Wasteless Mercy

A mercy that is so infinite it cannot be WASTED on anyone, for what would be waste is quickly seen as more than enough.

Let me explain: what we as humans view as waste is what is valuable. But not only valuable, things that are wasted are not used to their full potential; rather, they are squandered and misunderstood and left behind. They are not forever, and without being protected carefully, waste can consume many many things. 

Jesus died on a cross for our sins. Simple enough; it's a under-realized truth in the Christian church. But what God is showing me more and more, what Jesus is throwing in my face day after day, is that the mercy He poured out ON that cross was, and IS, squandered by my sinful living.

I do not recognize the entirety of His amazing sacrifice. I live in a world where if I work hard enough, I can earn anything. So when I am handed grace, I misuse and mistreat it because I do not know what to do with a gift; I only know what to do with EARNINGS. 

I take the freedom from sin that I have been GIVEN, and I CHOOSE to stay sinful! My heart, now changed by the Savior, Jesus Christ, may cry out against my sin, but my flesh still revels in it's sinfulness! It is full of sin! Even if I choose to try and fight my way out - essentially, earning my freedom - I fail and submit to sin reluctantly (because of my heart), yet unconditionally (because of my sin). An unconditional surrender to sin where it ravages me completely.

If I cannot fight my way out, what am I to do? Everywhere in our American consumeristic society, we are told the lie that we CAN earn anything! That if we just order one more product, then we can earn happiness, or if we just get one more promotion, then we will be recognized and be accepted. Conditionality rules our sin; if we slip up, we are failures.

I am reading a book called One Way Love, by Billy Graham's grandson, Tullian Tchividjian, and it has some amazing truths revealed in it. However, he claims that humans don't understand what unconditionality truly is... and for the most part, he's right. We have a lot of trouble accepting gifts given freely, ESPECIALLY when there is no merit backing it up. But I think humans know all too well what an unconditional surrender to sin is.

When we give all of ourselves to sin, it takes over and ravages us. And we give in, without terms of surrender, because we know intrinsically that we cannot escape it... so why try and negotiate? If it has one part of us, it has us all.

This is in DIRECT DEFIANCE of the Gracious King's offer! He is in our faces, offering us mercy and grace, and we trample and stomp it because we just KNOW that WE cannot win. Sin is too strong. We tell God to stop getting in our faces because it only reminds us how terrible we are.

Even as a Christian, these old lies resound in my heart. Remember that waste I was talking about? I think God must be crazy to offer us mercy and grace and love that is WASTED on deaf and blind hearts. My heart beats for Jesus, yet runs to sin; I am a changed man, and yet I still try and battle my sin. WHY?! If God has defeated a problem, why run towards the problem again with my sword drawn? It makes no sense! I should run FROM the problem; nothing has changed - I am STILL not strong enough to beat sin and earn my forgiveness.

Which is why even for Christians, mercy and grace could be seen to be wasted. Unbelievers, for sure, but even CHRISTIANS waste God's perfect gift. Until, it hit me. THERE IS NO WASTE.

Now, I don't know if that boggles your mind or not, but think about it: every day I slander and cut down the free, perfect gift God offers me. I want to beat sin on my own. My heart wants to stay with Jesus, and because of my changed life, I live for and with Him more than ever! There IS change here. But sin is still a problem; and that perfect gift is polluted by my imperfection; it's (seemingly) wasted. Consider the perfume poured out on Jesus's feet; some ran into the dirt and was wasted.

BUT IT IS NOT WASTED. Waste implies scarcity (like the perfume). But God has grace and mercy in ABUNDANCE, even in INFINITE AMOUNTS! It will never run out! It can never be depleted or wasted, because it is ALWAYS REPLACED WITH MORE!

Don't you see? Even when I fail, I can STILL claim the victory of Jesus Christ, when He died on that cross, as my own, DAILY. I can receive that free gift of grace and mercy, and feel the cleansing flow of His blood! And it's not a one time deal! I can fail, and be raised from the ashes AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES BECAUSE GOD IS PATIENT AND GRACIOUS! As God bends and molds my flesh to fit the mold that my heart wants to be at the center of (that is, the mold of Jesus Christ, the epitome of a life lived for God), He gives me a gift so undeniably free! And even if it doesn't make me perfect NOW, it is NOT WASTED, because God has an infinite amount more to hand me!

And not just me, but you. You are NOT too far for INFINITE grace. God will NOT be wasted on you; religion is not WASTED on you. Its perfect work - our image conformed to that of Jesus - WILL BE COMPLETED, just maybe not NOW. We will grow in the likeness of our Savior as He gives us grace and mercy, but it is not that we INSTANTLY BECOME like Jesus with one washing of His grace and mercy, for our flesh leads us astray! We are forgiven, but now we must strive to be like the Forgiver. That striving is not one of us waging war on sin, but rather sprinting towards our Father, into His arms, and asking Him for MORE grace and MORE mercy!

When Jesus died on that cross for you, He did it once, because once was enough to cover all of your sins — past, present, future (not to mention the rest of the world's sin). And now, even if you mess up and sin, you can STILL CLAIM JESUS'S victory over sin on the cross as your own!! You are STILL Jesus's! It applies INFINITELY, and it is NOT wasted on you, who think you sin more than ANYONE else. Waste implies scarcity, and Jesus has MORE than enough.

Stop fighting sin. Learn to live under a law of grace and mercy; a law where conditionality ceases to exist. Allow unconditional love to flood your life, and surrender unconditionally to JESUS... allow Him to do what He wills in your life. Deny sin that victory. And, as His grace and mercy shapes you into His image, you will be learning to #LiveItLikeJesus.