destroy His beloved children whom He is trying to restore to paradise, He instituted the work of mediation through the person of His Son.
That mediator removes the weight of responsibility of salvation off of our minds and hearts. What a relief! (If we can trust Him to do the job right.) And He will bring us to salvation in His own time and way, while if we were in charge of God’s grace and our salvation, we would never come to repentance, and be saved. This is the problem with Cain and everyone else who wants to be in charge of the work of their own salvation. No one can save himself. We need the help of someone bigger and better than we are. We must admit that Christ can and will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We cannot bring ourselves to need help. We cannot deliver ourselves from the prison of self-importance.
Christ works from the Most Holy Place in the throne to use circumstances and consequences of our sinfulness to create in us a humbled and contrite heart. He brings us to repentance—that is His work. He will save us and not we ourselves. Then when we are repentant, He gives us His Father’s grace, which comes to us through Christ. God’s grace is so precious to Him, that without humility and contrition in control of us, His grace would destroy us; we would immediately turn it into presumption, tempting God to destroy us. We must be brought to repentance before God will dispense His grace—it must never be squandered. He loves to be gracious abundantly and generously; but He will never be gracious recklessly. Reckless grace is what Satan has been insinuating into God’s character all along—grace without justice and law and control.
We also read Rom. 5:20, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Can I ever wonder if God has enough grace for all my sins? This verse explains that very well. Verse 21 says that sin reigned unto death, and vs. 14 says death reigned over the whole earth from Adam on. Yet, while sin abounded, God’s grace was abounding even more.
So, can God really forgive me for all that I’ve done? Yes, He has made it abundantly clear that He will abundantly forgive. It is His glory to be gracious; His goodness is His chief joy. (Ex. 33:18,19;34:6,7). But He will by no means clear the presumption in anyone who will not make use of the Mediator.
God requires us to have a Mediator when dispensing to us His grace. Why the formality? Or why the screening? Why can’t we just come straight to God and get the grace? Does He have reservations about being gracious to us so that He can’t give it unreservedly without a go-between?
The reason for the Mediator is because of us. Without an intercessor we would not appreciate God and His grace. We would take it for granted and become presumptuous with it. Nothing could spell our destruction better and quicker than for us to be presumptuous with His grace. And, without the Mediator, we would naturally presume upon God’s goodness. Since God doesn’t want to outright destroy His beloved children whom He is trying to restore to paradise, He instituted the work of mediation through the person of His Son.
That mediator removes the weight of responsibility of salvation off of our minds and hearts. What a relief! (If we can trust Him to do the job right.) And He will bring us to salvation in His own time and way, while if we were in charge of God’s grace and our salvation, we would never come to repentance, and be saved. This is the problem with Cain and everyone else who wants to be in charge of the work of their own salvation. No one can save himself. We need the help of someone bigger and better than we are. We must admit that Christ can and will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We cannot bring ourselves to need help. We cannot deliver ourselves from the prison of self-importance.
Christ works from the Most Holy Place in the throne to use circumstances and consequences of our sinfulness to create in us a humbled and contrite heart. He brings us to repentance—that is His work. He will save us and not we ourselves. Then when we are repentant, He gives us His Father’s grace, which comes to us through Christ. God’s grace is so precious to Him, that without humility and contrition in control of us, His grace would destroy us; we would immediately turn it into presumption, tempting God to destroy us. We must be brought to repentance before God will dispense His grace—it must never be squandered. He loves to be gracious abundantly and generously; but He will never be gracious recklessly. Reckless grace is what Satan has been insinuating into God’s character all along—grace without justice and law and control.
We also read Rom. 5:20, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Can I ever wonder if God has enough grace for all my sins? This verse explains that very well. Verse 21 says that sin reigned unto death, and vs. 14 says death reigned over the whole earth from Adam on. Yet, while sin abounded, God’s grace was abounding even more.
So, can God really forgive me for all that I’ve done? Yes, He has made it abundantly clear that He will abundantly forgive. It is His glory to be gracious; His goodness is His chief joy. (Ex. 33:18,19;34:6,7). But He will by no means clear the presumption in anyone who will not make use of the Mediator.
posted by David | 9:33 PM
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