“…So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He shall be gracious to us.”
I’m so glad that John Piper took the time to write an entire book called “Future Grace” to underscore the future orientation of our faith that looks to God for grace in meeting all our current and future needs. For myself, as an American evangelical Christian, my theological backdrop has strongly emphasized the all sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross, my total justification by his blood, and my security in being saved. These are all precious facts rooted and established in the past work of Christ. I ought always to remember and be strengthened by such rock solid foundations.
But God’s people are not called to live out faith only as a memorialized appreciation of something that has already been fully accomplished. Rather, based on what has been accomplished, we are freed to look to God for all our current and future needs. God’s utter dependability to meet these future needs is promised to us. The delivery mechanism used to fulfill such promises is called grace.
Past grace strengthens our confidence, builds our assurance, and enlarges our faith; not ultimately so that we will have appropriate gratitude, but also – more importantly – that we would look to God again and again. God will never stop being an overflowing fountain of grace to meet our every need – turning every need into an opportunity for our eyes to be opened to the glory of the Lord enthroned in heaven.
I have so much greater joy in Christ knowing that God does not expect me to only rejoice in what has done for me, but also to look expectantly, as a servant looks to the hand of his master, for future provisions of His grace, goodness and blessings. Such grace is perfectly designed to satisfy my soul in all that God is as the pinnacle and source of all joy, beauty and love.
O my soul, remember what God has done, and let His established grace utterly prove His unwavering commitment to supply all your future needs, and all your ultimate desires with soul satisfying grace; grace that causes you to delight in the Lord of heaven; grace that satisfies your soul in God. Amen.
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