Post by Cindy on Nov 14, 2024 12:20:24 GMT -5
I'm going to post a couple of devotionals about Grace here.
GRACE TEACHES US
For the grace of God has appeared … training us. (TITUS 2:11–12)
What are the principles of grace? Basically there are two. The first is the forgiveness of all our sins and the unconditional acceptance of our persons through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The second is the deliverance from the dominion of sin and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in us through our union with Christ. Holiness Day by Day
GENEROSITY BEYOND COMPARE
How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (ROMANS 8:32)
The fact that God deals with His children on the basis of grace without regard to merit or demerit is a staggering concept. It’s opposed to almost everything we’ve been taught about life. We’ve been generally conditioned to think that if we work hard and “pay our dues,” we’ll be rewarded in proportion to our work: “You do so much, you deserve so much.”
But God’s grace doesn’t operate on a reward-for-works basis. It’s much better than that. God is generous beyond all measure or comparison. The Scripture says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son”; and Paul spoke of this as God’s “inexpressible gift” (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:15). God’s inexpressible generosity, however, does not stop at saving us; it provides for all our needs and blessings throughout our entire lives. As Paul said in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Paul used the argument of the greater to the lesser to teach us God’s generosity. No blessing we’ll ever receive can possibly compare with the gift of God’s Son dying for us. God demonstrated His gracious generosity to the ultimate at the cross. And Paul based the assurance that we can expect God to meet all our other needs throughout life on the fact that God has already met our greatest need.
Note that Paul said God will “graciously” or freely give us all things. Just as salvation is given freely to all who trust in Christ, so all blessings are given freely to us, also through faith in Christ. Holiness Day by Day
GRACE TEACHES US
For the grace of God has appeared … training us. (TITUS 2:11–12)
When I first became a Christian, I regarded the Bible largely as a rule book. The Bible would tell me what to do or not do, and I would simply obey. It was as easy as that—so I thought.
The practical precepts of the Bible were to me no more than statements of the Law of God. They commanded but gave no ability to obey. Furthermore, they condemned me for my failure to obey them as I knew I ought. It seemed the more I tried, the more I failed. I knew nothing of God’s grace in enabling me to live the Christian life. I thought it was all by sheer grit and willpower. And just as importantly, I understood little of His forgiving grace through the blood of Christ. I felt both guilty and helpless—guilty because of recurring sin patterns in my life and helpless to do anything about them.
My experience was not unusual. I would say it is fairly typical, even among many who have been Christians for years. That’s why we need to understand that it is grace—not law—that disciplines us. Of course, it is actually God in His grace, or by His grace, who disciplines us. Or to put it more plainly, God’s parental training of His children is based on the principles of grace and administered in the realm of grace.
What are the principles of grace? Basically there are two. The first is the forgiveness of all our sins and the unconditional acceptance of our persons through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The second is the deliverance from the dominion of sin and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in us through our union with Christ. Holiness Day by Day
How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (ROMANS 8:32)
The fact that God deals with His children on the basis of grace without regard to merit or demerit is a staggering concept. It’s opposed to almost everything we’ve been taught about life. We’ve been generally conditioned to think that if we work hard and “pay our dues,” we’ll be rewarded in proportion to our work: “You do so much, you deserve so much.”
But God’s grace doesn’t operate on a reward-for-works basis. It’s much better than that. God is generous beyond all measure or comparison. The Scripture says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son”; and Paul spoke of this as God’s “inexpressible gift” (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:15). God’s inexpressible generosity, however, does not stop at saving us; it provides for all our needs and blessings throughout our entire lives. As Paul said in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Paul used the argument of the greater to the lesser to teach us God’s generosity. No blessing we’ll ever receive can possibly compare with the gift of God’s Son dying for us. God demonstrated His gracious generosity to the ultimate at the cross. And Paul based the assurance that we can expect God to meet all our other needs throughout life on the fact that God has already met our greatest need.
Note that Paul said God will “graciously” or freely give us all things. Just as salvation is given freely to all who trust in Christ, so all blessings are given freely to us, also through faith in Christ. Holiness Day by Day
!!
