Grace for the Race

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13)

Like Adam and Eve who chose fig leaves to hid behind rather than face God for forgiveness, healing, and restoration, we must stop trying to hide behind “fig leave” statements like, “That’s just the way I am” or “I have always been that way.” Statements like these express a refusal to change and a defense of one’s habits. These phrases can often indicate a “take it or leave it” kind of attitude. But know this – what you were yesterday matters not to God because He has given you His Spirit to make you something you have never been as a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Excuses are like camouflage we try to hide behind when we would rather not do the hard work of getting in step with the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. It is far easier to simply settle into our old self and live in the flesh rather than His Spirit. But this so dishonors our Lord who paid the ultimate price to have us in relationship with Him. He died that we might live, not anyway we like. But to live like Him.

Think about it this way. When we say to someone, “I’m just not a patient, kind, or loving person,” we are denying the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We are that kind of person because we are indwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit. We just need to simply begin acting out practically, what we already are positionally, as a child of the Most-High God.

So, what camouflage have you been hiding behind lately? By God’s grace, let us all get rid of our fig leaves and face the One who has promised to make all things new, including you.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)

During the time of wilderness wandering, God made His presence known in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved, the people of God were to move with it. When the cloud stopped, they were to stay put. The problem was the people kept looking away from the cloud and on to the crowd.

The crowd complained about the leadership. The crowd complained about the menu. The crowd even wanted to go back to Egypt where they were slaves for the previous 450 years. They were a people who were rumbling, stumbling, and grumbling all the way into the Promised Land. They sought to satisfy their will rather than the will of God. In losing sight of God’s perfect plan for their imperfect lives, they shifted their focus away from the cloud and where God was leading them, and put it on the crowd.

Today, we face the same challenges God’s people faced back then. There are countless crowd voices and noises, that are calling us to walk in their way. We are constantly being bombarded by social media voices that are enticing us and encouraging us to look away from the cloud and follow the crowd. But this is not for you.

We can be sure many of the Israelites were telling Moses what to do, where to go, and how to get there. But Moses, stayed faithful to God and in his humility and obedience to God’s instructions, followed the cloud no matter where it led. So, how is it with you today? Are you following the cloud or the crowd? The more time you spend each day sitting at the feet of Jesus, the better you will be able to follow wherever He is leading you.  

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. (Jeremiah 27:17)

We must not limit God in His dealings with us. With His ultimate goal of Christ-likeness to be formed within us (Romans 8:29), God will accomplish this His way, in His timing, and by any means necessary.

God used the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar and the pagan people of Babylon as instruments of judgment in the lives of His people, with the ultimate goal of weaning their hearts away from the things of this world. The message is clear for us today. We must accept God’s ways in our lives even when we cannot comprehend them. We must trust God’s heart even when we cannot trace His hand.

Every circumstance in your life is filled with God’s chosen instruments of sanctification, regardless of their relationship to Him. We must not think that God will only use the godly in forming Christ in us. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things and He will use all things in this world to accomplish His plans for His people, and that includes you and me.

God will use any means necessary to grow and mature you in the faith. Perhaps an unsaved boss; a godless co-worker; a pagan neighbor; an atheistic friend. God will use both the pastor and the pagan, the godly and the ungodly, in accomplishing His purpose in this world, and that includes in each of His children too.

So, what king Nebuchadnezzar has God brought into your life to use to chisel Christ-like character in you today? Remember, the “ungodly” and the “unspiritual” are under God’s complete control at all times. Thank God today and be on the lookout for those unexpected instruments He is using in your life to make you more like Jesus, by any means necessary.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their inheritance. (Ezekiel 44:28)

This divine declaration is frequently repeated throughout the law of Moses by God to His priests, the Levites, who were to be totally supported by the tithes given to God, and by their portion of the offerings that were given to him. God had ordained that His priests would not share in the possessions as the rest of the other 11 tribes of Israel had, for He alone would be their prized possession and their incredible inheritance, for He would provide for their every need as they served wholly unto the Lord.

