Articles
Deep in Grace
Can you imagine being trapped nearly half a mile beneath the surface of the earth? That was the reality for 33 Chilean miners on August 5, 2010. They found themselves buried under 2,300 feet of rock that afternoon with very little food, water, and oxygen. And it was not just for a few seconds, or minutes, or hours. They were trapped for 69 agonizing days before finally being lifted out one by one in a specially-designed capsule.
Those 33 miners knew they needed help. They were cut off from above, buried 2,300 feet deep, and unable to do anything about it on their own. They had to rely on outside intervention. And when help finally presented itself in the form of a capsule, they were eager to get inside and remain there until it reached the top.
The rescue of the Chilean miners perfectly illustrates the concept of salvation by grace. Man is cut off from above, buried deep in sin, and unable to do anything about it on his own. He must rely on outside intervention, which has come in the form of Jesus Christ. He is the saving capsule! However, man must get "into" Him (Galatians 3:27) and "remain" there (John 15:4, NIV) to reach the top.
Deep In Sin
I fear that some Christians take grace for granted because they don't realize just how far down they were when Christ saved them. In other words, they don't consider themselves to have been "Chilean sinners" buried 2,300 feet deep in sin. Their rescue was much more modest. Maybe like 2 or 3 feet deep. After all, they were pretty good people already. They were caring, sharing, and rarely swearing. Their version of John Newton's classic hymn on grace would be, "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a decent person like me."
These Christians don't seem to understand that we were all 2,300 feet deep in sin, and that words like "lost" (Luke 19:10), "worthless" (Romans 3:12), "perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18), "dead" (Ephesians 2:1), and "unrighteous" (1 Peter 3:18) appropriately applied to each of us. None were close enough to the top to dig ourselves out or to need minimal grace.
Thankfully, Paul did not struggle with that problem. He knew exactly how far down he was when Christ saved him. He wrote,
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life (1 Timothy 1:12-16).
Notice that Paul described himself as a blasphemer, persecutor, insolent opponent, and the foremost sinner. He was every bit of 2,300 feet and then some! This is in addition to other passages that say he was "ravaging" the church (Acts 8:3), which was a term used of beasts savagely tearing and ripping their prey, and persecuting Christians "to the death" (Acts 22:4). He had blood on his hands! Think about that. Paul had been personally responsible for the breaking up of homes, the orphaning of children, and the slaying of saints. He was a spiritual terrorist whose reputation preceded him (Acts 9:13). Yet it was that very realization which made the concept of grace so much more meaningful!
In order for Christians to truly be shaped, softened, strengthened, and sustained by grace, they must learn to appreciate just how far down they were when Christ saved them. They must come to grips with the fact that they were as helpless and hopeless as everybody else.
Deep In Grace
As Paul added his name to the list of post-resurrection appearances in 1 Corinthians 15, he was compelled to express how unworthy he was to be an apostle. Then he added, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (v. 10a). That is one of my favorite statements in the Bible.
Paul went from sinner to saint. He went from persecutor to preacher. He went from apostate to apostle. And it was all by grace! God bestowed favor on the one who deserved it the least. It was unearned and unmerited. But isn't that true of us all? Who among us deserves to be where we are? Who among us deserves the many blessings and benefits we enjoy in Christ? From the transgressions in our past to the treasures in our future, we too can say "by the grace of God I am what I am!"
Paul went on to say that this grace "was not in vain" and that it prompted him to work harder than the other apostles. I guess he felt there was a lot of ground to make up! He knew that with great grace came great responsibility, and so should we. Christians were saved by grace to serve by grace!
Question
If those Chilean miners ever hear of someone else in the same situation they were in (trapped deep in a mine), do you think it might mean a little more to them than it would have otherwise? Of course it will, because they've been there. They know how that felt: the dread, the helplessness, the longing to be liberated. They will forever have a soft spot for other trapped miners because they were once trapped themselves. Can you not see the parallel to Christians and the world?
Conclusion
The Chilean miners had a part. If they had not gotten into the capsule and remained there until it reached the top, they would have never escaped the clutches of their confinement. Yet that in no way gave them reason to boast. They were saved by someone other than themselves. And so it is with us. God lovingly lowered down a capsule into our dark, deep, dirty, doomed hole of sin in the form of His Son and saved us by His grace!
By Aaron Erhardt
