Tag:

grace

I Hope for a Lot of Things

by TerryLema

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word. [HCSB]

I hope for a lot of things.  I hope to have enough money to pay my bills each month.  I hope my children and grandsons will be strong in the LORD. I hope retirement will be rewarding and I’ll have many good days to enjoy it.

Paul in the passage for today reminds us that God, our Father, loves us, and because of that love His grace comes to us so that we might have eternal encouragement and good hope.

The encouragement that God brings into our lives through His grace is strong enough to weather the greatest storms and take us into the eternal presence of God.  And the hope that grace brings is good hope.  It is not wishful thinking; it is not based on our efforts; it is totally of God and totally of His grace. It is secured, as Paul reminds us, by the sacrifice of God’s Son, Christ Jesus.

This grace, full of eternal encouragement and God’s good hope, strengthens us in our words and in our deeds.  It makes sure we are founded in truth in our daily lives.  It buries itself deep into our hearts where it can then blossom.  Our words take on its character, we speak grace.  And our deeds take on its strength, we live grace-filled lives.

Our God does not just save us … our God transforms us … and our God keeps us by His grace.  We will thrive when we depend on grace, and we will stand in the presence of God one day.  Eternal encouragement and good hope … flowing in God’s grace.

What a way to live!

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The Throne of Grace

by TerryLema

“Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” [Hebrews 4:16 HCSB]

The beginning of Hebrews is an admonition to not allow a pattern of unbelief and disobedience to take up residence in our hearts.

In the middle of the chapter, the writer reminds us that the written Living Word of God is able to discern when that happens. And that our Living WORD, Christ Jesus our LORD, is also able to scrutinize our hearts and see if what is there matches our words and actions.

The writer also reminds us that the Living WORD understands our weaknesses. He walked this earth and was tested in the same way we are. He grieved, He cried, He suffered loss, He died. He not only reveals our weakness, but He also knows them and understands them. He is sympathetic to us.

The end of Hebrews 4 is an invitation to approach the Throne of Grace. To come with a confidence that we will receive the mercy and grace that we need to help us.

We do not come arrogantly, as if we deserved this invitation, we come with a quiet assurance that we will be welcomed because Christ Jesus our High Priest sacrificed Himself for us. He opened the way to the Throne of Grace.

Warning, scrutiny, sympathy and finally an avenue to grace and mercy.  Thank you Jesus! Amen

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That Old Recliner

by TerryLema

I have a lounge chair. It was given to me by a friend who was buying new furniture. It is big and comfy. I spent weeks in it when I had the virus.  In the afternoon I can put my feet up and lean back and nap as the sunshine pours in through our living room window. When I come into the living room, that old lounge chair invites me to come over and enjoy its comfort. I know I could spend days (and maybe nights) in that lounge chair reading or playing on my computer.

I love that old lounge chair! It is not only comfortable, but unfortunately, it also entices me to give up and not fight anymore.

Inside I do not feel old at 75 years, but the last few years have taken a toll on my body that I still have to fight. I have pain most days and my muscles have lost most of their strength. It takes effort to do even the most common things, such as emptying the dishwasher or running a vacuum or simply taking a walk.

I have a choice to make each day—to fight to move or to accept the invitation of that old lounge chair and spend the rest of my days napping in the sunshine.

I have chosen to fight to move as long as I can. I think every day about what God told Paul when he asked God to remove a thorn in the flesh that he had been enduring. He asked three times to have it removed, but God chose a different path for Paul. God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

 Paul responded, “Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” [2 Corinthians 12:9-10 HCSB]

I do not think I have yet reached that point where I can say like Paul “I take pleasure in weaknesses,” but I can agree with him that because of Christ, “when I am weak, then I am strong.”

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Grace for a Purpose

by TerryLema

There is one last thought from Titus that I want to focus on this morning.  It closes out the paragraph that began in chapter 2:11. That last thought is “He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.” [2:14 HCSB]

Over the last couple days, we have seen that grace appeared (epiphainó) and was clearly shown in Christ Jesus. Grace instructs us so that we might develop Christ-like character. Grace strengthens us to wait for the return of Christ Jesus.

