Thoughts on the Grace of God, Re-mixed

A number of years ago someone mentioned to me that I had a grace-based approach to ministry. I took that as a sincere compliment only to find out later that the intent was more a criticism than praise. My critic's perception was that I was “too soft on sin” and consequently, the sinner had no fear of the Lord and lived out their own-way-ness (pride) in an unchecked manner. I understand the problem.

Recently, I had someone very close to me apologize for some very ungodly actions and attitudes. What would I do? Would I forgive unreservedly as Christ has done for me, or would I let the person squirm a bit as I “contemplated” my response. I ended up forgiving and pronouncing blessing, but I did walk away with the sense that justice had not been done. (At least from my perspective). Especially, since the sin-in-question was willful and repeated over a long period of time. How would my forgiveness affect any real change? Or is it my forgiveness? Is it my kindness, or is it God’s kindness that is powerful and leads to repentance? (Rom. 2:4) And, do I have the faith to trust that my graciousness might in some way be a door opener to God’s grace working dynamically in another person.

Yielding to the grace imperative somehow lacks the feeling of power that accompanies self-righteousness, or revenge, or bitterness. Do I see in myself shades of the elder brother from the Prodigal Son story?

All of this catalyzed my thinking again about grace. Grace is such an oft-used Christian concept, yet it is one of those words that very few people define while they are using it. Therefore, grace runs the risk of other well-worn words (i.e. “love”, “God”) that we assume everybody knows what we mean when we are using it. Because grace is a theological concept it is often subjected to sloganized definitions. Grace is “God's unmerited good favor to undeserving sinners”, or acrostically, “God's Redemption At Christ's Expense”. Both of these definitions are of some value in defining grace, but the word "grace"has much more in-depth nuances of meaning. For a readable and comprehensive inductive examination of grace I would recommend reading “The Grace of God” by James A. Fowler. <http://www.christinyou.net>

The good news of the New Testament is a radical message of God's (The Holy Trinity's)
grace revealed to mankind in Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnated Son of God. Jesus is the embodiment of the invisible God's message that God is for the complete and total salvation of the human species and the redemption of all of creation. This message is called by the Apostle Paul, “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) and the “word of His grace” (Acts 14:3; 20:32). Following are three definitions of grace from a “big picture” perspective. James A. Fowler concludes his essay mentioned above with,

“God's grace is as broad as God Himself, His every expression. Grace must not be limited to redemptive grace or regenerative grace or conversion grace or justifying grace. When grace is defined predominately by the benefits bestowed by God in Christ rather than by the dynamic Being of God in Christ, it degenerates into a “fix-it” commodity, rather than the ever-present and continuous dynamic of God's activity expressing His character.”[i]

Scot McKnight in his current book, Embracing Grace, unites the gospel of Christ with grace by saying,
“The gospel is the work of God to restore humans to union with God and communion with others and the world. This is what I call the gospel of 'embracing grace'”[ii]

Vladimir Lossky, essentially, articulates the same premise in language unique to an Eastern Orthodox perspective,
“...the Trinity dwells in us by means of that in itself which is communicable-that is to say, by the energies which are common to the three hypostases, or in other words, by grace-for it is by this name that we know the deifying energies which the Holy Spirit communicates to us.”(Emphasis added)[iii]

The last quote by Lossky differentiates the essence of God in Father, Son and Holy Spirit from the energies of God. God in essence is unknowable, (dwelling in unapproachable, uncreated Light), but in His energies knowable. Therefore, when we experience God at work in us through forgiveness, mind renewal, worship, etc. we are experiencing His energies-another word for this is grace.

A nature metaphor might be appropriate for understanding. After a long winter the reviving warmth of Spring's waxing sunshine is a welcome event. If we go outside and “bathe in the Sun” we are not directly experiencing the Sun (it's essence), to literally do so, we would be instantly incinerated. However, we are experiencing the energy of the Sun, tempered by distance (93,000,000 miles) and the filter of the earth's atmosphere. Yet the Sun-source (the essence) and the radiation (the energy) are inexorably linked in a relationship one to another.
The promise of God-at-work-in-us is that one day we will be like Jesus, forever the creature, but in union with Him as the Bride of Christ. Both mystical language and concrete metaphor fails us when attempting to describe this future reality, our inheritance in union with Christ.

