The theme of grace...
Illustration
The theme of grace pervades Paul's writings. It is as though he is afraid he cannot remind us often enough that it is "by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God." And maybe Paul is right! For lurking behind and underneath all of our slick affirmations about God's grace "doing it all for us," is the deeply entrenched notion that we are really doing it ourselves. We have not yet come fully to terms with the dynamics of grace as a free gift. We have not yet given up the belief that we can do it for ourselves.
Now a certain man died and arrived at the pearly gates. Saint Peter said: "You need one thousand points to get in. How many do you have?" "I don't know," said the man. "Well," said Peter, "tell me all the good things you have done in your life and we'll see what you have earned." So the man began ticking off everything he could think of. When at length he had finished, Saint Peter added up the scone and told him that he had accumulated one hundred points. His ego thoroughly deflated, the man hung his head and sighed, "I guess it's only by the grace of God that I'll ever get into this place." "That," said Peter, "is worth nine hundred points. Come on in!"
Now a certain man died and arrived at the pearly gates. Saint Peter said: "You need one thousand points to get in. How many do you have?" "I don't know," said the man. "Well," said Peter, "tell me all the good things you have done in your life and we'll see what you have earned." So the man began ticking off everything he could think of. When at length he had finished, Saint Peter added up the scone and told him that he had accumulated one hundred points. His ego thoroughly deflated, the man hung his head and sighed, "I guess it's only by the grace of God that I'll ever get into this place." "That," said Peter, "is worth nine hundred points. Come on in!"
