Wonderful Grace of Jesus／Pauline Mok

I recently counseled a young lady who was under the heavy burden of guilt. Yes, she had done something against God’s will. She had later confessed and repented. However, she could not resolve her guilty feelings. As a result,, she became clinically depressed. I looked at her and loved her because she was so sensitive to sin. How many people remain in sin without remorse? In this young woman’s case, my task was to help her understand the grace of God and her position in Christ.

1. God is the God of abundant mercy and grace. As soon as we repent, He forgives. I John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God is faithful to forgive if we repent. I love the hymn “Wonderful Grace of Jesus-- Greater Than All My Sins”. The longer I have been a Christian and the more forgiving mercy I have experienced, the more I appreciate His love and saving grace. John Newton said it well: “Amazing grace how sweet thou sound that save a wretch like me!” In this world, we can’t avoid sinning. In fact, I often believe that we don’t fall into certain sins simply because we happen not to be facing that kind of temptation. In us, there is no goodness of which we can boast. It’s all God’s grace that justifies us. Listen to what the psalmist says in Psalm 94:18: “When I said: ‘My foot is slipping, Your love, O Lord, supported me.” Yes, even when we are falling, God’s love supports us and pulls us out of the slimy pit. Without His mercy and grace, we would be lost in this world.

2. Satan is our accuser; he accuses us even for our forgiven sins. He wants us to believe that we are all hopeless and helpless -- beyond repair. Humanly speaking, we are desperate. But with Jesus Christ as our Savior, we always have hope. I remember an anecdote of Martin Luther. After he was enlightened by the passage in Galatians 3:10-14 that the just shall live by faith, Satan came and showed him all the sins he had committed in a big book. He took a red pen and with confidence crossed out all the sins in the book. He told Satan in no uncertain terms that the blood of Jesus Christ had cleansed him from all his sins. Today, we have the same confidence that the blood of Jesus Christ has the power to wash away our sins. Isaiah 44:22 God says: “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” When cloud and mist disappear, you can’t find them anymore. It is the same way with forgiven sins. God does not keep a record of them. This is the amazing grace – very generous and wonderful. He only requires us to return to Him. How can we turn Him down?

3. Justification is a great gift from God. We don’t deserve it. Romans 3:10-12 “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Some people think their goodness can lead them to heaven. Alas! Our “goodness” fails to meet God’s standards. Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Then how can we be justified by God? The answer is in Romans 3:21-24 “Now, a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known,… This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” I often tell people that the Chinese character of “righteousness”—“義”(“Lamb over me”) best explains the meaning of righteousness. Who is this Lamb? -- None other than the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:29 “John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: ‘Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’” Yes, the Lord Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb. If we humbly ask Him to cover us and be our Lord, God will consider us righteous in Him. Romans 8:1 “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This is grace – it cannot be gained through wealth or good deeds.

4. Our Lord Jesus is willing to carry our burdens. Matt 11:28 Jesus says: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Jesus is calling us tenderly and lovingly. He is willing and able to carry our burdens. There is no reason why we, His children, should carry unnecessary and unbearable burdens. For us, the best way is to humbly go to Jesus our Lord and cast our burdens on Him, in exchange for His rest. We cannot find such a good deal anywhere in this world. This is the amazing grace that God has reserved for us. Only in a loving God can we find such wonderful grace!

5. God is God of a 2nd chance. Anytime we repent, God will open a new path for us and turn negative experiences into positive blessings. Romans 8:28 “… in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” All things include both good and bad things. In my life, I have experienced many bad things to the point that I found no meaning in life and asked God to take me home. Yet God in His wisdom didn’t grant me my wish. Instead, he turned all of my negative experiences into positive lessons to help others. I echo what King David says in Psalm 23:4 & 6 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me… Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Most of the people that God uses have similar experiences. He allows them to be crushed, so their old selves can’t be active anymore. Then He heals, molds and uses them as His faithful vessels. If you are in the gutter of sin, don’t lose hope. Repent and turn to God and He will deliver you and give you a 2nd chance in life – even better than your old one.

My client finally understood what I said that God’s grace is greater than all her sins and His forgiveness is thorough and complete. After a few sessions, she regained her confidence in God and continued without my help. II Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

If any of you have the same struggle, may this article help set you free from guilt and shame, bring you back to God and allow you to enjoy freedom and rest in Christ. God is good!