There is a word used in theology to describe the interpenetrating Love of the Trinity for each other-a word that touches on our inheritance. The term is perichoresis, meaning literally “dancing together in a circle”. This term, introduced into the understanding of the Trinity by St. John of Damascus, is used to describe the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit-Three Persons united in the oneness of Essence and Energy. The Love of God revealed in energy of Grace infuses the relationship of the Trinity with an energy meant to overflow unto and into redeemed human beings. Our union with Christ is awash with the love of God in the divine energy of the cosmic circle dance.

One of the most recognized and beloved of Orthodox icons is that of the “Holy Trinity, by 15 Century iconographer, Rublev. Reading this icon entices us into the possibility of joining a relationship with God, that Baxter Kruger calls the “Great Dance”.[iv]

We enter the table fellowship of the 3 angels that visited Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre (Gen. 18) by humbling ourselves to enter the narrow door in the altar through the open way created by the position of the angels (Trinity-open to us the ones created in their image). The meal on the table has only one element, a chalice of wine which in the eucharistic meal of the Church represents one of the means of grace being dispensed to mankind.

This concept of “the means of grace” raises the question of how do we as humans receive grace? Are there things that we can do, or not do, that help us to orient our lives towards the energy that streams from the dance of the Godhead.

Darrell Johnson writes about a revelation he received about the Trinity while reading one of Thomas Torrence's books. “But here is what startled me and brought it all into focus, 'God draws near to us in such a way as to draw us near to Himself in the circle of his knowing of himself.'”[v] This drawing in of human beings into the perichoretic dance of the Trinity seems to be an apt description of the dynamics of grace.

So, how does this work? Is it a revelation that comes unexpectedly? Does it happen in the Eucharist? Does it happen while worshiping? Is there a special place to pilgrimage to get it? Can gifted people download it in an impartational “word”? I suppose there are two short answers to these questions. Yes, God can do it this way; and No, these are not the only ways God ministers grace. There seems to be infinite possibilities for God's grace to intersect with human receptivity. The focus is not so much on the power of grace, but rather on the feebleness of human faith having “eyes opened to see” and “ears opened to hear”. Thomas Torrence writes in another book,

“Grace is to be understood as the impartation not just of something from God but of God himself. In Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit God freely gives to us in such a way that the Gift and the Giver are one and the same in the wholeness and indivisibility of His Grace.”[vi]

Grace and faith are often linked in scripture. For example in Paul's Letter to the Ephesians he writes, “For by grace are you saved through faith; not of yourselves , it is a gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). It seems that, if we are in this great trinitarian dance, that as God takes the initiative through His grace the human response is that of faith. God leads, we respond-adapt-repent-
glide-shuffle-pirouette!

Jacques Ellul has an interesting perspective on faith and belief. While in scripture the terms are often used interchangeably, as in “to believe” is very much the same as “to have faith.” Ellul suggests belief is a more concretely rigid concept than faith.

“Belief provides answers to people's questions while faith never does. People believe so as to find assurance, a solution, an answer to their questions to fashion for themselves a system of beliefs. Faith (biblical faith) is completely different. The purpose of revelation is not to supply us with explanations, but to get us to listen to questions. . . . Faith presupposes doubt while belief excludes it. The opposite of doubt is not faith, but belief.”[vii]

The human response to grace is more faith than belief. A faith like Ellul suggests that is able to dance with the doubts and become open to the questioning that arises. To abandon the safety of rigid belief for a creed that is expansive and dynamic in its’ love for God and neighbours. After all, what we bring to the search for God's grace is a faith that finds hope in the sacraments of the church (including hearing His Word); Love (Agape’ energy) from our heavenly Father; a place of learning at the feet of Jesus, the Son; and manifold gracelets (“spirituals”-energies) sown into our lives through the Holy Spirit.

Advent 2005

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[i] Fowler, James A. “The Grace of God”, http://www.christinyou.net, 1999, self-published.

[ii] McKnight, Scot. Embracing Grace. Brewster, Mass.: Paraclete Press. pg.xiii.

[iii] Lossky, Vladimir. The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. Crestwood, NY:St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. pg. 86.

[iv] Kruger, C. Baxter. The Great Dance. Jackson, MS. Perichoresis Press. Title.

[v] Johnson, Darrell W. Experiencing the Trinity. Vancouver: Regent College Publishing. pg. 60.

[vi] Torrance, Thomas F. Reality and Evangelical Theology. Westminster Press, 1981. pgs 14,15.

[vii] Ellul, Jacques. Living Faith:Belief and Doubt in a Perilous World. San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers.