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Paul’s Thorn vs. God’s Grace
“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NKJV)How many times have you read this passage like so: “And He said to me, ‘No, you will have to suffer with your thorn for the rest of your life. And if you keep complaining, you may have it a while longer’”?
That’s sort of the way I was taught, and thought to be true until I started looking at this thing called Grace.
See, if Grace meant “No”, we would certainly have a time believing the Good News, don’t you think? Like, “for by ‘No’ you were saved…”, or “they who receive the abundance of ‘No’…”. How about, “Noah found ‘No’ in the eyes of the Lord”? Or even, “the law came by Moses, but ‘No’ and truth came by Jesus”!
What if you were moving from from your house, and asked if you could borrow a truck from me. What would you think if I said, “My truck is sufficient for you, for the true value of my truck is demonstrated when you need it the most”? Does it sound like I was saying, “No”?
I believe the enemy of Grace and Truth has sold that lie to the Body of Christ! God’s Grace is SUFFICIENT! It’s MORE THAN ENOUGH! The truth Paul was trying to teach was, “There is nothing you are facing, or will face, that can’t be covered by God’s Grace.”
Paul’s Thorn? I heard the thorn Paul tried to have removed was bad eyes, a certain disease, even a nagging wife! Yep! After all, Paul and Silas had a son named Timothy… (I’ve heard it said). No, the thorn, or as we would say, the pain in the neck, was a messenger, demon, of satan sent to beat him blow after blow (buffet – KJV).
Read through the Book of Acts and notice all the times Paul got beat up! From his early days of preaching in Damascus and Jerusalem, throughout most of his remaining life, whenever he’d open his mouth to preach, someone tried to shut him up.
I wonder who instigated those beatings? God? No! The devil? YES!
There was a time, after going back home to Tarsus, Paul almost put away his preaching jacket because of the persecution he was enduring. Like us, he found the beatings to be less than desirable. And like us, he asked God to make them stop!
God’s response was one of encouragement and strength! In fact, it made Paul rejoice. Rejoice in beatings, in weakness, in confusion? NO! Rejoice because the infusion of God’s Grace, His help, is FAR GREATER than anything he had to endure!
Later on, in the last chapter of Acts, it appears Paul’s beatings had come to an end, “no man forbidding him.”
Any doctrine or teaching that yields territory to the devil, is of the devil. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are not in cahoots with the devil. The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus came to give the opposite! The devil does not want us to understand the things of God. God does. The “messenger of satan” is what Paul called it, not the “messenger of God.”
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”(Hebrews 4:16 NKJV)
Remember, we have an invitation to meet with God at His Throne of Grace; His Throne of help. Regardless of how relentless the enemy has been, the help we’ll find at God’s Throne is more than sufficient.
So we can say with Paul:
“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
The Thorn loses its power in the Presence of God’s Grace!
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Are You Teachable?
Know-it-alls come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, ages, and experiences. The world is full of them, in case you haven’t noticed. No matter what the subject, some people are experts on everything!Maybe you’ve never met a know-it-all. Good for you. But just wait, you probably will one of these days. Of course, everyone goes through a period of being ultra smart. It’s part of growing up. It happens usually during the teenage years (which could include the “spiritual teenage years”). Unfortunately, some people never grow out of it.
How about you? Are you teachable?
The word “teach” is a very important biblical word. It’s used over 100 times, most of it pertaining to being taught by the Lord. People read verses about being taught by the Lord and think it gives them the right to say, “God’s my teacher. I don’t need any man to teach me!” They use the verses as an excuse to be unteachable. Here’s a hot one for you…
If someone will NOT receive teaching from anyone but God, they WILL NOT receive teaching from God.
A favorite scripture verse for the “unteachable” is found in 1 John 2:27, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
“See”, they say, “No one needs to teach me anything; the Holy Spirit is the Only One I need.” But the same Spirit has placed us into a Body; a Body with different parts, different gifts, different callings, different offices…DIFFERENT! We NEED DIFFERENT! He has placed us into a Body into which He has also placed…”Pastors and Teachers”…for the perfecting of the saints…
So you don’t believe me, eh? You don’t agree with my statement? You don’t agree that a person has to receive teaching from an individual or else they’re really not teachable? Allow me to explain.
Different instructions, dealing specifically with teaching and learning, have been given to us throughout the Word of God. Here are some examples:
“Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
“And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.”
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
“Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths”
“Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”
“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.”
“And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.”
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
“yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”
“These things command and teach.”
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…”
“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
Sorry, no scripture references. Easy to find using a concordance, though…
Anyway, did you notice all the references to teaching? It’s rather a simple concept, actually. How else can someone learn if they can’t be taught? And for someone to be taught, they must be teachable!
It’s like this: to add water to a glass, the glass can’t be full. Someone’s who’s teachable has room in their glass. Someone who is UNTEACHABLE THINKS their glass is already full.
We will NEVER get so smart we can’t or shouldn’t learn something.
