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Tag: grace

  • What do I do with this? – Grace

    What do I do with this? – Grace

    ‘Grace’ is a continuation from the ‘Law.’

    The Law convicts us of our sinfulness.

    Some leaders of God’s people and teachers of God’s word use the Law to convict ALL of our sinfulness. (And well they should; for who among us is without sin?) Yet those who have no regard for GOD have no regard for the Law of God.

    Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? – John 8:46

    Pharisees asked Jesus questions in many attempts to convict the Son of God of sin. Yet only Jesus Christ lived a life without sin.

    What about the rest of us? Who can God accept as sinless?

    God’s answer to our conviction by the Law is the redeeming grace of the sacrifice of Christ.

    2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV

    All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

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    Do we use scripture like the Pharisees to convict only? Or unlike most men, do we not only convict ourselves and others of our sin but also show how God has forgiven our sins?

    Are YOU a sinner? (I sin.) Then we need mercy or we cannot live in the love of a Perfect loving God. We are unable to live a Christ-like life. We are sinners forgiven.

    God instructs us in scripture to make us more God-like, a more perfect image of Him. God instructs us through scripture just like a loving father teaching his beloved children. Even the Law of the Father is foundation to the instruction of the obedient child, yet a loving father instructs also in our failings.

    What father does not teach and rebuke his own sons and daughters? What father does not correct and instruct his own children in the righteousness of more abundant life?

    Instruction is the whole training of a child (or adult); not just in school, not just by a teacher, not only by our parents. Correction by our heavenly Father is a redirection back to the Law and the will of our Father who loves us dearly.

    Instruction by God is given in scripture for all who would be children of the Living God.

    We are convicted in the heart: I am a terrible sinner, always turning from the ways my loving Father intends. We need God’s fatherly love even though we reject our Father’s instruction of scripture.

    Can you see the love and compassion of our heavenly Father in sending the loving Son, Christ Jesus, to the Cross to pay the price of your sin and of mine?

    God our Father has shone us not only mercy for our sins, but His grace of abundant love and eternal life.

    What is grace? It is favor and acceptance we do NOT deserve. We are more than accepted by God our Father; we are loved in the fullness of His grace.

    Who would not desire the kindness, the compassion, the gentleness of Jesus?

    Would all mankind not be more god-like if only we would mirror the image of Jesus?

    We sin. We break the Law. We trespass to that place where we do not belong in God’s will. What should we expect? Punishment.

    What if we are caught (by the living God who knows all things)? What if we will come to His judgment at the last day or at the day of our inevitable death? What will GOD have to do to cover our sin we sometimes try so hard to hide from others?

    What if our eternal soul must suffer for our mortal sins of this brief, measured life? What does the Law require?

    GOD did not require grace for you or for me. God required a price to be paid for your sin and for mine. By His own love God paid the Court of Judgment everything just for the love of your soul.

    For the love of our souls Christ died on the Cross that we might have eternal grace and unending love.

    Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16

    For the sake of Christ’s love, God’s very mercy sacrificed for you, accept the reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness by our heavenly Father; for your soul is sought by His eternal and overflowing love for you and for me.

    Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. 2 John 1:3

  • A Temporary Throne – 9

    A Temporary Throne – 9

    CHAPTER 9

    Job 1:1 NLT There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.

    I confess that I am a sinner. I am NOT a righteous man like Job.  I am most thankful for the grace of my personal redemption through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

    God granted Satan permission to test Job, even though Job had an exemplary prayer life. If any man’s prayers deserved answer and reward, it would be Job. And if any man lacking in prayer does NOT deserve an answer to infrequent prayer, it would be me.

    God grants permission to Satan to do whatever he wants to Job, except kill him. Job loses all of his family (except for his wife, who advised him, ‘Just curse God, and die’). Job loses everything, except his integrity.

    So Job makes righteous complaint to God. When God finally answers Job, it takes up most of four chapters of the Book.

    I am a sinner, now before the THRONE of God.

    Even with the saving grace of Christ, I dared not speak to the LORD GOD of any complaint, as if God had never heard my heart-felt prayers from deep within my mortal soul.

    ‘What does a mortal man say to God?’ I thought.

    (And I knew the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, already knew my thought and would not be surprised by my next words or next thoughts.)

    (How would I plead my case before the THRONE of the JUDGE of all men?) I thought of Jesus parable of an unjust judge:

    Luke 18 NRSV Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

    To be continued…

    A Temporary Throne is an original work of Roger Harned,

    © Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved by the author.

  • The Gospel: Preached by John

    The Gospel: Preached by John

    Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed! – Psalm 84:9

    John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)

    16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

    Speak: and your tongue does witness the word of your soul.

    I have a ‘word’ for you: “logos.” 

    John uses Logos for the Person of Jesus as God’s Very Word spoken in the Holy Flesh of Christ Jesus.

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    He was in the beginning with God.

    Jesus IS the ‘I AM‘ in the flesh!

    Exodus 3:13-14 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

    John’s Gospel preaches that God the Father sent God the Son to the people of Israel (and to gentiles of the nations as well). When they ask, “What is his name?” the reply is that of Jesus.

    John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

    The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

    Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

    Acts 2:37

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John:

    … His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

    16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

    17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

    But he laid his right hand on me, saying,

    “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one.

    I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.