Dating Grace

No, this is not about the adventures of my cousin prior to marrying his wife. As grand as that narrative might be, this is in keeping with my ventures of looking into the realm of a kingdom eternal. Allow me to ask you a very fundamental question: When do you think grace began?

We humans are causal beings in our perspectives. Grace, for most believers, is an effect to a cause. Something had to happen for grace to enter into our limitations of thoughts. Most will think of the cross as the fount for grace. This would associate the actions of Jesus as a precursor to grace which would offend many. So, then the baptism of Jesus becomes a demarcation of grace into this realm. But is this an accurate calendar marker?

The writer of the book of Hebrews charges his readers to “…boldly come before the throne of grace…” This is a reference to the divine seat of God’s kingdom. Most people have possibly thought that God reigned from a throne of vengeance with an accompanying ottoman of wrath to rest his feet upon when they weren’t squarely planted on the necks of sinners. Today, thrones are not considered fashionable statements of authority and power, yet in the times when this text was written, they succinctly defined the ruling structure, and its location, for the inhabitants of a particular region. To come boldly before the seat of authority was only available to those who themselves had close familial background to the seat’s occupant. All others could only approach as they had been granted permission by the ruler. Regrettably, this information does not afford us with a date, our causal point of grace.

The writer of the book of Ephesians proclaims in the opening anthem that, “…we were in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world…” Depending on who is translating this verse, the matter of “foundation” can represent the formation of human social/political structure, or it can mean before the creation event of the universe. Rather than following a dualistic either/or path here, let’s follow a both/and narrative to determine a date simply because grace has always been eternal (out of time) and present throughout all human activity (since time).

What makes this so damn important? We have always been taught that grace came to us when we “accepted Christ into our heart.” We are, “saved by grace, not by works should any man boast; it is a gift of God.” Our salvation from a corrupted life only comes by grace. However, when did corruption come that grace was needed? If grace has always been, wouldn’t that mean that corruption, too, has always been?

Now I know that this line of thought will jerk most of you upright. “No, the fall of Adam is when corruption entered the world.” Ok, fair enough. An event. The first recording we have of humanity succumbing to… Yet isn’t grace still there? What would God clothe them for if this wasn’t an act of grace? Would all of the events leading up to the incarnation of Christ be devoid of grace operating as a result of humanities tendencies to act improperly? What about all the civilizations around the globe prior to Jesus; were they not able to access the foundational grace which only came through a Hebrew teacher?

Let me go back for a moment. If Jesus is the event which Christian religion recognizes as the ushering in moment of grace, wouldn’t this mean for the past 2,000 years all humanity has been living in grace? So, the time span in your life before you “asked Jesus into your heart,” when you were told that you were a corrupted being destined for eternal damnation, was actually time lived in God’s grace. Your “asking” simply acknowledged what was already a reality. If you didn’t “ask” for say another 10 years, would it have made a difference?

Yes, there are consequences for our actions. Delays can cause issues we will need to address at those times. However, if grace has been taught to be the reward for abandoning the living of a corrupt life, it would seem that our choice alone brings grace into our life. If that is the case, when then does the gift of God arrive?

Circular logic, right? It’s possible that this might be solved if we recognize that man has never been corrupt in the first place. I know that scare the hell out many of you religious types. However, consider that this thought of man being corrupted is a rather new philosophy in the procession of human development. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher around 360 BCE, proposed that humanity had two natures, one found in the body which was evil and corrupt, and another in the soul which was good, which upon death would be released from its captivity in the body and ascend into heaven where all the good souls reside. His thoughts and teaching were promoted across the region and became influential for many from Alexander the Great to St. Augustine.

At the time that the Greek biblical text was being written, which described the mission of Jesus and the effect of his works, the philosophy of Aristotle and his compatriots was the prevailing paradigm throughout the region. Much of the language offered in these letters was therefore an argument to refute the common knowledge and offer a better understanding of a reality which already had been in operation for many millenniums. Did it work? Look at how fast the Christian movement swept through the “known world” as a testimony to the transformation. Yet, Aristotle’s teachings held a heavy hand and became a focal point in developing the works of Philo, Augustine and many fathers of the church, a sort of Christianity via Aristotle which, regrettably, we still harbor many of its influences.

So, this whole corruption of mankind issue springs from a Greek philosopher. This forms our entire narrative of the means and purposes of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit. It misses all references to grace. This philosophy came long after Abraham, Jacob and Israel; missed Moses and the exodus; overlooked Joshua and the judges; disregarded David and Solomon; and it even ignored the Babylonian captivity of Israel, Ester, Nehemiah and Daniel. An entire swath of humanity, which functioned fully and purposely under a foundational environment of grace, seems not to even be on the radar of someone so widely promoted.

Again, why is this so damn important? Baby, you’re not as bad as you’ve been led to believe. As a matter of fact, the entire world falls under this also. It just might be the time for you not to be led anymore and start thinking for yourself. You have always had the grace to do that, so use it.