Tag: Grace of God

Lent 2022 | 6th Sunday in Lent: Entrance

On each of the Sundays of Lent, we have been looking at God’s grace. Trying to better understand this precious gift that God has bestowed upon us. Today we transition to the beginning of Holy Week. In this, the final week of Jesus’s earthly sojourn, we prepare to remember and experience the fullness of the Gospel’s promise for eternal life.

The Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday. It is a Sunday that marks Jesus’s final entrance into the city of Jerusalem. During that time many of the inhabitants of the city and some of those who had gathered for the Passover celebration greeted Jesus. They threw palms at his feet and cried out hosanna. They believed that he would usher in a new earthly reign governed by God’s chosen ruler. What the people failed to understand was that God’s plan would not look like they desired.

The contrast between Jesus’s entrance on Palm Sunday and what happened at the end of the week is quite remarkable. But we will look at that in a few days time.

What is the focus of our consideration today is that often times we make assumptions about how God will work in our lives and in our midst. These are assumptions grounded in our own desires rather than God’s wisdom. The circumstances of life can cause us to cry out to God for relief and in the process blinds us to the reality that God’s character will not change. For some, this may be a point of discouragement. But for me, I find it reassuring, that God will maintain his integrity in order to remain faithful to his character.

These are important ideas as we look at Jesus’s entrance. The people had made up their minds regarding what they wanted to see Jesus do. But God was not swayed by what can only be described as a shortsighted understanding of what was needed. The temporary reign of an earthly king does not compare to the eternal victory of the Son of God. So while Jesus entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday in a far more humble posture than would be expected of a king, his purpose would not be thwarted by the misconceptions of those who received him.

I think one of the important lessons we can take away from Palm Sunday is recognizing how God will accomplish his purposes in the world. And even more vital to our faith is understanding how God will accomplish his will in our lives. That God can hold these realities without causing contradiction or catastrophic collapse of his plan is so mind-scramblingly astounding I cannot articulate it properly.

So as we enter into this Holy Week, I encourage you to remember we can trust in God’s goodness to accomplish his perfect will. We may not always understand how he will do it. We can simply know that he will. God has never failed to accomplish that which he has promised. And I do not believe that he will begin now.

Lent 2022 | 5th Sunday in Lent: Celebrate!

Every Sunday in Lent is a time of celebration. And in our journey through this season of Lent, we have been focusing our attention on God’s grace. Today we celebrate the volume of God’s grace. By volume, I mean the sheer amount of it as God has given it to us.

Several weeks ago while serving on a spiritual retreat for youth, I was reminded of the fact that God has withheld none of his grace from us. We may experience God’s grace in different ways because of where we are on our journey with God. It could be a result of our immaturity or lack of discernment keeping us from fully appreciating God’s grace. But God is not stingy with us regarding his grace.

I’m always surprised by the way many people think of God’s grace. God has never withheld from his people anything he has promised. This may seem odd to think about but it is no less true. In particular, when God gave his grace withheld none of it from us. What makes this statement difficult for many is that we do not always feel it or even know how God’s grace is at work in our lives. That topic alone would take far longer than we have room for in this devotional. But I would like to offer a thought as to why we should reconsider any thought that leads us to think God has kept back any of his grace from us.

When I think about God’s grace the first place I look to understand the nature, scope, and volume of it is at the cross of Calvary. On the cross we see the wrath of God poured out upon Jesus for the redemption of the whole world. In that encounter and through Jesus’s death a great exchange takes place. The wrath of God is satisfied by the sacrifice of the Son and the righteousness of Christ is extended to all who surrender in trust and faith to him. It is in this exchange of wrath for righteousness that God’s grace is manifested.

Jesus’s sacrifice is not only offered once but it is offered completely. Never to be repeated because it was perfectly satisfying the requirements of redemption. It is in these particular and unique qualities of that moment that we must assess the volume of God’s grace. In light of Jesus’s sacrifice, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, we must consider God’s grace as being at least equally as effective as Jesus’s sacrifice. To think any less is to make a mockery of the entire thing.

We can rejoice in God’s grace because there is no sin that escaped Christ’s offering of his life. That means that regardless of where we find ourselves on life’s road God’s grace is there waiting for us. Because Jesus’s sacrifice can never again be repeated God’s grace will forever be available to all who trust in his Son.

