Ministry

Imitating God in Grace

Ephesians 5:1-2 

Imitate God, therefore in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice, pleasing aroma to God. 

How would life be if natural elements like rain and oxygen were owned by individuals? 

Some of us would never have personally experienced rain ever in our lives, only seeing it through our neighbors who could afford it. Oxygen would be sold more expensive than fuel I presume. Yet nature ordained that these be free to every human being, whether by human standards they are good or bad. Some people would call this common grace. 

 

Common grace is God’s goodness shown to humanity like rain falling on both the just and unjust. Describes God’s indiscriminate kindness to all people, through the abundant and daily blessings of earthly life. Grace looks like receiving forgiveness from my sister, when I have said something that I should not have. Grace looks like the kindness and compassion of a parent. The grace and compassion of a parent who will repeatedly forgive and welcome a child who continuously wrongs society and the family. Grace looks like a friend stepping in and helping me out whenever I am stuck. 

The Christian story of salvation is one of God who goes out to share with humanity his life of love, kindness, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, even when they did not deserve it.  Sometimes the best way to understand this story is to begin from the cross at Calvary, or rather from the empty tomb. Just like the stranger on the road to Emmaus explained the story to the two apostles. Then go back all the way to the story of creation. This is the story of God’s grace to us. As the news of resurrection is shared everywhere, the reality of what just happened begins to dawn on the apostles and the disciples. It will probably take a lot more time for this to process. But what just happened was, forever into the future. Every human person alive, and unborn, and us included, became beneficiaries of this great love, mercy and forgiveness of God, through his Son Jesus Christ. And it came way before our repentance, and did not require our repentance. 

 

God’s grace is a mixture of kindness, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, blessings all given without us having to do anything. While this is something that can only be understood through an eye of faith, the reality of nature that gifts without bias, gifts without judging, and gifts without discrimination is evident to all of us. When it rains, it rains on all of us. On a beautiful sunny day, we all experience the sun, even when we are inside our houses, it will shine on our roofs and on our plants just as it will shine on our neighbor’s. 

To imitate God’s life of kindness, mercy, love, blessings and forgiveness without asking anything from us, then it means we must do the same. It means we must love, be kind, compassionate, be merciful, be forgiving, without expecting others to do the same for us. 

 

Although it can be hard, especially to forgive when the other person does not repent, or show signs of remorse. We must forgive and leave that part to the other person. Just as it can be hard to be kind, compassionate and merciful and just when others are not to us and to those around us. Sometimes this invitation to be imitators of God can be hard, especially amid unkindness, hatred, greed and violence in the world and around us. Yet, the invitation to imitate God remains with us. This invitation means being loving, being kind, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, without reservation, without conditions, and most importantly, purposing to do all these even before we have an opportunity to do so. 

 

Several examples of acts of grace found in the Bible:

  • The parable of the prodigal son: 
    Luke 15:11-32 
  • Peter’s restoration after betrayal: 
    John 21:15-17 
  • The conversation of Saul:
    Acts 9:1-19 

Simion Mutai

College Chaplain