Recongition as Grace

We talked in Sunday school today about what our reaction would be if we encountered Jesus (as a human) today -- the way that Peter did when Jesus asked him, "Who do you say that I am?"

Part of the response to the question, "Would we recognize him?" is always a suspicion that we would not. We wonder if Jesus arrived as a homeless person or an ordinary school teacher or carpenter, would we know that he (or she) was a child of God? Would we get it?

Maybe we wouldn't.

But I was thinking in Sunday school today that we give ourselves too much credit. Do we think our present faith is something we have achieved on our own? Do we believe our recognition of Christ would be totally our own doing? Don't we think God has brought us to the place we are right now in our faith? Prevenient grace chasing us and justifying grace saving us and sanctifying grace transforming us, day by day? Do we think we have done that all on our own?

Do we think our recognition of Christ would be something God would leave us along to solve? Do we forget that God would be leading us, even through that?