Take Advantage of Grace…Really!

“I am just afraid that I am taking advantage of God’s grace…”

“Be careful…you’re presuming on Grace…”

Oh, the crazy things we say…I have heard people in fear, or in accusation, use this phrase, “taking advantage of Grace.  (Come to think of it, neither of those motives seem to be in agreement with the Kingdom of God.)

I have become firmly convinced; this thought that we might be able to “take advantage” of Grace must come from a fundamental misunderstanding of what Grace is.  Specifically, I think we confuse the adjective about Grace for the noun which is Grace.

Unmerited Favor.  Unmerited. Favor.  One adjective, and one Noun. One adjective, and really the noun could as easily be a verb.  Because we get caught up in the adjective;  the favor is unmerited, we think it would be unfair to continue to act in some unrighteous way, believing  that God does not put conditions on His favor.  It would be presumption to act in a premeditated way counting on the non-merit-seeking aspect of God’s love.  So …such motivation takes advantage…but is it Grace that is taken adavantage of?  Impossible.  “Unmerited” is simply an adjective, a descriptor of the noun, favor.  Let’s consider for a moment what Grace actually is instead of the impossibility of earning it.

Charis; the word we translate as Grace means Divine Influence.  The favor that come to us without merit is not favor, as in preference.  Favor, in this setting, is like doing a favor for another person.  If a friend gives you money, loans you their car, or gives you a ride to work.  They are doing you a favor.

Without merit, God does you a favor, and provides Divine influence, empowerment, strengthening…power.  Power to resist, power to change, power to be the somebody He has re-created you to be; POWER.  Please…Take advantage of the power of God.  Take advantage of the strength of God.  Take advantage of the available influence of the Divine.  How can you possibly presume on the power to be like Jesus?  Grace is the power to be changed.  Take full advantage of it.

The adjective, “unmerited” actually adds to the power of the noun.  How?  The fact that God gives His power to you without qualification means that you can receive it at the time you need it the most.  His willingness to give His influence to you without merit, means that you now have power over the shame that might prevent you from accessing God’s availability.

Imagine if God only offered His power to you when you earned it, when you “deserved” it because of meritorious behavior.  The strange irony here is that God would be giving His power to you, doing you a favor, at a time when you have no need of it.  Why would you need His power when you have already overcome?  Doesn’t make sense does it.

Hear the words of Jesus,”I did not come for the healthy, I came for the sick, I didn’t come to call the righteous, rather I came to call the sinner…”

As odd as it is to say, it seems that we have found a requirement for the unmerited favor of God.  The requirement is that you must actually need it.

Go ahead take advantage of Grace…Really!!