Where is the line where grace ends and judgment begins?

This question is a good one since it prompts some serious reflection on two life-changing concepts – grace and judgment.

The grace of God most often is distributed on the conditional basis of faith and repentance. That is, it settles on the hearts that have put their trust in God completely. This makes it difficult to picture grace and judgment in linear terms.

Grace is also administered “unconditionally” as seen in the selection of Israel as God’s chosen people and in other covenants of God. For example, the covenant of the rainbow that God made with Noah is given unconditionally. Despite the floods of 2008, we are assured by God’s grace that mankind will not be destroyed by water. Since God can extend grace on whomsoever He pleases (without our permission, I might add), we still find it difficult to picture this in linear terms. This is supported by the teaching in Romans 9:15. The Apostle Paul quotes God speaking to Moses in Exodus 33:19, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Judgment, on the other hand, begins at the point of un-repented sin whenever and wherever it appears. Sometimes God allows the fruits of our own sinful choices to bring judgment on ourselves. We generally view this as consequences to our actions. It is based on the biblical principle, “

But if you are thinking of the specific judgments for the unbelieving, God usually allows a prolonged period of time interspersed with many warnings. I believe you will find that in every instance of specific judgment being administered, God always precedes it with warnings. The Elijah Chronicles show us a pattern of this. God sends prophets ahead of judgment to alert and to warn of impending trouble. Elijah issued a warning to Ahab and accompanied the warning with a drought to allow him and the people of Israel time to change their worship habits. Then, he upped the ante with the dramatic intervention at Mt. Carmel. Finally, several thousand people repented as Pastor Steve taught us. It is God’s mode of operation again and again throughout the Bible when judgment is impending.

Pastor Steve told us of Ahab’s envy and covetous desire for Ahab’s vineyard. Jezebel’s cunning plot brought death to Naboth’s family and seized the vineyard. God sent a warning to Ahab through His prophet Elijah. The Prophet expressed God’s aroused anger with these firm words, “I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of [a] Jezreel.' "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."

There is an interval of several weeks between Elijah’s warning of King Ahab’s doom and when it was fulfilled. Think of the period of grace given for opportunity to make amends. For Jezebel the interval was several years, but God kept His word and judgment did come. There was a Pastor several years ago named R.G. Lee who preached a sermon on this theme of Naboth’s vineyard entitled “Payday Someday!” It highlighted the reality that what God says will happen always comes true. But even with Judgment there is evidence of God’s grace.

Most people are given 30 days “grace” if they miss paying the premium on their life insurance policy. God gave Ahab and Jezebel weeks and years to repent and change their ways. When repentance didn’t happen, the judgment foretold came just as Elijah had said.
You see how extensive the loving-kindness of God is, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

If there is a line, it is where genuine repentance is set in motion by a believing person. When a person’s heart has grown so hard that they are incapable of feeling genuine sorrow for their wrong-doing and lack desire for God’s favor, they have approached the end of God’s grace. This is not because God isn’t willing, but the person becomes incapable of wanting it or receiving it. They no longer care about it at all. Hebrews 10:26 puts it this way, “no sacrifice for sins is left”. Here is a principle that appears to me to be operating in our sin life. With every sin left un-repented, a process of heart-hardening begins. There is a point when one’s heart becomes too hard to feel sorrow for their sin and they no longer care what God or anyone else thinks. That is the line where grace ends and judgment comes. God alone knows when that is.

God’s grace is amazing and beyond a mere human’s ability to fully comprehend. God has made it possible for us to know enough about it to receive it and live in it. The Bible says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). This reality covers all of us but another reality is also found in the Bible, “where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20). I love the captivating words of Titus 3:4-7: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

-David Corts