Fragmented Thoughts on Future Grace

Friday, June 19, 2009

MOMENT BY MOMENT future grace is quite an intrusive thought–especially to self-sufficient individualistic adults. This grace humbles because it highlights our inadequacy and finitude. We are bound within time and space so that we are contained only within the present. Yes, we have the ability to imagine and plan for the future, and we can reminisce about the past, but we only live and are sustained in the present.

Perhaps the intrusiveness of the thought of future grace is cloaked by this notion: Were I to live and think and feel as though future grace was a necessity in life, I would be presumptuous and arrogant. But I think arrogance is reversely manifested in that one could subconsciously think, it would be presumptuous of me to assume God’s future grace. Even Paul the Apostle wrote,

“Or do you presume on the riches of [God’s] kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

See, we can’t assume God’s kindness for anything. Living by faith in future grace is actually just an excuse to presume God’s kindness, forbearance and patience. But this presumption that Paul talks about is referring not to assumption of God’s future grace, but a presumption of God’s apathy towards a continual lifestyle of impenitent sin.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

WHY DOES THIS PLAGUE ME?! This paradox between finding myself presumptuous in seeking solace in anything of the future if it is not the sovereign future grace of God and then not even wanting to plan or think at all in the future, not even to plan anything. Little phrases like, “Oh, for sure,” “Definitely!” “Without a doubt,” “Certainly,” always cause me to perk up and place a filter on the conversation: “Definitely! … you mean, only if the Lord so wills!” Search my heart, God! Is this a fatalistic bent that I’m struggling with? Is this laziness? Is this just how I react to things that are distantly in the future?

How is it that I can joyfully apply the notion of future grace to difficult situations but then think about future grace as presumptuous for the little tasks and struggles of the day? Why does moment-to-moment future grace seem like such a harder concept to grasp and cherish than future grace far down the road? Search me, God, show me my distrust and unbelief. And when you show me the error of my way, please give me the grace to repent then believe and rest in you, your truths, and your promises. Amen.