There is not many things more satisfying than being justified. We feel justified when we are able to right a wrong, set a story straight, obtain an apology, or receive restitution.
Don Carson relates a striking story about his father, Tom Carson, in his book Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor. In the account his father, a missionary pastor in French Canada, gets his support pulled as a result of the authoritarian rule/ insecurity of the Baptist Union director, T.T. Shields, who up to that time had been a close friend of Tom Carson. The story is especially significant because Tom was wronged in a painfully embarrassingly manner by T.T. Shields but had purposely not disclosed the situation to his children in an attempt to be gracious.
These events took place while Tom’s children were in the house, and although they were old enough to have remembered what transpired, they had never heard of the events that took place until the middle child, Don, left home and went to a Canadian seminary.
In his biography of his father, Don recounts their conversation where Tom describes why he and his wife, Marge, decided not to speak of the events to their children. The first reason was that Tom and Marge wanted to shield their children from the painful and ugly events, and Tom recounts the second below:
“… Second, Marge and I decided we needed to protect our own souls from bitterness. So we took a vow that neither of us would ever say an unkind thing about T.T. Shields. And we have kept our vow.”
Commenting on this gracious spirit of their parents, Don includes this note from his sister:
“As I look back on life with Mom and Dad, perhaps the one thing I recall most vividly is the memory that I don’t have. Try as I might, I cannot recollect one time when either of them spoke negatively about another person. Although Mom was an extremely astute judge of character, her analyses were well seasoned with grace and the latent potential for redemption.” (p. 60)
These stories are significant because Tom and Marge did not settle for what was justified; they looked past what was just right and chose what was wise and Christlike.
First, they looked to protect their own souls from bitterness. Because we feel justified, we often harbor bitterness in our hearts, and we even excuse it because we claim that it is placed in our hearts by others through their actions and words. We are, in fact, the gardeners of the soil of our hearts, and I pray that we might shield our own hearts from bitterness and seek more Christlike reactions, even when we are justified for either.
Second, Don’s sister recounts how her mother’s analyses were well seasoned with grace and the latent potential for redemption. Don’s parents dealt with T.T. Shields the same as they did with every other person, inside or out of the Body of Christ – they afforded everyone the same grace that God had afforded to them.
God is justified in sending us to eternal separation from Him, to hell, because we chose disobedience over worshiping God, as has every human throughout history. We have been shown grace, however, as Jesus was sent to die and rise for us, and now He offers us what we could never deserve: perfect righteousness and eternity with Him.
God is more justified in sending us to hell than we will ever be in anything, and yet he continues to be patient with us and offers us salvation in Christ throughout our entire lives. If we understand this grace and this love, how can we not also show grace, patience, and love in our daily lives, especially with our enemies?
I pray that we will grow in our understanding of God’s grace towards us and that, just as we see in the example of Tom and Marge Carson, we we will forgive and demonstrate grace towards others in every situation, regardless of what is justified.
Titus 3:1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Posted by Mickey Friedrich 
