Grace as process

Ok, so a lot has obviously been written within these pages about the subject of grace (I mean it is the purpose of this whole thing). But recently I've been thinking more and more about the idea of grace as a transformative agent in our lives. What I mean is this: grace is more than just an extension of God's love to us situationally, it is more than just an experience by experience ability granted to us by God to overcome, it is more than just a flash in the pan moment of divine sovreignity that delivers us from...whatever. No, I think that Grace is the power to change. More than that, grace is the time laden process whereby God draws us closer to himself and HIS purpose for our life.

Let's take Saul/Paul for example. Here was a man who rather blatantly and openly persecuted the church of Christ. Scripture is replete with his retelling of how he had a hand in, or often directed the hand that brought about the death of countless believers. Along comes God on a road to what was probably a further inquisition of followers of Christ (yes, the Bible *is* silent about why Saul was going to Damascus, but since he was the chief persecutor, is it really that far of a stretch to believe that's why he was going), and Saul's life becomes radically changed and he begins to espouse the very same things he once ridiculed and sought to destroy. The question becomes, what was grace in that story? It's easy to see how the road to Damascus experience was God stepping into the realm of Paul's existence to confront him with salvation, but what about the times leading up to that? Do the moments when he was part of the attempted destruction of the church count as grace? I would venture to say yes.

What do I mean by that? Paul's persecuting was a part of his story, and it's the reason the latter portion of it is so powerful. Paul's choosing to deny Christ was necessary in order for his ultimate acceptance of Christ to carry its truest and weightiest value. In short, grace was being shown to Paul by allowing him to thumb his nose at what he would ultimately embrace because it could serve as the fuel for his vigor in winning "the lost" to Christ. Sure, the Damascus road was the catalyst, but all the time leading up to that moment would later serve as the fuel to keep the momentary experience going strong and that much more effective.

So, what's my point? Your hard times are grace because they are ultimately a part of a narrative that is much greater than what you currently find yourself mired in. No, that doesn't mean that you should just roll over and accept whatever negative things come your way as being "part of God's plan," but it does mean that you should realize that it is part of a story still unfolding. It has been said that the kingdom of God is "now and still not yet," meaning that God is simultaneously present in our current circumstances as well as the future when those circumstances change because He is outside of time. So look forward, and know that all that we face now is a part of the victory we attain when we take hold of that "prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus."

Pursue. Original. And Merry Christmas.