Most everyone is familiar with the figure of speech “in a
nutshell.” I suppose the phrase, which usually
refers to someone’s explanation of a concept in a short and simple way, was
coined as a colorful way to describe something so short that if written down it
could be contained in, yes, a nutshell. I’ve never learned what particular nut
might have been in the mind of the coiner, but personally suspect peanut
shells. Why? You ask – well, they’re easy to crack open but hard to clean up,
look great on the outside but often conceal shriveled up insides that are
inedible, and definitely need to be roasted and seasoned with salt to give them
some interest. And some people are deadly allergic to them. Don’t get me wrong:
I love peanuts and have spent many happy hours devouring them, especially at
baseball games, when you can blithely toss them on the ground with reckless
abandon. Of course, that also produces a slipping hazard. *sigh*
Anyway, all of these things lead me to the problem with
“nutshell” definitions of important truths. They might be easy to carry around
and share, but are often less than satisfying, and can even be downright
dangerous. A prime example is the way folks understand and talk about the
Bible’s teaching concerning God’s grace. Oh sure, the nutshell definition “undeserved
favor” has its usefulness, and it is true enough. But that definition just
doesn’t go either deep or broad enough. We’re usually willing to acknowledge
that we have received Christ’s favor without any merit on our part, but then
inexplicably live as if our happiness and freedom from shame are dependent upon
our performance. If we really serve
enough, if we really suffer enough,
if we really prove somehow that we’ve
really gotten the message, then we’ll
feel good about that grace. But that attitude betrays that we actually don’t
understand what grace is, and what it implies. At our fallen core we still want
to be the hero that saves ourselves, all the while nobly nodding in God's
direction with appreciation that he has given us a break. Fooling ourselves
with this nutshell version only enslaves our hearts to our weakness, rather
than providing the freedom we have been promised through the power of Christ.
What does living with a true understanding a grace look
like? I can think of no better example than King David. Here you have a man who
had God's Spirit poured into him, a man set in high places, gifted, clever,
capable, even handsome. It’s easy for such a person to understand grace as just
those blessings that he was enjoying. But David's understanding of grace is
shown to be much deeper when he sins, and sins badly (2 Samuel 11, 12; Psalm
51). Upon repentance, he was forgiven. Disciplined, he was not crushed.
Experiencing the consequences that inevitably accompanied his sinful acts, he
nonetheless managed to live in freedom and joy, as if the sin had never
happened (at least, as far as it affected his relationship with God is
concerned). His psalms overflow with that joy and confidence.
Jesus Christ bore the shame of our sin, paid our debt, and
told us that in him we are "free indeed" (John 8:36). And when we sin
again and again, he points to that payment again and again, and restores us to
full fellowship immediately with no reservations: "If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Even when appropriate discipline and
consequences follow that are hard to walk through, there is still freedom and
joy in our relationship with him as we see those difficulties as simply tools
in the loving hand of our Savior to further refine us. He doesn't put us on the
rack, so to speak, just to make sure we get the message after we're forgiven so
we can do something else that really
satisfies our holy God. The debt is satisfied by him. THAT is what grace is all
about, and that is truly liberating. Not only is it liberating to our souls, it
also means that God continues to bless us in our lives, too, and bring glory to
himself in spite of our sins. I would hasten to add that I am not condoning sinning
“that grace may abound!” (Romans 6:1) I am urging simply that we rest in his
grace and not pretend that somehow we’ll be happier if we just continue to
wallow in a false self-abasement that insults Christ’ finished work of
redemption upon the cross. This understanding of grace just doesn't fit into a
nutshell.
Grasping the enormous truth of God's grace, however, goes
beyond what God exercises towards us. We get some hints that more is involved
in the concept in such passages as Christ’s instructions about prayer when he
tells us to pray “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Do we
really comprehend what we’re praying for with that request? I wonder sometimes
what would happen to us if the Lord’s grace went down to the standard of our
grace toward others. The thought is not comforting.
When asked by the disciples how many times they should
forgive those who wronged them, Jesus’ answer shocked them, “I say not seven
times, but countless (literally, seventy
seven) times” (Matthew 18:22). This was in contrast to the Jewish
limitation of seven times, reflecting the attitude that at that some point we
should say, “Enough already!” and refuse to show grace and mercy to others who
harm us. Jesus’ grace is better, don’t you think?
Consider Paul’s instructions in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
concerning the disciplined sinner in their midst. He writes, "Now if
anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to
put it too severely—to all of you." No question about it, sin hurts the
entire body, and that particular man's sin was disgusting and perverse. But
note what follows: "For such a one, this punishment by the majority is
enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be
overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for
him." Paul goes on to say that this is a matter of obedience to thwart Satan's
devices aimed at destroying souls. Yet in spite of a passage like this one that
is so clear that no explanation is really necessary, talking about discipline
in most American evangelical churches these days will usually get you a
shudder, or a horror story about how someone was run out on a rail rather than
shown true godly grace and restored to full, unconditional fellowship. No
wonder so many churches just don't discipline anymore. The damage to the Church
and its testimony is incalculable, in part because we've been content with a
nutshell definition of grace.
So let’s not slip and fall on nutshells. Even in this fairly
long post, I’ve really just found a bigger nutshell to put these thoughts in, I
realize! This is just a beginning. Let’s pursue and embrace the full
definition, rejoicing in the grace that God has shown to us and its freedom,
and demonstrating that grace to one another with love, humility, and patience.
It won't fit in a nutshell, but it will sure be satisfying.
