Means of Grace

I want to recommend two lectures to you, the texts of which are available online at Ben Witherington’s blog. They are long, so go look at them when you have time to read them, but they are gotten me thinking about salvation and grace, transformation and trust in new ways.

Part 1
Part 2

These posts are transcripts from lectures by Dr. Joe Dongell. He is discussing the possibility of real transformation – from self-possessed, inward focused sinful creatures to outward focused Christ-like creations of God. He suggests that one of the ways in which we can live in the hope of this renewal is to “wait expectantly within the means of grace. "

What are means of grace? I like how Dr. Dongell defines them. He says that the means of grace are “the pathways the Father himself has given us as the assured and regular channels of his work in our lives.” In other words, he wants us to come to him, he wants to work in our lives, so he has drawn us a map. “Here is the X,” he says. Wait here, and I will come to you.

I am reminded of being lost as a child, or being the mother of a child who might get lost. “Stand still, and I’ll find you.” A means of grace is a path identified by the father for us to take. He has identified this pathway for us, and he will pour out his grace upon it.

He lists several:

• Scripture – Grace through the word
• Communion – Grace through the nearness of God
• Intimate groups – Grace through other people

There is nothing powerful about the means of grace themselves, he says. They are means of grace because of God – he has promised to meet us on these pathways, and we can be confident of his presence.

One of the things I like about this definition is that it leaves the grace in God’s hands. He has pointed out to us these pathways, but he also has allowed himself the freedom to reach us any way he chooses. Communion is a means of grace, but God will reach out and touch us in a field with no bread and wine present. His choice. He knows the way to find us; means of grace are suggestions from God, leading us to find him.