What a glorious thing to consider, that God’s grace can never run out for Christ’s sacrifice can never be diminished. These two realities exist in a perfect relationship and in perfect proportion to each other. And it’s not until we understand this and accept it that we will find clarity and peace about the volume of God’s grace.

Let us rejoice today in the volume of God’s grace. It is immeasurable. It is indescribable. It is undefeatable. And it is every beautiful superlative we could ascribe to it. Thanks be to God!

Lent 2022 | Day 24: Grace

Of all the words that we learn in the Christian faith one of the greatest is grace. In this word we learn that God’s love for us is not based upon our failures but upon God’s character. That it does not matter where we might find ourselves in life’s journey God is able and willing to extend to us what we may never feel worthy to extend to ourselves.

The Christian life can oftentimes reveal challenges to our understanding of ourselves. The reason this happens is that we are so busy on any given day trying to do the best we can to accomplish the tasks before us we overlook what is happening within us. As followers of Christ, we are encouraged to reflect inwardly on the work of the Holy Spirit within us. This work of transformation is one that requires openness and humility oftentimes lacking. The reason it is lacking is that, for better or for worse, it is easier to live our lives that way.

This is not to make an accusation or be overly critical. Everyone does this. But from time to time it is worth considering why. Why do we content ourselves with not thinking or reflecting on the course of our lives?

I don’t know how anyone else would answer that, so I’ll speak for myself. I think I do it because confronting those things which I know must change can be painful.

To admit I have been wrong in some areas of my life is not easy. And for some, I would imagine, it can bring to mind past hurt that has gone too long unaddressed. And the longer we bury that pain and hurt the more difficult it becomes to acknowledge it exists at all.

This is why God’s grace is such a powerful remedy to the injuries of our past. It is an acknowledgment that God already knows. That there is nothing in this world we could tell God he has not already heard. That there is nothing we would have experienced that would surprise him. That there is nothing we could say that would make God desire to be less gracious toward us.

This may be surprising to many. But it should not be for those of us who have come to know and believe the gospel of Jesus. One of the great examples of this is given to us by Jesus himself as he was hanging on the cross. While being mocked and as he died he looked to heaven and asked for the Father to “forgive them” (Luke 23:34). The very people who were the cause of his immediate suffering were the recipients of God’s grace and Christ’s request for forgiveness.

We all stand before the cross of Christ because of our sin mocking and deriding him. And Jesus, just like he did on that day, turns towards heaven and asked the Father to forgive us for our sins. And we have a choice in that moment of realization. We can either accept the forgiveness that is offered or we can reject it. We must make a choice in response to Christ’s declaration.

There is no passive reception of forgiveness. We must acknowledge it intentionally and we must receive it through an act of the will. God will not apply forgiveness to us just because he desires it (and he does). God extends to us his grace as a free gift but if we do not embrace it and “open it” for ourselves we will never experience the fullness of its benefits.

The season of Lent is a time for us to reflect on the grace God has extended to us. This grace is beyond measure and without comparison. God has extended to us grace when what we deserve is something far worse. But God who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4-10) has decided to give us one of the greatest expressions of his love. We can reject it and we can malign it but we can never deny God has extended grace to us. The cross of Jesus Christ has not left that option open to us.

Lent 2022 | 3rd Sunday in Lent: Celebrate!

As we continue our journey through Lent each Sunday, we have been looking at one aspect of God’s grace. Today we will look at the majesty of God’s grace.

The word majesty is one we don’t use very often anymore. But it’s one that describes a particular attribute of something of great value or of significant importance. One of the easiest examples of where this word is still used is in countries that still have royalty. One of the best examples of those would be the United Kingdom. Whenever referring to the reigning monarch the honorific used is “your Majesty”. This denotes recognition of the station and honor belonging to the person to which you are referring.

I’ve always found it peculiar that you say “your Majesty” and not “my Majesty.” The reason is, that as the speaker, we are referring to the dignity of the person we’re speaking to. That person holds a higher dignity, at least as it relates to protocol and decorum than the person referring to them. It is an acknowledgment of that person’s office in relation to others.

