Last week I was invited into a discussion concerning one short phrase, "obstacles to grace." The question under consideration could be stated as follows, "Does the phrase 'obstacles to grace' inform or misinform one's understanding of the gospel of grace?" I realize that some might complain that such a discussion is unhelpful and simply a wrangling over words. That may be the case. Even so, I liken it to two objects placed on different trajectories. If the two objects begin in the same general place, their difference in trajectory may not be so easily observed. Nonetheless, as the two objects move in the direction of their respective trajectories the difference becomes obvious. A short phrase like 'obstacles to grace' may seem harmless enough prima facie. However, I think it may be an unhelpful phrase and have negative import in relation to one's understanding of the gospel of grace.
The issue at hand concerns certain supposed obstacles to the effectiveness of grace in the life of the believer. The assumption is that if grace is to be effective, certain obstacles must be removed. Unless these obstacles are removed the believer will not experience the full effects of grace.
What are these obstacles? The main candidates that were offered as obstacles to grace were sin, self, and states-of-affairs. 'Sin' as an obstacle to grace might be understood as a rejection of God's intention for our lives. A common way of speaking about sin is simply 'breaking God's laws.' 'Self' can become an obstacle to grace when we are overcome by negative attitudes, anger, self-loathing, depression, judgmental attitudes, worry, what-have-you. Finally, states-of-affairs can be a source of obstacles to grace. Losing one's job, illness, a death in the family, broken relationships, and so on can prohibit the full effects of grace.
Now, in all fairness to the position that there are in fact many obstacles to grace, it should be noted that some of the above candidates are not obstacles in and of themselves. Some of the candidates listed, such as a death in the family, are not in and of themselves considered to be obstacles in need of removal. However, these are potential sources for obstacles. A death in the family may be fertile ground for overwhelming grief, indulgent anger, or vices embraced in order to 'kill the pain.'
So, the argument goes, if the believer is to experience the full effects of grace these obstacles need to be removed. Sin is to be eliminated. One's self is to be controlled. States-of-affairs are to be dealt with in such a way that grace can function to its full extent.
I can understand what seems to be the sentiment behind the use of the phrase, 'obstacles to grace.' I think what is meant is that believers must do some work. It is not the case that we can live any old way, and expect to live the believer's life with all of its benefits. It is not as if I can indulge in sin, indulge all of my favorite vices, and expect to produce the 'fruit of the spirit.' Again, it is not as if I can react to the states-of-affairs in my life the same way I always have and expect different results. I think there is truth to all of this, but I do not think the issue at hand is that there are obstacles to grace that need to be removed in order for grace to function. In my opinion, this is a wrong-headed approach to understanding grace.
My first reaction to hearing the phrase, 'obstacles to grace' was confusion. If there are in fact obstacles to grace, who removes them? I learned quickly that the burden of removing these obstacles is placed on the believer. At this point I knew something was amiss.
I believe a fruitful understanding of grace begins with a firm grasp of the assertion that grace is not human dependent. To say it another way, grace is wholly dependent upon the will of God. This assertion can be qualified in one respect, but for now it can stand as is. It is not as if I can compel God to have grace upon me. The apostle Paul goes to great lengths to show that grace is a gift of God. "...since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift...Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due..." (Rom. 3:23; 4:4).
So grace is a gift given through Christ by God because God loves us. There is nothing we can do to make grace more or less effective as if God's free gift depended on our lack of sin, selflessness, or ability to handle the states-of-affairs in our lives in some particular way. Remember, "God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us" (Rom, 5:8...Praise be to God!).
This brings me to my second reaction. Those who would argue that there are obstacles to grace, that must be removed in order that the full effects of grace may be experienced, are placing the cart before the horse...so to speak. To be succinct, the removal of sin is not a preparation for grace. The removal of sin is a result of grace. It is not as if I remove the sin from my life and then I experience grace. The removal of sin is only possible because grace is already effective in my life. It is not as if I remove my character defects of selfishness, or anger, or greed and then I experience the effects of grace. It is only by grace that my defects of character are removed. Likewise, the difficult states-of-affairs in my life are not hindrances to grace. In fact, it may be the case that God allows these very states-of-affairs to show his grace in my life.
So there are two reasons why I believe the phrase "obstacles to grace" is unhelpful at best. First, it misunderstands that grace is not human dependent. Second, it seems to misunderstand how, when, and through what means grace is experienced. Now for the qualification.
There is one point at which I might allow that grace is human dependent: faith. And yet, even at this point I hesitate. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). It might seem that 'having faith' is something 'done' by the believer. I think not, but for the sake of space I will save that for the next post.
Let me conclude by saying that I believe we must be careful with the language we use. For better or worse, the way we see reality is shaped by the words and phrases that we employ. Any perceived dependence of grace on human ability works to inhibit the realization of the efficaciousness of grace in the life of the believer. This does not mean that the individual will inhibit the function of grace, but that the individual will not perceive the grace that is already functioning.
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