I’ve watched people. I’ve watched them grow in God, grow in fellowship and relationship with others, and then I’ve seen them become so SMART and SPIRITUAL they quit learning and developing in the things of God. They pull themselves and their families out of church, out of fellowship with others who could help encourage them. I’ve contacted them afterward. They start complaining about all the hypocrites, the shallowness of the pastor, the volume of the music. No one seems to care. And since they’ve been reading the Bible, they can lead their family just fine. They’re anointed just as much as the pastor is. (Kind of reminds of Korah, in the book of Numbers)
Unfortunately, and it never fails, a year later or so the family is a mess, and the unteachable one is still bad mouthing everyone but himself. You know what? I’d rather sit and listen to a smelly ol’ catfish growl than to be in the company of someone who isn’t teachable. How about you?
A person who won’t be taught loves to hear themselves talk. They love their opinions, and couldn’t care less about what anyone else might have to say.
Years ago, as I was deep into my know-it-all stage of spiritual growth, we attended a little church in Altoona, Iowa. Our pastor was Brother Anderson, and he has since gone on to be with Jesus. Anyway, he sure was a patient man. I know. I helped him develop patience by the way I acted. Now I didn’t see it at the time, but looking back, I was really a know-it-all. Yes, I was hungry for God and His Word, wanted to grow and help others; but I was a know-it-all. I really had a hard time listening to sermons that weren’t as “deep” as I felt they should be. Hard for someone like me to learn anything from anyone! Too busy comparing what I heard with what I “knew” to be correct.
Well, back to my pastor and I. At that time there was a family in the church whose daughter became extremely ill and ended up in the hospital for an extended period.
Since I was quite the caring, spiritual giant, I asked the pastor what he thought I could do to help the family.
“Well, I would recommend going to the hospital and sit with the family. Encourage them by just being there. Visit with them, pray with them, and stay out of the nurse’s way.”
My spiritual response was, “I really thought I should bring some Kenneth Copeland tapes, a tape player, and my Bible so I could pump them full of the Word of God and faith.”
One of the few times he showed his frustration with my “billowed sails of knowledge” was after my response. I’m sure he tried, but he just couldn’t hold it in. He could only temper his reaction which were these words, “If you didn’t want my opinion, why did you ask?”
I learned something at that moment. Several things, in fact. One, I really didn’t know as much as I thought. Two, others have a lot more knowledge and experience about things than I do. Three, if I’m really going to grow in the Lord, I’d better listen more than I talk. Four, if I don’t receive the ministry of the one God has put into my life, then I won’t receive ministry from God.
Ouch!
So, when’s the last time you actually allowed someone to teach you what you really need to do in order to: get through a certain situation, deal with a particular co-worker, handle problems with your kids, parents, or spouse…
and when’s the last time you actually followed their advice?
When was the last time you admitted to yourself that you really aren’t the brain you’d like people to think you are?
Why not do it now? Look into mirror and say, “You, in the mirror! Look at me while I’m talking to you. You know some things, but you don’t know all things. You need to be, YOU WILL BE, teachable. You will learn from God, from your pastor, from your brothers and sisters in the Lord. You will learn from enjoyable moments, and you will learn during seasons of sorrow. You will learn how to be content with little, and you’ll learn how to abound with plenty. You’ll learn God CAN make it without you, BUT He’d rather not have to. You WILL LEARN that in order to listen to other’s wisdom, you must clamp your mouth shut. Shut mouth, open heart.
You’ll learn there’s a season to give to others knowledge, and a season to allow others to pour into you.You, in the mirror, YOU WILL BE TEACHABLE – and thus you’ll be an asset to the Kingdom of God; and especially to the King.”
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 NKJV
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Keep On Truckin’
Way back in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s, when I was a hippie-wannabe, there was a phrase floating around that fit me to a “T”. The phrase was “Keep On Truckin’!”It meant something like, “just keep doing what ever you feel is the cool, far out, groovy, right on, hip thing to do. Don’t stop just because the Establishment doesn’t approve. Stay with it, outlast the squares and the creeps. Be your own freaky self, paint your own picture, carve your own initials. Sing your own song, write your own story, live your own life!”
Keep on truckin’!
It went well with my “traveling” lifestyle; hitch hiking here and there, city to city, just because I could. I thought of myself as a free spirit, a cool freak (for sure, man). I was a happening cat, dude. The Establishment was always harassing me, though. Something about me being only 16 years old. Some people just never could understand.
A lot has changed in my life since then. I’m no longer the hippie-wannabe; I’m actually part of the Establishment (gasp!). The things I used to pursue (like becoming a rock and roll star) don’t have the pull on me they once had. As a Christian, my focus is no longer on “doing my own thing”, but it is “finding out what pleases The Lord”. I still get to be my own freaky self, but the emphasis isn’t centered on being freaky; just on being who God wants me to be. Of course, there will always be some who consider me freaky (translated=weird).
So, a lot has changed, but the phrase “Keep on truckin’” is still just as fitting today as it was 40 years ago. Actually, it is much more appropriate!
This passage in 2 Timothy says it best: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:3-5 ESV)
The way things are in the world, and the way people are ignoring God’s Truth, it is very tempting to pack up all my gear, say a final prayer for the world, and lay low until Jesus comes. To do the bare minimum, as far as any Kingdom work is concerned, pacing myself so as not to exert too much energy, lest I run out too soon. To say to myself, God, and anyone who’ll listen, “Why should I continually wear myself out for people who don’t appreciate it anyway? They don’t seem to mind they’re going to hell; why should I knock myself out for them?”
