Lavish Grace

I came across this quote from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth recently.  It struck me because often I forget that I am the recipient of God’s grace, and I do not deserve it.  When I forget how much I needed God’s grace, I think of myself in lofty terms and often treat others as not-as-good-as-me.  The truth is, we all need God’s grace, and when we get it, it is always undeserved.  I needed a reminder to live in the reality of His grace!

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Don’t Be Content

A recent post on another “Christian” blog has had me thinking for a few days.  The author was making the point that Jesus found her where she was – a single mom, trying to finish college, hoping her skinny jeans would still fit, and trying not to have hurt feelings when all of her friends are dating and she isn’t.

I don’t want to disagree with the fact that Jesus came to her where she was.  That’s what He does – He meets us where we are, in all of our sin and rags, and He offers us an exchange.  His riches and life for our sin and shame.  The beauty of the Gospel is that the ground is level at the foot of the cross.  It doesn’t matter if you’re 5 or 60.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve been raised in a Christian home, or if you’ve been an alcoholic.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve lived a clean life, or messed up over and over again – Jesus offers the same free gift of salvation by grace through faith to each one of us.

However, we must not be content to stay in that spot where Jesus found us.  He never intended to leave us there.  He saved us to give us something better.  To move us on.  To make us like Him.

Psalm 40:2  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

He comes to us in our pit of sin & despair, our lack of faith, and stubborn rebellion. But He moves us out of the dirt and puts our feet on the solid Rock.

Ephesians 2:1-5  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;  2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:  3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {desires: Gr. wills}  4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Jesus finds us in our trespasses and sins, but by His love He offers us mercy and grace.  He makes us alive and saves us, so that He can complete His work in our life (vs.10).

I don’t want to be content with the level of spirituality I have now.  I don’t want to just be happy that Jesus came and met me where I am.  I don’t want to “waste” His grace by not allowing it to complete the work of transforming into the likeness of Christ.  I want to keep on the ascending plane. 

Jesus doesn’t want to leave me or you in the same wrong choices and pathway that may have led to a life of single parenting in the first place.  Jesus doesn’t want us to stay in our skinny jeans. He wants to make us into modest ladies who are adorned by their inner spirit and not the clothes that they choose. He doesn’t want me to long for something that He has chosen to give to someone else.  He wants me to find His will for my life and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

It’s All About Him

I’m reading through First and Second Thessalonians.  Several times, Paul mentions “walking worthy of God” or “being counted worthy.” 

1 Thessalonians 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

2 Thessalonians 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

2 Thessalonians 1:11  Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

The second epistle opens with a charge to keep enduring the persecution and tribulations which they are suffering.  Paul isn’t specific about what they were suffering, but I think that helps us apply this principle to our own lives.  My trials and tribulations look different from yours.  But each set of circumstances is crafted by the Master Artist to paint a beautiful picture out of our lives which will ultimately be a masterpiece.  A reflection of Himself.  Another piece to bring glory to His name.

The trials and difficulties of life are reality.  We face some things everyday – like the taunting of unbelieving family members, or the pain of a debilitating disease, and certainly the unfriendliness of a godless society toward our faith.  Some things we only walk through for a season.  Right now I am in the “terrible twos” phase of child training.  I can’t wait for this to end!  It may be a broken marriage, the death of a parent, or the rebellion of a prodigal son.

But no matter what you face, or what I face, it can be faced.  Because while God is the one who allows the pain in order to increase our faith, He is also the one who hands us the grace – which is always more than enough – to face our particular circumstance.  So let’s have the Thessalonian attitude toward suffering:

2 Thessalonians 1:2  Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 4  “…your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.”

Verse 5 “…that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.”

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12   Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:  12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

{emphasis mine}

He gives the grace.  So keep enduring.  Then you will be counted worthy.  Keep on persevering, and allow God to complete His masterpiece.  Because in the end – it’s all about Him.  It’s about bringing glory to Him.  When I think of life in these terms, everything else seems so insignificant.

I was just reading the story of a girl I knew in elementary and junior high school.  She is married now, and she was told that her baby would not survive the pregnancy.  In an interview, she said that she was able to face this news with hope, because ultimately everything God does is for our good, and His glory.  That’s an amazing thing to say when you don’t know if you will ever hold your baby! And God had a different plan for that family, because her little girl, who was born prematurely and weighing less than a pound, is a miracle story.