This earthly example of majesty can be helpful for at least two reasons. First, it gives us a point of reference about how we relate to those who have been given or afforded a particular form of dignity. As an American, the idea of royalty is not a part of my regular life. It is a foreign concept and social relationship.

God’s grace is majestic and worthy of our acknowledgment of it because we are not worthy of having been recipients of it.

Second, it reminds us that if there are earthly forms of majesty there are also spiritual forms of it as well. This analogy is not perfect. And it doesn’t have to be. The fact it exists in the world can help us understand, at least in part, how it may work in our relationship with God.

When we talk about God’s grace, there is within it an attribute that makes it majestic. God’s grace is majestic not just because God is the actor. God’s grace is majestic and worthy of our acknowledgment of it because we are not worthy of having been recipients of it.

Grace has been defined as unmerited favor. The idea is it is the reception of something we did not deserve. This is true. But grace is also something we could not earn. And because we did not deserve God’s grace and we cannot earn God’s grace we should acknowledge it with a greater sense of awe.

The word awe is the reaction we should have been something we cannot properly describe with human words captures our imagination. It is a feeling of being in the presence of something beautiful. And sometimes in the presence of someone greater than ourselves. Anyone who has ever met a childhood hero can understand what this means.

As we celebrate the grace of God today, and in particular the majesty of this grace, we should do all we can to never lose this understanding of what God’s grace is or what God’s grace means to us.

Lent 2022 | Day 11: Mercy

Mercy has often been defined as not getting what we truly deserve. I find this to be a helpful definition. But it only paints a part of the picture.

The Christian life calls us to look at the world around us through new eyes. It is an intentional effort to re-program our thinking to be more consistent with the character of God. But this can be challenging. Oftentimes in more ways than one. Our past histories and our present struggles can cloud our ability to see what God was doing and may still be at work doing.

This is why we must be a people marked by mercy. We have been the beneficiaries of God’s mercy. We have received that which we did not deserve. And more to the point that which we could never have earned.

It is an intentional effort to re-program our thinking to be more consistent with the character of God.

The grace of God gives us what we do not deserve. And that is only one side of the story. The second side, the side that we are discussing today, is what God has kept away from us. It can be easy to think at times that what God kept from us was not as bad as what we have been experiencing. But the problem is this is not true.

The penalty of sin upon us is eternal separation from God. To be completely and totally outside of the presence of God. And while there are some who would reject that hell exists, they would misunderstand what hell is in doing so. The imagery of the New Testament can be graphic and describe things that are quite horrifying. But the physical imagery of fire and of rotted flesh truly pale in comparison to the idea of being separated from God.

This permanent state of separation is the result of a complete and utter rejection of the salvation God has provided through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. To speak of God as imposing upon us for all eternity a will, a love, a grace, a mercy that we have rejected would be an indictment against God’s character.

God does not desire to force upon us what we do not desire for ourselves. But to then claim that it would be unjust for God to not allow those who chose this separation to have it is somewhat odd. Those who have stepped out of this world and into the next rejecting God are not being denied access into his presence. They are entering into the next life getting what they wanted. To regret that decision once there could be described as suffering from a form of spiritual “buyer’s remorse.”

God has given us ample time and sufficient testimony in the creation and within our own hearts to make a choice as to where we will be. If we heed the call of the gospel in repentance from sin we will not only have God’s grace applied to us but we will experience the mercy of God over us.

The relationship between God’s mercy and the subject of hell has too often been detached and even dismissed. But the reason we need not only God’s grace, which makes us ready for heaven, and God’s mercy, which changes the trajectory of our eternal destiny, is that we could address neither of these predicaments without God. When we receive God’s grace we are redeemed from the effects of sin. When we receive God’s mercy we are restored to a relationship with God from the penalty of sin.

When we understand these fundamental differences and yet related realities we will grow in our appreciation for what God has done to bring us into a closer relationship with him.

In this season may we learn to rejoice for what God has not only promised but what God has accomplished.

For this God who has been rich in mercy has rained it upon us not only generously but beyond our ability to comprehend.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesian 2:4-7 NKJV

Lent 2022 | 2nd Sunday in Lent: Celebrate!

Every Sunday in Lent gives us an opportunity to look back over where we have been in the previous week. Throughout this series, each Sunday will focus on a particular aspect of the grace of God. It can be easy for us to think about God’s grace, and think that we understand it. The truth is God’s grace is always more profound than we can imagine.