There is great comfort in this word for us today because we, as the people of God, are a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). The priesthood of all believers is a foundational concept of Christianity, reclaimed for the people of God during the Protestant Reformation of the 16^th Century. Having been chosen and set apart by God, like the Old Testament priest, we offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Our privileged status makes us heirs to the kingdom of God, to wit, God Himself is to be our inheritance. Now take careful note of this truth – unlike an earthly inheritance that is passed down after a person dies – we have access to our incredible inheritance not only daily, but moment by moment.

Regardless of what you have in the here and now, you cannot take any of it with you when you go. But in God’s economy, your true inheritance, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is not only available to you, He is with you so we cry as the psalmist, “Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing” (Psalm 16:5). So, let me ask you this question, “Have you been living in the light of this truth?” The answer, of course, can be found in the beating of your heart. What does your heart beat strongest for in your life right now? Is it the stuff of life or is it your Savior who has given you life?

Paul writes to the Ephesians, “In Christ we have obtained an inheritance” (1:11). Some, have a tendency to limit their understanding of this inheritance to eternal life in heaven with Jesus and all the saints of God. But there is more. Your inheritance includes everyday life on earth and every spiritual blessing imaginable – you are forgiven – you are redeemed – you are a new creation – you are adopted into God’s family of faith – you are given a purpose to live for and the power to live it out. In a word, your inheritance is INCONCEIVABLE. Let this truth set you free to live the life God has called you to live today, right now, right where this finds you.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (John 6:15)

God the Father sent God the Son to be King of His people. So, what was wrong with the people wanting to assist the Almighty in the process by making Jesus king by force, knowing that it was indeed God’s ultimate goal for His Son based on the Old Testament prophecies? What was wrong was in the way the people wanted to do it and for the reasons they wanted to do it. They wanted to do it by force and for their temporal and earthly good, which stood in direct opposition to the plan and purpose of the Father.

Of course, behind the people stood Satan himself. When Satan failed in his wilderness temptations of Jesus, he was not finished in his fight against the Son of God. He continued stirring the hearts and minds of the people to rebel against God’s purpose and plan for Messiah and this was one of his subtle victories. The seduction of the serpent caused the crowd to clamor for the king they wanted, the king that would reestablish the throne of David in Jerusalem and remove the boot of Rome from their necks.

Perhaps, Jesus would be tempted to be crowned king without having to go through the cruel cross. Here was an opportunity for instant gratification AND the accomplishment of God’s ultimate goal, as the mass of Jewish humanity were ready to rise up against their Roman oppressors and hand the King of Israel the throne of David. God’s goal for His beloved Son was within reach but not according to God’s perfect plan to accomplish it. To be sure, as fully man, Jesus had an EGO that could have fell prey to the applause of man and the appeal of popularity, just like any of us. But Jesus could always recognize the “snake” in the grass who would do anything to derail the destiny of the Chosen One. Jesus knew when the accomplishment of God’s goal would NOT be good.

Notice one final thing and let this truth strengthen you to resist the devil whenever he comes calling to entice you to accomplish any good goal God would have for you in a way that is not in line with God’s plan and purpose for accomplishing it.

Jesus withdrew again to a mountain by himself!

It was His continual communion with His Father that kept Him on track. In perpetual prayer, Jesus was strengthened to stay the course and follow the will of His Father, even when that will was leading to the most horrible death known to man at that time – a Roman cross. The prayer life of our Lord was the key that unlocked the door leading to a resolve that refused to ever accomplish any goal God had for Him in anyway apart from the perfect plan of His Father. May this be the confession of our lives.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

You will be my witness. (Acts 1:8)

One of the many dictionary definitions of a “calling card” comes under the heading of “visiting card” – a card used to signify a visit made to a house or a business as an introduction for oneself. The primary difference between the common calling card and the cosmic calling card is this – where the common calling card introduces oneself – the cosmic calling card introduces one’s Savior. Every Christian is “Christ’s calling card” sent by God to introduce Christ. Everything about us should point to the One whom we serve, both our talk and our walk. Let’s take a look.

• Witness With Our Talk

In writing to the Ephesians, Paul outlines the formula for the witness with our talk, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). In its context, Paul is telling the Ephesians and us that we can grieve the Holy Spirit with the way we communicate with others. If we are going to be a witness for Jesus as Christ’s Calling Card, our language must represent and reflect the One we are speaking for. When we open our mouths to speak, we should be building other us, not tearing them down, and in the process, we will be putting the gospel on display, because what we say will be a benefit to those who we speak to.

