How Would You Like to Win the Coin Flip?

Remember American football? You might recall it – that sport with the oblong ball that’s kind of pointed on both ends? Many of us watched it avidly as recently as last February’s Super Bowl, but with all that’s gone on during the unprecedented months since, it seems like a distant memory. The recent NFL draft did give fans a measure of hope that, even with social distancing, we will again watch soccer-style kickers launching footballs toward the end zone sometime in the fall.

Maybe you’re not a football fan and couldn’t care less about when it starts up again. But I mention it just to refer to the event that occurs before each game begins. No, I don’t mean when the marching band steps onto the field, or even when the national anthem is played. I’m thinking about the magic moment when the referee gathers captains from both teams for…the coin toss.

By way of review, the official has a special coin that he flips into the air. Captains from the visiting team shout “heads” or “tails,” and how the coin falls determines who kicks off and who gets the ball to begin the day’s action. We talk in terms of who “wins” the coin toss, even though it has little to do with the ultimate outcome of the game.

I bring it up because in the Scriptures we find kind of a “coin toss.” Except in this case, God is the coin flipper – and it’s win-win for all of His children.

This coin, as I envision it, says “Grace” on one side and “Mercy” on the other. Because as the Bible describes them, grace and mercy can be considered two sides of the same coin. Let me explain:

“Grace” in the Scriptures is defined as “unmerited favor.” We don’t deserve it, and we can’t earn it. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” This tells us that grace is “receiving what we don’t deserve” – God’s favor.

Mercy, on the other hand, is “not receiving what we do deserve” – God’s wrath and eternal punishment. Titus 3:5 states, “[God] saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” And 1 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” The Lord has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. He’s made us born again, brand new in Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, God’s grace and His mercy both flow out of His love for us, undeserved and unconditional. Romans 5:8 puts it this way: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Question: How many sins had you committed by the time Jesus Christ died on the cross more than 2,000 years ago? Obviously, none. Yet this verse says “while we were still sinners,” He died for us (past tense). Unlike us, God’s isn’t restricted by the confines of time, so in Christ He could pay the just penalty for all sins, past and present and future.

I don’t know about you, but this truth this excites me and provides great assurance. Many centuries ago, before my great-great-great-great-great grandparents (and beyond that) were even born, Jesus was making atonement for sins I was yet to commit. His incomprehensible love was on display, and His grace and mercy were in action so that one day I could receive what I don’t deserve, and not receive what I do deserve. How can this be anything but good, incredibly good news?

Right now, no one knows for certain when football – college or pro – will resume. But one thing we can know. All those who are part of God’s family have won the coin flip! “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). 

Forgiveness: More Blessed to Receive Than to Give?

A mean-spirited country bumpkin was asked, “Do you have a grudge?” “Heck, no,” he replied in a huff. “Ah jest put mah truck in the front yard like everybody else.” Well, many of us do have a grudge – just not the kind this fellow had in mind. We harbor grudges about many things, ranging from hurtful words people have said, to not receiving thanks for a kind act, to an unresolved family dispute.

Unfortunately, there’s only one way of getting rid of grudges: Forgive. But to do so, it often seems, is like knowing someone who’s sick, then swallowing the nasty-tasting medicine for them.

We’re told, “forgive and forget,” but much of the time it’s difficult to do either. Forgiving is hard, especially when the offender hasn’t apologized or shown remorse. To forgive in effect would mean letting someone off the hook for doing or saying something wrong without making amends. Instead, we decide never to forget the harm they’ve done to us.

On the other hand, if we’ve inflicted harm upon someone else – whether a minor slight or a serious, selfish act – we believe our apologies should be readily accepted, without repercussions. Isn’t “I’m sorry” good enough?

One of the great thinkers of the mid-20^th century was C.S. Lewis, whose profound conclusions about matters of faith still resonate powerfully in this century. Lewis observed, “Everyone thinks that forgiveness is a lovely idea, until he has something to forgive.” Forgiveness, it would seem, is more blessed to receive than to give.

But should it be that way, especially for followers of Jesus? In His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus presented a vivid picture of what forgiveness should look like. Dismissing the “eye for an eye” philosophy, He stated, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well…” (Matthew 5:38-40).

