Category Archives: General

Did you know this was a leap year? Leap year has 366 days in it instead of the usual 365, which is accomplished by extending the month of February to 29 days rather than the usual 28.

What are you going to do with the extra day?

We probably won’t do anything different than we would normally do on a Monday. The student will probably still go to school; the office worker will probably still go to the office; the stay-at-home mom will probably still stay at home. I want to suggest to you that you pause for a moment today and reflect on the gift of time God has given to you; are you are investing it wisely?

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

(Psalm 90:12)

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

(1 Corinthians 10:31)

Walk in wisdom redeeming the time.

(Colossians 4:5)

God’s gift to each one of us is life. Our gift back to God is how we live it. The psalmist asks God to teach us to number our days simply because they go by so quickly! I think you would agree that life is flying by. Days turn into weeks; weeks turn into months; months turn into years; years turn into decades. Before we know it, seasons have come and gone, and we find ourselves staring into a mirror wondering, “Where did my life go?”

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians tells us that every moment matters. He reduces time down to the mundane activities of eating and drinking, and instructs us to do even those things for the glory of God. Whatever we are doing, we are to be doing it for God’s glory.

Paul told the Colossians that the only way to make time count (to redeem it) is to walk in wisdom—that is, to walk with Jesus. It is only when we are walking with Jesus that we are making the time count. When we walk in the wisdom of the Word, every moment matters!

So . . . with those thoughts in mind, will today be any different from any other day in February? Remember, when you spend an hour in life, you have one less hour to spend. It’s up to you; spend it wisely!

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

There is a very strange passage in the gospel of John that teaches one of the most important biblical truths we need to digest in order to navigate the confusing, turbulent waters of life. This truth is contained in the story of the raising of Lazarus, and the response Jesus gave when Mary and Martha sent word to Him that their brother Lazarus was sick.

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. . . . So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” . . . Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

(John 11:1, 3, 5-6)

It is easy to miss the incredible impact of what John is saying if we are not careful. Scripture relates that Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were all friends whom Jesus loved. So what Jesus says seems to be saying in this passage might appear insensitive at best and indifferent at worst . . .

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU . . . I WILL STAY AWAY TWO MORE DAYS!

Mary and Martha reached out to their friend Jesus in their time of crisis; no doubt they expected Him to respond in some other way than He actually did! After all, Jesus didn’t need to physically come to Bethany; He could have simply said a word and Lazarus would be fully healed. If healing would not come by our Lord uttering a word, then certainly He would promptly come to the rescue of their sick brother. And if He did not “come a-runnin,” at least Jesus would begin to make His way toward Bethany and minister to Lazarus.

But Jesus did none of these things! The passage says, Jesus loved [them]. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was. He stayed away two more days! Jesus did not respond in the way they wanted or expected. And that is often the truth for every child of God.

Mary and Martha were entirely right to reach out to Jesus when they found themselves in need . . . but they were entirely wrong to think they knew best how Jesus should respond to their need. Jesus always knows what is best for His people. He knows when it is best to respond immediately and when it is best to delay. What you and I need to remember is this: LOVE THAT DELAYS DOES NOT EQUAL LOVE THAT DENIES!

Clearly it was more loving for Jesus to wait in this circumstance. He had a very special miracle planned for all of them that would be another “sign” pointing to His deity. He would raise Lazarus from the dead after he had been buried for four days. He would show them that nothing is impossible with God.

John’s account demonstrates the truth that Jesus is who He says He is. And with that truth firmly etched upon the hearts of the children of God, we can be sure that God’s timing is always perfect and His response is always what is best for us. This passage teaches us that we can fully trust Jesus . . . even when we cannot trace Him.

So . . . how well have you been doing in this area lately? Remember, God loves you so much that He will not answer every prayer in the way you want it answered. And anyone who has been walking with Jesus for some time can look into the past and thank Him for that truth.

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

We live in a culture marked by the passionate pursuit of pleasure, regardless of the circumstances or the cost. It doesn’t take long to discover that even when we get the pleasure we have been pursuing, it never ultimately delivers on its promises. This truth goes back to the beginning of time; the serpent in the Garden promised Eve “more” of the good things in this life if she would just ignore God and decide for herself what was best for her life, but it ended in “less” . . . so much less! Men and women and boys and girls have been rediscovering this timeless truth for millennia.

