Tag: Miscellaneous

Examples of Grace 04

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

We deserve judgment and death for our sins, but God continually pours out blessing upon blessing.  We don’t deserve his blessings.  We have no claim upon them.  They are underserved.  That is grace.  Consider some examples of God’s grace from the book of Exodus:

The people cried out to the Lord for help, and God heard their prayers.  How many times do we cry out the Lord?  He hears every prayer.  That’s grace.

God took Moses and made him a great leader to bring the people out of Egypt.  Moses did not deserve this privilege, but God chose to equip and use him.  We are nobodies.  God doesn’t need us.  But he chooses to equip and use us to accomplish his work here on earth.  That’s grace.

God promised to deliver the people from slavery.  Consider the hope that such a promise brought forth!  God has graciously showered us with precious promises.  In those certain promises we find hope.

God graciously brought the people out of slavery in Egypt.  God graciously frees us from slavery to sin.

God graciously provided food and water in the wilderness.  God graciously provides us with food and water; he supplies for our needs.

Finally, God graciously made Israel his treasured possession.  Not because Israel was a treasure, but simply because God chose to do it.  We are not treasures, yet God has made his church to be his treasured possession.  Grace.

God’s grace is written in all of the Bible…and in all of our lives.  Where do you see his grace today?

Examples of Grace 03

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

More examples of God’s grace (undeserved favor) from Genesis:

Jacob speaks of God as the one who answered him in his distress.  Jacob was not the most faithful follower, yet God answered him – that is grace.  We aren’t always the most faithful followers either, yet how many times has God answered us in our distress?  Grace….

Again and again we read that God was with Jacob and Joseph, and so he favors us with his presence – especially through the trials of life.

God graciously sent Joseph to Egypt to supply for the needs of his family during the coming famine.  How many times has God graciously supplied for us?

And then there is God’s sovereign grace that weaves the circumstances of our lives for our good.  How many times did Joseph wonder why he had been sold into slavery, why he had been cast into prison?  But God was graciously working in his life through those trials, preparing him for his ultimate task.  Without the trials, he would have never been raised up to rule in Egypt, never saved his family (and countless others) from the famine.  In the midst of our trials, may we remember God’s sovereign grace – who knows how God will use our difficulties for good.  Who knows how God will bring good out of the mess in Haiti.  God is an expert at bringing something good out of messes.  That he cares to do so – that’s grace.

Favor With God

On By BrianIn Book of Luke

An angel comes to Mary and greets her with the words, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.”  The angel continues, “you have found favor with God.”

Indeed she was favored and found favor with God, for she was given the incredible privilege to bear the Savior of the world.  This is all of grace.  The Greek word translated twice as favor is usually translated as grace.  It is by God’s grace upon her life that she received this privilege.  It was not her own works, her own goodness, her own merit that earned her this privilege.  No it was grace – she found favor with God.

And so it is with us.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been given the incredible privilege of knowing the Savior of the world, of receiving his great salvation that he purchased for us on the cross, of being raised to a new life through his resurrection, and of having the certain hope of our own resurrection someday.  It is not our own works, our own goodness, our own merit that earns us this privilege.  No it is grace – we have found favor with God.

(Taken from Luke 1)

Examples of Grace 02

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

In my second week in Genesis, examples of God’s grace continued to shine forth.

By grace, God promised Abraham a son and kept his promise.  How many promises God has given to us – and he will keep every one.

God rescued Lot from Sodom.  When Lot lingered, the angels pulled him out, “the Lord being merciful to him.”  God protected Sarah when Abraham and Sarah lied about her being his wife.  How often does God graciously protect and help us despite our own stupidity!

When God tested Abraham, telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac, God ultimately provided a substitute sacrifice.  God has provided a substitute for us – Jesus who died for our sins.  We deserved condemnation, but God’s grace intervened.

God graciously guided Abraham’s servant and answered his prayer as he went to find a wife for Isaac.  As we look back in our lives, how many examples can we see of God’s guidance and answered prayer?

