The Tension of Grace

The idea of God's grace has been on my mind since the start of this educational journey at Fuller. I am always struck by the tension of God's grace and the demands of that same grace when we come to know God. We are saved by nothing we do, but God's grace and call places demands on our lives to live for the sake of the kingdom of God. This is obviously the abundant life that Christ promised to us. I was struck tonight in class by the universal expression of God's love in Isaiah 56. Here we see God call back the eunuchs and the outcasts who lived for him and followed his ways. He opened his arms wide open to welcome them into the people of God. First, I thought of who might the Eunuchs be today that the church keeps at a distance: the homosexual? the homeless? the gothic? the eccentric? those who don't quite fit in? I don't have a specific idea of who these contemporary eunuchs are. However, I do know that when Christ separates the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25, those that knew Jesus didn't even know they were feeding him, clothing him, or visiting him. This passage seems to dash to pieces the contemporary idea that one must pray a certain prayer, know a certain doctrine, or look a certain way. It is because of this passage that I am no longer comfortable saying that a person is saved by the faith they proclaim to have in Christ. I am only comfortable to say that if anyone is ever to be restored and redeemed, it will be through the saving work of our God, Jesus Christ, on the cross.