Could there be anything more precious than the grace of God? I think not. I just thought I might consult a secular source to get another slant on this word grace. And there it was, under the subtitle "theology" in the dictionary. I quote, "The freely given, unmerited favor and love of God." Wow, even Webster got it right!
Every one of us at some point in our life is the beneficiary of this grace. And in this special issue on grace, your elected leaders have the opportunity to share our stories of grace with you.
God has been so extraordinarily gracious to me, and the "unmerited" portion of the definition is so obvious. Personally, I want it continuously in my life.
It was November 15, 2007, and I stood before the Lake Union Executive Committee making an impassioned plea for Christian education. (I feel very emotionally involved with the importance of educating our young people in a spiritual environment by spiritual teachers.) As I made the presentation, my right arm began to swell and burn for no reason. It really alarmed me, and a few committee members noticed my discomfort.
The next morning my physician was consulted, and he ordered a CT scan with infusion to attempt to detect the problem. Well, the news came back that there was a blood clot near the port in my chest used for chemotherapy. But that's not all. The scan detected a new cancer growth in my right lung. That made for a very anxious weekend for me and my wife Jackie.
That Sunday night I entered the University of Chicago Hospital for treatment. Prior to treating my condition, the physicians there ordered another scan. As I lay in the scan machine, once again anticipating the torturous cancer regimen, I began to pray.
It was a simple but sincere prayer to my heavenly Father, the Author of grace. "Lord, my mind is tired, and my body is exhausted. If it will please You, could we pass on this new cancer? I am asking You to please remove it this time. Since You know everything and can be trusted without question, I give it to You for divine intervention, if it pleases You."
Surgery was done to correct the clot situation. Two days later I was informed that there was no cancer anywhere in my body! "Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace! Freely bestowed on all who believe. You that are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive?"1
And so, how will I respond to this most recent evidence of His grace? The words of the apostle Paul speak for me as I gear up to conduct two series of meetings in Michigan and Indiana this spring. "Unto me, who am least of all saints, is this GRACE given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8, 9). [Emphasis added]
1. Julia H. Johnston, "Grace Greater Than Our Sin," in Hymns Tried and True (Chicago, Illinois: The Bible Institute Colportage Association, 1911), number 2.