And in the midst of all those thoughts I hear The Lord say, “Son, keep on truckin’!”
The Apostle Paul wasn’t around during the 1960’s and ’70’s, so he said it a little bit different: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9 ESV)
The message is clear, no matter how it’s said. “Just keep doing what ever you feel is the cool, far out, groovy, right on, hip thing to do. Don’t stop just because the Establishment doesn’t approve. Stay with it, outlast the squares and the creeps. Be your own freaky self, paint your own picture, carve your own initials. Sing your own song, write your own story, live your own life…FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!“
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”(Colossians 3:17 ESV)
And, “KEEP ON TRUCKIN’!”
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Strongest Man In History
“Strongest man in history”? Ever heard of a man named Louis Cyr? He is purported to be the strongest man who ever lived. “Cyr was born in Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville, Quebec, Canada. From the age of twelve Cyr worked in a lumber camp during the winters and on the family’s farm the rest of the year. Discovering his exceptional strength at a very young age, he impressed his fellow workers with his feats of strength. He had learned of the story of how a legendary strongman (Milo of Crete) had carried a calf from birth to a full grown bull and attempted to do the same, one day the calf bolted, kicking him in his back so he then began carrying a sack of grain a half-mile everyday adding two pounds each day. According to one of his biographers, his mother decided “he should let his hair grow, like Samson in the Bible.” She curled it regularly.
In 1878 the Cyr family immigrated to Lowell, Massachusetts in the United States. It was in Lowell that Cyr changed his name from Cyprien-Noé to Louis, as it was easier to pronounce in English. Again his great strength brought him fame. At seventeen he weighed 230 pounds (104 kg). He entered his first strongman contest in Boston at age eighteen, lifting a horse off the ground, the fully grown male horse was placed on a platform with 2 iron bars attached enabling Cyr to obtain a better grip. The horse weighed at least 3/4 of a ton.
While several of Cyr’s feats of strength may have been exaggerated over the years, some were documented and remain impressive. These included lifting a platform on his back holding 18 men, lifting a 534 pound (242.72 kg) weight with one finger and pushing a freight car up an incline. He also beat Eugen Sandow’s bent press record (and therefore the heaviest weight lifted with one hand) by 2 pounds to a total of 273 pounds (124 kg).
Perhaps his greatest feat occurred in 1895, when he was reported to have lifted 4,337 pounds (1,967 kg) on his back in Boston by putting 18 men on a platform and lifting them.[3] One of his most memorable displays of strength occurred in Montreal on October 12, 1891. Louis resisted the pull of four draught horses (two in each hand) as grooms stood cracking their whips to get the horses to pull harder. A feat he again demonstrated in Bytown (now Ottawa) with Queen Victoria’s team of draught horses during her ‘Royal’ visit. While in Bytown(Ottawa) he volunteered with the police when they took deputees to round up a local gang of miscreants, they turned him away claiming he would be too slow due to his bulk. He challenged the regular officers to a foot race, beating the majority and they took him on.
In The Strongest Man in History, Ben Weider says that Cyr’s records remain “uncontested and incontestable.”
Cyr died in 1912 of Bright’s disease (now known as chronic nephritis ).
At his peak Louis was 5’10” in height and weighed 310 pounds, with a 21″ neck, 54″ chest, 45″ waist, 22″ biceps, 19″ forearms, 11″ wrists, 33″ thighs, 23″ calves.”
(Article copied from Wikipedia)
What a day we’re living in! Physical fitness, strength training, aerobics, and a number of other programs are all the rage. A major research firm looks at the US fitness and exercise equipment market as about $5 billion annually. There’s such a push for our kids to eat healthy and exercise more. And while it’s important for each of us to have a healthy body and mind, what about the third part of our makeup – the spirit?
People treat their bodies as if they expect them to last forever. That’s not a bad thing, but how do they treat their spirit? Or, how do they treat their character, which is really an outflow of their inner most being. How much time and money goes into that training course?
What makes a person strong? Louis found ways to increase strength by daily increasing the weight, or resistance, to his training regimen. He did, however, opt out of using a live calf when it became too lively. But increasing the resistance was a good thing for him; and is for each of us, as it helps one develop and become prepared for anything we may face.
Strength wasn’t designed by God simply to flaunt! Muscles weren’t created to oil and flex. They weren’t really created to lift tractors or horses, unless there was an emergency which required it.
Louis Cyr showed his strength by lifting things, things with no emotion, no enticing power; things that weren’t trying to seduce, trap and kill. How do you show yours?
I will discuss, briefly, someone who I believe was the strongest man in history. No, I’m not talking about Samson. He actually was one of the weakest! His strength was supernatural, to be used for the glory of God. But it wasn’t long before he acted like it was his; to be used for his pleasure.
I personally think Samson was about 5′ 4″, weighing about 110 pounds. His neck size was like 13″, waist 24″, chest 26″, biceps 11″, thighs 15″, and a 6″ nose (which grew to twice the size when he got mad). Think about it; if he LOOKED like a muscle bound beach bum, why would Delilah need to ask him where he got his strength?
