What does it mean for me to “fall away from grace?”
Well, let me go ahead and say, “I am probably not thinking what you are thinking.” I am not referring to some coldness of affection, leading to a transgression of God’s commandments, which can be visibly seen, and can lead to public scandal.
Instead, I am referring to one of my grossest of errors, one of my most repeated transgressions, a sin I commit each and every day. I am referring to my horrible sin of discounting and falling away from the grace of my Savior and Lord.
This is when I look at Jesus who:
- Knows me
- Chooses me
- Comes for me
- Lives for me
- Dies for me
- Says to me, “It is finished!”
- Intercedes for me
- Sends his Spirit for me
- Informs me
- Enlightens, awakens, or convicts me
- Gives me faith and repentance
- Represents me
- Justifies me
- Sanctifies me
- Engages himself to me
- Becomes one with me
- Sees his Father adopt me
- Makes radical promises to me
- Works on, in, and through me
- Works to prepare a place for me
And reason:
- His “not remembering our sins” is fiction.
- His “not treating us in accordance with our sins” is fantasy.
- His “finished work” needs my partnership, completion, or finishing.
- His “steadfast love and mercy” are not new every morning.
- His affections for me have changed.
- His grace is not greater than all my sins.
Basically, I am looking at Jesus, diminishing his Gospel work, distrusting his Gospel words, and discounting his Gospel love, and this “falling away from grace” is a most serious and blasphemous sin.
So, tomorrow, I might run back to God’s good law and be reminded of all the things I ought and ought not to do. His ways are holy, right, wise, best, and beautiful. Understanding my Father’s heart, why would I not want to heed his gracious counsel.
But today, I am running back to grace. I am refusing to “fall away” any longer. Today, I am going to tell my world, my flesh, my religious neighbors, and my devil to leave me be. I have a competent Savior and Lord. I have a sure word from him. Today, he offers me unfathomable grace, and I will repent, trust his word, trust in his work, trust in his immutable character, and take him up on his offer.
Unfathomable Grace 