The Banner of Grace and Love
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4).
The true way to operate is to stand under the banner of grace and love which is found at the very heart of the gospel. What does this banner look like?
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the age to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, and not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:4-9).
Notice the above highlighted words? How very different the characteristics of this banner are from the characteristics of the other banners. The underlying premise is one of sacrificial love, not condemnation. It means we are accepted and loved by God even in our imperfect, mortal state. We are included, on the inside, loved down to the very core with nothing being able to separate us from the love of God, not even our own failings and sin.
“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:31, 32).
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35-39).
And I might add, ‘nor other people’s opinions, accusations, and judgements’ shall be able to separate us from the love of God and the deep acceptance we have gained in Christ. And His acceptance means more than any other person’s acceptance because He is the One who counts the most. When God looks at us, He sees Christ, who bought us with His blood. There is no more condemnation nor accusation because it was taken care of at the cross.
The underlying premise is that God is for us and not against us, seeking our good even when we mess up. When we are standing under grace we are on the foundation of a true love that runs deep and doesn’t change and is sure. Grace is a saving acceptance without deserving it, through the blood of Christ. And this love is the very essence of who God is, with the goal of building up, and not throwing away.
”to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph.1:6).
To operate under this banner is to be responding in this way:
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1, 2).
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32).
Under grace and love, you follow Christ. Love like He loves. Do what He tells you to do in His Word. Accept what He tells you to accept and that includes yourself. At the core is mercy, forgiveness, love and grace which are extended to our fellow man all acting out of a framework of sacrificial love. Basically, you treat others like God has treated you. The result is that people will want to run to you and not away since grace and love are big attractants.
But how do we handle sin in ourselves and others under grace? When you sin, you do what God requires of you. You confess and you are forgiven. If restitution is needed, you do it joyfully. And then you are restored, not cast out.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
When other people sin, you do what God requires of you, confront, forgive and restore full fellowship to them, just like God does to you.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12).
When you confront someone about needing to change in certain areas, operating under grace, you are asking for change in a context of being ‘for them’ and not standing as judge over and ‘against them’. There is a big difference in what is driving the action: criticalness, or love. You can literally have two people handling the same situation, but be operating under two completely different banners. In the one, a person is confronting out of condemnation, in the other, they are doing it out of grace and love. The person on the other end can feel the difference. You can see the effects in families who operate under the different banners. Both discipline their children, but in the one family the children are happy and in fellowship, but in the other they are sullen and resistant.
What complicates things is that it can be very easy to slip from one banner to the other at any given moment. So it is good to be aware of what is driving your motive each step of the way and be willing to change to end up back under grace. No matter how godly you are, there is still more work needed and that is just par for the course. Positionally, you are in God’s lap and have already gained His deep approval. But is He satisfied for you to stay at the level you are at? No, but the growing part of sanctification will all be done under the banner of love and not condemnation. You move upwards in His hedge of acceptance as He works in you.
So stand on what doesn’t change, God. Stand on the truths of the gospel and grace. Live it fully by flying those colors in all your actions and thoughts. Be willing to change in a moment if you realize you are operating under the wrong banner. When you operate under grace you will be proclaiming the truth about God to your family and then the world and they can’t help but take note. This is where love, peace, and joy reside. This is the only burden you should be carrying, and even that, He is the One who helps you:
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma” (Eph. 5:1, 2).
So orient your thoughts under the right banner. Because Jesus Christ is risen, come out and embrace His gift and get out of the prison of your mind. See things from His perspective.
“The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land – for how great is its goodness, and how great its beauty!” (Zechariah 9:16,17b)
Because of Christ, that is what you are in God. He loves you that much. He is risen!