Christ redeemed and cleansed us for His own possession. He made us children of God, no longer bound by the chains of sin and fear of death. And while that is wonderful, it is not the end, but the beginning. The grace that Christ Jesus brought to us also gives us a purpose and zeal. The purpose is good works. The zeal is the eagerness to do them.

Eager. I like that word. One definition I read resonated with me … “waiting with bated breath.”

I remember waiting with bated breath for a bike for Christmas when I was eight. I did not think I would get it because it was not my year to get the “big” gift, it was my brother’s. I was pretty sure I would get a doll instead, but still I was eager for Christmas. My brother got a bike but hidden behind the tree was a big surprise. Somehow my parents found the money to get a bike for me also.

I also remember waiting with bated breath to get married, to turn 21, and for the birth of each of my children. I remember many times in life I have waited with bated breath.

Paul reminds us that now, as God’s precious children, we are to be eager – waiting with bated breath – for the next thing He asks of us.

Oh, LORD, give us that child-like eagerness to do Your good works. Amen and Amen.

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Grace While We Wait

by TerryLema

“…while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” [Titus 2:13 HCSB]

Paul in Titus 2:11 reminded us of the appearance (the epiphainó) of God’s grace for salvation for all people. That epiphany, a moment in which we suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way, came through Christ Jesus our Savior. The grace of God that was often cloaked in the Old Testament became very clear in the New when God sent His Precious Son to our earth to redeem us.

Paul goes on now to remind us of another appearing. The word is “epiphaneia” and it means appearing, manifestation, glorious display. We are now waiting for this appearing. It is our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

We wait now. Amid the difficulties of life, grace enables us to wait for that promise given in Acts 1:11 when Jesus ascended into heaven: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” [HCSB]

This same Jesus who brought grace at His first appearance will one day appear again bringing the blessed hope and glory that God has promised. The assurance of that promise that Jesus will not only return but will return in glory and set everything right under the authority of the King brings comfort now.

Even so, give us grace to wait for Your return, LORD.

 

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Epiphany: Grace Appeared

by TerryLema

I was reading in the book of Titus this morning. Paul had left Titus, his “true son in common faith,” in Crete to “set right what was left undone.” [1:4-5 HCSB]

This was a particularly difficult job because the Cretan Christians were being assaulted by false teachers, and as Paul described them in vs 12, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Paul certainly wasn’t one to mince words.

Most of chapter 1 and 2 are focused on those things that were left undone, but then the end of chapter 2 ends on a wonderful note about grace and blessed hope and the appearing of Christ Jesus.

It begins “For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people …” —Oh, let’s stop there. [2:11 HCSB]

Grace appeared! The word for appeared is “epiphainó.” It means to become clearly known.  We get our word epiphany from it. (Epiphany: a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way.)

God’s grace has always been present. It was present in the Garden when Adam & Eve failed, and God slayed an animal and covered them. It was present in the Levitical sacrificial system when once a year God rolled forward the sins of the nation until they rested on Christ Jesus at the cross.

Grace, however, became clearly known to “all people” when God sent His Precious Son because He loved us so!  Grace for all is now clearly shown and universally available.

Grace appeared! Now that’s an epiphany!

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I Got Nothing

by TerryLema

I have been reading a new book. I am not sure how it was picked for me on my Amazon Kindle Daily Deals email, but I am glad it was. It is “Defiant Grace: The Surprising Message and Mission of Jesus” by Dane Ortlund.

The book looks at “Defiant Grace” in each of the Gospels. So far, I have made it through Chapter 1 on Matthew. After finishing that first chapter, I realized that this is one of those books that I am going to have to read, and then go back and read again, and read maybe a third time to fully appreciate the message. But one sentence in Chapter 1 brought me up short.

“… in the kingdom of God the one thing that qualifies us is knowing that we don’t, and the one thing that disqualifies us is thinking that we do. In other words, all we need is to know our need. To put it briefly, the only thing to offer is the single statement: ‘I have nothing to offer.’” 

That sentence made me stop and ask God, “Why?” “Why me?” “Why would you call me to be your child?”

I was a difficult child, a rebellious teenager. I’ve been a thief, a liar, am often arrogant, impatient, and unkind. I fail often. In other words, I have been (and am still) a sinner. But I am also something more because two of the most wonderful words ever uttered appeared in my life … “But God ….”

