What Is Grace, and Why It's Important

 Requested

This blog post was sort-of required from my father. Whenever I argue for something I want changed (or given to me, like a pet), and it gets a little heated, my dad has a very good phrase he'll use; "If it's that important, write an essay on it."

   That phrase means he's done talking, but he'll give the issue more time if I actually work for it. I rarely do, I just sigh and drop it. I've definitely written a couple essays from this phrase though!

   Point is, I was being judge-y earlier this week, and I brought it to my dad. I said that this guy was wrong, and I was upset. After a bit of conversation, he eventually just said, "I need you to write an essay on grace. 500 words. 'What is grace, and why it's important.'"

    I got the message, so now I'm here.

What's Grace?

Grace is a pretty name, and it's a pretty common word too! You'll hear it a lot in church talk, but what does it actually mean? Is it the same thing as mercy?

    I've heard the difference taught to me like this; Grace is being given what we don't deserve, while mercy is not getting what we do deserve. God is merciful by not punishing us for our sin. He is graceful by offering Jesus as a perfect sacrifice so that we may be in His presence. 

    That is the most extreme and powerful example of grace. Grace can come in more simple forms, like the expression, "Cut them some slack." 

    "So, if grace is really just letting go of someone that annoys you, we should just all be more patient. Right?"   

    Easy answer- but wrong. It's not just about ignoring someones sin. It's not just about minding your own business. Or, in my case, it's not just forgetting about someone making a mistake that upset me.

    Grace is about giving when it isn't deserved at all. It's kind of like a gift. Because it isn't necessary, it is done in love; a service. That might sound easy, but it's often hard to serve someone that doesn't deserve it. For me, I had to not humble myself by admitting it wasn't my place to judge (even if I was correct in my judgement), but I also had to love and respect the person I was upset at. It was really difficult to do that- mostly because of my pride.

    Imagine this:

    You are a Hebrew, and you have been walking for miles from your home to visit a childhood friend. You are carrying a massive backpack full of your things, and sweat is rolling from your forehead. The sun is beating down on you. Just when you see your friends house in the distance, some armored Romans stride towards you. "Hey! You there! Put your backpack down now, carry our things!" After setting down your bag, two wide roman shields are thrown into your hands. Thick, heavy packs are set on your back. You can practically feel your spine being compressed from all this weight!

    Around Jesus's time, Roman soldiers could legally do this. They could stop a random local and force them to carry their things for only one mile so the Roman could have a break. 

    You bite your tongue and do what you are required to do by law. You're humiliated and tired, yet, you suddenly remember Jesus's teaching;

    "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two." Matthew 5:41

    

    Right when one of the Roman soldiers begins to grab his shield from your hand, you stop him. "Let me help you a little longer," you say, pushing through for another mile. Even though you are now two miles further from your friends house than you were a bit ago, and ten times as exhausted, you just gave tremendous grace.

Why Is Grace Important?

As a human being, you have been offered an incredible gift. A perfect man who is wholly God allowed Himself to die, being separated from God's presence, just so you could be saved from God's wrath. Yet as mentioned before, Jesus' death didn't only save you. It was a one-way ticket straight into God's presence as well.

    If we have been given the most grace possible, past our comprehension, why would we ever withhold grace and forgiveness from others? Have we not wronged Jesus far more than any human could wrong us?

    As a representative of Christ is reason enough to give grace to others. He has done it, so we should too.

    One more reason is that it is directly commanded to forgive others in the Bible, which is an act of grace. (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13)

    Grace is important simply because God has given it to us. We should show it to others to glorify God.