"If it's free, it's for me." I've heard quite a few people say that over the years. But here's the weird thing. When it comes to our relationship with God, we tend to overlook grace and look for something else. Even though that grace is freely given (grace is, by definition, free), we seek to make things right with God (or not) by settling for something that won't help us establish a relationship with God. We often find ourselves doing that even when we KNOW that it won't work. So over the next three weeks we are going to remind ourselves that, when it comes to God, it's all about that grace and we shouldn't settle for anything else.
In Genesis 12 we are told the story of Abraham's decision to obey God. Abraham had faith in God, trusting that what the Lord promised He would do. This trust or faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. It wasn't what Abraham did that made him righteous. His faith did that. In James this is expanded a bit and the connection between faith and works is clarified. To wit, that works necessarily follow faith, and thus demonstrate our faith. Abraham could have said that he believed God's promise and stayed put. But he did not. He believed God's promise and moved. The belief, or faith, came first and was reckoned to him as righteousness, but the move came hot on its heels. Nevertheless we are saved by grace through faith, and this not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.
Romans 3: Even as the prophets foretold, true righteousness is by faith alone, a truth now manifested clearly through the life and death of Jesus Christ. His blood sacrifice for our redemption, accepted by faith through His grace alone, secures our justification.
Genesis 12: God’s promises include, in the spiritual realm: significance, multiple descendants, peace, security, heavenly property, and blessings bestowed on all around us. The key to receiving them is to move out from our comfort zones.
Psalm 33: The Lord sees and delivers those who fear Him, those who hope in His mercy, those who rejoice in Him, and those who trust in His Holy Name.
Matthew 7: Follow His teachings and build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is full of Truth and Grace.
No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:16-19)
What a restful reminder it is that our strength cannot delivers us, nor what we own (from horses to houses). It is the Lord who delivers for He alone is strong enough to do so. When I am having a bad day, when I am struggling with temptation or have even fallen* into sin, I can find peace, knowing that the eyes of the Lord are on me because I fear Him and my hope is in His unfailing love.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24)
Here is a good reminder that foundations matter. Anything built on my own work or even the world itself is bound to totter and fall. That is especially true of our salvation. I cannot hope to build a faith that will withstand the storms of life, but I can receive that faith from the Author and Perfecter of my faith, knowing that if I build anything on His word according to His way, it will stand. What are you building your hopes, your relationships, your righteousness on today?
"God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26)
Most of us fall into the trap of self-justification. We look for ways in which we can merit salvation. Most of the time we do that by seeking to do good works, or at least by trying to be not quite as bad as our neighbor. There are two problems with that. The first is that we don't get to set the standard for what merits salvation. God sets that standard because God alone is just, and the bar is impossibly high (as in, perfection). The second problem is that God never intended for us to be the source of our justification. When we try to justify ourselves we are trying to do God's job, who is "just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." We are saved by grace through faith, not our own sense of what is just or our own efforts to justify ourselves. That is a gift and rather than rebel against it we ought to revel in it. God loves us enough to allow His Son, Jesus Christ, to serve as the sacrifice of atonement for us, satisfying God's justice and justifying us in order to demonstrate His righteousness.
Happy Sabbath. May God bless you richly today as you rest on His holy day and as you celebrate our salvation by grace through faith in worship. See you in church!
"If it's free, it's for me." I've heard quite a few people say that over the years. But here's the weird thing. When it comes to our relationship with God, we tend to overlook grace and look for something else. Even though that grace is freely given (grace is, by definition, free), we seek to make things right with God (or not) by settling for something that won't help us establish a relationship with God. We often find ourselves doing that even when we KNOW that it won't work. So over the next three weeks we are going to remind ourselves that, when it comes to God, it's all about that grace and we shouldn't settle for anything else.
ReplyDeleteIn Genesis 12 we are told the story of Abraham's decision to obey God. Abraham had faith in God, trusting that what the Lord promised He would do. This trust or faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. It wasn't what Abraham did that made him righteous. His faith did that. In James this is expanded a bit and the connection between faith and works is clarified. To wit, that works necessarily follow faith, and thus demonstrate our faith. Abraham could have said that he believed God's promise and stayed put. But he did not. He believed God's promise and moved. The belief, or faith, came first and was reckoned to him as righteousness, but the move came hot on its heels. Nevertheless we are saved by grace through faith, and this not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.
ReplyDeleteGRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE
ReplyDeleteRomans 3: Even as the prophets foretold, true righteousness is by faith alone, a truth now manifested clearly through the life and death of Jesus Christ. His blood sacrifice for our redemption, accepted by faith through His grace alone, secures our justification.
Genesis 12: God’s promises include, in the spiritual realm: significance, multiple descendants, peace, security, heavenly property, and blessings bestowed on all around us. The key to receiving them is to move out from our comfort zones.
Psalm 33: The Lord sees and delivers those who fear Him, those who hope in His mercy, those who rejoice in Him, and those who trust in His Holy Name.
Matthew 7: Follow His teachings and build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is full of Truth and Grace.
No king is saved by the size of his army;
ReplyDeleteno warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:16-19)
What a restful reminder it is that our strength cannot delivers us, nor what we own (from horses to houses). It is the Lord who delivers for He alone is strong enough to do so. When I am having a bad day, when I am struggling with temptation or have even fallen* into sin, I can find peace, knowing that the eyes of the Lord are on me because I fear Him and my hope is in His unfailing love.
* or walked into, eyes wide open :(
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24)
ReplyDeleteHere is a good reminder that foundations matter. Anything built on my own work or even the world itself is bound to totter and fall. That is especially true of our salvation. I cannot hope to build a faith that will withstand the storms of life, but I can receive that faith from the Author and Perfecter of my faith, knowing that if I build anything on His word according to His way, it will stand. What are you building your hopes, your relationships, your righteousness on today?
"God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26)
ReplyDeleteMost of us fall into the trap of self-justification. We look for ways in which we can merit salvation. Most of the time we do that by seeking to do good works, or at least by trying to be not quite as bad as our neighbor. There are two problems with that. The first is that we don't get to set the standard for what merits salvation. God sets that standard because God alone is just, and the bar is impossibly high (as in, perfection). The second problem is that God never intended for us to be the source of our justification. When we try to justify ourselves we are trying to do God's job, who is "just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." We are saved by grace through faith, not our own sense of what is just or our own efforts to justify ourselves. That is a gift and rather than rebel against it we ought to revel in it. God loves us enough to allow His Son, Jesus Christ, to serve as the sacrifice of atonement for us, satisfying God's justice and justifying us in order to demonstrate His righteousness.
Happy Sabbath. May God bless you richly today as you rest on His holy day and as you celebrate our salvation by grace through faith in worship. See you in church!
ReplyDelete