The Grace of God

By John Weaver

September 1, 2022

The grace of God is probably my favorite topic to write or to preach about.

Grace is getting what we do not deserve. Grace shows the heart of God.
No place is this more evident than in the parable of the prodigal son. The prodigal son had it all. He had a kind and loving father, a good secure job, and a great future. But he walked away. He wanted to spend his time enjoying the pleasures of life for a season.

The kind father gave him what he asked for: freedom to do his own thing and freedom to go his own way.

We also can do that. Many of us can identify with the prodigal son. We go our own way, making money, pursuing riches, and spending our money on pleasures. In the process, we become farther and farther away from God, and we end up in a far country.

The prodigal son ended up in a situation which he never had thought could happen. All of his efforts failed him. He was slowly dying of hunger in spite of all his efforts. He thought of his father. Maybe, just maybe, his father would let him be a servant. Notice that the son was still willing to work. His only thought was to earn: to try to stay alive by his own efforts.

Grace was the farthest thing from his mind as he started the long journey back to his father. All that he hoped for was an opportunity to work hard, and by that be able to live.

Today if you have messed up your life. Take that all important step like this son did. “I will go to my father.”

I love to imagine what happened next.
The son knew that he was not worthy to be a son anymore, and tried to explain that to his father. The father would have none of it. “You are my son.”

It wasn't about the son and his worthiness. It was about the father and his mercy and grace.

I try to picture the weary son when this slowly started to sink in. “In spite of all that I did to mess up my life, I am wearing this beautiful robe. I smell real food being prepared, a feast for me. For me? I don't deserve it, yet my father is going all out to celebrate, simply because I came home.”

That, my friend, is the grace of God. He wants to celebrate. When we turn and come to the Father, He will come running to meet us. He will make a feast, a celebration. Not everyone will want to join in that celebration. There are many older brothers who are working, toiling, and rejecting the grace of God, expecting that their hard work will earn them a position. They reject grace because they see grace as not being fair.

If you have ever gone your own way for a season, you will think, “But my sins, they are so many! Will the father really accept me?” Our human reasoning seems to be that as the sin increases, it will work towards depleting the grace of God. No, my friend, NO.

We never go and sin to see grace work. But there is a promise given to us by One who can not break His promise. It is one of the most amazing verses that you will ever read. A promise from the Father:

Grace, that outworking of love by the Father, will abound much more than our sins. If we get a picture of this grace, all of our desire to sin will go. In its place will be a deeply grateful heart—a heart that marvels at God and His love toward us. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You.

 

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