Sharing Life and Christ

There is an element of the grace of God that, when properly understood, offends our human notions of justice.  My sense of justice insists on placing limits upon God’s grace.  Eventually, grace must run dry so that justice can be served.  But my impatience and self-righteousness expect God’s grace to run dry far sooner than befits His slow-to-anger, long-suffering character.   I take offense when God delays justice for the sake of grace. Then, when I start thinking about my own personal sin, I am aware of how the grace of God to me is offensive to others.  For years, I lived a life almost exclusively for personal gain.  Sure, I was nice, but it was a kind posture aimed at self-advantage.  Sometimes, I wasn’t nice at all but instead was consciously aware of how I was seeking to control people and situations to fulfill my own desires.  I can imagine that some of the people who experienced my selfishness would despise the grace of God show...