The Scandal of Grace in a Vengeful World
As we meditate on the incarnation of Christ, we turn our hearts to the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 14. This single verse encapsulates the profound mystery of Christmas: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
We are living in a season often celebrated as a time of love and sacrifice. Yet, to truly appreciate the magnitude of what Christ accomplished, we must ask a fundamental question: What is the greatness of this amazing grace? It is a concept we sing about and speak of, but do we truly understand the depth of the favor God has shown to a world that did not want Him?
Is the Old Testament Law of Revenge Contrary to Grace?
The command “eye for an eye” was not a prescription for revenge but a restriction on it. It limited retribution to the offense, preventing the destruction of entire villages for the sin of one. It was a precursor to the fullness of grace revealed in Christ.
Many people stumble over the Old Testament principle of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It is often interpreted as God teaching His people how to exact revenge. However, we must understand the historical context. In those ancient days, justice was often uncontrolled. If a person from one village hurt a person from another, the response was not proportionate. The offended village would not just hurt the perpetrator; they would often destroy the entire village.
Therefore, God was establishing a boundary. He was telling them not to go to the extent of destroying whole lives. He commanded them to limit the consequence to the person who committed the crime. In this light, “an eye for an eye” was actually a principle of mercy and grace that God introduced to curb human violence.
But when the Lord Jesus came into this world, He brought the fullness of grace. The New Testament law of operation shifts from limited retribution to active grace. We see this in Matthew 5:38 where Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
This teaching is difficult for the world to digest. We live in a culture where if someone slaps you, the expectation is that you slap them back. Yet Jesus taught the complete opposite. It is worth noting that while many in India attribute the philosophy of non-violence to Mahatma Gandhi, he was quoting the Lord Jesus. The revolution of the freedom fight had the footprint of this biblical aspect of grace.
What Was the World Like Before Christ Arrived?
The pre-advent world was characterized by wickedness, intolerance, and malice, with no concept of mercy. It operated on vengeance and holding grudges. Into this darkness, Christ brought the light of grace, offering a solution to the violence and corruption that destroys societies.
If we take a step back and look at the world before Christ came, we see a landscape full of wickedness and evil. It was a world marked by non-receptivity, intolerance, hatred, and malice. The concept of grace did not exist. People did not know how to show mercy. There was no room for grace, only vengeance. Humanity specialized in holding grudges, being unforgiving, and engaging in “tit for tat” retaliation.
We see the remnants of this in today’s world. Heroism is often defined by how well a person can fight. A man of God once noted that India is plagued by two primary destroyers: violence and corruption. These are the barriers preventing progress. However, if biblical grace were to truly permeate our societies, violence would cease, and corruption would vanish.
Can We Stop Sinning on Our Own Strength?
No, because sin is deeply rooted in human nature. Even believers often refrain from sin out of fear of consequences rather than love for God. Without the intervening grace of God, humanity is totally depraved, unable to break free from the love of sin.
When we look at our own lives, we must admit that we once loved sin. We enjoyed it. We call ourselves believers and proclaim that we have turned away from sin, but we must examine our motives. If God were to say, “Even if you sin, you will go to heaven,” would we stop sinning? We might not. This reveals that we are often “saved” merely by the fear of hell rather than a genuine love for God. Sin is rooted so deeply within us that we cannot extract ourselves from it.
As the hymn says, it is “Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me.” If God chose to count our sins against us, no one could stand. We often take God’s forgiveness for granted, attributing it casually to the Cross without realizing the cost. Consider this: If God said, “You have been a believer for five years, so I will stop forgiving you if you sin again,” we would be hopeless. Or if He said, “You were born into a Christian family, how can you still sin?” we would be undone. We struggle to give up little things for God, yet God gives up His righteous anger and condemnation for us.
If anyone has the right to condemn us, it is the Lord Jesus. Yet, He said in John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The only Person qualified to judge the world chose to save it. He came with the solution, not the condemnation.
How Do We Define Biblical Grace?
Biblical grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God toward His enemies. It is the Giver reaching down to the beggar. It is not cheap; it cost the Son of God His life, given freely to those who were actively rebelling against His Word.
The definition of grace is undeserved favor extended to someone. Sometimes, in our pride, we think we are qualified to receive grace. We might even speak as though we fought with God to get a blessing. But the Lord is gracious simply because of who He is. We must never forget our state; a beggar can never be greater than the giver.
When Christ came, Romans 5:10 tells us we were His “enemies.” That is not a soft word. Our lives were effectively telling God, “You said one thing, but look at me, I am doing the opposite.” Yet, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
In a human context, if a son tells his father, “I knowingly went against your word,” the response is usually discipline or a slap. But God showed grace. Even if we were better people, God could not love us more than He does, because He already loves us maximally. Salvation is great because His grace is rich.
I recall when I was born again in a very small, remote town. I am often amazed that God’s grace located me in that tiny village. A Muslim colleague once asked where I was from. After traveling that route, she told me, “Your village is so small that by the time I realized it was coming, it had already passed by.” That is the nature of grace. God visits us in the “tiny villages” of our lives—on bumpy, remote roads where even we might hesitate to go. Jesus leaving Heaven was no ordinary act. He did not come to judge, though it would have been easier to do so. As it has been said, “Grace is free, but it is not cheap.”
