The Primacy of Grace

It seems apparent that many of us are prone to look at God through human eyes. Our earthbound perspective limits our understanding and distorts the character of God. Men often conclude that God looks at people the way we look at things. There is this strange thinking that pictures God exercising His sovereign grace because of some hidden quality in individuals. The image presented is that of God peering through the corriders of time and seeing what proper choices made and what good things would come from the lives of certain people and thus God selected them.

Man may come to an abandoned homestead and embark upon a lengthly remodeling project because in his eye he can see the potential. Man may come across some rusty worn automobile and devote countless hours in the work of restoration because he has a vivid picture in his mind of how beautiful the car will look and sound.

God does not operate by such means. Deuteronomy 7:7-8a shout against the above described theology. "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, becuse ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you ..." This passage may be rightly summarized by saying "The Lord set his love upon you because he loved you!"

God does what He does because of who He is. He loves because He is love. He is grants grace because He is gracious. Praise God that His grace is always primary. If it is not primary then it is not grace!

By His Grace Alone,
Dennis Seiler