Like everything grace has a Genesis, a beginning. In fact, if I took an informal poll around my office (I work for a church) and the most common response was Jesus. Now, Jesus is a great response for most church questions and in the end this is the correct answer to the grace question. But…getting to that answer may be different than we thought at first.
Celebrating the beginning of Grace with Jesus’ life and/or death and resurrection is like us celebrating our birthdays. Think what you want about whether a human life begins at the point air is entering the lungs or when the first set of cells begin to divide, something is happing in the womb to create the body of a human. Grace is definitely linked to Jesus and his time on this earth, however that began in the beginning with God.
After reading Genesis chapters 1-2 we quickly understand that everything is good. Of course when we read chapter 3 we get the picture that things in this perfect garden, with perfect God, and good creation can go wrong. Adam and Eve make the mistake of a lifetime (literally, has there ever been another mistake that affects the rest of life as we know it). They eat from the forbidden tree, become knowledgeable and feel shame. Adam and Eve are disappointed. God is disappointed.
And yet unlike the mistakes that are made on the potter’s wheel, God doesn’t just smash up all of creation and start over. He doesn’t call his one mulligan. God speaks, reprimands, draws up conditions and consequences and shuts down the garden.
And there you have it…the first appearance of grace! Grace begins with the nature of God, which is mercy. He not only forgives Adam and Eve and allows them to live, but he begins to multiply the entire earth with more imperfect human beings only so that He can continually offer grace and one day fully redeem all of his creation back to its original Genesis; perfection.
Discussion (click "comments" above):
Celebrating the beginning of Grace with Jesus’ life and/or death and resurrection is like us celebrating our birthdays. Think what you want about whether a human life begins at the point air is entering the lungs or when the first set of cells begin to divide, something is happing in the womb to create the body of a human. Grace is definitely linked to Jesus and his time on this earth, however that began in the beginning with God.
After reading Genesis chapters 1-2 we quickly understand that everything is good. Of course when we read chapter 3 we get the picture that things in this perfect garden, with perfect God, and good creation can go wrong. Adam and Eve make the mistake of a lifetime (literally, has there ever been another mistake that affects the rest of life as we know it). They eat from the forbidden tree, become knowledgeable and feel shame. Adam and Eve are disappointed. God is disappointed.
And yet unlike the mistakes that are made on the potter’s wheel, God doesn’t just smash up all of creation and start over. He doesn’t call his one mulligan. God speaks, reprimands, draws up conditions and consequences and shuts down the garden.
And there you have it…the first appearance of grace! Grace begins with the nature of God, which is mercy. He not only forgives Adam and Eve and allows them to live, but he begins to multiply the entire earth with more imperfect human beings only so that He can continually offer grace and one day fully redeem all of his creation back to its original Genesis; perfection.
Discussion (click "comments" above):
What is your response to God’s grace in the garden?
How did grace begin for you?
How did grace begin for you?
RSS Feed