The Wise Preacher made this principle perfectly clear.

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. . . . I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine . . . Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure. . . . Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

(Ecclesiastes 2:1, 3, 10a, 11 NKJV)

When Solomon referred to “pleasure” here, he was speaking of sinful self-indulgence. He made it clear that meaninglessness comes, not from disappointment or tragedy, but from our passionate pursuit of pleasure. Solomon said all self-indulgence is vanity (that is, meaninglessness, emptiness, futility) and grasping for the wind.

Who among us can grasp a handful of wind? In other words, what we are seeking in the pursuit of our pleasure—meaning, significance, purpose, satisfaction, fulfillment—will never be found in the stuff of life, even the good stuff of life. The good things in this life are simply gifts from God, and He never intended for us to find our meaning, purpose, satisfaction, and fulfillment in the gifts He has given . . . even the very best of gifts, such as marriage and child-rearing.

God Himself is the true gift we have been given; only in Him will we find what matters most in this life. Apart from God, no matter how much we accumulate, we will always be left with less than we had hoped for. And so, at the end of his book of wisdom, Solomon gave us the most important instruction for finding meaning in life:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.

(Ecclesiastes 12:13 NKJV)

True, lasting pleasure is found only in God. The fear of God is a feeling of reverence and awe that keeps Him seated on the throne of our lives. Placing God anywhere else, and we will live in a perpetual state of meaninglessness. He is the way and the truth and the life!

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

What have you been fixing your eyes on lately? What captures your focus throughout each day, week, month, and year? I’d like to offer a word of encouragement to help you fix your focus in the right direction.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

(Hebrews 12:1-2)

The writer of Hebrews tells us just how important our focus is. When our eyes are fixed in the wrong direction and on the wrong thing, it becomes something that “hinders” us and “easily entangles” us, inhibiting our forward and faithful progress in the race of life.

So . . . what have you been fixing your eyes on lately? Jesus? Or have you locked on to something smaller that will certainly cause you to stumble? In his wonderful Morning and Evening devotional, Charles Spurgeon provided these profound words:

It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus, but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.”

The goal of the accuser of the saints is always to get believers to shift their focus away from the Savior and onto the self. When self is on the throne of life, the Savior is not. And when the Savior is not, there is no telling what faithless ditch we will swerve into. Only when we fix our eyes on Jesus are we living a life that truly matters! Notice what the passage from Hebrews does not say. It does not say . . .

• Fix your eyes on your faith
• Fix your eyes on your prayers
• Fix your eyes on your good works
• Fix your eyes on your service
• Fix your eyes on your repentance
• Fix your eyes on your pastor

It is only when we have fixed our eyes on Jesus that we will begin to know what it means to live the abundant life. Abundance in this life is never about our “stuff.” It is always and only about our Savior. We must keep our focus on Jesus . . . His life . . . His death . . . His resurrection . . . His continual intercession for us! From the moment we rise in the morning until the moment we close our eyes at night, we are to fix our eyes of faith—however wavering that faith may be at present—on Jesus, trusting that He is the one who has authored our faith and will, one day, perfect it. Until that glorious Day, live with a fixed focus on the Faithful One!

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

Why He Did It!

This is the third and final installment in this series on the good Shepherd who is revealed to us in Scripture. We’ve been focused on Jesus’ words in the gospel of John:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

(John 10:11-15)

On Wednesday, we took a look at who this good Shepherd is in both the Old and New Testaments. On Thursday, we saw what the good Shepherd does. Today we will briefly look at why He did it.

Our good Shepherd did what He did so that we would once again be reconciled to God and restored to an intimate, personal, loving . . .

RELATIONSHIP!

The relationship Adam and Eve had with God in the Garden of Eden—intimate, personal, loving, walking with God in the cool of the day—was lost when they turned away from Him and disobeyed His command. They willfully chose to remove God from the throne of their lives and put themselves on it. As a result of this awful act of cosmic treason, our first parents were banished from the Garden, and forced to live “East of Eden.”

