The Grace of God Stands On the Edge of the Coin
Jargon is the vocabulary of a specialty. It is the set of words that are used to talk about what they do within that field of specialty, also their tools, etc. Take coin collector's for example, a person who studies and collects coins is a numismatist. While we have never seen a tail on the back of a coin most coins do have a head. We call the head side the obverse, and the another side is the reverse. Coins also have, among other things: rims, legends, fields, motto, mint mark, and edges. The edge of the coin is the side edge.
An old friend used a coin as an example to illustrate the Great Controversy. He said, "The devil thought he had God on a 'Checkmate' when man sin. He thought, 'if God kills man – according to the requirement of the Law - then He is just but not loving. If on the contrary, God forgives man, then He does not follow His Law.' Let's say that on the obverse of the coin is love and mercy and on the reverse of the coin are the law and justice. When man sins, the coin is tossed in the air. The Devil knew it had to be 'head or tail,' but to his surprise, the coin fell on the edge. And, the coin has remained standing on its edge ever since."
From the beginning of the world, God found a way to save man if man sinned. John the Revelator says that the Lamb was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). So, "As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Christ knew that He would have to suffer, yet He became man's substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for the human race." Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1084. God, out of His great love for His creation, decided not to let man die even if it meant to perish Himself. So, in Christ, as the psalmist wrote, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10).
The Father sent Christ to die for the World (John 3:16). In this act, He shows love for mankind while at the same time keeping the requirements of the law. Romans 6:23 declares that the wages of sin is death, and Hebrews 9:22 tells us that there is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood. Christ fulfilled all of this. All we need to be saved is fulfilled in Christ. It is ours for the taking. So now we are "…justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Romans 3:24. Paul adds in Romans 5,
Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
We further know salvation is by grace, because "… God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 KJV). Christ did not wait for us to decision toward Him to die for us. While we were sinners in enmity toward Him, God poured out heaven to save us. Now, as we look at the cross and know its meaning and cost, we make a decision. How do we respond to God's grace? Are we grateful or are we unmoved by it? The coin is about to fall on the reverse (tail) where God's justice and law are. But, do not let fear motivate you. God's grace comes out of His perfect love. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). Let the cross fill you with God's perfect love, before it is too late.
| RR |
