Conclusion

After urging the Christians in Corinth “not to receive God’s grace in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1), Paul goes on to say, “Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation” (v. 2). We are living in the “age of grace” when this grace is available to all who will receive it. However, the idea that God can freely forgive the worst of sinners who genuinely turns to God in repentance and faith is a scandalous thought. While he was battling with cancer, James Van Tholen preached a moving sermon called Surprised by Death, which was reported in Christianity Today, in which he said:

How could I have believed in the God of grace and still have dreaded to meet him? Why did I stand in this pulpit and preach grace to you over and over, and then when I myself needed the grace so much, why did I discover fear where the grace should have been?

I think I know the answer now. As the wonderful preacher John Timmer has taught me over the years, the answer is that grace is a scandal. Grace is hard to believe. Grace goes against the grain. The gospel of grace says that there is nothing I can do to get right with God, but that God has made himself right with me through Jesus’ bloody death. And that is a scandalous thing to believe.

Scandalous, yes—but true, and underlined again and again in the New Testament.

However, it is sadly true that we can neglect to avail ourselves of it. The seriousness of resisting that grace and all that God longs to do in our lives is underlined by the writer of Hebrews. Having emphasised the consequences faced by those who rejected the law of Moses in Old Testament days, he goes on to underline the greater seriousness of rejecting the crucified Saviour and the pleadings of the “Spirit of grace” in this present age, when we know so much more about God’s love and grace. “If two or more witnesses accused someone of breaking the Law of Moses, that person could be put to death. But it is much worse to dishonour God’s Son and to disgrace the blood of the promise that made us holy. And it is just as bad to insult the Holy Spirit, who shows us mercy [literally: “the Spirit of grace”]. We know that God has said he will punish and take revenge. We also know that the Scripture says the Lord will judge his people. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God! (Hebrews 10:28-31).  This resisting of the Spirit of grace is, I believe, what Jesus was referring to when he spoke of the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” which “will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31, 32). If I refuse to accept the one means that God has provided for my forgiveness, at infinite cost to himself, there is no other refuge.

If you are one who has not yet come to Jesus or experienced this grace, and yet desires to be fully reconciled to God, then you may like to begin the journey by praying a prayer something this:

God, I accept the fact that you created this universe because you are a creative and loving God and your great longing is to enjoy a relationship with us, your very special creation.

I am sorry that we have spoilt that relationship by our many acts of disobedience.

I accept that you sent Jesus to pay the price of that disobedience by his death on our behalf, and that through his death and resurrection we can be fully reconciled to the Father.

 Thank you, Jesus, for your great love.

I understand that I can do nothing to earn this salvation but it is by your grace alone.

Lord, I am coming home. I am sorry for my sins. I repent of them. I now accept your forgiveness and submit my life to Jesus as my Saviour and Lord.

Come into my life and begin the process of moulding me into all you planned that I should be and directing me in the path you have chosen for me.

Enable me to accept fully all that you have done for me and to be open to all that you want to do. Enable me to live daily in dependence on your grace. Give me the courage and strength to live worthily of your love and to follow wherever you lead, so that when I stand before you in person I may hear those words, “My Father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created” (Matthew 25:34).

 Amen.