But, as we’ve seen so many times here, God made a promise in Genesis 3:15 to make atonement for their sin. And it is only through trusting in the good Shepherd of the Bible that our lost relationship with God will be restored. Paradise lost is Paradise regained when we place our trust in Christ alone for our redemption and reconciliation with God.

In our relationship with our redeeming good Shepherd, we have two marks placed upon us:

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

(John 10:27)

Mark #1 is placed on our ear – “My sheep listen to my voice.”

Mark #2 is placed on our foot – “They [my sheep] follow me.”

So . . . how good is your hearing? How well do you follow? Remember, we are always listening to some voice, and there are many strident voices in the world trying to get our attention. But the sheep of the good Shepherd listen to His voice. And then, after listening to His voice, the sheep of God follow Him . . . wherever He leads, regardless of the cost or circumstance.

David Limbaugh, brother of talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh, is a former skeptic who is now a believer. David told an interviewer . . .

One thing that blew me away and got me over the tipping point from skeptic to believer was the amazing Messianic prophecies that were fulfilled in such specificity. The prophet Micah in the Old Testament predicted the actual city of Jesus’ birth—Bethlehem—700 years before it happened!

My spiritual father, Dr. D. James Kennedy, often pointed out that there are 333 Old Testament prophecies that deal with the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the good Shepherd. When one takes even a cursory glance at these prophecies, it is plain to see that Jesus is our good Shepherd. He came to die for His sheep and He rose from the grave in order to have a personal relationship which each one of His sheep.

I pray that this will be the confession of your life: that you are a friend of God through Jesus Christ.

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

What He Does!

This is the second installment in a three-part series on the Good Shepherd who is revealed to us in Scripture. We are focusing on Jesus’ words in the gospel of John:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

(John 10:11-15)

On Wednesday, we took a look at who this good Shepherd is in both the Old and the New Testaments. Today, in part 2, we will see exactly what the good Shepherd does: He lays down His life for His sheep. Our Lord said this plainly in verse 11 and then again in verse 15. When our Lord repeats something twice in Scripture, it is not because He forgot he said it the first time or because He is just “rambling.” He repeats Himself for emphasis; He is calling our attention to what He saying. “Do you see this, sheep? Do you grasp this? I lay down my life . . . for you!”

There is no greater demonstration of true love than for one person to willingly lay down his life for another. Indeed, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, stood in our place of condemnation and paid the penalty of our sin. He took . . .

• Our beating
• Our scourging
• Our crown of thorns
• Our nine-inch nails
• Our cross
• Our death

Jesus freely, willingly laid down His life to set us free from the penalty and the power of sin. For those who, by grace through faith, trust in Christ alone for eternal life, the penalty of sin has been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb who takes away all our sins. It is finished, as Jesus said in John 19:30. Our sin debt has been paid in full.

As glorious as that truth is, there is something that just flat-out amazes me every time I stop to think about it. Jesus did not lay down His life for his friends! Others have done that . . . a soldier leaps on a live hand grenade to shield his brothers from the blast. We read of such heroic acts and hope that we possess that same kind of courage and love. But here’s the thing: Colossians 1:21 tells us bluntly that we were alienated from God and enemies in our minds because of our evil behavior. That was our condition when Jesus died from us. Jesus died for us when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) . . . when we were His enemies! It is that supernatural, utterly indescribable love that prompted Charles Wesley to write in 1738, “Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

And that’s not all! Not only has our Lord removed the penalty of sin forever, but the power of sin has also been taken away. After we have been raised from death to life by the power and the grace of God, we must remember that the same grace that saved us is the same grace that sanctifies us. The power that raised Jesus from death to life is the same power that is inside of every Christian (Ephesians 1:19), giving us the power to say NO to the things we ought to say NO to and the power of YES to the things we must say YES too!

So . . . knowing what the good Shepherd does, the question that each one of us must ask and answer is: “Has He done this for me?”

On Friday I will present the final installment of the great work of our good Shepherd.

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

Who He Is!

As we’ve been opening up the gospel of John at Cross Community Church, we took some time to drink in our Lord’s words in Chapter 10: “I am the good shepherd.” This week I’d like to take a closer look at three aspects of this most wonderful and comforting passage of Scripture.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

(John 10:11-15)

When you think of shepherds in the Bible, who comes to mind? Many of us would immediately think of David, the youngest son of Jesse, the shepherd boy whom God called to be king. Surely we would recall Moses tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all were shepherds. But who would you say is the greatest shepherd in all of the Old Testament?