“We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” [Ephesians 2:3-5 HCSB]

“But God” rich in mercy saved me and made me His child.

I am a sinner, now saved by His amazing grace. I am a child of God. And when I realize that I am not qualified to be His child, that I have nothing to offer Him, I am overcome with “Why me?” I will never be able to answer that question, but I can rest in His love, mercy and grace.

Thank you, Father!

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Restart!

by TerryLema

The backlight on my phone was misbehaving. It dimmed and would only light up for a second when I scrolled through screens. As soon as the new screen settled, it dimmed again. I tried going into settings to see if I had accidentally pressed something I should not have. (I tend to do that with my Kindle, especially with the auto-rotate function.) I was hoping the solution would be found there, but nothing I did changed that misbehaving backlight.

Then I remembered my days interacting with IT departments in the various organizations where I had worked. The first thing they always asked was, “Did you do a restart?” It became a habit when having computer problems to just do that restart before calling IT instead of waiting for them to remind me.

So, I restarted my phone and miraculously the backlight was no longer misbehaving and thoughts of having to buy a new phone exited my mind.

Restart. Don’t you wish you had a restart button on your life or your relationships or your finances? Let’s go back to bed and restart this day. Let’s go back and fix that relationship before it blew apart. Let’s go back and save more, prepare better for retirement years. Unfortunately, for many things in this life there is no restart.

Except for God and His grace. I was reminded of that as I read Psalm 103 this morning. God takes our sin and removes it from us as far as the east is from the west.  His restart in our lives is found in His faithful love and grace shown to us in Christ Jesus. The penalties that we deserve have been removed and we now are blessed with His compassions that fail not.

“He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” [vs 10-13 HCSB]

I love the song, “Except for Grace,” sung by the Martins. It always ministers to my soul – I pray it ministers to yours.

(105) The Martins - Except for Grace/Grace Grater Than Our Sin [Live] - YouTube

 

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Why is it …?

by TerryLema

Why is it that every time I buy something, in the next day or so, even next hour or so, it turns up cheaper somewhere else?

That happened this week.  I needed some things and had put off buying them because they can be a bit pricey. I finally gave in, checked around local sites, and headed to a store, picking up what I needed.

The very next day I decided to visit an online delivery site to reorder a couple vitamins and thought I would check if they carried what I just bought. They not only carried them, but they also sold them at half the cost.

That seems to be the story of my life. My timing is always off. Whenever we bought a house prices were high. Whenever we sold a house prices were low. I never can seem to get it right.

Maybe that is why God gives “freely.” He knows if He sold us what we needed, we would all be paying a different price, looking for a bargain, or most likely fall short of any asking price.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” [Romans 3:23-24 HCSB]

I received the greatest thing I will ever need, redemption, freely by God’s grace. I will never look around and say, “Why is it …?” and regret I did not look for a better offer somewhere else.

I have fallen far, far short of God’s glory. Yet freely He has given me a place in His family all because of Christ’s sacrifice. Oh, the marvelous grace of God!

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Freedom From Slavery

by TerryLema

I am preparing a message about true Christian freedom for tomorrow’s service. I am studying many Scriptures and have many thoughts about freedom and liberty.

One of the passages I have been studying is Galatians 5, which is labeled in one of my Bible translations as “Freedom of the Christian.”

The chapter begins with a declaration: “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” [Galatians 5:1 HCSB]

Paul was writing because the Galatians were facing a crisis of theology. A group called Judaizers were insisting that Gentiles first convert to Judaism, get circumcised, and follow the Mosaic law to be eligible to be Christians. Paul wrote to counter this and proclaimed that true liberty is found solely in Christ.

The law had one purpose, to prove to fallen mankind that he could not be saved by keeping the law. It pointed ahead to the salvation that would come from God through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross. That salvation would be given by God’s grace and received (not worked for) by faith.  That salvation in Christ alone would set man free from the slavery of the law.

Once the law brings us to Christ Jesus, it has achieved its sole purpose. To go back under the law is to reject Christ’s work and fall from God’s grace.

“You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.” [Galatians 5:4 HCSB]

Why would anyone set free through grace want to go back to trying futilely to be justified by keeping the law? And yet many do. I, for one, cling to the grace of God and my freedom in Christ Jesus. 

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