Anyway, my strong man hero is Joseph. You know, the guy with a fancy robe, wild dreams, and a strong spirit. A strength in character that allowed him to face things designed to either destroy or strengthen a person.
Some people believe that experience is the best teacher. That’s true, if the experience doesn’t kill them while they’re learning. Ever see people lifting weights, especially a bench press? They don’t lift by themselves. They don’t want the “experience” to injure or kill them. They’re either spotted or they don’t lift.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his older brothers. That alone was a huge test of his inner strength. But while he was serving as a personal servant to a man named Potipher, the test of Joseph’s lifetime would take place.
“Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God. So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. “And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; “so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” (Genesis 39:6-21 NKJV)
Joseph was constantly barraged with temptation; suggestive talk, lustful eyes, and flirtatious touching. Since Joseph wore skin like every other man I’ve known, I’m sure he had to battle the lurid thoughts that would attack him while he tried to sleep at night.
Wow! Joseph had his own personal gym and “trainer”. Resistance! Weight training! One major problem; these “weights” kept coming at him every day.
Finally, the temptress took hold of Joseph and demanded, “Lie with me!”
Here’s where I see Joseph exhibiting the strength that established him as the strongest man in history. He had to lift free of evil desire, lust, fingernails, soft lips, perfume, and an empty house; all the while keeping his focus on God and his integrity with his employer. The strength of character his situation demanded was more than most people can fathom.
You see, there’s a time to oil and flex, but Joseph was way beyond that. He knew it was time to run away as fast as he could. It took real strength to do that.
Finally, I would like to advise you to work out regularly; physically if you’d like, mentally as well, but spiritually for certain. You can’t wait until someone drops a 1,000 pound temptation on you before you try and lift it.
Practice holiness and right living now.
Before someone thinks you’re a stud.
Before the weight is dropped around your neck!
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The Manifold Grace Of God – Part 4
WHAT IS IT? What does one do with it?Noah found it – Gen. 6:8
Moses found (acquired) it – Exo. 33:11
God showed it to Ezra and group. The reason: so the remnant would experience a measure of revival. – Ezra 9:8
It’s poured onto the lips of the Messiah – Psalm 45:2
The Lord (as a Sun and Shield) gives it – Psalm 84:11
Instructions on where and how to find it – Proverbs 3
Some things it will do for you – Proverbs 3
Wisdom will place an ornament of it on your head – Prov. 4:9
With it on your lips, the King will be your friend – Prov. 22:11
God crowns His work with it – Zech. 4:7
It’s a key to revival, God’s way – Zech 12:10
WHAT IS IT?
Jesus had it upon Him (charis – gift, favor, grace) – Luke 2:40
Jesus was full of it – John 1:14
Jesus exchanged ours for His – John 1:16
Jesus brought it – John 1:17
The apostles did great miracles among the people; it was demonstrated greatly – Acts 4:33
Barnabas saw it in the church at Antioch – Acts 11:23
Paul and Barnabas persuaded others to continue in it – Acts 13:43
The Lord bore witness to the preaching of it, granting many signs and wonders – Acts 14:3
Paul and Barnabas had been entrusted to it – Acts 14:26; 15:40
Through it we shall be saved – Acts 15:11
We believe through it – Acts 18:27
WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?
It is good news – Acts 20:24
It is able to build you up and give you an inheritance – Acts 20:32
It accompanies each ministry office and calling – Romans 1:5
It shares with and supports peace – Romans 1:7
Deemed innocent because of it – Romans 3:24
It can’t be gained through works, but through believing – Romans 4:4
It secures the promise – Romans 4:16
We access it by faith – Romans 5:2
It does MUCH MORE good than anyone could ever do wrong – Romans 5:15, 20
Those who receive an abundance of it (along with righteousness) reign in life – Romans 5:17, 21
It gives us new freedom, overpowering the law of sin – Romans 6
ISN’T IT MORE THAN UNMERITED FAVOR?
Paul wrote with the power of it – Romans 12:3
Gifts differ according to our measure of it – Romans 12:6
It is given to us by Christ – 1 Cor. 1:4
With it we can be wise builders – 1 Cor. 3:10
With it we are what we are and can do what we do – 1 Cor. 15:10
It can be with you and I – 1 Cor. 16:23
It can spread and cause thanksgiving to abound – 2 Cor. 4:15
It is received – 2 Cor. 6:1
We can participate in it – 2 Cor. 8
With it we have sufficiency for all things, and have an abundance for every good work – 2 Cor. 9:8
It is our sufficiency, and it is to be expected when we’re at our weakest moment – 2 Cor. 12:9,10
DO YOU SEE HOW POWERFUL IT IS?
