Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me…

Only the Christian can truly understand the grace of God as spoken in the words of this famous hymn. Furthermore, exactly how amazing is God’s grace only becomes evident as one studies the Bible. It is through scripture that we learn that even the most righteous person is condemned by their sin (Isaiah 64:6), and only God’s willingness to accept Jesus’ suffering in their place removes that guilt. Grace is truly amazing!

At least it is to the recipient.

Think about it, you welcome grace in your life and the lives of those you love, but do you feel the same when you see others experiencing God’s grace? What if that person has done something that hurt you or someone you love? Do you share the same degree of excitement when you think about their sins being forgiven as you do your own? I often wondered about this very question in the years following my divorce from my first wife.

My ex-wife and I separated and divorced in 2006. Despite not having any Biblical grounds to support my actions, I was unwilling to attempt reconciliation. Following the divorce, I questioned my relationship with God and sometimes even questioned my salvation, but I continued to go to church and put my trust in Him. I had no choice, as I knew the truth of God’s Word and that it wouldn’t change. I did at times, however, wonder about how my ex-wife viewed my relationship with God. Did she have any desire for me to reconcile with God, or would she have preferred that He send his judgment down upon me? If she had any sense that my sin was forgiven, would she feel betrayed and question a God that appeared to overlook the hurt she felt? Today the relationship between my ex-wife and myself is much better, but I still have moments of regret when I think that my actions may have affected her relationship with God.

It’s easy to see how someone who’s been hurt may have a hard time accepting that God could extend His grace to the one who hurt them. But what about when the offense isn’t as severe? I’m talking about those who do not live up to our standards. I’m talking about the attitude that Jesus warns us about in the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard where the hired men who worked all day long complained that those who had only worked the last hour of the day received the same wage (Matt. 20:1-16), or the parable of the Prodigal Son where the older son who stayed home and honored his father was upset that a party was thrown for the younger son who turned his back on his family, squandered his money and returned home a beggar (Luke 15:11-32). For us, it might be the person of another faith, or someone whose lifestyle isn’t in line with scripture, or a fellow Christian who belongs to another denomination or simply disagrees with you on some doctrinal issue. When it comes to these people do you find joy in the fact that God is willing to forgive their sins or shortcomings, or would you rather they just change and do the correct thing. If it’s the latter, your view of grace may not be as amazing as it should be.

I know of Christians who truly have a heart for the lost and long to share God’s grace with them. Unfortunately, however, I feel that many of our hearts, mine included, aren’t as inclined. It’s not that we wish anyone harm. It’s more that our focus tends to be on what they are doing wrong and the belief that what they need to do is start doing things right. Instead, we need to remember that we were once like them and share the Good News with the expectation that grace alone is enough to fix them, regardless of how much, or little, they appear to change in our eyes.

There is a lot of condemnation in the world today. When that condemnation comes from those in the Christian community, it harms the very message God has entrusted to Christians. No one wants to approach someone who threatens punishment. Instead, they run to whoever offers protection. God’s grace should be that protection. For those of us who identify as Christians, our main concern does not need to be fixing someone’s sin. Our main concern needs to be telling other about how God dealt with our sin and let Him work in their lives. Maybe then grace will become as amazing to them, as it is already amazing to us.