A History of Grace: St. Augustine
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
Today we could take our sin-streaked souls to the throne room of the King of kings to receive His mercy.
“The house of my soul is too narrow for Thee to come in to me; let it be enlarged by Thee. It is in ruins; do Thou restore it. There is much about it which must offend Thy eyes; I confess and know it. But who will cleanse it? Or, to whom shall I cry but to Thee? ‘Cleanse Thou me from my secret faults…’Allow me to speak, for, behold, it is to Thy mercy that I speak and not to a man who scorns me. Yet perhaps even Thou mightest scorn me, but when Thou dost turn and attend to me, Thou wilt have mercy upon me.” (St. Augustine, Confessions)
Today we could take our sin-streaked souls to the throne room of the King of kings to receive His mercy.
And yet.
It isn’t easy to go to anyone as we are – let alone the King of kings. A palace is a daunting place for a dirty person. So some days we spit on our hands to wipe the dirt from our faces and slick back our hair. Some days we paste on a smile and pretend to be better than the soul we are covering for, the soul in ruins.
Today we could take our sin-streaked souls to the throne room of the King of kings to receive His mercy.
Other days, we spit on our hands to smear the dirt and muss up the hair. Those days, we laugh through defiant eyes and pretend our laughter comes from deep joy – like the soul in ruins doesn’t matter.
Masks or defiance – too many days we hold tightly to one or the other.
Today, though, we could do it differently. Today we could take our sin-streaked souls to the throne room of the King of kings, where mercy is etched into the door and the walls as well as the hands and feet of the Prince Who reigns there. Today we could let Him attend to us. Today we could receive His mercy.
Augustine became a Christian on the wings of an excellent education and the faithful prayers of his mother. His writings – extensive, intelligent, and sincere – have influenced followers of Christ for centuries.
A History of Grace is a brand new Key Life series that pairs selections from classic theological works with insightful commentary from your favorite Key Life writers.
Check out our interview with James K.A. Smith on Augustine here