I Corinthians 15:10
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
Grace is the divine influence upon our hearts and it's reflection in our life. God has bestowed His grace upon us and it is not in vain- not hidden and neglected but stirred up and worked out through spiritual disciplines. This grace, then, is not from within ourselves but from "without" - God must apply His grace to our lives. That grace is freely given as a gift in order that it would be demonstrated in our lives for His glory.
Because grace is a gift from God, it is His work in our lives as we walk in obedience to His will. This is not of ourselves - humility is necessary in order to walk in grace. Humbly acknowledging that we cannot do it without Him, we need His grace to pour into our hearts so we can then in turn pour it out on others.
Extending grace to others is a humbling experience, we must lay down our rights and our expectations. We are unworthy of His grace yet He abundantly bestows it upon us, we have no grounds to withhold grace from those around us. If we are willing to be humbled then grace will begin to flow more freely out of our lives and God will be able to use us for His glory.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Satisfaction
Isaiah 58:11
"The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
Life can sometimes broadside you leaving you wounded and bleeding by the wayside. Our souls can become weary, weak, and dry. Have you ever been there? Have you ever felt like you haven't got anything left in you? Like you're in a desert?
Oh my dear sisters, those places are just where we really begin to experience our faithful Savior's touch. He is faithful to continually guide us, heal us, to strengthen and water our weary souls. The key is to turn to Him instead of dwelling in that broken place with all of it's hurts and injustices.
When we seek Him with our whole heart and seek to be fully satisfied in Him, He will satisfy our souls. He is the Living water, He waters us so abundantly that our wells will never run dry.
Honestly I struggle to be completely satisfied in Him.... He is allowing me to go through a very tough season. He is calling me to be satisfied in Him, what He has called me to do, and be content with the outcome. What if others don't approve or like what I do?
Colossians 3:23 reminds me to do whatever I do heartily as to the Lord because He is the One I serve, the One Who rewards. God calls us to seek to please Him and not men.
Be encouraged, He will continually guide you, sustain you, strengthen you, and water your weary soul BUT we must be looking to Him as our all... be fully satisfied in Him.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Pursue Peace
"So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony (peace) and for mutual upholding (edification and development) of one another." Romans 14:19
pursue :
Greek: dioko - ensue, follow after, press toward.
Webster's 1828 Dictionary: To follow with a view to overtake; To endeavor to attain to; to strive to reach or gain.
peace:
Greek: eirene - peace, rest; incontrast with strife- denoting absence or end of strife.
Webster's 1828 Dictionary: To be at peace, to be reconciled; to live in harmony; To make peace, to reconcile, as parties at variance.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace and we are His... we are to pursue peace. Pursue it with a passion as if we were running a race yet we are behind the pack... pursue each person in front of you. As God shows you where peace needs to be made run to that person and make peace. Making peace does not mean keeping peace, it is an active pursuit of, a pressing toward reconciliation, the end of strife. That may mean asking for forgiveness, it may mean doing something kind or helpful, or difficult...it may mean laying down your pride to yield to another which means humility. Remember that Christ Himself willingly came and humbled Himself for us so we, through Him, can be humble.
Yet in order to be instruments of His peace, we must let His peace rest in us. He must be our source of peace.
Colossians 3:15 tells us, "And let the peace of God rest in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful."
God does not give peace as the world gives but a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is our privilege to be instruments of His peace.
pursue :
Greek: dioko - ensue, follow after, press toward.
Webster's 1828 Dictionary: To follow with a view to overtake; To endeavor to attain to; to strive to reach or gain.
peace:
Greek: eirene - peace, rest; incontrast with strife- denoting absence or end of strife.
Webster's 1828 Dictionary: To be at peace, to be reconciled; to live in harmony; To make peace, to reconcile, as parties at variance.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace and we are His... we are to pursue peace. Pursue it with a passion as if we were running a race yet we are behind the pack... pursue each person in front of you. As God shows you where peace needs to be made run to that person and make peace. Making peace does not mean keeping peace, it is an active pursuit of, a pressing toward reconciliation, the end of strife. That may mean asking for forgiveness, it may mean doing something kind or helpful, or difficult...it may mean laying down your pride to yield to another which means humility. Remember that Christ Himself willingly came and humbled Himself for us so we, through Him, can be humble.
Yet in order to be instruments of His peace, we must let His peace rest in us. He must be our source of peace.
Colossians 3:15 tells us, "And let the peace of God rest in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful."
God does not give peace as the world gives but a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is our privilege to be instruments of His peace.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Lavish Grace
Ephesians 1:7-8
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."
Grace in the Greek is charis - it means unmerited or undeserved favor.
Lavish is the Greek verb perisseuo which means to superabound, to be in excess. The Greek lexicon explains it this way: to furnish one richly so that he has abundance. Here in Ephesians God performed the action, it is a statement of fact with no regard to the past, present or future time. This is a reality in the believer's life... God lavished the riches of His grace upon us. WOW!
Recently I have been studying God's grace, I am overwhelmed by the lavishness of it! God sent His Son to be the propitiation for my sins, He redeemed me by His blood, He has forgiven my trespasses. He did that while I was yet a sinner (Rom. 5:8), at enmity with Him. Christ broke down the dividing wall between myself and God (Eph. 2:13-16). Truly all undeserved by a sinner such as I.
"Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all my sin."
As I ponder the vastness of the grace of God, I begin to get a glimpse of the outworking of His grace in my life. Although salvation is more than enough - it is super-abundant - His sanctification in my life has been abundance on top of abundance.
How many times has He forgiven me? Countless times and without hesitation.
What has He forgiven me? Limitless things- every sin I bring to the foot of His cross is forgiven.
Where am I now compared to 5 years ago? Ten years ago? Walking more and more in His grace by His grace... I am so dramatically changed because of His grace.