Therefore, each of the Sundays we’re striving to make sense of one characteristic of God’s grace. By focusing in this way maybe we can deepen our appreciation for what God has provided for us. The sacrifice of Jesus is more than just a “get out of hell free” card. The redemption purchased by the shed blood of Christ is the restoration of our relationship with God himself.

Today we’re going to focus on the wonder of God’s grace.

I think it’s helpful to take the time and ask: what does the word wonder mean?

The sacrifice of Jesus is more than just a “get out of hell free” card. The redemption purchased by the shed blood of Christ is the restoration of our relationship with God himself.

A cursory search for a definition of the word wonder provides this from Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.

  • 1. “A cause of astonishment or admiration: Marvel”; miracle.
  • 2. The quality of exciting amazed admiration.
  • 3. A. Rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience; B. A feeling of doubt or uncertainty.

These are interesting flavors of the word wonder. The one that stands out as being most closely described in Scripture is the second one. “The quality of exciting amazed admiration.”

When we think about God’s grace, it should elicit in us excitement, amazement, and admiration. Not in some sequential way but all at once. Like the crashing of a wave on the shore. Were sound and effect occur at the same time.

God’s grace is something that cannot be adequately defined. There are many who have tried. And at best those could be described as approximations of the truth. That is not to say those attempts have no value. As a matter of fact, they help us to get closer to what we should know and understand about God’s grace.

What I think is challenging when we try to define God’s grace is that we try to make a connection between what grace is and what we have learned through our experiences in life. And again, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But these attempts only give us the impression that we know what God’s grace is.

In recent years, instead of trying to describe grace as something we can know, I’ve done my best to talk about it as something we must experience. It’s not something that can be simulated. It’s not something that can be shared with others through words or images. It’s not something that we can approximate.

The best we can do is invite them to journey with God just as we are doing. And to trust that God will remain faithful, not only to his word and promises but also to those who come to him honestly and with a genuine desire to find him.

The longer we live, the longer we walk with the Lord, the less concerned we should be with convincing others of the wonder of God’s grace. We should do all we can to live our lives according to what we claim to have experienced of God’s grace.

In this season of Lent let us rejoice not only in God’s grace but also in that he has been gracious to us.

Series Page

Lent 2022 | 1st Sunday in Lent: Celebrate!

Every Sunday in Lent is considered a mini Easter and is therefore not counted among the days of Lent. During this time we should pause to celebrate the goodness of God as he brings us closer to himself and into a deeper understanding of the work of Christ in our lives.

Today we’re going to celebrate the Grace of God.

There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions about what the grace of God is. And I will not try to dispel all of them in this post. What I would like to do is consider what the ministry of Christ means for us if we accept Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection as God’s plan for our redemption.

For those of us who claim the name of Christ and have become followers of him, the greatest realization we can accept and celebrate is that God has done something for us that we cannot do for ourselves.

God has entered into the human condition and walked among us experiencing the fullness of the human experience so that we might know he understands what it is like to be one of us. The miracle of the incarnation is not only that God became like us. That in and of itself is truly glorious. The miracle of the incarnation is that God truly understands what it means to live in a world that is broken and drifting away from him.

God’s grace, as it is seen in the life and presence of Jesus upon the earth, is the proof of God’s glorious love for us.

The weight of sin and the effects of spiritual brokenness upon men and women cannot always be fully understood. It is something we experience in unique ways because we are individual people. One of the challenges we face is recognizing that though we might experience similar events we do not always experience the same manifestation of emotions. What this means for us is we should not compare our experiences. We should just recognize how each experience shapes us into the people we are becoming.

Now, what does this have to do with God’s grace? That is a good question. And I would answer it in this way.

God’s grace, as it is seen in the life and presence of Jesus upon the earth, is the proof of God’s glorious love for us. That God would exit his perfect heaven and enter into our broken world so that we might have a relationship with him is worthy of celebration. The reality of God’s grace can sometimes escape us because we do not, or maybe we simply cannot fully appreciate the cost of Jesus entering into the world to God.

