The Counter-Intuitive System of Grace
Orientation
Our natural tendency is to approach God through systems of merit, believing we must earn His favor through our own effort and performance.
- This law-based mindset is the foundation of many religious systems like karma, Buddhism, and Islam.
- It creates anxiety and pride, as we strive to obligate God through our works.
- This paradigm is fundamentally opposed to how God has chosen to operate.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
— Romans 4:4-5
Clarification
Grace is not merely God's kindness for salvation, but a comprehensive system governing salvation, service, and reward based solely on His generosity.
- Grace subverts all human merit, ensuring glory belongs to God alone.
- In this system, reward is determined by the Giver's goodness, not the laborer's toil.
- What feels 'unfair' to human reasoning is the very assurance of God's unchanging favor.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
— Matthew 20:15
Structure
God's grace system operates on His sovereign will and generosity, excluding all human boasting and establishing Christ as our complete portion.
- Pauline revelation shows grace encompasses our entire standing: justification, sanctification, and inheritance.
- Our union with Christ means we serve as sons who have already inherited, not as wage-earners.
- The Bema seat is a celebration of what Christ has done, not an evaluation of what we have earned.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
— 1 Corinthians 1:30
Weight-Bearing Prose
The theological assertion is clear: God operates exclusively through a system of grace. This is not a secondary emphasis but the foundational structure of His dealings. Every law-based, merit-driven religious system—whether explicit world religions or subtle Christian performanceism—is subverted by this reality. Grace ensures that salvation, the capacity for service, and the reward itself are all attributable to God’s sovereign generosity, not human effort. This is illustrated definitively in the parable of the vineyard workers, where equal reward is given irrespective of labor duration, asserting the owner’s right to do as he wills with his own. Pauline categories solidify this: justification is by faith apart from works (Romans 4:5); our inheritance is received as a testament, not earned as a wage (Romans 4:13-14); and Christ Himself is our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). To reintroduce merit at any point is to fall from grace (Galatians 5:4) and attempt to put God in our debt.
Integration
Your assurance rests here, in the generosity of God, not in the consistency of your effort. The system is fixed: it is grace from start to finish. Christ is your complete portion—your salvation, your sanctification, and your reward. There is no pressure to advance to a higher tier or to earn a greater inheritance. It is all yours in Him. The Bema seat awaits not to expose your lack, but to celebrate the enduring work of Christ. You can cease striving. Your standing is secure because it is founded on His goodness, not your performance. Rest in this. Let the counter-intuitive, ‘unfair’ nature of grace be your deepest comfort. It is designed this way so that all glory goes to Him, and you are left with unshakable gratitude and peace.