Over the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about what I need to live as a Christian. I’ve been reminded that what I need is the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ – more than I need food to eat or air to breathe.
Although God’s grace by its nature isn’t something that I can do anything to deserve, I’ve been reminded that we’re kidding ourselves if we think there’s no need for any action on our part to receive it. God gives us the grace to come to him, know him and love him and trust him through his word, the Bible. His grace flows into us and through us as it comes to us in his word. So, if we need that grace more than air or food, it stands to reason that we need to put ourselves in the path of God’s grace by putting his word in front of us constantly.
Hearing God’s word read and preached every week at church is a given. God works in our lives by his grace as we hear the Bible taught to us week by week. But it’s not enough. A weekly serve of the grace we need more than air of food isn’t enough to sustain us through the week. It’s like getting up Monday morning, taking in the biggest breath you can and hoping that will last you for the week without drawing any more breath till next Monday! Or like having a good meal at the start of the week and thinking that will give you enough nourishment to survive the week.
Friends, God’s grace is his life-changing power to transform us daily into the people he has saved us to be through the gospel. We are filled with his grace as we read and reflect on his word every day, because, by his grace, God keeps filling us with the knowledge of the miracle of his grace in Jesus Christ to turn us from his enemies into his dearly-loved children. And that grace has life-changing implications for the way you live every day. You can’t take it all in once a week – or less.
I read a statistic that said that if Christians spent the same amount of time reading the Bible as watching TV we’d read the Bible right through every 3 months! Most of us have the time. The problem is the inclination. Put yourself in the path of God’s grace this week. Make a habit of reading and reflecting on some of the Bible each day this week. That’s how God will transform each of us – and our church – into the people he has made us through his grace in the gospel.
God bless,
Paul
Although God’s grace by its nature isn’t something that I can do anything to deserve, I’ve been reminded that we’re kidding ourselves if we think there’s no need for any action on our part to receive it. God gives us the grace to come to him, know him and love him and trust him through his word, the Bible. His grace flows into us and through us as it comes to us in his word. So, if we need that grace more than air or food, it stands to reason that we need to put ourselves in the path of God’s grace by putting his word in front of us constantly.
Hearing God’s word read and preached every week at church is a given. God works in our lives by his grace as we hear the Bible taught to us week by week. But it’s not enough. A weekly serve of the grace we need more than air of food isn’t enough to sustain us through the week. It’s like getting up Monday morning, taking in the biggest breath you can and hoping that will last you for the week without drawing any more breath till next Monday! Or like having a good meal at the start of the week and thinking that will give you enough nourishment to survive the week.
Friends, God’s grace is his life-changing power to transform us daily into the people he has saved us to be through the gospel. We are filled with his grace as we read and reflect on his word every day, because, by his grace, God keeps filling us with the knowledge of the miracle of his grace in Jesus Christ to turn us from his enemies into his dearly-loved children. And that grace has life-changing implications for the way you live every day. You can’t take it all in once a week – or less.
I read a statistic that said that if Christians spent the same amount of time reading the Bible as watching TV we’d read the Bible right through every 3 months! Most of us have the time. The problem is the inclination. Put yourself in the path of God’s grace this week. Make a habit of reading and reflecting on some of the Bible each day this week. That’s how God will transform each of us – and our church – into the people he has made us through his grace in the gospel.
God bless,
Paul
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