Grace is What God Does FOR You

Watchman Nee is my spiritual hero in the faith. He has forgotten more about God than I will ever know. He and God traveled some really tough stretches together on his journey before he took up permanent residence with the Lord on June 1, 1972. During that time, the Lord revealed to him some treasures of wisdom that still bless me and countless others today.

In his book, The Overcoming Life, Watchman made two statements that radically altered the course of my journey. His first statement: “You will never change.”

Before we met Christ, how many of us tried to change for the better? How many of us tried to be loving, kind, patient, forgiving, joyful, faithful and self-controlled? How did that work out? Me, too. It was an exercise in futility. No matter how much I tried, I was still unloving, mean, impatient, unforgiving, joyless, unfaithful and self-centered. Oh, I tried to hide my flaws and I fooled most of the people most of the time, but Watchman was right. In my own strength and by my own will, I never could and never would.

His second statement: “Grace is what God does FOR you.”

The stock definition of grace is “the unmerited favor of God.” That’s good but it never rang my bell. I knew I did not deserve God’s grace and never would be good enough to do so. But you just keep doing the best you can and work harder than everyone else to be more deserving. Another definition of grace is “the desire and power to do God’s will.” Better, but still no cigar.

Then I read Watchmen’s definition:  “Grace is what God does FOR you.” Now that one stuck in my craw. Being an A-1 perfectionist and performance addict, that definition was atrocious. If this statement was true, I had never even smelled grace much less experienced it.

When I read the statement, it struck fear in my heart. The Bible says that “it is by grace that you are saved thru faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). I was pretty good on the faith part, but the “saved by grace” threw me for a loop.

According to Watchman’s definition, I was lost. A gift is free, not something to work for. A gift that is earned is no gift at all. It is a reward. I thought God should reward me with salvation for my good works. Now I find out that salvation is what God does FOR me! Wow! I was always too proud to let Him do anything FOR me.

When the Bible talked about “growing in grace,” here’s what my old filter thought that meant. I do the very best I can do striving to do it as perfectly as possible. What I cannot do, God takes over and finishes the job. But I did most of the work. He chipped in a little bit. The less God had to do, the more successful I felt. I thought God was proud of me for not having to bother Him with stuff I should be doing anyway. Talk about clueless!

Then God graciously allowed Watchmen to enlighten me about grace. He said that growing in grace was not about doing my best and allowing God to do the rest. It was about how often I give up my control to Him and allow Him to do it FOR me and THRU me. After all, Jesus is my life and I no longer live (Galatians 2:20). Dead people can do nothing. Growing in grace is not only how often I let God do it FOR me, but how long do I let Jesus be in control before I take over.

Watchman was right. I can never change. I’m talking about the flesh, the memory of our old sinful nature. The flesh is a control freak. He will never give up control.

For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. (Galatians 5:17-18 NIV).

Before God changed my filter (my old erroneous belief system), I thought I knew what the following verse meant. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. (Matthew 7:14 NLT). I thought I knew who the “few” were. They were the ones who worked the hardest, who were so obedient that they asked God, “how high?” on the way up. The ones who made it were those who endured to the end. I even had a verse from the lips of Jesus, Himself, to back up my premise:  He that endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22 KJV).

Then one day after God had changed my filter a full 180 degrees, He showed me why only a few will make it thru. The few are not those who work the hardest and are the most obedient. No, the few are those who understand they cannot change and they will never be good enough or obedient enough to be as perfect as the Law demands. Jesus told me that He was the only One Who had fulfilled that requirement. He told me that He would do it FOR me if I would only trust Him. The few are those who say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can. Would You do it FOR me?” Those are the few… the humble, not the proud. Very few people will humble themselves to that extent, but they are the only ones who will make it. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6 NKJV).

There is an old saying that goes like this: “I hear… I forget. I see… I remember. I do… I understand.” I soon forget truth not long after I hear it. If I see someone illustrate truth, I remember it. But if I experience truth myself, I understand it.

I used to be the chaplain for the local high school football team. One Thursday afternoon, I did the devotion for the Junior Varsity squad. I wished them Godspeed and vowed to return by half-time as Wanda and I had a church dinner to attend that evening. This was one of those “get acquainted” dinners in order to meet new people. I did not want to go. Who in the world schedules stuff like that in the middle of football season anyway, for Pete’s sake.

I was upset when I got home. Wanda was late. I kept saying, “Honey, we have to go. We are going to be late.” To which she responded, “I’m ready,” while continuing to put on her make-up. That must be one of the mysteries of the universe that plagues all men. How can a woman be ready standing in her slip in front of the bathroom mirror with a make-up brush in her hand. God only knows and He has wonder Himself at times, I’m sure.

By this time, I’m fully in the flesh. I have given him full control. I’m running as hot as a pepper sprout when she finally gets to the car. It’s a done deal now. I’m not going to make it back by half-time. I gave them my word. What are they going to think about me? Here’s their team chaplain lying to them. They will never listen to another word I say. And I’m having to spend an evening with a bunch of people I care nothing about while a football game is going on. I was fit to be tied.

We are riding down the road in absolute silence. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Then Wanda breaks the silence as I speed down the road. “What the matter with you?” Men universally know the answer to that question. “NOTHING!” I said. To which she responded, “There is something the matter with you. What is it?” The more she prodded, the angrier I got.

Then I heard the Lord whisper in my ear, “Kenny, you will never change, will you?” My flesh hates it when He’s right, and He has a habit of being right most all the time. I told my flesh to shut up and I responded, “No, Lord. I won’t. No matter how hard I try, I cannot love the way You do. I am so aggravated with Wanda right now.”

The Lord said, “Do you want me to love her for you?”

I told the Lord, “If she’s going to be loved tonight, You are going to have to do it FOR me. Yes, I want you to love Wanda FOR me.”

What He said next shocked me. “Okay, tell her what a jerk you are and ask her to forgive you.”

“Lord, I thought you were going to do this FOR me. You know, sprinkle some pixie dust on the both of us and make things right. Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Honey, I’m sorry. I’m a jerk. I told the guys I’d be back by half-time and now I’m not going to make it. I was really ticked off about that, but that is no reason to take it out on you. Forgive me. I love you.”

What happened next was incredible. A peace that passed all understanding flooded my soul. Jesus was in control and all that He is, I was. I was love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness and self-control. All because I stopped trying to change and let Him do it FOR me. I actually had a great time at dinner with those people. I understood what grace was all about, because I let Jesus do it FOR me. You should try it sometime yourself.

Blessings,

Kenny