Earning Grace

For the third installment of POTSC's Never Beyond poster series, we have

Darth Vader.

I asked a friend of mine what he thought of the famous villain.  "He sort of redeemed himself at the end."

He did give his life for Luke.  That's a pretty big deal and, I think for many fans, it makes Darth Vader even more of an epic character (if not the best villain ever).

It's true, when someone who's a pretty bad person sacrifices and does an act of kindness, we look on them much more favorably.  We think maybe they'll do more good things in the future.  Maybe their hearts are melting.  Maybe they'll come around.

But what if they don't.  In fact, what if they never did that first act of kindness.  What if they stay in their evil actions and harmful decisions.  What if they don't earn that second chance.

Do they still deserve it?

More importantly, would you still give it to them?

"For all of us have become like one who is unclean, 

And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; 

And all of us wither like a leaf, 

And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." 

Isaiah 64:4 tells us that none of our good deeds earn us a thing.  Yet God still gives us second chances?  He still gives grace?  Hold up, He gives it abundantly?  Yes, friend.  Yes, He does.

Let us continue to press on to become more like the Forgiver.  He knows we don't deserve anything but condemnation even if we've given up our lives for another.  Without pure, unadulterated, righteousness, there is no  holiness.  Praise to the Lord for offering His Son as the sacrifice we need!  His perfection covers our ugliness and our evil.

Darth Vader redeemed himself in almost everyone's opinion, right?  With God, none of us can earn our redemption, but He steps in and gives it to us freely.

What a gift, this grace.

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