Fairness or Grace?

As you can tell from the title of this blog, I am pretty passionate about the subject of grace. Well, what in the world is it? And why do I think that it's the greatest thing that's happened to me?

So, you are sitting across the table from God. He says to you, "You've got two choices, and two choices only. The choice you make will decide your eternal destiny." Then He puts the first choice on the table. It's labeled "Fairness." "Fairness involves you doing what you can to get yourself to heaven. And then, because you can never be perfect, I will send you to Hell where you belong. It's only fair, because I require righteous perfection, and I told you that 'there is no one righteous, not even one.' You choose to sin on the regular basis. The responsibility lies on no one else's shoulders but your own. Don't you see? It's very fair." Well that doesn't sound too exciting to you, but you hold off on your decision until you can see the second choice. So God throws fairness off the table and then puts the second choice in its place. "Grace" is the title that it carries. "Your second choice is Grace. Mercy is just allowing you to live on Earth without me striking you dead, but I will go even further and give you Grace. Unmerited favor. Basically, while you cursed me with your life, I sent my Son to die in your place. That sacrifice was enough to make you perfect in my sight. It was enough to cross an eternal chasm of death that fairness would have plunged you into. 'My grace is sufficient for you.' All that you have to do is just believe. Make Grace your choice, and you will spend eternity with Me in my Kingdom."

Do you see? That's the simple yet beautiful message of salvation and redemption. There is nothing but belief on our part, because the boundless grace of God above has done the rest. This is what makes Christianity different from anything else in this world. Grace is the unique component, displayed and contained in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.