Phillips Brooks, one of Christianity’s most interesting communicators, used to explain
G – R – A – C – E as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Now there is an unforgettable way to explain of the Bible’s deep truths! We have not one advantage within ourselves to receive God’s love and compassion. Greater still is the Christ we love whose sacrifice at Calvary unleashed the possibilities of God’s saving work for us. Grace—a rich and profound truth—that John Wesley himself experienced when his heart was “strangely warmed.” God’s riches at Christ’s expense is something each of us will want to reflect deeply upon in approaching the Easter Season. This great truth begs our pause from the hectic pace of life to express our thanks for all of God’s riches at Christ’s expense.

When we trace the grace of God at work in our lives we realize grace leads us to God. Then, grace comes to us like a compass to one lost in the thick fog and redirects us away from a Christ-less eternity. We take grace a step further and realize that God does a “work of grace” to cleanse our divided heart so that we are only His. How God so beautifully works to conform us into His likeness, for we know grace does not end in some kind of one-time event but marches on with us daily!

In our personal “strain to gain,” our growth in Christian holiness is not about our carefully designed set of plans for growth. If we seek to “work out our salvation” in our own power, or if we seek to measure up to God’s standard through strength of will, we cash-out too soon on God’s riches at Christ’s expense. The writer of Hebrews reminds us to “…run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”(Hebrews 12:1-2a). From beginning to end, it is all about grace.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his classic book, The Cost of Discipleship, warns us of this dual danger. He writes, “… ‘Only those who believe obey’ is what we say to that part of a believer’s soul which obeys, and ‘only those who obey believe’ is what we say to that part of a believer’s soul which believes. If the first half of the proposition stands alone, the believer is exposed to the danger of cheap grace, which is another word for damnation. If the second half stands alone, the believer is exposed to the danger of salvation through works, which is also another word for damnation.”

My oldest daughter of six, Kathryn, recently gave her heart to the Lord. Here is where a good measure of balance is needed at such an early stage in her walk with God. On the one hand, Kathryn could learn only about what she can do now that she has met Christ—like reading the Bible, praying, telling others and going to church. These disciplines are very good and helpful, but could tip the scales away from the grace quotient in her Christian life. On the other hand, it could be emphasized to her that her walk with God is nothing but grace, which could tip the scales in the other direction. What is needed for Kathryn is a continual “grace awakening” that helps her respond to God’s spiritual direction in her life to believe and obey.

So this begs the important question, “How much of our growth in holiness is a reflection of God’s grace at work as we yield daily to Him? And how much of our growth in holiness is a result of personal effort?”

The season of Lent is in full bloom, so to speak, on our Christian calendar. Lent season comes to fruition for us as we remember the Passion of our Lord and his glorious resurrection Easter morn. A familiar expression one often hears repeated in my territory during this time of the year is, “What are you giving up for Lent?” My hope and prayer is that we can let go of our own efforts in our strivings and learn to rest in God’s pace of grace.