• Witness With Our Walk

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). A walk without works shouts to the watching world that our faith is dead. The works in no way save us, but they are evidence that we are actually saved. As Dr. Kennedy would say, “When you are saved, God changes your wanter!” As believers, we begin to desire the things of God and desire less and less the stuff of this world. We live for the purpose of God by the power of God. Our desires have changed because our destiny has changed. As the reformers said, “We are saved by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone.

So, how well are you witnessing for your Lord with both your talk and your walk? What kind of “Calling Card” Christian are you? Are you living a life for the glory of God and the good of others? What changes do you need to make and if you don’t what will it cost you? The next time you encounter someone, remember, you are “Christ’s Calling Card’ and your talk and your walk will let people know the kind of God you serve.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me. (Psalm 23:4)

Far too many, even in the church today, have a misunderstanding that circumstance makes the person. You become what you are because of the circumstances you encounter throughout life. But James Allen corrected this misunderstanding with these words, “Circumstance does not make the man . . . it reveals him.” Make no mistake, our verse of encouragement today tells us how independent we are of outward circumstances because of one simple truth – Jesus is with us!

• Jesus was with Moses walking through the Red Sea
• Jesus was with Elijah on Mount Carmel when facing the prophets of Baal
• Jesus was with Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego in the fiery furnace
• Jesus was with Daniel in the lion’s den
• Jesus was with Stephen being stoned
• Jesus was with Paul in prison

AND JESUS IS WITH YOU – regardless of where this finds you today.

If the storm winds are blowing, we can be calm because the One who calmed the storm is with us. If the seas are stormy and it looks like our boat is about to capsize, we can be at peace because the One who said “Peace be still” is with us. Darkness may be all around you but fear not. For the Light of the world has promised to guide you and protect you and to ultimately get you safely to the other side. If you find yourself lying on a bed of sickness today, fear not. It becomes a throne of grace because Jesus is with you in your sickness. If you are facing financial difficulties and poverty is banging at your door, fear not. Jesus has promised to give you more in your less than the rich will ever have in their abundance. For He is with you. Even death itself cannot disrupt the peace of the disciple because Jesus became the death of death, and to cross the Jordan with Him is to enter the place marked – GLORIOUS GAIN!

So, regardless of the circumstances you are facing today, fear not! The power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within has given you the power to make you independent of all of them. Darkness becomes light. Loss becomes gain. And death becomes life, because Jesus is with us and has promised to never leave us no matter what.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

When was the last time you gave any deep thought to just how loved you truly are by your Savior? Well, if you spent every waking moment marinating in and meditating on this truth, you would not even begin to plumb the depths of how loved you truly are. Let it both comfort you and challenge you to rise above the waves of challenge you might be facing today. Listen to how Charles Spurgeon describes this love in his Morning and Evening devotion:

Where shall language be found which shall describe His matchless, His unparalleled love towards the children of men? It is so vast and boundless that, as the swallow but skimmeth the water, and diveth not into its depths, so all descriptive words but tough the surface, while depths immeasurable lie beneath.

The apostle Paul tells us in our verse today that this love simply surpasses knowledge. Finite mind simply cannot understand infinite love and what it does understand of it, would not fill a teaspoon to overflowing. It is a love that God in Christ had for us in eternity past, when we were not. When there was only the Triune God, there still was His love for us that surpasses knowledge. Then there was a love that surpasses knowledge that created us in His own image. The heart that beat with that love never skipped a beat when we rebelled, but rather, it pursued rebels on the run. Who can understand that kind of love?

The love that surpasses knowledge sought us, caught us, and bought us with His precious blood as He hung upon a cross on Calvary’s hill. Oh, what agony Jesus endured to have us as His own. He was denied, betrayed, falsely accused, beaten, scourged, had a crown of thorns pressed into His brow and nine-inch nails driven through His hands and His feet. And if that wasn’t enough pain in pursuit of the objects of His affection (you and me), He endured the infinite agony of the supernatural separation when His Father could not look upon His Son who because sin for us and cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” 

And if there is a time when we just might begin to sense the depths of divine love that has been poured out upon us, notice the last portion of the verse – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. It is utterly impossible to fathom what it means to be filled with the love of God. How much more to fathom what it means to be filled with all the fullness of God. Beloved, know this . . . when knowledge is surpassed, it is simply best to receive and rest in its truth – and let it fill your heart to overflowing.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. (2 Corinthians 3:3)

The apostle Paul says we are letters of our Lord Jesus Christ, not written with ink but with the Holy Spirit. So, the question we all must answer is this: “What does our letter say to those who are reading us?” As it has been rightly observed, the life of the believer will be the only Bible many people ever read! How does it make you feel to know you are one of the Lord’s living epistles . . . a Living Letter of the Lord?