When His followers asked how they should pray, Jesus included these words as a guide: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Moments later He added, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). Strong words.

In another passage, the apostle Paul also challenged unwillingness to let bygones be bygones: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Particularly penetrating is the phrase, “just as God in Christ has forgiven you.” If we truly understand the magnitude of God’s forgiveness, what it cost Him to make forgiveness available, harboring ill will toward others and refusing to forgive amounts to an act of rebellion.

This teaching is anchored in the biblical concept of grace – God’s unmerited and unconditional favor. Grace strikes us as an alien concept, since we so rarely experience it in everyday life. Author Max Lucado, in his book, Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine, describes it: “Grace is not blind. It sees the hurt full well. But grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness even more. It refuses to let hurts poison the heart…. Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows.”

We have two strong motivations for forgiving others: First, because of what God in Christ has done for us. If we can comprehend how much God has forgiven us, how can we not forgive others, no matter what they have done?

Second, failure to forgive “poisons the heart,” as Lucado writes. Hebrews 12:14-15 speaks of a “root of bitterness” that acts like an emotional cancer that destroys from within: “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Regardless of the circumstances, forgiveness can prove to be more blessed to give than to receive, because the giving provides access to peace and release from a lifetime of bitterness

When Grace Collides With Your Karma

You get what you deserve, right? Everybody knows that. At least that’s what we’re told – and taught. In the workplace, if you work hard and perform your job well, you receive a promotion, a pay raise, or find a better job. It’s often the case in the classroom, where if you study hard and score well on the exams, you receive an A or a B. And we see it all the time in sports: high-performing athletes earning spots on the first team and exceptional players gaining accolades at season’s end.

We even see this principle applied in some marriages, where a husband or wife’s behavior can elevate them to the penthouse or banish them to the doghouse. “What goes around comes around”: Be careful how you treat people because you'll be treated in similar fashion, good or bad.

Spiritually speaking, this view is widely held as well. There’s even a term for it: “Karma.” Wikipedia defines karma as “the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect). Good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering.”

Whether it’s called karma or not, virtually all religions embrace this principle to some extent. Maybe it’s “reincarnation,” a belief that one’s actions in this life shape the quality of existence in the next. Or the idea that receiving the approval and acceptance of God, “the man upstairs,” or the “higher power” (whatever term people prefer) depends upon actions. If you do enough good, God will like you. If you don’t, well, you’ll get what you deserve.

This, however, is a key area where Christianity parts company with other belief systems. The Bible calls all wrongdoing “sin,” and makes clear sins do bring consequences. Galatians 6:7-8 declares, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

However, the concept of karma exists nowhere in the Bible. Especially in terms of our eternal destiny. Instead, the Scriptures teach grace and mercy, which could be regarded as two sides of the same coin. They can be viewed as the converse of one another: Mercy is not receiving what we deserve (unlike karma); grace is receiving what we don’t deserve. Another way of looking at it is that grace is “God’s unmerited favor” – we can’t earn it, and definitely don’t deserve it.

I’ve heard people say, “I’m basically a good person,” or “I think the good I’ve done outweighs the bad.” However, the Bible disagrees. Referring to several Old Testament passages, the apostle Paul states, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God…there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). Then he adds, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Wow! Pretty sobering, isn’t it? That’s why Paul proceeded to write, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). But he doesn’t stop there. Drawing from knowing God’s grace and mercy, the apostle continues, “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!... Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:25-8:1).

I like how author Max Lucado compares grace and mercy in his book, Grace: More Than We Deserve. He uses Jesus’ well-known parable of the prodigal son, a selfish, greedy young man who demanded his inheritance while his father was still living. After recklessly squandering all he’d been given, he crawled back home in humility and shame. Instead of turning him away, however, his father welcomed him without reservation – even celebrating his return. As Lucado writes, “Mercy gave the prodigal a second chance. Grace threw him a party.”

This doesn’t mean we’re given license to do as we please, thinking God is somehow obligated to forgive – or even ignore – our misdeeds. Not at all. He’s fully aware of our sins, every single one, and knows we each deserve punishment for our self-centered rebellion against Him. But this is where He offers grace rather than karma.

Paul the apostle unequivocally asserts, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Karma says we rightly deserve death and eternal condemnation. Grace says all who are “in Christ” will receive what we don’t deserve – God’s unconditional forgiveness and the promise of eternal life.

