How much is too much?
This weekend’s blog is written by my oldest son, Nicholas. He’s a warrior for grace, actually at times a bit of a grace vigilanty. He’s always had a difficult time tolerating what Phil Yancey calls “ungrace”.
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When I lived in Spain, I had this heated conversation with a friend’s dad about the use and misuse of grace. In his humble opinion, there needed to be more fear of hell and eternal separation in order to turn people’s heart toward the Father. He felt grace couldn’t do that and that people would just end up abusing God’s love. We both left the debate with sweat dripping off our faces and blood vessels bulging on our foreheads. I could not believe how obstinate he was, or for that fact how obstinate I was. He ended the conversation with a statement I’ve yet to shake, “This grace thing you talk about maybe great, but there’s just too much of it.”
“There’s just too much grace?” When did this happen? Who decided how much is enough? Is there such a thing as too much grace? When is it enough to say (in a perfect “Soup Nazi” accent), No more for you?
I think it’s safe to assert that this sentiment of “too much grace” is due to all the grace abuse. You know what I’m talking about. We extend grace (“getting what you don’t deserve”) to people who will ultimately abuse it. I mean they’ll shit right on top of the grace offered, as if it meant nothing. The fear is legitimate. I know there’s been times when I’ve taken advantage of the grace extended to me. You’ve done it too, we all have. We’ve all at some point abused the grace He’s offered us.
I am not saying that I advocate abusing grace. Yet, I don’t think that because some abuse it we should say - “screw you grace-abuser, you’ve used up all your grace, no more for you”.
I could sit enthroned upon my position and make the proclamation that unlimited grace be extended to all. Yet, what would be the response to my extreme grace? Some would love it, some would receive it, some would abuse it, and still some would resent my carte blanche offer. It’s all kind of a cyclical argument, isn’t it?
The point I’m trying to make is this - I don’t want to live in a world that has limited portions of grace. I will probably always be at odds with any position that states there’s just too much of it.
Maybe I’m rambling and perhaps incoherently. You may think me naïve, believing I don’t see “how the world really is.” Whatever!
But here’s a question I want us all to answer: Who empowered you to decide how much grace is too much?