My friend had it right. It’s all about Him.  Whatever He is doing in my life, or in your life, right now, is for His glory.  May we live worthy of this calling.

“But God…”

Ephesians 2 illustrates the great difference between our position as dead in sins before salvation (vs.1-2), and the amazing position we share now, sitting together with Christ in heavenly places (vs.6).  How did this transformation take place?  All because of God.  “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us;” (vs.4).  His love and mercy made all the difference!

Before salvation:

• Dead in sins (vs.1)
• Walked according to the world (vs.2)
• Lived in Satan’s realm (vs.2)
• Disobedient (vs.2)
• Lusts of the flesh (vs.3)
• Fulfilling the desires of the flesh (vs.3)
• Children of wrath (vs.3)
• Gentiles in the flesh (vs.11)
• Aliens from God (vs.12)
• Strangers from the covenant of promise (vs.12)
• No hope (vs.12)
• Without God (vs.12)
• Far off (vs. 13)
• Separated from God (vs.14)
• Afar off (vs.17)
• Strangers and foreigners (vs.19)

“But God” gave us this new life and totally transformed us, so that we can walk in Him and not fulfill the lust of the flesh:

• Quickened – made alive (vs.1)
• Loved (vs.4)
• Saved by grace (vs.5)
• Raised (vs.6)
• Seated with Christ in heavenly places (vs.6)
• Rich through the grace of Christ (vs.7)
• Saved by grace through faith (vs.8)
• Given salvation as a free gift (vs.8)
• His workmanship (vs.10)
• Living unto good works (vs. 10)
• Made nigh (vs.13)
• We have peace through Christ (vs.14)
• Reconciled (vs.16)
• One body through the cross (vs.17)
• The punishment (enmity) against us is slain, abolished (vs.15-16)
• Access to the Father through the Spirit (vs.18)
• Fellowcitizens with the saints (vs.19)
• Household of God (vs.19)
• Build on the foundation and Corner Stone (vs.2010
• Growing (vs.21)
• The habitation of the Spirit (vs.22)

Now that’s a reason to smile and have a “happy heart” today!

Grace

I grew up hearing this acrostic for grace:

G od’s
R iches
A t
C hrist’s
E xpense

One of my college professors, Pastor Frank Camp, had a different acrostic.  I like this one much better – I think it captures more of the full picture of what grace offers:

G od’s
R ighteous
A ssitance {which}
C hrist
E xtends

Though it is something I have known for a while, I am learning it anew in my daily walk.  Grace is not just for salvation.  Grace is for daily living.  Grace is Christ helping me to walk in the Spirit, to live a Spirit-filled life, to exchange my life {flesh and it’s unprofitable works} for His abundant life.  Grace is indeed that assistance which Christ extends to me to help me live righteously in the practical, day-to-day and moment-to-moment circumstances of my life.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:1-5

Did you catch the picture of grace in the first two verses?  Grace is accessed by faith.  {This fits right in with Ephesians 2:8-9 – we are saved by grace through faith.}  Faith is what brings salvation to our hearts – we ask for God’s saving grace and He freely gives it without partiality.  But now that we are saved, we access His grace for daily living in exactly the same way – by faith. 

We already stand in grace.  Once we are saved, no one and no thing on earth can move us from that spot.  We are positionally saved and standing in grace.  But now we need grace to help us live the Christian life.  We have to take of the grace wherein we stand, so that practically we are saved on a moment by moment basis.

“For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” Romans 5:17  

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” Romans 5:20

Grace is sprinkled throughout Romans 5.  These two verses stood out to me.  We can have abundant righteous life if we receive the abundance of grace for daily living.  And those areas which we constant battle grounds and areas of loss to the enemy can be reclaimed – through grace.  Where sin abounded in my life, I can access grace (which abounds even more) by faith and take back the stronghold.

My pastor here in Brooklyn has yet another definition for grace.  It is not an acrostic, but just as descriptive.  Grace is all of Christ's sufficiencies for all of my insufficiencies.  The more I try to do it on my own, the more I realize how insufficient I am.  But I can have Christ – who is “all in all” be sufficient for me.

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him…” {Colossians 2:6}

How did we receive Christ?  By grace, through faith.  Today, walk in Him in the same manner. 
Walk in grace accessed by faith.