Proper Respect for Grace

Reading from Mary Oliver, Winter Hours;

Hebrews 12:12-17 CEB

A sermon delivered by the Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer on Mar. 8, 2020

“Make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace.” Hebrews 12:15

Is there any reason given in Scripture for someone to be totally rejected by God or to be completely outside the realm of God’s saving grace?  (Pause)  I was giving you a moment to think about that.  It is a deep question to ponder, is it not?  But such is the question that came up a few weeks ago in our adult class that meets at 9 am on Sundays.  I will share the answer that I offered to the group in a moment.

But that question, coupled with the fact that we are now in the season of Lent, and in light of a verse I read in the book of Hebrews again recently, inspired me to write a sermon on grace, including some related considerations – proper respect for grace, is it possible to “fall from grace?”, or as the Common English Bible translates the verse read from Hebrews, “Make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace” (12:15). 

Missing out on God’s grace – what an interesting concept to ponder, I thought to myself.  Is it, indeed, possible to miss out on God’s grace, God’s graciousness?  Or to miss out on life’s grace in general?  I have known people over the years, and perhaps you have too, who from all appearances did, indeed, miss out on grace.  But often they did so by their choosing.  You’ve known people who were angry with God and angry with life in general and wanted nothing to do with God, religion, or spirituality; people who always saw life’s glass as being half empty; people who always seemed to have a chip on their shoulder, expecting the worst; and people who had not an open, but a closed spirit.  Just as one cannot be forced to accept a gift from us that we might want to give them, one cannot be forced to be open to and accept grace, be it God’s grace or the graciousness of another or of life in general.

But let’s go back to that adult Sunday school class and the question as to whether one can “fall from grace.”  Someone mentioned the fact that in days gone by, there were many heated theological discussions – especially between different Christian denominations – as to whether one who truly belongs to God can “fall from grace.”  Choosing verses from Scripture that they favored in support of their position, some have said, “Yes, one can, indeed, fall from the grace of God.”  Others, choosing different Scripture verses in support of their position have said, “No, once saved, always saved.  Once in the grace of God, always in the grace of God.”  We can find in the Bible support for both positions.  So, take your choice.

But in answer to the question regarding whether there is any reason given in Scripture for one to be totally outside of God’s grace, the answer I offered was this: The only reason that I can think of mentioned in the New Testament for one being totally outside the realm of God’s grace would be the person’s total rejection of God and total rejection of God’s grace; in effect saying, “I want nothing to do with God or God’s grace!”  As I read the teachings of Jesus, if such a scenario exists, it is of a person’s own choosing.  But even then, such a person could always have a change of heart and embrace the love and grace of God.  And Universalists would say that even those who reject the grace and love of God still are not outside the realm of God’s grace, since the love and grace of God conquer all.

There is a related story to all of this that I heard years ago that went something like this.  A young man was about to graduate from high school.  And when his parents asked him what he would like to have as a graduation present in recognition of all his hard work and good grades, he told them of a car he would really like to have.  Well, nothing more was said of the graduation gift.  The day of the boy’s graduation came, and when he and his family made it back home after the ceremony, his father handed him a box and said, “Here, son, is your graduation gift.”  Well, there certainly wasn’t a car inside that little box, but the boy accepted it and tore off the wrapping paper.  Inside the box was a new Bible.  And the father said, “Son, we hope this will serve you well and it will give you many years of enjoyment.” 

The boy was upset – he had asked for a car, but had been given a Bible instead.  And after all the hard work he had done!  He was so upset that he threw the Bible down, ran out of the house, caught a bus, and ran away from home.  His parents, heartbroken, had no idea where he had gone.

Months passed.  The boy, with resentment in his heart, wandered about aimlessly in a town far away, barely getting by.  When things reached the point that they couldn’t get any worse, the boy decided that maybe he should set aside his resentment and go back home.  Even without a car, life at home had been better than the hard life he knew now.  And so, he begged for bus money and caught a bus back home. 

When he arrived, his parents were delighted to see him and welcomed him with open arms.  The father went and retrieved the Bible they had given him for graduation; but this time the father opened the Bible to the back cover where was taped a key – a key to the car the boy had asked for.  It had been there all along, but the boy had not been patient enough and open enough to see it or receive it.

Is not grace something like that?  I think that sometimes grace – God’s grace, life’s grace, the graciousness of others - is a wonderful gift that is there all the time, but often we are blind to it or we are not open to receiving it.

You know, grace is a word and a concept that is universally embraced by people all over the world, from all walks of life, and all across the theological spectrum, from ultra-conservative to ultra-liberal.  The hymn “Amazing Grace” is, undoubtedly, one of the most popular hymns ever written and probably has been sung and played at more Christian funerals than any other hymn.  Whoever we are, and whatever our theological leanings, we shouldn’t be ashamed to acknowledge the reality and blessedness of grace in life, whether you believe in God’s grace, the grace of life, the grace of the universe, or the graciousness of others. 

We have been reminded that beloved poet Mary Oliver, as progressive as she was, wrote,

“Truly, can there be a subject of more interest to each of us than whether or not grace exists . . .?

You can have the other words chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity.  I’ll take grace.”¹

The challenge for each of us, I think, is to be more mindfully gracious to others around us; to extend to others the grace that we have known ourselves; and to be more open to the grace of God, grace of others, and grace of life in general.  After all, none of us wants to miss out on grace, do we?  Amen.

¹Mary Oliver, Winter Hours, “Winter Hours” and Sand Dabs, Five.”