It comes as a “package” – with the Love of God and Communion with the Spirit – 2 Cor. 13:14
We are called “in” it and “through” it – Galatians 1:6,15
One can “fall” from it – Galatians 5:4 “fall” – to drop away; specially, be driven out of one’s course; figuratively, to lose, become inefficient:
It should be with our spirit – Galatians 6:18
It contains God’s riches – Ephesians 1:7; 2:7
Saved by it – Ephesians 2:8,9
It is a gift – Ephesians 3:7,8; 4:7
It can be imparted through the words we speak – Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6
Fruit is produced when you know the truth of it – Colossians 1:6
We can sing with it – Colossians 3:16
God has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by it – 1 Thessalonians 2:16
IT’S BEYOND COMPREHESION, YET WITHIN REACH OF EVERY PERSON
It is exceeding abundant through faith and love which are in Christ Jesus – 1 Timothy 1:14
It was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began – 2 Timothy 1:9
Be strong in it – 2 Timothy 2:1
It brings salvation – Titus 2:11
We are justified by it – Titus 3:7
Jesus tasted death by it – Hebrews 2:9
We can approach it – Hebrews 4:16
Don’t fall short of it – Hebrews 12:15
Let us have it – Hebrews 12:28
The heart is established by it – Hebrew 13:9; Psalm 112 (whole chapter)
You get more of it with God – James 4:6
A good steward of it, ministers it to others – 1 Peter 4:10
It is multiplied to us through Jesus – 2 Peter 1:2
Grow in it – 2 Peter 3:18
WHAT IS IT?
God’s GRACE – His willingness to use His power and ability on behalf of those who’s only prayer is in Him!
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH IT?
What can God do through you?
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Tithing Won’t Buy God
“From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:7-12 ESV)What a wonderful passage of scripture! However, it can be a bit challenging at times.
Many people take this passage as an automatic blessing for the tither; those who regularly give 10% of their income to their local church.
A lot of people “try” tithing and get frustrated because “it doesn’t work!” God gets blamed for holding out, running off with their money, and all sorts of other things.
What about the guy who tithes regularly but beats his wife, ignores his kids, cheats on his taxes, and sings off key? Does the fact he tithes automatically open the windows of Heaven for him? Can the blessings of God be purchased with only 10% of someone’s income? Not even for 100%!
Notice the Israelites were asking, “How shall we return?”, like they really didn’t know what they had done wrong. So God told them. “You’ve turned aside from My instructions, My commands.” They responded, “How, in what way? We’ve kept the Sabbath, welcomed the stranger, didn’t steal from anyone. Murder hasn’t even entered into our minds! What do You mean, ‘you’ve turned aside’”?
God answers, “tithes and offerings”. They had disobeyed by holding back their tithe. So God’s remedy, His instruction to the people, was “enter back through the door of obedience. You left Me by disobeying My instructions to tithe, so that is how you return, or reenter. Obedience, not sacrifice.”
It’s obedience to His known will that allows Him to open His windows and pour out the blessing. It’s obedience that promises the devourer will be rebuked and stopped!
God loves obedience!
A contemporary of Malachi’s, a prophet by the name of Haggai, had a message from God for this same group: “Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1:5,6) Basically, the rebuke stemmed from the people’s disobedience in taking care of Kingdom issues before their own. Sort of like the Word Jesus spoke in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things (food, clothing, shelter) will be given to you.”
God in NOT against the tither! I’ll say it again. GOD IS NOT AGAINST THE TITHER!
But He won’t be manipulated with it, either. He can’t be bought!
King Saul thought he was doing Samuel and God a huge favor. But Samuel and God saw things differently.
Samuel gave Saul the Word of the Lord: “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” 1 Samuel 15:3
“And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” (verses 7-9)
Notice the “incomplete” obedience”. God calls it “disobedience”.
“Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” …So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?” And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He also has rejected you from being king.” (verses 13-15, 17-23 NKJVWords like “disobey” “rebellion” “witchcraft” “rejected” certainly don’t carry with them a sound of victory, do they? They are not the kinds of things that open “heaven’s windows”.
To obey is BETTER than sacrifice – and to obey is better than tithing!
I am NOT saying to quit tithing! Actually, I believe in tithing – it’s a great place to START exercising trust in the Lord. It’s a great tool to help each of us live a disciplined, Christ-like life.
What I AM saying is stop looking at the act of tithing as a special way to manipulate the hand of God. He desires to bless us, in spite of our self! “He sent Jesus to bless us by turning each of us from our sins”, Acts 3:26. We don’t tithe so He will bless us – we tithe because we want to honor Him, assist in the work of His kingdom, and guard against developing a love for money and things.
And, keep this thought in mind…one cannot regain through sacrifice what they have lost through disobedience.
Tithing is an awesome, spiritual discipline. God has wonderful promises for the tither such as – “Honor the Lord with your substance (what you already have) and with the first fruits of all your increase (what you receive). So shall your storehouses be overflowing and your vats, your presses, the fruit of your labor, shall spill over to those around you.” Proverbs 3:9,10
But tithing will not undo disobedience in other areas of life.
God’s blessing is upon those who will OBEY Him! Not just with their tithe, but with all their life! “We know that ALL THINGS work together for the good of those who love God and are the called according to His purpose(s).” Romans 8:28
Obey the big things, the little things, the Handwriting in the sky and the small, quiet voice of the Spirit.
“Prove Me, He says, in this (this obedience, this returning to the Lord); see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”
The prophet Isaiah had a Word from the Lord, as well: “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:18-20 ESV)
The Lord wants us to take the discipline of tithing to a higher level, the level of obedience. We turn our hearts to Him to understand and do His will. And we rejoice, because He takes care of us according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.
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God Is Relevant!