Who am I? Chosen by God in Christ (Eph. 1:4, John 15:16), predestined to adoption as sons through Christ (Eph. 1:5), accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6), joint heir with Jesus (Rom. 8:17).
Any one of these things is cause for rejoicing and awe. I know that I know God's grace in my life because nothing could accomplish in me what God's grace has accomplished. Because that grace is so freely given, lavishly given, how can I not extend grace to those around me? What right have I to withhold grace from others when I have been so abundantly supplied?
A parable comes to mind in answer to this question...remember the parable of the unforgiving servant?
In Matthew 18, Christ is talking to Peter about forgiveness and He tells Peter about a king who began to settle accounts with his servants. One servant in particular possibly owed more than he might ever be able to pay in his lifetime - ten thousand talents. The king ordered that he be sold as well as his wife and children to settle the debt. But the servant begged mercy of the king, begging his patience. Not only did the king release the servant but he forgave him the entire debt. The king had every right to the payment but chose to forgive it all.
The story doesn't end there though. That same servant, the receiver of much grace (undeserved favor), goes to another servant who owed him a pittance compared to what he had just been forgiven and demands immediate payment. He not only demanded it, he took that fellow servant by the throat and threatened him. When that man begged for mercy, he was denied and sent to debtors prison until he could repay. When the king heard of it, he was angry and delivered the wicked servant to the torturers until he could repay saying, "Should you not also have compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" (Matt. 18:33)
So what is the answer to, "What right have I to withhold grace from others when I have been so abundantly supplied?" NONE, I have no right to withhold grace from anyone because the grace I received is not mine, it is a gift from God richly poured out on me. I have not done anything to merit grace - it is completely undeserved by me. Therefore, it is my obligation to pour out grace on others in Christ's name - not under durress but out of abundance. Freely He has given, freely we need to give - it's His grace we give. Let us walk in the abundance that is already ours spreading that abundance as we go.
Oh Precious Jesus, how You have so lavishly poured out Your grace on me through Your death on the cross. You have cancelled the debt I owe that I could never repay by Your blood. Help me today to walk in that abundant grace and to be a source of that grace to everyone around me. Help me to see myself as I truly am, a sinner saved by Your grace, not of myself lest I should boast. I love You Lord, Amen.
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."
Grace in the Greek is charis - it means unmerited or undeserved favor.
Lavish is the Greek verb perisseuo which means to superabound, to be in excess. The Greek lexicon explains it this way: to furnish one richly so that he has abundance. Here in Ephesians God performed the action, it is a statement of fact with no regard to the past, present or future time. This is a reality in the believer's life... God lavished the riches of His grace upon us. WOW!
Recently I have been studying God's grace, I am overwhelmed by the lavishness of it! God sent His Son to be the propitiation for my sins, He redeemed me by His blood, He has forgiven my trespasses. He did that while I was yet a sinner (Rom. 5:8), at enmity with Him. Christ broke down the dividing wall between myself and God (Eph. 2:13-16). Truly all undeserved by a sinner such as I.
"Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all my sin."
As I ponder the vastness of the grace of God, I begin to get a glimpse of the outworking of His grace in my life. Although salvation is more than enough - it is super-abundant - His sanctification in my life has been abundance on top of abundance.
How many times has He forgiven me? Countless times and without hesitation.
What has He forgiven me? Limitless things- every sin I bring to the foot of His cross is forgiven.
Where am I now compared to 5 years ago? Ten years ago? Walking more and more in His grace by His grace... I am so dramatically changed because of His grace.
Who am I? Chosen by God in Christ (Eph. 1:4, John 15:16), predestined to adoption as sons through Christ (Eph. 1:5), accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6), joint heir with Jesus (Rom. 8:17).
Any one of these things is cause for rejoicing and awe. I know that I know God's grace in my life because nothing could accomplish in me what God's grace has accomplished. Because that grace is so freely given, lavishly given, how can I not extend grace to those around me? What right have I to withhold grace from others when I have been so abundantly supplied?
A parable comes to mind in answer to this question...remember the parable of the unforgiving servant?
In Matthew 18, Christ is talking to Peter about forgiveness and He tells Peter about a king who began to settle accounts with his servants. One servant in particular possibly owed more than he might ever be able to pay in his lifetime - ten thousand talents. The king ordered that he be sold as well as his wife and children to settle the debt. But the servant begged mercy of the king, begging his patience. Not only did the king release the servant but he forgave him the entire debt. The king had every right to the payment but chose to forgive it all.
The story doesn't end there though. That same servant, the receiver of much grace (undeserved favor), goes to another servant who owed him a pittance compared to what he had just been forgiven and demands immediate payment. He not only demanded it, he took that fellow servant by the throat and threatened him. When that man begged for mercy, he was denied and sent to debtors prison until he could repay. When the king heard of it, he was angry and delivered the wicked servant to the torturers until he could repay saying, "Should you not also have compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" (Matt. 18:33)
So what is the answer to, "What right have I to withhold grace from others when I have been so abundantly supplied?" NONE, I have no right to withhold grace from anyone because the grace I received is not mine, it is a gift from God richly poured out on me. I have not done anything to merit grace - it is completely undeserved by me. Therefore, it is my obligation to pour out grace on others in Christ's name - not under durress but out of abundance. Freely He has given, freely we need to give - it's His grace we give. Let us walk in the abundance that is already ours spreading that abundance as we go.
Oh Precious Jesus, how You have so lavishly poured out Your grace on me through Your death on the cross. You have cancelled the debt I owe that I could never repay by Your blood. Help me today to walk in that abundant grace and to be a source of that grace to everyone around me. Help me to see myself as I truly am, a sinner saved by Your grace, not of myself lest I should boast. I love You Lord, Amen.
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