MTW’s mission is to make disciples among all nations. MTW’s values are how we do this. They inform where we work, what we do, and conversely, what we choose not to do as we aim to be wise stewards. Whether it’s running a church-based medical clinic in Peru, a seminary in France, or mentoring church planters in Ukraine, our values are at the center. MTW’s four key values are “the church,” “grace-based,” “Reformed and covenantal,” and “mercy, justice, and the love of God.” In this second installment of our series “Values that matter,” we’ll talk about MTW’s value of grace-based.

The foundation of grace

At Mission to the World, God’s grace isn’t just the heart of the message we share—it’s the very foundation that shapes how we live and what we do. As Christians, we know that salvation is by grace alone (God’s unmerited favor), and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet, we often fall into the trap of thinking that our right relationship with God is accomplished through our works and effort. We tend to think that God’s affection for us is based on how holy we are living, how little we sin, how much we read the Bible and pray, or how hard we work in serving Him. As the Puritan pastor Walter Marshall put it, “Your heart is addicted to salvation by works.”

Secured by grace alone

The gospel says that our acceptance by God is not based on what we do, but on what Jesus has already done. Simply put, we are made right with God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The key word in that sentence is “alone.” Without that crucial word, we will always be insecure in our relationship with God, never knowing for certain if we have done enough to earn His love.

A friend of mine says that we often think that grace is like health insurance. With health insurance, if you go to the hospital, your insurance provider covers much of the cost—that is grace. However, there is still a copay; you still must pay your share.

We think that God’s grace is like insurance with a copay, Jesus pays a lot, but we also must do our part to show we are worthy. As long as you are living with the copay mentality, you will be insecure because you know you have not done enough or been good enough. If you believe that God’s love for you is based even in some part on your performance, you will always fear His rejection. It is only by understanding and believing that God’s love and acceptance of us is by grace alone, apart from any works that we do, that we can ever be secure.

If you believe that God’s love for you is based even in some part on your performance, you will always fear His rejection. It is only by understanding and believing that God’s love and acceptance of us is by grace alone, apart from any works that we do, that we can ever be secure.

The transforming power of grace

Not only does understanding grace free us to live securely in the love of God, it also compels us to live our lives to the glory of God. Some believe that the opposite is true; they think if we believe God loves us no matter what we do, then we can do whatever we want. In a sense, that is true. If you understand grace, you will be free to do whatever you want. However, the amazing power of grace is that it actually changes what we want. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “The love of Christ controls us.” You may be able to change some behaviors by trying hard to obey, but only the love of God can change your heart and your desires. As another Puritan, Thomas Manton, put it, “The more you believe God to be gracious, the more you will want to please Him.” As a result, grace not only motivates us to live godly lives, but also to pour out our lives in sacrificial service.

Grace in community

Grace also changes how missionaries live and serve together. It is no secret that it can be challenging to live and serve together with others. That is why the Bible repeatedly instructs the church to love one another (John 13:34, Romans 12:10, et al), bear with one another (Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:13), and forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13). By commanding us to forgive one another, the Bible assumes that we will sin against one another. It would be easy for the work of ministry and the Christian community to be destroyed by this. Yet, grasping grace gives us the power to love one another, bear with one another, and even forgive one another. Grace tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), and because God has forgiven us, we ought to forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32).

Just as God does not relate to us based on our own performance, but based on Christ’s performance, we, too, are to relate to one another, not based on what they do, but based on what Christ has done for them. As the German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, “What persons are in themselves as Christians, in their inwardness and piety, cannot constitute the basis of our community. … Our community consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us.” Understanding grace enables us to see that our fellowship with others is not based on their performance any more than our fellowship with Christ is based on our performance. In both cases, it is based solely on what Jesus has done for us.

In taking the gospel to the nations, our mission is to tell others of God’s saving grace. Yet, for us to be effective in this mission, we cannot merely proclaim the words. We must also internalize the message so that all that we do is grace-based.