Because of Who You Are

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV).

 

Having three sons who are now well into their own careers and family I have the advantage of reflection. Each of them has distinct abilities and gifts. They have each excelled in those areas being recognized by their peers with various awards and commendations. However wonderful those awards may be, there is a much deeper principle to be developed if our relationship is to stand the true test of time and the inevitable change that comes with its passage. I long ago determined I would follow this principle to the best of my ability and teach it to them to pass it on to their children as well. I embodied it in one of my “personal proverbs.” Some have come to call them “Don’s quotes” now. This one simply says: I love you because of who you are, not what you do.

 

Of course I am proud of what they “do”; however, our relationship is built on who they “are.” The Parable of the Lost Son” (cf. Luke 15) is the clearest picture of this principle in Scripture. The wayward son has a speech prepared that includes an offer to work to repay his debt. The father allows his son to confess his sin and then interrupts him before he can make any offer of amends, before the son can try to work his way back into the father’s favor by offering himself as a hired hand.

 

For all of us, lost in our sin, grace is the only possible option. It’s grace or nothing. There is simply nothing the son could ever do or say that would win back the favor of his Father. Fortunately, he had never lost it. We have not lost the favor of our heavenly Father; we walked away from it. The only thing we can do to be restored is to come home. No matter how far you have wandered or how much you have squandered from the Father, it is safe to come home. Jesus has paid the price for your sin. He died, rose again, ascended into heaven, and is interceding for you and me before the Father. And God is eager to lavish the full measure of his grace on you.

 

We are his children. He loves us because of who we are, not because of what we may do. That is the essence of a relationship built upon grace. It is His gift to us. It is his example for our love toward our children as well!