But how can this be? If we’re as bad as the Bible says we are, how could God forgive and accept us into His family? We find the answer in Romans 5:6-8, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

How does it make you feel to read this assurance? Do you shrug your shoulders, or are you filled with thankfulness? As I heard a preacher say one time, “If this doesn’t light your fire, then your wood’s wet!”

Not Undeserved, But Ill-Deserved

Among the singular distinctions that set apart the Christian faith from any other belief system is the concept of grace. In all other religious philosophies, in one way or another, it’s a matter of earning or proving worthy of something, whether it’s blessing, eternal life, or well-being in some other form. It might be viewed as an outworking of karma, good works or legalism, but basically it’s a matter of getting what you deserve – and trying how to figure out how to be good enough.

Biblical grace, however, is in many ways the antithesis. It’s unmerited; actually receiving what we don’t deserve. As Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” But recently I heard a statement that provided one of those “aha” moments we occasionally experience, helping me to grasp the concept of grace in an even more wondrous way.

I’ve always understood grace as “undeserved favor from God,” but a speaker at a breakfast I attended observed that God’s grace is not so much undeserved as it is “ill-deserved.”

Look at it this way: Imagine walking along a city street one night, headed to a favorite restaurant for dinner when a panhandler approaches you, asking for a handout. This individual has done nothing to deserve your charity, but even though it’s not your standard practice, you decide to give him two one-dollar bills that you retrieve from the front of your wallet. He hasn’t done anything to merit your generosity – it’s undeserved, offered by you out of compassion and kindness.

However, suppose this beggar, rather than politely asking for some money, came toward you cursing and screaming, spitting in your face, and throwing mud on the nice clothes you’ve just purchased for the special evening out with your spouse or date. This person has given you nothing but insults and abuse, and yet you pull out your wallet and graciously offer the two dollars despite such uncalled-for, unacceptable behavior. That gift would not be undeserved. It would be ill-deserved, because if anything his actions merited a stern reaction or a quick call for a law enforcement officer.

In reality, regardless of whether we’re now ardent followers of Jesus Christ, nominal believers, or outspoken, vehement atheists, we’ve all essentially done that to Him in varying degrees and with different levels of “enthusiasm.”

It’s not a case of attempting to become “worthy,” or of “cleaning up our act.” The Bible makes that abundantly clear: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). And just in case we suspect something might have gotten lost or misinterpreted in the translation, another verse makes a similar declaration: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

While we might be tempted to apply those indictments to others, people whose behavior runs contrary to our values, God is essentially saying to each of us, “Hey, don’t look around. That includes you!” I’ve read through the Bible a number of times, and have yet to identify even a single exception to this rule.

We can read about Judas Iscariot horrifically betraying Jesus, or how the apostle Peter boldly denied Him three times on the eve of His crucifixion. But if we’re honest, we’ve each done so much more in our own unique ways. None of us is a stranger to such denial and betrayal.

And yet, the Lord stands before us with the incomprehensible offer of grace – not just undeserved, but completely ill-deserved. We’re like the brazen, 100-pound weakling kicking sand in the face of the hefty bodybuilder on the beach. We don’t deserve favor of any kind; in fact, what we’re rightly entitled to is wrath and harsh judgment.

As Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin (what we deserve) is death, but the gift of God (what is ill-deserved) is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (parentheses mine). Maybe this is why the words and simple, yet profound message of “Amazing Grace” resonate so deeply for many of us. 

Worthy of Grace?

In our quest to communicate effectively, it’s often said, “It’s not what you say – it’s exactly what you say.” In other words, leave no room for confusion or ambiguity. I wonder if the same principle might apply to prayer: It’s not what you pray – it’s exactly what you pray.

What brings this to mind is a public prayer I heard recently in which the individual very humbly and piously prayed that the hearers might strive to be “worthy of God’s grace.” At first blush this sounds noble enough, but from a theological standpoint it makes no sense.

Grace, as I’ve learned over the years, is defined as “unmerited or undeserved favor.” In other words, it’s the favor and kindness of God that we can’t earn, no matter how hard we try. We can never become “worthy” of God’s favor or approval. If we could, Jesus’ death on the cross would have been unnecessary. He died on our behalf, not because we we’re deserving, but because there’s no way we could “clean up our act.”

