Is It Really a Gift if you have to Return it?

Have you ever witnessed, or actually created, the following scenario? Two young children from different families are thrust into the awkward social situation of playing together while the adults go and talk among themselves. One of the kids decides to make the bold move of giving a toy to the other as a gesture of kindness which is gratefully accepted and playtime begins. Some considerable time passes and the adults determine that they need to return to their proper daily routine; so they begin the process of attending to coats, and other outer wear, while straightening things up. In this moment of rectification, an adult takes the toy from the small child claiming in soothing parental tones that it belongs to the other child. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose! Screaming, wailing, gnashing of teeth kind-of-hell.

I’ve been to a number of church services that operate every weekend just like this. People come together for an awkward social gathering to enjoy the gift of Christ and then some “adult” gets up and takes the gift away screaming about the wailing and gnashing of teeth that awaits those who refuse to accept the gift of Christ! It was already there and everyone was enjoying it until an adult felt it was time to get back into the routine and rectify the matter. Nothing quite like traditions…

But is Christ really a gift if you have to give it back? You probably never thought of that did you? The gift that keeps on giving as long as you return it. Sure, I know that some of you are scratching various body parts trying to figure out what I’m talking about and it’s disappointing for reasons that I’m about to explain.

The present day “grace movement” has missed a very crucial point in its depiction of the grace gift given by the Father. It comes from understanding the history behind the Greek term charis which has been translated as “grace” in the scriptures. There are a number of facets that charis covers which I’ve discussed in a number of prior postings, however, the primary attribute it displays is reciprocity – giving and giving back in return.

Consider the last grace message you heard; a message that went somewhat like this:

“Christ died for you. He took all your sins and was crucified on the cross so that you could live.”

Fairly common, right? But what is missing? If it’s going to true to the principle of grace in its fullest it will sound more like this:

“Christ died for you. He took all your sins and was crucified on the cross so that you could live. He died as you so that you would live as Him.”

The Father’s gift of His Son rectified the condition of mankind and produced a whole new creation in the resurrection of His Son. Everyone has been included in this new creation event – this is our Genesis. This newness of life is not ours though, it only comes through Christ. You may think that you’re not bound to the law anymore, which is true, however, you have become a slave to love.

Back in the days when there was chivalry found in going into battle to defend country against an enemy, certain men would actually take the place of others upon the field of battle. This was not a light matter for either man because they both understood the responsibility each faced. The one going into battle understood, that even as he faced possible death, he represented the other man on the frontline and everyone would associate his actions with the man he was replacing. The man who would stay behind would be bound to live the rest of his life as a memorial to the man who went into battle knowing that he only lived because someone gave his life for his. This was their grace gift to each other – honor for honor. Friends, family members and associates of the man who went to war paid close attention to the man who stayed behind so that they could remind him of the manner in which to live his life so that it exemplified the character of the one who had gone.

Today, very few are able to make the connection with Christ at this level of honor simply because they believe that he died so that they could be free to live a glorious, spirit-filled, drunken, slosh-fest with no concerns in this life about how they appear to others in their graceful stupor. Your life is not your own, it is a memorial to the one who gave his life for yours. You are expected to give the gift back without wailing and bawling about your freedom being infringed upon. You live in the liberty of grace so grow up into it. The whole world is watching.