God promised that his presence would be with Isaac, and then with Jacob.  What a glorious example of his  grace to us that he would desire to be with us!

Jacob’s words should well sum up our own thoughts as we see God’s grace in our lives – “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant.”  We are not worthy – it is all God’s grace!

(Taken from Genesis 18-33)

Examples of Grace 01

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

One of my goals this year is to reflect on God’s grace.  To that end, as I read through the Bible, I am recording examples of grace, and seeking to ponder how those examples relate to my life.  My first week yielded the following examples of grace:

God created the world.  He give us life, our very existence.  He gives us a beautiful world to live in.  He gives us food to eat.  He gives us rest.  He gives us companionship.  None of these things are earned or deserved, they just flow from his grace.

Adam and Eve sinned, messing up this beautiful world God had made.  Yet, though marred, the beauty still often shines through.  God clothed Adam and Eve – a gift of grace, and he clothes us as well – with physical clothes, and even better – with Christ’s righteousness as we believe.

God provided an ark to save Noah and his family from the floodwaters of God’s just judgment.  God provides us with the cross to save us from the fires of God’s just judgment.

God provided animals for food for Noah’s family.  He placed a rainbow in the sky as a promise to never flood the whole earth again.  This provision and promise extends to me.

God showered his grace upon Abraham, promising him land, descendents, and that he would be a blessing to all the nations, and through Christ that blessing extends to me.

God chose Isaac to receive the blessings of Abraham, and for some reason I’ll never understand, he has chosen me to receive the blessings of Christ.

The Scriptures proclaim God’s grace, and it is in that grace that we stand.  All of grace.

(Taken from Genesis 1-17)

All of Grace

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous2 Comments

A couple of posts ago, I noted that our new years resolutions rest on God’s grace in order for us to see them come about.  As we begin this new year, it is a good reminder for me that all of life rests on God’s grace.

Every blessing comes by God’s grace.  Psalm 145:8-9 tells us that God is gracious and good to all.  Every good thing we have is because of God’s goodness and grace.  Food, clothing, shelter, health, breath, presents under the Christmas tree, job, safety – all of this and so much more flows out of God’s incredible grace to us.  This is often called common grace.

None of these things are deserved.  We need to recognize that.  Sometimes we get upset if God refuses or removes a blessing.  We think we deserve it.  It is our right to have it.  But Scripture is clear we don’t deserve anything good.  We are sinners.  We have gone astray.  Even our best deeds are like filthy rags.  We deserve death.  (Isaiah 53:6, 64:6, Romans 3:23, 6:23)

But God not only pours out common grace, he offers us saving grace.  He offers us forgiveness and cleansing from all our sins.  He offers us the hope of heaven and the resurrection.  He offers us a new life.  He offers us adoption as his children.  He offers us his Spirit in our lives.  None of this is deserved.  We can’t earn it, work for it, merit it.  All we can do is receive it by faith.  It is all grace.  (Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:1-10)

But his grace doesn’t end there.  God gives us the grace to be holy – to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (Titus 2).  He gives us the grace to serve him in various ways (Romans 12:6).  And it is his grace that should motivate us to be holy and to serve (Romans 12:1-2).  THe Christian life is by grace too.

But what about the trials in life?  Where is God’s grace there?  It comes in the form of strength to endure.  In our weakness, God graciously gives us his strength (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

Maybe you know all of this, and like me just need a reminder.  Maybe these thoughts are new to you.  All of life is by grace.  Every blessing and the strength to endure every trial is grace.  Salvation from beginning to end, including the Christian life, is grace.  All of grace.

This year I am planning to read through the Bible reflecting on God’s grace as I go.  I am also planning to read some good books about God’s grace.  I hope to share what I find with you on this blog throughout the year.  I want to know God’s grace better this year, and I hope you will know it better too.  Life really is all of grace.  Lord, open our eyes.