He then went on to become a missionary in Europe for a major evangelical missionary organization, met his wife (also a missionary), and settled in Germany. In retrospect, this was a sign that not all was well in his spiritual life. One day he came to me and said he believed God had told him to stop being my friend, and that was the last time I saw him for about 20 years. And yet, God has provided a means by which we can be forgiven and have a relationship with Him, despite our miserable state. Nothing about us deserves to be given a pass. We are all rebellious, violating God’s moral law, failing to love our neighbors, living sinful lives. He dealt with Johnny with grace - undeserved merit. In fact, based just on the merits of Johnny’s behavior, he deserved punishment. But instead of punishing Johnny, he merely corrects him and then spends the next hour teaching Johnny how to dribble a basketball.

Is Johnny’s behavior good? Has he reacted in an appropriate manner? Certainly not. His dad understands that Johnny is frustrated and angry with himself and doesn’t want to be seen as needing his big brother’s help. His older brother tries to help him, and instead of being grateful, Johnny reacts angrily and shouts, “I don't want your help! I can do it myself!” Their father understands what is going on in the situation and steps in.

Johnny is frustrated because he doesn’t know how to dribble a basketball. For example, parents often do things for their children, even though their behavior might not actually merit the thing. The simplest way to understand grace is as undeserved merit. Can people fall from grace? What Is Grace? Have you ever known someone who seemed to be a solid Christian, but they suddenly walked away, going back into their worldly behaviors and attitudes? The reality of such a situation can be disturbing and sad.

What does fall from grace mean