There’s a vast difference between how God operates and how we, as humans, often think He should. Unlike us, He thinks and works on a much higher level than we’re capable of. God tells us plainly that His thoughts and ways are far higher than ours. While our mindset leans toward earning, deserving, and repaying, God’s ways are rooted in grace, which is completely unearned, undeserved, and unconditional favor.
We often think that good happens when we’re good, and bad happens when we’ve failed. We assume that we must earn God’s blessing and prove our worth. However, although all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, we’ve been justified freely by His grace. His favor has nothing to do with our behavior.
The woman caught in adultery was one example of this. According to man’s law, she deserved condemnation and death. Jesus, operating in God’s higher way, extended mercy and declared, “Neither do I condemn you.” Grace came first, then the call to go and sin no more.
Religious tradition teaches us to “clean up our act” before coming to God. Thankfully, He knows this is impossible without His help. He doesn’t use fear of punishment to get us to behave right, but love. Perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment, which just isn’t God’s way.
God doesn’t threaten us, but works much more effectively to gain our cooperation. The kind of harsh measures the world uses only causes resentment and resistance. By comparison, He wins us over and gets us to change our minds with His mercy and compassion. The goodness of God leads us to repentance.
Doubting that Jesus took all our punishment causes us to live anxiously, trying to earn back God’s love through perfect performance. This is no longer necessary; our strength comes from His grace, not from rules that don’t help anyone trying to follow them. Our peace comes from knowing that Jesus has already done everything needed to make us right with God.
Prayer:
Lord, You’ve freed us from the pressure to perform. We’re already loved and accepted, and we can rest in that. Thank You for sending Your Son to model how You think and operate. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
Isaiah 55:8, 9
Romans 3:23, 24
John 8:10–11
1 John 4:18
Romans 2:4
Hebrews 13:9, NLT