Secular grace
Dear Friends,
What is ‘secular grace’? It sounds like a contradiction in terms. How can ‘grace’, which comes from God, be ‘secular’, where there is no room for God? However, the phrase aptly describes what we find portrayed constantly in TV shows and other media. Secular grace is the unconditional acceptance of other people and what they do, without any attempt to change them or their behaviour. It is especially seen in the acceptance of other people’s sexual relationships and behaviour. Secular grace is natural in a culture of relativism: who’s to say what’s right and wrong? It is even presented as somewhat more attractive than Christian grace, which doesn’t believe that ‘anything goes’.
Secular grace, of course, fails to reckon with God, and especially ignores his holiness. God, in his grace, does meet us where he finds us, in all our sins. But, and here’s the difference, he doesn’t leave us where he finds us. God’s grace is a transforming grace: “The grace of God … teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and world passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12, NIV).
It is typical of Satan to take something good and counterfeit it. A half-truth is so much easier to swallow than an outright lie. Secular grace may look like grace, but isn’t really grace at all. As Christians, we believe in full-on, undiluted, life-transforming grace.
Chris Hobbs,
Vicar.