Do you feel you are to far from God’s Grace? Many feel their sin is just to big, or maybe that it has just been to long, they are who they are now and that simply can’t be changed. Is it true? What are the limits to God’s Grace?

There is a parable that Jesus told, called The Parable of the Workers, in Matthew 20:1-16. In this parable Christ tells a short story about a man who hired a bunch of people to work in His field, promising them a certain wage. Later that day he saw more men in need of work, and hired them too. Again later he saw more and hired them also. A forth time he went out, saw more men who had not worked that day and again he hired them. At the end of the day the men who had worked came through to be paid. Now you would of course think that he would pay those he’d hired throughout the day less then what he paid the ones who had worked all day long, but he didn’t, instead he pays them all the same wage. The men who were hired first became upset by this, why wouldn’t he pay them more? After all they had done more of the work! But the owner of the field simply tells them that it is his money and his choice and why should they be upset by his generosity.

There is a pretty big principle here when it comes to talking about God’s grace, one in fact that many might find offensive when they realize it’s full extent.

With God, as long as there is breath, it is never to late.

I’ve known Jesus a very long time, in fact I don’t remember a time where I didn’t know Him. But that doesn’t mean I have more grace. In fact sometimes I’m irked by the fact that I can hear people have these incredible testimonies of how God came in and transformed their lives, because it’s kind of cool to hear a story like that, and I don’t really have one, at least not one of that kind.

We are each given the same reward, “Salvation.”

Now I know there are teachings out there about getting a bigger mansion or “reward” in heaven, I’m not talking about that, and personally I think if you are doing anything just to get a bigger block of gold in heaven that you’re really missing the point. But I’m getting side tracked!

The point is, no matter how late you think it is for you, it simply isn’t! God will give His Grace and Salvation to someone who comes to Him on there last breath just as much as He will extend it to someone who has followed Him faithfully since childhood. Each “worker” receives the same “payment.”

But what of sin? Is there any sin that can place you beyond God’s grace?

I could tell you story upon story of God’s grace in scripture, after all, most of the New Testament was written by a man who murdered Christians until he came to Jesus and God gave him the name Paul. But I think I’m going to word this a different way, one, maybe, that will shock you into understanding the true power of what I mean when I say there is no sin to great.

If Hitler in his dying breath repented and came to Christ, God would forgive him, and welcome him to heaven as a long lost son.

“Wow there,” you might say, “Hitler? That isn’t fair! He was like the most evil man (or one of the most evil men) who ever LIVED! He killed MILLIONS!”

I remember when God really made this concept real to me. A friend of mine was murdered several years ago, brutally. I won’t go into it as this is neither the time nor place, but a year or two after this God really landed a hard concept to swallow right into my brain. He told me plain as can be that if my friends murderer came to Him in repentance that He would forgive him, love him, and welcome him, just the same as me.

You see, there is no middle ground with God, you have two choices, either you receive His Grace or His Justice. You and I might think that there would be no justice in giving grace to a murderer, but the truth is, in God’s eye’s there is only one punishment for sin, one punishment for any and all sin, eternal separation from Him, eternal death, eternal agony. He is a Just God! That is His nature, and He can’t turn His back on Justice. But, thankfully, He is also a God of Grace!

How can that be? How can two seemingly opposites exist in one? If a Judge doesn’t sentence the penalty, if God doesn’t condemn Hitler, then He is no longer Just! Right?

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4:25

It’s the whole point of the message of Christ! God DID pass the penalty, but someone ELSE took it! Christ died because our sins demand justice, and the penalty they demand is death.

So friend, if you think you’ve sinned to greatly, let me tell you something, Christ ALREADY died for that sin that you committed. It’s like a legal transaction, all you have to do is sign the contract officially signing over yourself to Him, and He takes the penalty that you deserved. But the work is already done. There is NO WAY you can sin big enough to keep you from God. In fact, the only thing that can keep you from Him, is you.

I want to talk now to Christians, the ones who came to work the field in the morning, the ones who DON’T think their sin is big enough in any way to keep them from God.

When the workers were paid at the end of the day, the ones who worked all day for the same wage became angry because they thought they deserved better. We often can become like that, us who have journeyed in Christ a long time and think we have it right. But lets be honest here, scripture is very clear that ALL sin deserved eternal punishment, even that little white lie, or the lustful glance. We to are in equal need of a Savior. Yes even in as much need as Hitler. Lets not be the workers who think they are more justified and deserve more, and just be humbly grateful for our own salvation. We are all on this journey together after all.

When God talked to me about the guy who killed my friend, He challenged me that He wants me to love people as He loves them, and God loves all. To tell you the truth I’m still working on that, I don’t know that I’d be happy about sharing eternity with the guy, or Hitler for that matter, but that IS the extent of grace and love God wants us, as His children, to walk in. I’m not saying to let people walk all over you, I’m saying to love, no matter what. We are God’s voice on earth to a lost world, He is not willing that any perish, and if we are truly to be His light here, we shouldn’t be willing to see anyone perish either.

There is nothing beyond God’s reach. Nothing beyond God’s love. Nothing beyond His Grace.

~Joy Aletheia Stevens

Photo Credit: Hope by Jan Tik  (CC BY 2.0)

Photo Credit: “It was love, not nails, that held Jesus to the Cross.” ~Rick Warren It’s amazing what kind of result u get when u take photos on rainy day. God bless. By Leland Francisco (CC BY 2.0)    

Photo Credit: joy by Martin Talbot (CC BY 2.0)