"Grace That is Greater Than All My Sin"

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-- by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:4-9 (ESV)


I remember many many times as a child when I did wrong. Each and every time that I did so, I was deserving of punishment. I knew the drill in our house. I would walk to my room, lay on my bed, and wait for my father to come to my room to spank me. The wait was always the worst part. I would sit there and wonder what barbaric weapon my father would choose: the wooden spoon, the hard plastic spoon, the belt, the hand, or any assortment of other things around the house. I learned to never, and I mean NEVER, bring home paddle balls. As soon as the ball and string broke, the paddle became my father's new favorite spanking instrument. Nothing like transforming a child's tool of jubilation into an object of discipline.

My father would come into the room, and I would cringe in nervous anticipation of what was to follow. But there were times when he would come in, and instead of a spanking, I would receive a hug. He always brought with him love, but those times, he left behind justice, and brought with him grace. Instead of receiving the punishment I deserved, my father would wrap me in his arms and show me love and grace.


Recently, the topic of God's grace has been on my mind quite a bit. It seems as if every time I turn around I see another reminder of his amazing grace, whether it be through social media, a well-timed song, or Scripture. Yet no matter how many times I hear about this grace, I never cease to be amazed by the wonder of it. How a perfect and holy God can look at a wretched sinner such as myself, and call me "son" is far beyond my comprehension. As A. W. Tozer said, "The cross is the lightning rod of grace that short-circuits God's wrath to Christ so that only the light of His love remains for believers." When I was at my absolute lowest, unable to even look up at the Savior, Christ not only looked down, but came down to show me love and grace.

What started this recent focus on grace was a poem that I wrote. In the past, I have found poetry to be a wonderful outlet for my emotions and a way to express myself, but with the stress of college, I went six months without writing any. Then, one day, I started to write, and words just flowed easily from my mind. This poem that came from that writing is entitled "Sitting on this Pier."

Sitting on this Pier
Sitting on this pier, I see
The sea
Reaching endlessly in front of me
Stretching desperately for that with appears just out of reach
It swallows me and devours pride
For who can tame its raging tide?

But then, I see a tragic sight
Of one caught in a hopeless plight
Fighting for the object of its affection
Enduring through countless rejections

You see
The waves seek the sand in a countless endeavor
Rejected always and accepted never
Yet never do these waves relent
But on these attempts their passion is spent
The waves kiss the shore at their every chance
But their chance of success is denied with every advance

Yet now
I no longer see the sea but rather a picture of me
Battling grace, who I once counted as my enemy
Let me begin with the fact that I was a sinner plagued by sin
But grace, when I was in the pit,
At my lowest,
Lowered Himself with the heart of a servant
He showered upon me joy, hope, and love
But I loved sin. Of grace, I wanted none.

And yet,
Just like the waves
Grace came and He came
But I pushed Him away and I pushed Him away
But still, He came, my soul to save.
And so, when finally into grace I caved
New life He gave, and me, I'm changed.

Sitting on this pier, I see
Not the sea,
But the loving relationship of grace and me,
Extending endlessly and beautifully into eternity.


As the old hymn so beautifully states,
"Grace, grace, God's grace,
 Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
 Grace, grace, God's grace,
 Grace that is greater than all our sin."