Thoughts prompted by Ephesians 2 in the Message translation of the Bible.
Eph 2 - The world doesn't know the first thing about living. Sometimes we fill our lungs with polluted unbelief and then we exhale disobedience. Oh, God. What a perfect description of what we do - I do!
Then You, in immense mercy and grace and incredible love, embrace us. You make us alive in Christ. Then You pick us up and set us down in the highest company with Jesus, Our Messiah.
v. 8 Now, God, you have us where You want us and You have all the time in this world, and the next one, to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ. WOW!
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Free Indeed
Galatians 4
4) God sent his Son that He might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. We can be sure that we are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, "Papa, Father."
Does this privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child - and heir with complete access to the inheritance?
Rule-keepers want to shut us out of the free world of God grace so we will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important. We are not children of the slave woman - but of the free woman (the promise of God).
Hallelujah! I am free - free indeed!
4) God sent his Son that He might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. We can be sure that we are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, "Papa, Father."
Does this privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child - and heir with complete access to the inheritance?
Rule-keepers want to shut us out of the free world of God grace so we will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important. We are not children of the slave woman - but of the free woman (the promise of God).Hallelujah! I am free - free indeed!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Purpose of Life
Galatians 1
Paul shares where his authority comes from - it is directly from Jesus and God the Father. Paul is commissioned by God. He greets with words of grace and peace. Galatians 1:3 (Amplified) "Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and (soul) peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
God has rescued him from the evil world through His sacrifice for his sins. God's plan is that all of us experience that rescue. He goes on to proclaim that if anyone, no matter who, preaches anything contrary to God's Word he should be cursed. We must get our message straight from God (through his Word). No other word will do.
Paul goes on to say that when he was still in his mother's womb he was chosen and called by God's generosity. Because God intervened and revealed Jesus, His Son, to Paul, so Paul could joyfully tell the non-Jews about Jesus.
v12 Paul received the gospel as a direct revelation given by Jesus.
v17 Paul immediately went away into Arabia for three years alone with God. What was that like? How special and wonderful of God to take that one-on-one time to love on and prepare Paul for the work ahead of him. We are, even now, reaping the benefits of Paul's time with God.
Will people down the road of time reap any benefit from my time with Him? Am I of any use to God's overall plans? I have to trust and believe that it is of value to Him, let alone myself. It is good that we can't see ahead or even correctly judge what we know and have seen or done.
God put us all here for a purpose and the main purpose of my life is to glorify Him. I can't even judge that properly - it is a trust issue.
Live an obedient and honorable life day by day and allow God to be the judge of the effect of my life here on earth. March 27, 2007.
Paul shares where his authority comes from - it is directly from Jesus and God the Father. Paul is commissioned by God. He greets with words of grace and peace. Galatians 1:3 (Amplified) "Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and (soul) peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
God has rescued him from the evil world through His sacrifice for his sins. God's plan is that all of us experience that rescue. He goes on to proclaim that if anyone, no matter who, preaches anything contrary to God's Word he should be cursed. We must get our message straight from God (through his Word). No other word will do.
Paul goes on to say that when he was still in his mother's womb he was chosen and called by God's generosity. Because God intervened and revealed Jesus, His Son, to Paul, so Paul could joyfully tell the non-Jews about Jesus.
v12 Paul received the gospel as a direct revelation given by Jesus.
v17 Paul immediately went away into Arabia for three years alone with God. What was that like? How special and wonderful of God to take that one-on-one time to love on and prepare Paul for the work ahead of him. We are, even now, reaping the benefits of Paul's time with God.
Will people down the road of time reap any benefit from my time with Him? Am I of any use to God's overall plans? I have to trust and believe that it is of value to Him, let alone myself. It is good that we can't see ahead or even correctly judge what we know and have seen or done.
God put us all here for a purpose and the main purpose of my life is to glorify Him. I can't even judge that properly - it is a trust issue.
Live an obedient and honorable life day by day and allow God to be the judge of the effect of my life here on earth. March 27, 2007.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Christ Lives in Me
Galatians 2:
Paul relates why he went to Jerusalem - he wanted to clarify with the church leaders what God had revealed to him and what he had been teaching to the non-Jews. Some of the Jews did not like him preaching freedom from the law. They wanted all to keep the traditional laws, even after coming to Christ - that is mainly circumcision.
v. 13 "We (Jews) know that we have no advantage of birth over 'non-Jewish' sinners. We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping, but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Paul asks "how do we know?" Because they tried it. The Jews had the best system of rules the world has ever seen!
He is convinced that no human being can ever please God by self-improvement. He believed in Jesus as the Messiah, so he could be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.
v. 20 Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not mine, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God who lived me and gave himself for me. I refuse to repudiate God's grace.
Paul relates why he went to Jerusalem - he wanted to clarify with the church leaders what God had revealed to him and what he had been teaching to the non-Jews. Some of the Jews did not like him preaching freedom from the law. They wanted all to keep the traditional laws, even after coming to Christ - that is mainly circumcision.
v. 13 "We (Jews) know that we have no advantage of birth over 'non-Jewish' sinners. We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping, but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Paul asks "how do we know?" Because they tried it. The Jews had the best system of rules the world has ever seen!
He is convinced that no human being can ever please God by self-improvement. He believed in Jesus as the Messiah, so he could be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.
v. 20 Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not mine, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God who lived me and gave himself for me. I refuse to repudiate God's grace.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Passionate Patience
October 31, 2007
Romans 5
Because we are entering into what God always wanted for us, we have it all together with God because of Jesus Christ. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand: Out in the wide open spaces of God’s Grace and Glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with trouble because we know how troubles can develop “passionate patience” in us and that patience, in turn, forges the “tempered steel” of virtue; keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we are never left feeling short-changed. Quite the contrary.
We can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through His Holy Spirit. YEA!
God put his love on the line for us by offering His Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use to Him whatsoever. Just think how our lives will expand and deepen by means of His resurrection life! We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah.
As we grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everthing-right that one man, Jesus, provides. Sin doesn’t have a chance in competition with this aggressive forgiveness we call Grace. When it is sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life – a life that goes on and on and on, world without end. Amen!
Romans 5
Because we are entering into what God always wanted for us, we have it all together with God because of Jesus Christ. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand: Out in the wide open spaces of God’s Grace and Glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with trouble because we know how troubles can develop “passionate patience” in us and that patience, in turn, forges the “tempered steel” of virtue; keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we are never left feeling short-changed. Quite the contrary.
We can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through His Holy Spirit. YEA!
God put his love on the line for us by offering His Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use to Him whatsoever. Just think how our lives will expand and deepen by means of His resurrection life! We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah.
As we grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everthing-right that one man, Jesus, provides. Sin doesn’t have a chance in competition with this aggressive forgiveness we call Grace. When it is sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life – a life that goes on and on and on, world without end. Amen!
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