I was driven to tears Sunday morning as we sang this hymn, Unbounded Grace. It is one of my favorites, and especially lately as I learn to rely on His grace each day.
"Unbounded Grace it reached to me, when hope was gone from view. In my despair, Christ came to me, as He alone could do.
"Grace was for me the only way, my guilt could find relief; My destiny was changed that day, I reached out in belief.
"God's grace does not on me depend; 'tis God who is my Stay; His love is offered without end, He walks with me each day."
by John Walvoord, & Don Wyrtzen
Thank you Lord--Your grace is sufficient for me.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Having begun by the Spirit
I was reading today in Galatians and I was struck by Paul's barrage of questions at the beginning of chapter 3--the middle question hit me the most "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh(v3).?"
This question sums up the struggle of living in daily grace. Having trusted in the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ and depending on His great grace to rescue me from sin and death, why do I persist in trying to "earn" His pleasure?
I have often said that as Protestant believers one of the great traps that we fall into is saying that we are good little Protestants and acting like good little Catholics. By this I mean that we often forget the completeness of our salvation and our continual dependency on grace and instead seek to please the Lord by some efforts of our own.
The most difficult aspect of this struggle is that from the outside no one may be able to see the difference. The one who lives under the law and the one who lives according to grace may do all the same things--the difference is the attitude of the heart.
The one who depends on the law is consumed with "getting it right," and can often be consumed with guilt and fear when faced with the reality of his or her own insufficiency and failure. This person is trying to make it on his or her own. This is the person to whom Paul says, " Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
By contrast the believer who lives according to grace is depending on the leading and strength of the Spirit. They are familiar with the throne of grace and turn there to find grace and forgiveness for their sin and shortcomings.
We have been saved by grace alone and we must live in the reality of this grace. When asked several years ago what the most precious thing about my salvation was I responded "That His grace never ends--the miracle of my salvation is that my Lord saved me knowing full well that I would do most of my sinning after I was saved."
Living according to the law after being saved by grace is nothing short of pride,; the sin of saying that I can somehow do anything on my own when in truth I am dependent on the Lord Jesus for my very breath.
Living according to grace is the abundant life that the Lord Jesus promised us. It is the life free from guilt and fear. It is the life that is Spirit-led and Spirit-filled. It is the life free from anxiety and distress. It is the life lived in humble worship of the One who is alone worthy of all that we are!
Lord may we live according to the grace that HAS been given to us! Thank you Lord for this indescribable gift.
This question sums up the struggle of living in daily grace. Having trusted in the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ and depending on His great grace to rescue me from sin and death, why do I persist in trying to "earn" His pleasure?
I have often said that as Protestant believers one of the great traps that we fall into is saying that we are good little Protestants and acting like good little Catholics. By this I mean that we often forget the completeness of our salvation and our continual dependency on grace and instead seek to please the Lord by some efforts of our own.
The most difficult aspect of this struggle is that from the outside no one may be able to see the difference. The one who lives under the law and the one who lives according to grace may do all the same things--the difference is the attitude of the heart.
The one who depends on the law is consumed with "getting it right," and can often be consumed with guilt and fear when faced with the reality of his or her own insufficiency and failure. This person is trying to make it on his or her own. This is the person to whom Paul says, " Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
By contrast the believer who lives according to grace is depending on the leading and strength of the Spirit. They are familiar with the throne of grace and turn there to find grace and forgiveness for their sin and shortcomings.
We have been saved by grace alone and we must live in the reality of this grace. When asked several years ago what the most precious thing about my salvation was I responded "That His grace never ends--the miracle of my salvation is that my Lord saved me knowing full well that I would do most of my sinning after I was saved."
Living according to the law after being saved by grace is nothing short of pride,; the sin of saying that I can somehow do anything on my own when in truth I am dependent on the Lord Jesus for my very breath.
Living according to grace is the abundant life that the Lord Jesus promised us. It is the life free from guilt and fear. It is the life that is Spirit-led and Spirit-filled. It is the life free from anxiety and distress. It is the life lived in humble worship of the One who is alone worthy of all that we are!
Lord may we live according to the grace that HAS been given to us! Thank you Lord for this indescribable gift.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Why run?
And when I run away from God's gifts for my day I am like the Levite and the priest who passed the wounded man by. To busy to be inconvenienced too calloused to care, too self-focused to really see what God has given me today.
I want to see the measure of my days with new eyes. To let go of my control and yield to Him. To thank Him for ALL gifts...because as someone wrote once--- "We should not look at the gift and say, 'it is good and therefore it must be from God,' rather we should look at the gift and say 'it is from God and so it must be good.'" There is great acceptance and great peace in recognizing that all we have is a gift from the Good Giver. "
"Be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Friday, August 10, 2012
Letting go.
Sometimes I want so badly to let go but I feel like someone who have been gripping the rope of control for so long that my fingers are frozen in place and I cry out, "Lord, help me! I don't even know how to let go." Because it is more than words-- it is my life. I can say with my lips "I surrender," but if I cling tightly to that rope of control I am a liar.
I was reading about Jacob this week. Jacob who fought for his own control despite even at times knowing God's plan for his life. I mean, I imagine, knowing Rebekah favoritism toward Jacob, that she told him of the prophecy of God: "the older shall serve the younger." But it wasn't enough for Jacob to know that God had ordained that to be. He has to take matters into his own hands, and has to first steal his brother's birthright and then deceitfully take his brother's blessing. And nothing changes as Jacob gets older. When, after years of separation, he is faced with seeing his brother Esau again, what does he do? Does he pray and seek the Lord's guidance? No, he plots and plans and again takes matters into his own hands. I know that all to often that is my way as well. I, either out of forgetfulness, or out of pride, or out of fear, barge ahead to correct, control, arrange difficulties according to my way without first consulting the Father.
And then in the middle of that we have what seems like this random story in the middle of Jacob going to meet Esau. Jacob is alone and a Man comes and wrestles with him. Kind of weird, right? But note two things, Jacob gets a new name--Israel, which can be translated "God rules" and Jacob is broken in the strongest part of his body.
You see, Jacob is in the middle of this really crazy, scary situation and whether it is because of arrogance or fear or forgetfulness, he has disregarded God. And so God stops him in his tracks and God gives him a new name. Israel--God rules, a names that would forever remind Jacob, and his people Who sat on the throne and who was in control of all things. And God breaks Jacob in the strongest muscle of the body--taking away any thought that he had some power in and of himself and permanently leaving a reminder of his weakness and God's mighty power!
And so I am reminded that it is in my weakness that He is strong. I am His "workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10)." And the verses right before that tell me I saved by grace alone! The Christian life is not this frantic struggle to "get it right" and to somehow please God. The Christian life is simply trusting in Christ alone and walking with Him.
As it says on an old-school camp t-shirt
"Breaking thru the darkness, Jesus is the Light!."
Lord, may these truths sink deep in my heart, that as I write them I would let go and rest in You alone! May Your Spirit guide my footsteps and may Your name be glorified in my life!
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