Stating this another way, we can contrast the biblical concepts of grace and mercy: Grace is receiving what we don’t deserve (or, what we’re not worthy of) – God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance. Mercy is not receiving what we do deserve – which is condemnation because of sinfulness and willing rebellion against Him, virtually from birth.

Of course this tends to fly against our sensibilities. We like to view ourselves as “basically good people,” offering the excuses “nobody’s perfect” and “we’re only human.” Sounds good, but according to the Bible, that’s not good enough.

We see this clearly in the candid writings of the apostle Paul, who conceded, “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (Romans 7:21-23).

A few verses earlier Paul made an observation many of us can relate to: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). Have you ever been there, knowing there was something you genuinely had no intention of doing, yet you did it anyway? At such times, did you ever feel worthy of God’s grace, His unmerited favor?

After Paul’s agonizing admission of not having done what he wanted to do, along with doing what he really didn’t want to do, he reaches this conclusion: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” But then he adds these hopeful, joyful words: “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!... Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:24-8:1).

This was the apostle Paul writing this, whose letters (epistles) make up much of the New Testament, not some homeless derelict. This was the fellow who also wrote, “For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). This grace and the faith to receive it are a gift from God, Paul declares.

So the next time you do something that you know doesn’t meet God’s approval, or you think something you know you shouldn’t be thinking, and it occurs to you that you’re unworthy of His love – and His grace – join the club. We’re all unworthy. As Paul also wrote, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

And that’s why it’s called grace. So stop trying to be worthy, and don’t pray that you will be. Just try to be grateful.

The Great Thing about Grace

On Thanksgiving Day, just before we dive into the turkey and fixings (I like that term, “fixings” – sounds like something was broken), in many of our homes a designated pray-er person will “say grace.” This practice comes in various forms and is meant in different ways.

Some prayers will have a “to whom it may concern” tone to them, directed to some nebulous “supreme being” or “the Man upstairs.” Others might sound something like Rickie Bobby (the Will Ferrell character in the movie, “Talladega Nights”), who insisted on praying to “little baby Jesus.” I’ve always chuckled at the guy whose honest “prayer” consisted of “Good food, good meat, good God, let’s eat!”

In many homes, however, saying grace will have a little more focus as families and friends, at least momentarily, cease from the festivities to pray to the God of the Bible.

Author Anne Lamott, who became a believer despite being raised in an atheistic home, recently commented in an article about this tradition of saying grace. She observed:

“I think we’re in it for the pause, the quiet thanks for love and for our blessings, before the shoveling begins…. We’re acknowledging that this food didn’t just magically appear…. We savor these moments out of time, when we are conscious of love’s presence, of Someone’s great abiding generosity for our dear and motley family, these holy moments of gratitude.”

I like her term, “the pause…before the shoveling begins.” How true. And how important this pre-feasting hesitation is; yet how nonchalantly we treat it. Too often we regard it, Lamott writes, as a “pro forma blessing,” a mere formality that’s a requirement of the holiday ceremony.

But if it’s true thanksgiving we’re after, perhaps it deserves more thought and attention. I’m not suggesting a pre-dinner sermon or some sanctimonious monologue, but a heartfelt acknowledgement to the Giver for whose provision we give thanks.

There’s one more thing that’s significant about this “saying grace.” Biblically, the word “grace” means unmerited favor, receiving from God what we didn't deserve and couldn't earn.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves. It is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Being “saved” – becoming a member of God’s family – isn't based on performance or worthiness, but solely based on His acceptance, freely offered.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). This isn’t referring to material wealth, but rather to the richness of a meaningful life.

The point is this: Even though most of us would consider ourselves fairly good people, we’re not deserving to even mention the Lord’s name, let alone be a part of His eternal family. And when we gather with family and friends around the Thanksgiving table, we can be thankful for the gift of life; the minds, talents and skills we have; the relationships we’ve enjoyed; and for love – given and received.

Everything beyond that is gravy, icing on the cake, whipped cream on the pie.

What did we really do to deserve such blessings? If we’re honest, we’ll admit we didn’t do anything. It’s grace. And perhaps that the greatest reason of all for “saying grace.”