If we are to love God, we need to know who He is. We need to know his nature, character, and abilities.
Incidentally, we do the same thing with our relationships with others. Our love for others develops as we get to know someone’s nature, character, and abilities.
The same is true with God. The best way to get to know God is to spend time with Him and observe His attributes. Once we understand the implications of those attributes we will increasingly revere Him.
Kings had it. Princes were trained to get it. Others coveted it to the point that they would go to war to get a piece of it. Because of it, a king could make you or break you with a single word. Many of them lorded it over their subjects.
Today, generals, drill instructors, and the President of the United States have it. So do corporate executives, legislators with the keys to the purse strings, and your mom and dad … and if you are a mom or dad you have it.
Many of us know what it is like to have the power of making a final decision on something and can relate to the sign on Harry Truman’s desk “The buck stops here.”
So in one sense, we can understand how God has complete control over everything and everyone because in the small slice of our world, we have it. Yet on another level, we have no idea what it is like to have the sovereign power that he holds.
This may be the sweetest of God’s characteristics. Bringing comfort, warmth, and assurance, God through his love connects to us in ways that his others attributes aren’t able.
He has an everlasting affection for us that will never be broken. No matter what we do or think; whether we try to run from God as Jonah did or stay under his wing, he always pursues us with his love.
Created before the foundations of the earth, his love adopted us - even though were still estranged from him - as his children. (Ephesians 1:4-5)
Have you ever been wronged? I mean really wronged? Knowing that you had not done anything wrong, yet receiving all the blame? Like the scapegoat of the ancient Jews forced to carry the sins of the people into the desert?
Or a business partnership that goes south in a hurry and you find yourself on the short end of the stick? You have invested a ton a time, resources and emotional energy into the venture, yet you have been shown the door.
How about coming home and finding your car or home has been rifled through and stuff has been taken? Wouldn't you feel violated?
Think back to what emotions you were feeling. If you are like most people, you felt justifiably angry and you wanted vengeance … you wanted justice to be served because you didn’t deserve this. Someone violated your decency and sense of honor.
This may seem like a harsh statement, but it gets to the heart of what grace is and isn't. Grace is not an obligation, but a free gift that is simply given from someone’s good pleasure. In the Bible, God freely gives his favor out of his good pleasure and according to his will. He is not obligated to extend it to anyone, let alone everyone. This is the dangerous side of grace.
Consider what God says to Moses in Exodus 33:19 (ESV), "And he said, ‘And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.’"
It's the Lord's call and there is nothing we can do about it.
About God
This may seem like a harsh statement, but it gets to the heart of what grace is and isn't. Grace is not an obligation, but a free gift that is simply given from someone’s good pleasure. In the Bible, God freely gives his favor out of his good pleasure and according to his will. He is not obligated to extend it to anyone, let alone everyone. This is the dangerous side of grace.