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”(I Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV)In order to “connect” with the world, do we have to agree with them in order to be relevant? Must we “dumb down” the Gospel in order to get people to believe? Do we have to believe like the world? Is there a need to act like the world, talk like the world, or do anything like the world so they will hear us?
Yes, in one sense God did. He became one of us to bear our sin and transgression. He identified with our humanity so as to free us from our burden and the debt we owed God.
So I agree relevance is important, in that aspect alone. However, though Jesus became one of us, He still lived according to the righteous decrees of His Father.
If Jesus showed up today like He did 2000 years ago, acting like He did, He would be labeled as uncaring and irrelevant, outdated, narrow-minded, and absolutely no fun!
What did Jesus do? What did Paul, Peter, or the rest of the gang do in order to be relevant?
Isn’t God’s Word ALWAYS relevant, when ministered in the power of the Spirit? Doesn’t God know how to connect with people’s hearts?
Preachers, I think “we” have become more professional than prophetic, relying on our ability to sermonize, dramatize, and anesthetize people to say, believe, and feel what we want them to, rather than relying on the Holy Spirit to do His deep and authentic work! Of course, “we” say we’re trying to reach a certain group of people and we don’t want to run them off with wild fire. That means “we” believe we have a more sure and trusted way of “ministry” than God! Isn’t that a form of pride; we can do better than God?
Just because people may not “see” the relevance of the gospel, doesn’t mean the gospel is unimportant, inappropriate, or pointless!
“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:1-5 NLT)
Somehow, THE gospel must be proclaimed in the power of the Spirit of God. May we not “veil” the gospel in a shroud of “relevance”.
Paul describes the gospel in these passages: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ESV)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 ESV)
So what would it have been like if God tried the “relevance” trick on people like Paul, Peter, and some of the others? For instance, when Peter was along side the Sea of Galilee, how did Jesus address him? “Oh, excuse me, sir. Peter, right? Well, I’ve been watching you toil all night, trying to make a decent living. Fishing’s hard work, isn’t it? You know, I’ve been thinking. How would you like to get out of the fishing business and get into a different line of work? A chance to make money while making a difference in other’s lives. Plus, no more long nights and smelly clothes. You see, I’m developing this ministry team and would really like to talk with you. You owe it to yourself and family to check out the opportunity. Come by the office tomorrow morning and we’ll discuss the deal.”
I don’t believe that was how Jesus presented Himself to Peter. No, He said, “Follow Me.” How relevant is that? “You, Peter, follow Me.”
But here we are, with the same Jesus, the same Holy Spirit, the same message (or is it?), and we feel we must apologize for intruding into someone’s life with THE ONLY message that can give them hope and new life!
Picture Saul on the road to Damascus, riding his horse, when suddenly a bright light from Heaven shines on Saul, knocking him to the ground. Jesus’ voice is heard saying, “Excuse me, Saul. I hope you weren’t hurt falling like you did. I’d like to discuss a few of the finer points of the Old Testament with you, if you don’t mind. If you would understand these finer points, I really believe you’d begin to see things a little differently. Got the time?”
No, actually Jesus was like, “Saul, Saul, how long are you going to ignore the witness of My Spirit in your heart? It’s time for you to decide. Either believe Me now, and leave My people alone, or you’ll find yourself down permanently! What will it be?”
Paul, ministering in Acts 13, said to Elymas, “You child of satan! How long will you seek to pervert the way of the Lord? You will be blind for a season!” And he was.
And his boss, the deputy, believed, being astonished at the doctrine
of the Lord!Maybe today’s church has embraced the “relevance” machine because it isn’t convinced Jesus IS the only way.
The Gospel is a matter of life and death! It’s Good News to everyone! No one has to live separated from fellowship with God any longer. No one needs to live in bondage to the fear of death any longer. No one! Ever!
Since life and death, love and hate, heaven and hell, living with God or living without Him is relevant to EVERYONE, I believe it’s time we act like it’s true.
If He REALLY changes lives, act like it! Let someone know. If He is REALLY the ONLY WAY to the FATHER, act like it. Lay aside the “relevant” mumbo-jumbo and declare the Truth of God’s Word in the power of His love.
Let’s quit preaching the “it’s okay to wait and decide” message, under the guise of relevance.
It’s much more important than that!
Comments?
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A New Experience
New experiences! Enjoyable experiences! Once in a lifetime experiences! I had a new, enjoyable, once in a lifetime kind of experience yesterday evening. A good friend of mine had just purchased a 2006 Porsche Boxster. He and his wife drove it over to our house to let us look at it, and to watch me drool!
What an awesome car!
Our wives didn’t talk about the car very much; they quickly began catching up on more important stuff. However, I went over every inch of that machine with my eyes; for about 30 minutes my vocabulary was limited to such words as “awesome” “cool” “wow”. Know what I mean? You see, I had been CLOSE to such vehicles before, but THIS was a NEW EXPERIENCE!
Then my friend said just four little words. Four words I had never heard, at least not while I was staring at a racing machine. He said, “Wanna ride in it?” Oh my, do I!
I didn’t have but about 15 minutes before I had to leave, but I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity. No way!
