I once was told by a fellow mom that she thought that God had special grace for mothers. This woman was and is also a leader in ministry at her church. I remember thinking to myself what nonsense this statement was, thinking “where in the bible does it say that?!” In actuality, the bible says something very different. One of the characteristics we see of God consistent throughout scripture is he is impartial, unchanging and perfect in His judgements and there is no favoritism or uneven scales when you and I go before Him. Romans 2 speaks of God’s righteous judgement and in verse 11 states “For God shows no partiality.” … and yet to make someone feel better or to justify ourselves we say (to the delight of the devils I might add) that God knows our circumstances are special and we get a free pass. What nonsense!
This brings to mind the passage in Matthew, verse 19 where it says, “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Why is this such a big deal? This passage also speaks of Christ fulfilling the law in us. It has to do with His very character, the image of God that we are supposed to bear as God’s children, by His life that He gives here and now, and to lessen or relax one of the least of His commandments and teach others to do so is to slander and misrepresent God. Also, I think one of the traps of the devil is to keep us from truly “confessing” our sins; 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us or sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confess here means to see it how God sees it. He does not cleanse us and forgive us for what we minimize and excuse and assume He overlooks because that’s what we think we deserve because of what we have gone through or our especially trying situation. “If we confess our sins…” that is the only way. If we are willing to see it the way God sees it. That is a big if.
What about grace? Romans 6:15 states “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” Oh, how grace has been trampled underfoot in the Christian circles of today… grace is not sugar-coating our sin or excusing it out of love, for that is not truly love is it? Grace is found to be a much more powerful and beautiful concept as shown one verse before, verse 14 of Romans 6 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” … oh what grace! To keep me and you. To do what we could never do, that Christ came to fulfill the law, here and now, not someday. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Someday when I die? No. Here and now, in you and in me. Grace is God incarnate coming to live within me through the death and resurrection of His only son Jesus Christ and living His life through His Holy Spirit, in me, in you, here and now. That is the free gift… God himself. Christ in me, in you. That sin would no longer have dominion. What a mystery, what a wonderful part of the truly glorious gospel!
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