Is Grace Too Easy?

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9)

At a recent gathering of our association of churches for its annual meeting, I had the privilege of hearing the executive director of Operation Inasmuch speak on the issue of the grace of God and how it transforms the lives of whomever it touches.  As I sat in that church sanctuary as part of the worshiping congregation, I was struck by the question that you see printed above.  Is grace too easy?  Now please understand that by "easy" I do not mean grace itself for the grace of God is what it is.  What I meany by that question is simply: "Is the response of many to God's grace often too easy?"  Consider with me for a moment several reasons why people choose to make a "profession of faith" and to claim to put their trust in Jesus Christ.

First of all, many turn easily to the grace of God because they feel it is expected of them.  I was raised in a Christian home by godly parents.  I heard and learned the name of Jesus almost as soon as I learned to talk.  Not a day passed in our home where there was not a focus upon God's love and His mercy to us in what Jesus did on the cross.  As soon as they felt that I could understand the consequences, my loving parents began to share with me the reality of the gospel - that God loved me so much that Jesus went to the cross to pay the price for my sins.  As a result of their faithful witness and at the prompting of the Holy Spirit within my heart, at the age of 7 I made a conscious choice during Vacation Bible School to ask Jesus to come into my heart and to save me from my sins.  For me it was then and is today a very real and eternal choice.  Unfortunately, that is not always true for everyone.  Sometimes people will make a public profession of faith because they feel that it is expected of them to do so, that to not do so is somehow to fail in their personal responsibility somewhere.

Secondly, some people will profess their faith in Christ because they feel it will make someone happy.  Sometimes during revival services teenagers will respond to the invitation in a group, holding each others' hands and kneeling at the front in prayer.  At such times it is possible for such young people to "go along with the crowd" because they want their friends to be happy with them.  As a pastor I have personally encountered such decisions more than one time in sharing the gospel.  I recall another occasion when some members of one Sunday school class walked the aisle together to honor the memory of a fellow member who had just passed on.  A number of them were even baptized as a result.

Thirdly, some people will profess their faith in Christ today because they crave the security of feeling like they belong.  Church membership should be and is usually a very "bonding" relationship, beloved, and those who feel isolated in society are often drawn to close-knit church fellowships because it is what they crave.

As we have noted already, then, grace is not too easy.  But very often our response to grace may be.  Scripture gives us clearly only one reason why we should ever respond to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  In the verses leading up to the ones upon which we are focused here, the Apostle Paul made the astounding statement that "you were dead in your trespasses and sins" (2:1).  The only reason that any one of us should respond to the grace of God in Jesus Christ is that we realize that we are sinners and that only the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross can save us.  What is the reason for your response to God's grace, beloved?

Ron