The risk is worth it

I sometimes hear, when I teach a class, certain ideas about grace and forgiveness that I disagree with:

• God won't forgive sins that are horrible. The more horrible and evil, the less likely God is to forgive.
• In order to be forgiven, there are certain things we must do -- we must change our ways, we must ask for forgiveness, we must be sorry for what we did.

I think we try to create God in our own image. We limit grace, because it doesn't seem fair or just to us.

It isn't fair. It isn't justice. It's grace.

Philip Yancey, in his book What's So Amazing About Grace?" talks about loopholes. Have you ever thought "why don't I go ahead and sin because God is going to forgive me anyway."?

We might not admit to that rationalization. What we might say, though, is that "God must not have meant to establish this kind of system -- forgiveness for everything - because the opportunities for abuse are just too large!

The risk is huge. God takes the chance that we will sin and sin and sin, seeking forgivneness. He opens himself up to become vulnerable and abused and taken for granted because what he is seeking is love.

Love. If I love, I will respond to grace with grace. I will desire not to sin, I will choose to obey and love God.

If he gives us the opportunity to choose freely, then he risks we will choose sin. The love, though, is worth the risk.