A Brick and a Feather

Gravity is a most marvellous phenomenon. It certainly keeps our feet on the ground. Without it we would fly off into space. It draws all thing to the earth. Whether it’s a brick or a feather, if you drop them from a height they both will hit the ground.  But the brick, being the weightier object and having a greater mass than the feather, will fall quicker to earth because it will cut through the wind resistance easier than the feather will. But, and here is the peculiarity of physics, if you put both of them in a vacuum, where there is no wind resistance, both will fall to the bottom at exactly the same time. Without wind resistance, the brick has no advantage over the feather, even though its mass and weight are greater. And without wind resistance, the feather will not be at a disadvantage, even though it is lighter and has much less mass than the brick. Without resistance, in a vacuum, everything will fall at the same speed. 

The world is a fallen place. We are fallen creatures. The gravitational pull of sin draws us ever downward. For sure all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom. 6:3) There is none righteous, no not one. (Rom. 3:10) But if it wasn’t for the resisting power of the grace of God in our lives we would be hopelessly lost and beyond redemption. All of us have the potential to do the gravest and most heinous of sins.  But it’s the resisting power of the grace of God in our lives, and our yielding to it, that stops us committing the worst of sins. This often shows up with our conscience, or the fear of God. Mercifully, most of us are prevented from the damaging behaviour that would ruin our lives and the lives of others. 

This world is undeniably wicked. The depths of depravity and gross sinfulness of humanity often shocks us. But can you imagine what this world would be like if God removed His Holy Spirit? What if He removed all restraining influences. What if we no longer had any conscience? What if we were incapable of responding to His grace? What if we had no civil law enforcement? No rules, no guidelines, no parameters to govern our behaviour? What if we lived in a spiritual, vacuum? Without resistance, we would all equally fall to the bottom at the same rate of decline. Not a comforting thought.

But God, in His great mercy, has not left us in such a state. He sent His Holy Spirit to constrain, restrain, and give all men everywhere an opportunity to repent. This is the age of grace. Now is the accepted time, behold today is the day of salvation. (2 Cor. 6:2) 

- Pastor David Goudy