“Grace is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.”- Tullian Tchividjian
As Tullian Tchividjian continues Chapter 1 of One Way Love, he quotes the definition of grace by Paul Zahl in his book Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life:
“Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved. It has everything and only to do with the lover. . . . It reflects a decision on the part of the giver, the one who loves, in relation to the receiver, the one who is loved, that negates any qualifications the receiver may personally hold. . . . Grace is one-way love.”
Pastor Tchividjian then lists five characteristics of one-way love. One-way love:
1. makes all the difference when you experience it
2. is rare, and always comes as a surprise
3. as experienced in earthly relationships, is a foreshadowing of God’s love for us
4. received its fullest expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ
5. has the unique power to inspire us to be more generous, kind, loyal, and loving precisely because any and all requirements to change or produce are removed
In the next blog, the author will discuss why we often resist grace.
Today’s question: How have you glimpsed one-way love in your life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Wanted: Dead and Alive”