Here is something we all need to remember as disciples of Jesus. As soon as the watching world hears our profession of faith, they begin to watch more closely to see if our walk matches our talk. The way we live out our faith paints the clearest picture of the kind of God we love and serve. The way we live out our faith will either draw people toward Jesus or repel them. There is no middle ground. So, how attractive have you been making God lately in your words and your deeds?

The key to being the most effective letter of the Lord is to allow the truths of the gospel to be manifest in your life. Jesus is our model because He was the perfection of the Lord’s Letter in the flesh. He lived out the truths of the gospel perfectly, and yet in His perfection as the Lord’s Letter, some were attracted and some were repelled, some received and some rejected, some walked with Him and some walked away. So, our focus is not on the reception we receive when others read us. Rather, our focus is on the message contained within our letter and that it is true to the gospel.

Here is one of the simplest ways to look at the content of the Lord’s Letter. It should be written in the shape of a cross. The first thing people need to read must be written vertically – how we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The next thing people need to read must be written horizontally – how we love others . . . ALL OTHERS. We don’t just love the lovable. We love all others as we are reminded of the love that was poured out upon us “while we were still sinners!” When people read the message of love in us as the Lord’s letter, they are reading the most important message they will ever read.

Do you see the great privilege it is to be the Lord’s living epistle? Jesus has chosen to write His message of perfect love on imperfect parchment paper and set it before the watching world for everyone to read. Remember, because His mercies are new every morning, so is our opportunity to write a new letter of love for the glory of our Lord. What will the Spirit of the living God write upon you today?

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

It is said of these people, “They kiss calf-idols!” (Hosea 13:2)

The people of God had left their first love and in willful rebellion, chased after smaller gods that promised life, but delivered only death. This is always true when we chase after anything smaller than Jesus. Oh, it may look like life and it may even feel like life, but in the end, it cannot deliver on its promise and brings with it only destruction and death. Let this serve as a word of warning this day – kiss not the calf – for it cannot satisfy the longing of your heart. Instead, bow the knee and kiss your Christ – for He will meet you in your deepest place of need.

Now the problem with a message like this today in our contemporary church culture is we have a tendency to picture the “golden calf” the Israelites made and began to worship when Moses was too long up on the mountain of God. But this would be a grave mistake. To be sure, it was a real gold statue of a calf that the people did bow down to and begin to worship, but we know those were primitive people and we are far too educated and cultured to do such a thing. It is true that most people today would not bow down and worship a gold statue of a calf. Rather, they will worship idols that are far less noticeable like a job, a relationship, success, finances, a hobby, social status, physical beauty, greed, which is “idolatry” as Paul writes in Colossians 3:5. The list, of course, is endless.  

It’s important to make note of this list that most of the things on it are not bad things. They are good things like a job or a relationship or a hobby or physical health and beauty. The problem is when these, and countless other good things, become ultimate things in our lives, they then become bad things. They enslave us and become life-altering, and cause us to do things we ought not do and often, hurt ourselves and our loved ones along the way. Make no mistake, we all “kiss calf-idols” from time to time. Sometimes they are clearly bad for us like greed and immorality. But more often than not, they are good for us and the greater the good the greater our expectation of having our deepest needs met by it.

What we must remember is the truth that good things become bad things when they become ultimate things. So, have you kissed the calf lately? Have you sought after anything smaller than God to give to you what only God can give? Remember, we all come from the factory with a God-sized void inside. Only when we fill it with God do we find the happiness and joy and satisfaction we so desperately desire. So, kiss not the calf. Rather, like the prostitute who anointed our Lord with expensive ointment, kiss the feet of Jesus Christ and your internal void will be filled to overflowing.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!