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  

(Psalm 23)

The Lord God Omnipotent is the greatest Shepherd in all the Old Testament! He is also the greatest Shepherd in the New Testament, just as Micah prophesized.

You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”…He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.

(Micah 5:2, 4)

The same Lord God Omnipotent who shepherds His people in the Old Testament is revealed to us again as the greatest Shepherd in the New Testament; we see Him in the second person of the Trinity: Jesus Christ. Jesus is described in Hebrews 13:20 as “that great Shepherd of the sheep . . . brought back from the dead.”

God is the one and only good shepherd who knows His sheep . . . and they know Him!

So here is the question to consider today: how well do you know Jesus? How much time do you spend getting to know who He really is?

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

If you’re a regular visitor to “Grace for the Race,” you know that I just concluded a five-part series on God’s very special love for you: God’s love wrought you, sought you, caught you, bought you, and taught you. Today, with Valentine’s Day just two days away, let’s see what it means to be “so loved,” as was described by the apostle John.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

(John 3:16)

Think about this for a moment: writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John could not think of a better word to describe God’s love for us than “so.” This is highly instructive. The last five articles I’ve posted described different aspects of God’s love in Christ for us, all of which fit under this heading of SO LOVED. I believe God wants us to contemplate just how loved we are and apply the appropriate descriptive word that fits the circumstance we are in.

• Are you feeling worthless . . . like you’re some kind of a “second-class citizen”? Perish the thought; God’s love wrought you! You are made in the image of God!
• Are you feeling all alone . . . like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling? Perish the thought; God’s love sought you! And He has promised never to leave you or forsake you!
• Are you feeling like you’ve “blown” your relationship with God . . . like you’ve failed so badly that God would never want anything to do with you? Perish the thought; God’s love caught you! He sought out Adam and Peter—not to punish them, but to restore them. The angels in heaven rejoice when you turn back to God in repentance and faith!
• Are you feeling like you’re “not that special” . . . like you’re just another face in the crowd? Perish the thought; God’s love bought you! He gave His only Son to redeem you from the slave market of sin. You are spectacularly special!
• Are you feeling discouraged because the people around you seem so much more intelligent . . . like you’re just not that bright? Perish the thought; God’s love taught you! As we saw in Wednesday’s article, He has sent His Spirit to teach you all things!

You are so loved! God’s love for you is that great and all-encompassing!

Here are a few more ways to understand what it means to be “so loved.” We are . . .

SO LOVED that God gave us His precious Son, Jesus. God the Father gave God the Son, not only in His life, but in His death. Jesus willingly went to a cross in our place. Jesus Christ wasn’t held on that cruel cross by nails; He was held there by His unbelievable, supernatural love for us. When we contemplate what it means to be “so loved,” we must always see it in light of the cross.

SO LOVED that our relationship is rooted in our belief . . . not our behavior. Look at John 3:16 again. Jesus did not say that whoever behaves in good, right, true, and noble ways should not perish; He said whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ will have eternal life. The apostle Paul echoed this truth to the Ephesians: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, italics added). Now that’s a “so loved” worth marinating in and sharing with the world!

SO LOVED that the best is yet to come; we have been promised eternal life! Remember, we are living in eternity right now. This means we have been given both eternal life and everyday life in which to experience the overwhelming, unconditional, unwavering, indescribable love of God!

So as we head into Valentine’s Day this weekend and we remember those we love in this life, may we never forget the One who first loved us with a love that could only be described by John as SO loved! From cover to cover, the Bible is God’s love letter to you. The more you read it through, from Genesis to Revelation, the more you will understand the meaning of “so loved.” And if you really want this Valentine’s Day to be all it could be, share the love of God in Christ Jesus with all those you know and love. Let them know that they too are SO LOVED!

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

This is final installment in this series of articles detailing God’s amazing love for you. We’ve seen so far that God’s love wrought you, sought you, caught you, and bought you; today we will conclude by looking at the love that TAUGHT you . . . and is continuing to teach you all along your way to the Celestial City.

Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord?   He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

(Psalm 25:12)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

(Psalm 32:8)

All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace.

(Isaiah 54:13)

It is written in the Prophets: “They will all be taught by God.” Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.

(John 6:45)

The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

(John 14:26)

Time and time again, Scripture reminds us that our great God is also our Truth Teacher. God never saves an individual without a view to sanctifying him. God’s design for all those He WROUGHT, SOUGHT, CAUGHT, & BOUGHT, is that they will be TAUGHT throughout the rest of their lives. This is the process God uses to conform us into the image of His Son.

Think about it this way: God renews our mind, reorients our heart, and realigns our will. He accomplishes this primarily through what I call “Bible intake.” Whether we are marinating in and meditating on Scripture in our quiet time, sitting under the preaching of the Word, or engaged in group Bible study, God’s Word is truth and He sanctifies us by His truth (John 17:17).

The most important aspect of God’s educational process in our lives is the shift from a secular worldview to a biblical worldview. The Christian must view the world and everything in it through the lens of sacred Scripture. We are to square everything in life with the Bible . . . not the other way around, as far too many try to do today. The foundation of a biblical worldview tells us that there is indeed a God and He is not us! God sits on the throne of life as both Creator and Sustainer; as we draw nearer to Him, we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The only worldview that squares with reality is the worldview presented in Scripture. No one ever more perfectly described the true condition of the human heart than our Lord Jesus Christ. We truly are great sinners in need of a greater Savior! We are broken and in need of mending, and that mending of heart and soul and mind will come only through our Master.

Contemplating the first four aspects of God’s special love that I’ve presented in these recent articles (a supernatural love that wrought us, sought us, caught us, and bought us) should be all the encouragement and empowerment we need to soak up God’s love that taught us and is continuing to teach us . . . not in a day, but every day.

May the truth of God’s special love set you free and may God forever forbid that these words from the weeping prophet would ever apply to our lives . . .

They turned their backs to me and not their faces, though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.

(Jeremiah 32:33)

Living for Jesus and nothing smaller than Jesus is the only life worth living. This is the only place where we find meaning, purpose, significance, and an identity that simply cannot be shaken . . . because it is built on the solid Rock of Christ.

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

As we move into the week of Valentine’s Day and our thoughts turn toward the concept of “love,” I am presenting here the fourth in a series of five articles spotlighting the amazing love that God has poured out on all those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ.

We’ve already seen that we were wrought, sought, and caught by the love of God. That is one thing, but to be BOUGHT by His love is another thing altogether!

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

What does it mean to be bought by God’s love? It means we could not possibly pay the bill for the penalty of our sin. Someone else had to pay the price; only one Person could do it; His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus shed His precious blood and gave His life to purchase our freedom and redeem us from our bondage to sin and Satan.

We are all slaves to sin and Satan by natural birth. Freedom comes only through a second birth, which comes only through the redeeming blood of the Lamb of God. God’s love quite literally bought us back from the grave! We were dead in our sins and trespasses—we weren’t sick, we weren’t even gravely ill, we were dead. And instead of leaving us there, Jesus bought us back into a right relationship with God the Father through His precious blood, shed for us on a cross.

Think for just a moment about how profound this truth really is. God’s love bought us—Jesus Christ paid the ransom to set us free. Just as if we were condemned slaves on the auction block, Jesus Christ stood up and BOUGHT us through His sovereign birth, sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection.

Knowing this truth is the key to living out this truth. Keeping the cost for our salvation in view is the fuel for living a life of freedom, joy, and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

(Galatians 5:1)

You see, the love of God that bought us also builds us up in the faith. When Scripture says that the truth sets us free, it is instructing us to always keep the truth in view. Living in the shadow of the cross is living in the power to say NO to the things we must say no to and YES to the things we must say yes to. Now, that does not mean we will be perfect on this side of the grave. Far from it! But we must remember that the grace that saved us is also the grace that sanctifies us throughout life on this earth.

So . . . when you consider the fact that God’s love bought you, how does that make you feel? It should be all the encouragement, motivation, and inspiration you need to live for nothing smaller than Jesus. When you do that, you will know that the love that bought you also forgives you . . . and strengthens you!

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