The Christian church has taught this idea, this doctrinal truth, from the very beginning. And so for those of us who have the benefit of centuries of theologians and divines speaking to it, Jesus’s entrance into the world feels as if this is something “normal”. But the truth of the matter is this is anything but normal. Anything God does is supernatural. And even though we accept as an axiom of faith the entrance of Jesus Christ into the world through the miracle of the incarnation, we should not lose sight of how truly glorious this reality is.

As we celebrate this first Sunday in Lent, I encourage you to take a moment, to pause and reflect on this wonderful reality that we have been gifted. In just a few short weeks we will remember the fullness of the sacrifice of Christ. But as we journey towards Resurrection Sunday, we should stop and rejoice at the goodness of God as it is seen in the grace of God.

Series Page

Why Do we Weight Ourselves to Death?

We too often carry the weight of wounds inflicted too early in life to know how to properly cope with them. When we were wounded, something changed in us. We can’t always describe it, or even explain how we were affected. But it is there.

As a pastor I have heard some of these stories of these old wounds. They linger in our memory and come to the surface when we least expect them to. When I sit and hear these stories, I wonder, “What can I do to help ease the weight of this burden?”

Recently, the thought has come to mind that one of the most important realizations any of us can have is learning we don’t have to carry these burdens forever. We don’t have to carry these memories wondering if we can ever lay them down.

It is not necessary to hide our pain because we don’t want to overburden others with our suffering. Someone may have violated our trust and are now hesitant to try again. I understand that feeling.

But we can’t allow that to stop us from seeking healing and spiritual health. It is scary being vulnerable. It can be frightening to open up to someone else. But it is the path toward freedom. The path away from an unhealthy way of living.

There are people who can help us. We have to ask God to help us find them!

The process of spiritual awakening and ultimate surrender to God’s grace is the only path toward lasting peace. Not because it makes us holier, but because it makes us whole.

This is the promise offered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He does not promise to eliminate the scars or even the memories.

What he promises is the healing touch of redemption. By taking what we give to him, broken and tattered as it might be, and uses it to fashion something new, and dare we say beautiful.

In the span between lost and found is searching. Our search for purpose, meaning, and salvation. His search for the lost, broken, and longing.

And then, in a moment we did not plan, on a road we did not chose, in a place we never expected to be in, he shows up and sets right what was wrong. Not necessarily in the world around me. But in me.

I become new.

I am changed.

My perspective shifts.

My heart feels hope, as if for the first time. But not like in the way I tried before. Not in my own strength. But as naturally as a sail catches wind. Because that is what it was made to do.

This is the journey of transformation we should seek. This is the path of spiritual health we must not give up on.

There are many who are on the “fake it ’til you make it” plan. May I encourage you to cancel that plan. It is the path of self-deception. It only makes the burden heavier and the hope we desire harder to find.

We must seek those who do not operate out of pretense or a competitive nature. Not those who have hidden motives and transparent agendas. Or those who saw what we want to hear but who are never able to unlock the chains that keep us bound. These are the marks of those still operating out of a system designed to mask what is true and good. These are the signposts of those who are just lying better than the rest of us about what’s really going on in our souls!

Freedom, the kind we need more than anything else, comes at a cost. But if it is real; if it is genuine; if it is lasting, it will be worth whatever it takes to get it.

Lent 2020 | Palm Sunday: “Celebrate”

Today is Palm Sunday.

I cannot remember the last time I missed gathering with my local congregation to celebrate during Holy Week. I find this time to be bittersweet. I pray that the Lord in his mercy brings this terrible time to a quick end. But even if it endures for a while longer, may we celebrate and rejoice that God’s grace in tribulation is not wasted or misplaced.

 

Every Sunday in Lent is not technically a part of the season of Lent. It serves as a reminder of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ because every Sunday is a celebration of what the gospel proclaims. So this Sunday, and every Sunday in the season of Lent, we will celebrate what it means to have been saved. So, rather than an extended devotion, I would like to offer you a song that can help us to focus our attention and to give worship to God for the sacrifice, ministry, mission, and purpose of His Son our Savior, Jesus Christ, as we celebrate the renewed life that we have in him. Let us celebrate today, for He is good and in all things he is faithful to us.

Your Grace Still Amazes Me | Fountainview Academy | Official Phillips Craig and Dean Cover | 4K

Exit mobile version
%%footer%%