I am currently reading the book “Searching for the God of Grace” by Stuart Tyner (ISBN: 0-8163-2152-3). I think grace is one of those spiritual topics many of us struggle with. All too often we want to use the word “but” after the word “grace”, usually in word or in action. Sometimes we do not even realize that our actions or even our thoughts are still focused on works but upon careful review, there it is – salvation by works more than grace. Anyhow, Stuart Tyner has a great way of looking at the creation story as it relates to grace. So I thought I would simply share it with you, you can find this on page 63 of his book:
With profound significance, the biblical story of the human race begins without one human being anywhere in sight. Deliberately, the story informs us, God waits to create Adam and Eve until the entire physical world is ready to be given as a thoughtful, bountiful gift.
It didn’t have to be that way.
It could have started out with a lot of hard work on our part. God could have decided that what we needed most was to have nothing given to us, nothing free, nothing except what we worked and sweated for, what we earned and deserved. “Here are your supplies,” God might have said to Adam and Eve at the beginning of Creation week. “Here is a stockpile of raw materials: carbon, hydrogen, a puff of oxygen, a pile of dirt, a shovel, a hammer, and a bucket of nails. What you put together is what you get to live with. An urban jungle or an Edenic garden – it’s up to you. That’s the way your world is going to work. Might as well get used to it from day one.”
God might have said that to Adam and Eve. But He didn’t.
Instead, He did all the work. “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). ” ‘The hand of the Lord has done this; the Holy One of Israel has created it’ ” (Isaiah 41:20). “Without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). “All things were created by him” (Colossians 1:16).
If you accept the Bible’s assertion that “all these things … were written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11, NKJV) and that the Bible’s stories are able to make us “wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15), then seizing the salvific significance of the Creation story becomes crucial: God saves us the same way He creates us – without our help! “Creation is already redemption.”
Now if that is to “wordy” for you and you need something else more simple, then how about the 5 point plan of salvation? You can find this on page 64 of the same book:
1. God does all the work (Genesis 1:1, 31).
2. God gives His work as a gift (Genesis 1:27 – 30).
3. The recipients of the gift disobey and then run away and try to hide from God
(Genesis 3:1 – 8).
4. God pursues the ones who are running away (Genesis 3:9 – 13).
5. God promises to take care of the problem caused by separation (Genesis 3:15).
There you have it, the long and the short of it – personally I like the long version.
So, while I’m running away, God pursues me. This I get. And he promises to fix the problem caused by the separation. I have no part in this? I have to do nothing but sit back and wait for him to fix it? Because He extends grace to me then I can smack him, run and then wait for Him to come forgive me just because He said He would?
What about asking for forgiveness? What about being repentant? What about being sorry? Do none of these things factor in at all?
Heidi’s pimping your blog and I remembered that I hadn’t finished reading this entry. So I came back. Heh.
I like my directions short and to the point, so I like the second version better, but the first story is very nice. I do have a small problem with Grace without works. That’s the Mormon in me. But the parent in me knows that I love my children without question and without break and, no matter what they do, I’ll always love them and find ways for them to come home to me.
I get it. Even what Heidi says. Yes it’s by grace alone, in the meaning that I can’ t do anything to assure my own salvation, but there is a certain amount of work I have to do, if you consider accepting the present to be work. It isn’t for me, but some people have a terrible time with it.