The Value of Grace

 

  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:4

 

In the introduction of a Sunday School class on Biblical economics (really), I was reminded of the importance of the work Christ did on the cross for me. The teacher started the class with an introduction to the concept of “imputation.”

He reminded us that we “impute” value to things many times every day. He taught that these are economic actions, pointing out that “we exchange a less satisfactory set of circumstances for a more satisfactory set of circumstances.” In doing so, we impute a greater value to the more satisfactory (to us) circumstances.

A mother gave me an example (without realizing it). She said she knows that consistently disciplining her strong-willed child now will give her relief when her child is older. She tries to remind herself that she cannot let things go as she’s tempted to do. If discipline is consistent now, she knows this less desirable set of circumstances will turn into a more desirable set of circumstances (for everyone including the child).

In our day and culture we impute value to many things. While our comfort or security might be valuable one day, the next day we might look for money, or the perfect investment, or exchanging that money for the perfect dress or flowers for our garden. We impute value to different things at different times. Even food becomes valuable…when we’re hungry.

At the end of the class our teacher described how God imputes His righteousness to us in our regeneration. By doing so, we are counted righteous before Him at judgment. In this imputation He values us as His sons and daughters, heirs with Jesus Christ. This is a gift beyond description!

Though this imputation of righteousness is a one-time act, it is a lifetime experience of the gift that keeps on giving. In imputing His righteousness to us, God gives us new values and the power and ability to understand what, and how, we are to value what He values.

In the imputation of His righteousness, God makes a statement about the value He places on His own people. Just as that young mother’s desire is not to give up on her daughter; God imputes a righteousness to us that He will continue to work with until he takes us home to glory.

It is just as important for us to see that, as this child must cooperate with her mother and father’s discipline so she does not become incorrigible, we must cooperate with God’s work in us to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The question this class raised is, do we value our relationship and work for God as much as He apparently values His gracious relationship with us?

Do we express the value of His grace with thanksgiving to God, and do we value it enough to extend it to others?