Did God Know We Would Reject His Son?
Yes, God’s grace is intentional, not accidental. In the parable of the wicked tenants, the King sent His Son knowing they might kill Him. Grace is not God being taken by surprise by our sin; it is God providing a covering despite knowing the depth of our depravity.
To understand why Christ came, we look to the parable Jesus told in Matthew 21 regarding the landowner (the King) and the wicked tenants. The King sent servants to collect the fruit, but the tenants mistreated them. Finally, the King thought, “I will send my son. They will respect him.” But the tenants conspired, saying, “Let us kill him and take his inheritance.”
Jesus told this parable about Himself. He came into the world knowing exactly what kind of people He was coming to. That is grace. He knew He was walking into a death trap set by humanity’s sin. Nothing took Him by surprise. He showed this grace equally to everyone, even to Judas who would betray Him moments later.
Grace is like a sheet covering a person when the sun is scorching. God’s wrath is the heat that should be poured out on us, but we are covered by grace. If that covering were removed, we would be consumed. We can see an iota of God’s wrath in the book of Revelation, and it is terrifying. We are spared only because we are completely covered by the grace the Lord Jesus brought.
Does Grace Give Us a License to Sin?
Absolutely not. Grace does not compromise truth or trade away holiness. It tolerates the sinner while refusing to tolerate the sin. The unique mark of a Christian is the ability to show this costly grace to others without compromising God’s righteous standards.
We must be careful not to misunderstand. Grace does not compromise with the truth. It does not trade away our holiness. The true definition is that grace tolerates the sinner, but it does not tolerate the sin. Unfortunately, we often do the opposite: we tolerate the sin but refuse to tolerate the sinner.
The mark of a Christian in this world is grace. Society expects Christians to be gracious. We cannot be like the world, settling scores and fighting back. We must be Christ-like. Showing grace is costly, but the consequences of not showing grace are far costlier. Every day the world “peels” us, giving us opportunities to react, but we must rely on Jesus to show grace instead.
Is the Church Judgmental or Gracious?
The church is meant to be a hospital for sinners, not an exhibition for saints. Unfortunately, the world often finds more acceptance on the streets than in the pews. True grace allows space for the Holy Spirit to work sanctification in people’s lives over time.
The title “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” comes from a book by Philip Yancey. In that book, he makes a profound observation. He notes that sometimes it is easier to find acceptance in the world—on the streets—than to get a hug in the church. We can easily become judgmental. We write people off. But when we look at the younger generation or different cultures, we must ask how accepting we are. It is easy to frown, roll our eyes, or judge. But it takes grace to give people space.
We must remember how much time it took for us to change. There were things in our lives God did not like, and He took time to process and change us. We must give that same space to others.
There is a story told by Zac Poonen about baptizing a woman who was wearing a lot of jewelry. Personally, he was against wearing so much jewelry and wanted to tell her to take it off before entering the water. But God spoke to him, saying, “You know how much time you have taken to change? Why don’t you give her time? Do you want her to change even before she is baptized?”
Similarly, Bhaskar Uncle used to say, “Churches are not exhibitions for saints; they are hospitals for sinners.” Jesus spent His time on earth with the most sinful people because they felt comfortable with Him. They had no apprehensions because He was gracious. The world is dying to see such gracious people today. The greatest uniqueness of Christianity is grace.
Why Is It So Hard for Us to Forgive Others?
We struggle to show grace because we maintain a database of offenses while expecting God to delete ours. The parable of the unmerciful servant warns that receiving God’s vertical grace necessitates extending horizontal grace to others. We cannot claim to be forgiven if we refuse to forgive.
In this Christmas season, we must remember the Lord who is full of grace. For believers, growing in holiness is not an option; it is a mandate. Grace is never an excuse for a believer to fall short of God’s glory or to sin willfully. But showing kindness to one another because we are all prone to fall—that is grace.
Jesus closed His teaching with the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18. A man owed a King a massive debt, and the King wrote it off. But that same man went out and choked a fellow servant who owed him a small amount, saying, “I will not write off this debt. Put him in prison.”
Every Sunday, we come to the Lord’s Table and ask God to forgive all our sins. We expect Him to forgive and forget. Yet, what do we do with others? We maintain the database. We refuse to talk to neighbors, colleagues, or relatives. We simply cannot show grace. The dreadful conclusion of that parable is that the master says, “Put him into prison until he pays up to the last penny.”
We must hope that does not happen to us. If God kept a record of our sins, where would we be?
There is a song we sing during Christmas titled Messiah Aaya Hai. One line says, “Before the coat and the boot, clean the heart.” We must kick away the hypocrisy. It is good to celebrate, but we must celebrate with a heart of gratitude. The suit we wear matters less than the heart inside it.
John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, was a slave trader—the worst of humanity. Yet God saved him from that depth of sin. He never forgot his background. He had a scripture from Deuteronomy written in a prominent place in his house to remind him: “When you enjoy the blessing of God, never forget that God has brought you out of slavery.”
As believers, we must always understand that it is only the grace of God that brought us here. Without it, we were on our way to a wasted life and eternal separation. As people who have experienced such extravagant grace, let us be generous in showing it to others. Let us learn to love the unlovable and the unloving, just as Christ loved us.