We climbed in, he fired up the engine, and we were off and flying! Not that fast, because we were in town, but we sure were quick. Amazing how quickly you can reach a speed limit! A new experience! My first time riding in a Porsche! Wow!
I like to think of God’s mercies in the same way. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)
New every morning! A new experience with God, with His mercies and compassions, with His life.
Just try and imagine what our life would be like if we would greet each new day with such anticipation and joy, as if we were seeing it for the first time ever! A new experience! Wow!
I realize most days don’t carry as much kick as riding in a Porsche for the first time does. But really, why couldn’t they? Each day we see something, experience something, NO ONE has seen or experienced before. NO ONE has ever experienced God’s mercies for that particular day! They are NEW EVERY MORNING!
Try and pretend the red morning sun is a Porsche Boxster. Act like you’ve never seen it before, like it was just created for your pleasure. Embrace the day, knowing the Lord has fresh, newly created, just for your life, mercies and compassions.
And, I won’t laugh when you start to drool…
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The Manifold Grace of God – Part 3
“Grace Conquers”“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NKJV)
“Manifold” – various, diverse, multiple, assorted. God’s Grace is diverse, many sided; it can and will cover any emergency, equip for any task or mission, and is power enough to thwart any and all schemes of the evil one! It is designed to work with the “manifold” wisdom of God, as mentioned in Ephesians 3:7-12, “of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (NKJV)
Grace, God’s willingness to use His Power and Ability on our behalf (our working definition), was given to Paul so that he could proclaim the unsearchable (beyond our ability to know or search out) riches of Christ. Paul was “graced” by God to make all see the mystery Grace had kept hidden up to that point in time.
One part of that mystery was that mankind was to be no longer subject to the “god of this world”. The purpose, the intent, of Paul’s preaching (which was empowered by God’s Grace) was that “now the manifold wisdom of God might be known by the church (or, revealed through the church) TO THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS in the heavenly places…”! In other words, God’s Grace was finally answering the devil’s accusations and jeers toward God. Once and for all!
God’s Grace always conquers satan’s schemes! In the Garden, when Adam and Eve succumbed to the serpent’s propaganda and allowed the devil to be the god of this world through their disobedience, God’s Grace was already in action. God willingly used His power and ability on their behalf! He clothed them, promised them (and He promised the serpent and the devil!), encouraged them and protected their future (by sending them out of the garden).
Fast forward a few generations and it looked as though the devil would finally be able to truthfully say he out-maneuvered God. It looked like all of mankind was going to have to be destroyed because of their wickedness. But while the devil was jumping for joy, Grace came on the scene and conquered! God found a man named Noah; just one man was all Grace needed. The word came to Noah, “Build me an Ark”. Noah listened, received the word (which carried with it the grace to accomplish the task), and began to work. The devil was furious! The promise God made in Genesis 3:15 would still be intact, because of the Grace of God!
Throughout history, God’s Grace has been more than sufficient for anything the devil has conjured up. Even when times were extremely tough, when people were disobedient and needed to be disciplined by God, still His Grace conquered!
Finally, Grace came in the form of a baby, born in a manger. “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”, John 1:17. Jesus of Nazareth, God’s promise for man AND the devil!
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. The word “favor” is the same one translated “grace” in other passages. As Jesus began His “earthly ministry”, He was “anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). God’s Grace demonstrated God’s willingness to touch people’s lives. Grace demonstrated God wasn’t willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance and have eternal life. When the wild man came rushing out of the tombs, waving his hands and screaming at the top of his lungs, he ran right into the Grace of God – God’s willingness to use His power and ability on behalf of one who couldn’t earn it if he lived a thousand lifetimes. The devil had tried to destroy the man’s life; but Grace came to his rescue!
Again, Grace conquers the devil.
When Jesus went to the cross, giving His life a ransom for many, He was able to do so because God’s Grace gave Him the ability He wouldn’t have had as an ordinary man. Hebrews 2:9, “…that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
Of course, the devil must have been doing his unholy dance when Jesus was finally put into the grave. But after three days…
Grace conquered the devil! “I am He who lives and was dead! And, behold, I am alive for evermore, amen. I now have the keys to death and hell.” (Revelation 1:18)
The manifold Grace of God now empowers the church of Jesus Christ to declare by precept and example to the devil and his cohorts, the manifold wisdom of God! God’s many-sided wisdom, with the ability His many-sided Grace gives, overcomes all the works of the enemy.
Could this be a reason Peter told the church to “grow in Grace and in the knowledge of Jesus”? Could it be the reason the devil has tried to keep the real truth about Grace hidden from the church for all these years?
Oh, sure, we’ve learned we didn’t or couldn’t earn God’s favor. But have we learned what the Spirit of Grace and Supplication can do to us, for us, or through us? Have we learned how to “come boldly to the Throne of Grace (His willingness to use His power and ability on our behalf), that you may obtain mercy and FIND GRACE TO HELP in time of need”?
If we would find GRACE TO HELP, we would find GRACE CONQUERS! We would discover more of God than we could ever explain, control, or box in! We would experience, first hand, “He is able to do…”, and do it well! We’d witness the God of all comfort, His peace that passes all understanding, and the power of God unto salvation. We’d understand what it means to be saved by Grace, how to season our speech with Grace, and how to live by the Grace of God.
