A God of Grace “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” – James 1:17-18 The Lords character is often distorted by the world. To unbelieving eyes, God can appear as a harsh ruler who is quick to condemn any disobedience. Somehow that false view has infected our churches as well. There are believers who approach the Lord as if He were a stingy old man doling out shreds of love, grace, and forgiveness. But spiritual poverty is not the Fathers plan for His children! At salvation, we received every good gift that God intends to give us: forgiveness, redemption, righteousness, a place in His family, and much more. There is a misguided notion among some believers that the Lords grace to us increases as our faith matures. If that were accurate, we would be earning His blessing though works. The truth is that spiritual growth broadens our capacity to recognize and enjoy His grace in our lives. Sadly, plenty of people feel unworthy to enjoy the Lords blessings. Thankfully, we do not have to merit His goodness, because none of us would be able to do so. In fact, Ephesians 2:8-9 underscores the fact that God operates on the basis of His grace rather than our works. Think of how big, wide, and deep His love is—He adores, blesses, and showers us with grace because He wants to and not because we earn it. Our heavenly Father is not stingy. He opens His hand wide to pour out grace upon us. Instead of sampling meager bites of His Word and His presence on Sunday, we ought to devour whole meals every day. Follow the psalmists advice to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). {By: Dr. Charles F. Stanley who is senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta, founder of In Touch Ministries, and a New York Times best-selling author.} References: Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Psalm 34:8 – “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” #ByTheGraceOfGod #BeTheDifference
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 13:21:23 +0000
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