Grace Misunderstood

Romans 6:1 - What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

I honestly always thought this was one of the stupidest verses in the Bible. As someone who grew up in the church, I was quite (painfully) aware of the horrific consequences of sin. I had learned that the hallmark of a Christian life was a noticeable lack of sin. I did my best to avoid publicly stumbling lest I "compromise my witness".

And so I always thought that in the above verse Paul was addressing a group of spectacularly ignorant Christians. Sin more?! What kind of idiotic idea is that?! Sin is the worst thing in the world!

To me, grace was simply what covered sin. I didn't understand the reasoning of this question. I thought more sin simply equaled just enough grace to cover it, so you ended up just where you started. I also feared a point where God would simply reach the end of his patience and wash his hands of me.

Sin more? No thank you.

But lately Father has tenderly and affectionately invited me to experience the riches of his grace. As he has opened my eyes to the incredible depths of his love, I'm learning that maybe that question isn't as stupid as I thought it was. Maybe I've just grossly undervalued grace.

I'm starting to think that grace isn't just something that covers up my bad stuff so I can go to heaven when I die. I think grace is the means by which I know Father. Grace is what ushers me in, what joins my heart to his. Grace is the space in which I find my truest God-given identity. It is where I come alive. It is where I know, and am known. Where I love, and am loved.

I recently heard a story by Wayne Jacobsen (I think he heard it from someone else). This helped me gain a better understanding of grace:

A clergyman died and went to heaven. He arrived at the pearly gates to find Peter there.

"Do I get in?" he asked Peter.

"I don't know," Peter responded. "How many points do you have?"

"Points?" the man asked. "I didn't know I needed points."

"Why yes, you need points."

"How many points do I need?"

"You need 100 points to get in," Peter told the man.

"Huh," the man responded. "Well, I worked in a soup kitchen for 20 years."

"That's not bad," Peter said. "I'll give you a point for that."

"A point per year?" the man inquired.

"No, just one point," Peter replied.

"Umm, well, I was a pastor for 20 years."

"Hmm," Peter mused. "Ok, I'll give you another point."

The man started wracking his brain for ideas. After a little while he realized that there was no way he could come up with enough points to get in. Just then, a businessman he knew from his time on earth approached the pearly gates.

The man walked past both of them, waved at Peter, and strolled straight through the gates.

"Wait . . . how many points did he have?" the man asked.

"Who, him?" Peter replied. "He's not playing this game."

Am I playing that game? Am I meticulously keeping score and demanding what I "deserve" accordingly? Or am I learning to live in a state of grace?

But what if this grace simply permission to sin as much as I want?

I heard Darin Hufford make an interesting observation on a recent podcast. He addressed this issue of "being loved by God no matter what means we have a license to sin". The idea that the unconditional nature of the Father's love will somehow lead to people thinking they can sin all they want since God loves them regardless.

Darin spoke of a wedding. The bride and groom commit to each other for life, promising to stand with each other for better or worse, in sickness and in health, etc. Never is that followed by the bride or groom immediately asking, "So I can cheat on you, right?" Why do we assume that embracing the Father's love and grace will lead to sin and self-indulgence? Are we not rescued by his love? Are we not freed by his grace?

I don't know if I really have the answer, but I do know that every time he wins me with love, sin is the farthest thing from my mind. Shall I sin more so that grace may increase? By no means. But I am developing a greater appreciation for this wonderful gift.