The devil and his sycophants would have an eye opening experience, as well. When God’s Grace confronts them, all they can do is holler, “What have we to do with You, Jesus? Have You come to torment us? Please don’t send us out of the region!” That really doesn’t sound like a roaring lion, does it?!
Those who have for years lived under the demonic thumb of control, discover freedom from deadly habits and hellish thinking, when they discover how powerful and available the Grace of God is.
It’s available to those who will ask. It’s available to those who will believe. It’s available to those who haven’t, and couldn’t earn it, but receive it anyway!
People, God’s Grace conquers everything; let the Grace of God FIRST conquer you! Rejoice in your weaknesses, and trust in His Grace. His strength, His Grace, is revealed when you MUST depend upon Him.
You will find it will have an amazing affect on the rest of your life, and future!
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The Manifold Grace of God – Part 2
“Undeserved Merit”? “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10 NKJV)This is part 2 of a series called “The Manifold Grace of God.” In the first part I mentioned the standard definition for grace being “unmerited favor.” While I understand I could never be good enough to earn God’s gift of grace (Greek = charis: gift, favor, grace, blessing, credit, concession), I wonder if that definition causes a bit of confusion among Christians and non-Christians alike? I wonder if the misconception of what Grace REALLY IS has caused the Church to become “Grace Difficient”?
There are verses that mention people, Jesus included, GROWING in grace (favor, charis). Why would Jesus need God’s grace if it is undeserved merit/favor? Surely Jesus would qualify as earning it, meriting it, wouldn’t you think? And why would Jesus need to grow in grace, if He is the One Who multiplies it toward us according to 2 Peter, chapter one? Or could it be that God’s Grace is more about His willingness to use His power and ability on behalf of those who call upon Him in faith, rather than God doling out His “undeserved favor” upon people who couldn’t care less about God, or His favor?
Here are a couple of passages describing Jesus increasing in favor (grace) and using God’s ability to accomplish His mission.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52 ESV)
“But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9 ESV)
Jesus, according to Philippians 2, laid aside His Godly attributes and walked this earth as a man. He came to walk out His life as the perfect sacrifice and gain back what Adam had given away as recorded in Genesis 3; eternal life and fellowship with God, among other things. But in order to do that, He needed God’s help, God’s ability, God’s grace. And as much as we need God’s Grace/Ability to obey Jesus’ word “You must be born again”, Jesus needed God’s Ability/Favor/Help; His Grace to cover everyone’s debt before God.
Adam could have utilized Grace in the Garden of Eden. You say grace wasn’t available in the Garden? Wasn’t God there? Wherever you find God, you’ll find His Grace. Adam knew what he was supposed to do. He knew he was supposed to obey God and exercise the dominion he had over all the beasts, including serpents. So if he would have called upon the name of the Lord, God would have saved him! If he would have called upon the Spirit of Grace, he would have found grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). In other words, he would have received the help/ability he needed to accomplish God’s will. The first Adam could’ve/should’ve connected with God’s help there in the Garden of Eden, but he didn’t. However, the second Adam, Jesus Christ, DID receive God’s help in the Garden of Gethsemane so He could “taste death” for each one of us.
Of course, while we were sinners Christ died for the ungodly. Friend, that’s you and that’s me. Ungodly to the core. We didn’t deserve what He did, couldn’t pay for what He did IF we could live a thousand perfect lifetimes! But although Jesus did what He did for us, Hell will still have too many people there, and for all eternity. Why? Wasn’t His Grace sufficient? Absolutely, YES! So what’s the problem?
“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6). Why was Noah given God’s Grace? Weren’t there others around who didn’t deserve it? I’d have to think there were. Was God just playing favorites? Did He have some He just couldn’t stand? No, the scriptures say, “God is no respecter of persons”, and, “He’s not willing that ANYONE perish”! So what did Noah have the others didn’t? What set him apart from the others? It wasn’t his perfection! No, it was his faith in God, which was built upon a relationship he had with God.
People have this idea that, because God’s Grace covers it all, then they can do anything THEY want.
Wrong!
Grace DOES cover it all, but the relationship one has with God affects how one walks with God; which affects what one does or doesn’t do with their life.
Grace is more than just God throwing His favor around to everyone, just because they DON’T deserve it! Grace is connected to faith, to believing, and believing grows out of a relationship with God. As Paul wrote, “it is by faith that it might be by grace, so the promise would be available to all.” (Romans 4:16)
There were a lot of people in Noah’s day who may have thought it didn’t matter to God or anyone else what they did. After all, they were all “children of God”, weren’t they? His Grace would cover them, surely!
Without a relationship with God based upon trust, no one believed Noah telling them to change their actions. I can hear them say, “Hey, man, grace will cover it. Lighten up!”
Just like I hear them today...”As it was in the days of Noah…” (Luke 17:26)
We ALL NEED His ability to help us do all He requires, and although we can’t earn it, there are things we do that either help His Grace grow or diminish in our life! We either connect with or reject His Grace.
In the next post, we’ll look at the many-sided, multifaceted, Grace of God. You CANNOT have a need beyond His ability to help!
Jan Grace
adding God's Word into my world…
