How do I, a forgiven sinner, learn to stop sinning and learn do good instead? How do I serve God in my brokenness?
In our series Finding The Treasure Inside You, we used 1 Peter 4:7-11 as a masterclass in how we grow in our faith to where we begin living and loving like Christ. In the final section of his teaching, Peter writes this:
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
How do I serve God in my brokenness? Imbedded in these verses are three truths that will set the heart of every forgiven sinner dancing. I must never forget 1) I am a trophy of God’s grace from beginning to end, who 2) learns to daily seek the strength of Christ, and 3) live from this day forward for the glory of God alone.
It Starts (And Ends) With Grace
The Christian doctrine of grace is as life-giving as it gets. In discussing our spiritual gifts, Peter says, we are “stewards of God’s varied grace”. And grace is just that – a gift.
Matthew West begins his song “Good” saying, “I used to think grace was a ladder every sinner had to climb; If only I could just do better I could earn it over time.”. But you can’t earn what is a gift, and God’s grace is the greatest gift you and I have been given. Grace alone saves us, but it doesn’t stop there. Grace – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense – then bookends us all the way home on our life’s journey.
God’s grace is the ocean we swim in and the oxygen we breathe. It’s not that we’re given grace here and there, then the rest is on us. It’s not that God gives us grace to jumpstart our salvation, and then we take over from there. It’s all God’s grace from beginning to end. Jesus is called the “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.12:2.)
Grace Is Like A Picture Frame
Grace is like a picture frame that encompasses and protects the picture to bring out its full beauty. And so in Scripture, we’re told that grace frames so many good things that on their own might otherwise hurt us.
Grace frames truth. Jesus came “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Truth without grace is like a knife without a handle, that will cut and bleed everything around it.
Grace frames judgment. James said that “Mercy triumphs over judgment”(James 2:13). Judgment is necessary of course, or else evil will flourish. But unless it’s framed by grace, judgment can become a merciless tyrant.
Grace must frame our anger. “Be angry but do not sin,” the Bible says (Psalm 4:4). Anger can be a good and proper response to certain things, but human anger, unframed by grace, cannot work the righteousness of God (James 1:20).
Grace frames our peace. So many of the New Testament letters begin by saying, “Grace and peace to you.” Notice, grace comes first. Because without God and his grace, you can have no lasting peace, no matter how many aroma therapy candles you light and Andrea Bocelli songs you listen to.
And grace should always, always, always frame the good works that we do. Paul would say to the Corinthians these astonishing words: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10-11). So whenever you do the good thing or the right thing, don’t pat yourself on the back. Instead, high-five Jesus and say with Paul, By your grace I am what I am.
How Grace Works And Changes Things For The Better
If you remember these truths about grace, so many things will change for the better. Like what?
For starters, understanding grace helps you see God properly. It’s grace that will teach you, “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5) Too many people, even Christians, hold faulty views of God, thinking of him as harsh, cruel, distant, impossible to please, or often confusing him as some version of their own father. People who think this way don’t understand the immensity of God’s grace.
Remembering it’s grace from beginning to end will also help you see yourself properly. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (cf. James 4:4, 1 Peter 5:5). Grace will keep you humble and childlike. But don’t think of this as weakness. It’s your strength harnessed to God’s control, which he will then use for his purposes.
Grace will also help you see others properly. Once you start to grasp how much grace you’ve received, you’ll start giving that same grace away to others. (How could you not?) Then imagine what happens next, as grace begins to spread out like a life-giving stream, watering the parched souls of the people and places around you. A simple smile can do it. As you go about your day, intentionally try smiling at others, then watch what happens, as faces soften and heaviness melts away. That’s grace at work.
What’s more, grace gives you the highest motive imaginable for doing good. Jesus said, “If you love me, you’ll obey me.” (John 14:15).People always mess this up. Even in the first century, people asked Paul, “Well if we’re not saved by doing good, then why do good?” as if the doing of good was bad, like swallowing cough syrup.
But doing life God’s way always leads in the end to more life, more freedom, more joy. If you saw Alysa Liu skate her heart out for that gold medal in the recent Olympics, with the biggest smile you’ll ever see, and you know something of her earlier setbacks and failure, what you saw in her was a picture of a heart set free by grace.
Do good for any other reason than grace, and you’ll soon find the poison of the Pharisee in your blood, leading to all kinds of ugliness: Legalism (“I’ve gotta do this, this, this and this!”), Self-Righteousness (“Look at me!”), Criticalness (“Yuk, look at you!”), fear (“I’ve blown it again. God’s so done with me!”).
How do you serve God as a fallen, broken person? Never let grace out of your sight, and you’ll be fine.