Grace for the Race

Now that is a counterintuitive title . . . “When Is Loss Gain?” At first glance, a loss of anything is a loss, no matter how you slice it. So how can loss be gain? The answer comes from above, and I want you to be encouraged by this truth today:

Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. (Matthew 16:25)

Here our Lord Jesus Christ provided inspired insight into a loss that is great gain. Jesus said we must lose our life if we are ever going to find true life . . . and that is a life rooted in our Redeemer. The natural, unsaved man or woman simply cannot begin to comprehend this truth because those who are of this world maintain a desperate grip on everything, including life itself.

Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus wants us to know. When Jesus says we must “lose our life” for Him, He is telling us we must decide who will sit on the throne of our lives. When we seek to “save our lives,” we are sitting on the throne of our lives. We are living by self-rule. But when we “lose our lives for Jesus,” we give up ownership of ourselves and surrender complete control to Christ. Only when we are living surrendered lives do we begin to experience true life, because true life is only found in Christ.

When Paul said, “To live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21), he was telling us that abandonment to the Almighty is the pathway to finding a life that truly matters. Which was why he could continue his inspired message with the words, “And to die is gain.” Losing every aspect of this life for true life in Christ—including even life itself—was gain . . . unimaginable gain! We are to give up our goals, our dreams, our agendas, our plans, and our purposes for this life and completely surrender control of everything to Christ. And all of this must be done unconditionally. We cannot place conditions on our surrender. We must leave ourselves at the complete mercy (disposal) of the One we have surrendered to.

So . . . how well are you doing at losing your life in order to find it? It really comes down to the understanding of ownership. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that we are not our own; that we have been bought at a price, and that price was the precious life blood of the Lamb who purchased us. If you are holding back any part of your life from Jesus, you are seeking to save your life . . . and in the end you will lose it. Jesus wants all of your life because Jesus bought all of your life.

Make no mistake, God will tolerate no rival because our God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). Adam and Eve were created to be fully dependent upon their Creator. They were never to seek or find any aspect of life outside of their life with God and in God. But when they rebelliously declared their independence from God, seeking to save their lives . . . they lost their lives. In turning away from God, they denied their own humanity and became something contrary to their original nature. They died and we all died with them. But when Jesus raises us from death to life, we get a new, true life in Christ. From that moment on, we are to continually surrender control of our lives to Christ—daily—because in seeking to lose our lives, we actually find life!

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

In the beginning everything was good. In fact, God put His stamp of approval on all creation and declared that it was “very good.” But when Adam and Eve turned away from God, everything went bad . . . very bad. Paradise was lost because God made good on His promise—“You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17)—and delivered His cosmic curse.

But the promise of the God’s glorious Gospel of redemption is that paradise will be found again when the Lord Jesus Christ consummates His Kingdom:

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelation 22:3)

Think about it this way. Jesus Christ came to reverse the curse. Through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection, death has lost its sting. One day soon, Jesus will return and we will live forever in the new heavens and the new earth, no longer cringing under any curse. Jesus crushed the curse on His cross. You and I will not fully realize that victory on this side of the grave, but His victory is certainly and completely won nonetheless. “It is finished!” Now that is worth reflecting upon, don’t you think?

The curse has affected everything, both vertically and horizontally. Apart from Christ, our relationship with God has been broken and cut off. We have been evicted from paradise and banished to live east of Eden. We live as enemies of the Eternal One because nothing we do is done for His glory. We are as selfish as we are self-absorbed. Self-rule is the order of the day. We place self upon the throne of our lives, and God is as far from our thoughts as the east is from the west. As for our horizontal relationships, love for others has been replaced with self-love; serving others has been replaced with self-service; kindness has been replaced with contempt. In short, our lives are thoroughly messed up . . . but only until Jesus shows up.

When we, by grace through faith, are raised from death to life, everything begins to change. Instantly we are welcomed back into the presence of the Almighty. We come off the throne of our lives and God resumes His rightful place. And our relationships with others begin to heal and become whole. When we understand just how much we have been forgiven, we begin forgiving others . . . all others. Self-absorption is replaced with self-sacrifice as we begin to lay our lives down for the glory of God and the good of others. We begin to catch a glimpse of paradise regained and what it will look like on the other side of the grave.

So . . . knowing what is ultimately coming in your life because of the love of God for you expressed in Christ Jesus, how does that make you feel about yourself and your life right now? How does it make you feel about others? The more we look forward to our promised paradise, the more we will begin living for it now. As hard as it is to imagine a time and a place where there will no longer be any curse, it is the Gospel truth and it is to inform every aspect of our lives—right now, right where we are, this very day.

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

Jesus said our lives would be marked by trouble, trials, and tribulation. We seem to go from one affliction to another affliction along our way to the Celestial City. What I have learned over the years is this: it’s not what happens to you that makes the greatest difference in how your life works out . . . rather, it is what you do with what happens!

So . . . what have you been doing with what has been happening to you lately?

If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling. (Job 23:3)

In the midst of unimaginable heartache, trials, and tribulations, Job could find no lasting comfort in his friends. Sure, they ministered to Job’s broken heart when they were silent throughout the first seven days. But as soon as they opened their mouths, the weight of Job’s burden increased. Job knew that the only place to go when affliction arrested him was to flee to the Almighty. Charles Spurgeon put it this way:

In Job’s uttermost extremity he cried after the Lord. The longing desire of an afflicted child of God is once more to see his Father’s face. His first prayer is not “O that I might be healed of the disease which now festers in every part of my body!” nor even “O that I might see my children restored from the jaws of the grave, and my poverty once more brought from the hand of the spoiler!” But the first and uppermost cry is, “O that I know where I might find Him, who is my God! That I might come even to His seat.”

There is only one place to go when we are dealing with the difficulties of life, and that is to the throne of Grace. We can find no help or healing, no comfort or closure anywhere else. In his utter desperation, Job turned in the only direction he could to find deliverance. And often, this is the truth for all of us. Without affliction, we can advance through life with very little thought of the Almighty. But when the storm winds begin to blow, there is only one place to go . . . into the presence of the Almighty.

One of the great Gospel gifts God has given us is the invitation to come boldly before the throne of grace. In fact, it is actually a command. We have been commanded to pray, not just invited. And in that command we have been given an eternal comfort in knowing that Jesus will never leave nor forsake us. Regardless of what it is you might be going through right now, you are not going through it alone. Jesus is with you. Jesus is within you. Jesus is beside you. And when you feel like you simply cannot go on, know that you have already been carried across the finish line.

Remember, the Bible never instructs us to simply seek God. It instructs us to “seek God first” (Matthew 6:33). May that be the confession of our lives every day we have life on this side of the grave.

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

For those of you who might have been expecting a different “Happy” greeting on the morning of October 31, let me say, “Happy Halloween!” Neighborhoods across this country will be flooded with kids in costumes carrying bags full of candy. At Cross Community Church, we will be interacting with our local community by handing out candy and Gospel tracks, while sharing the love of our Lord Jesus Christ with a great many families who normally don’t attend church. However, I would like to take a moment today to encourage you with a brief history of an event to celebrate on the 31^st of October that is infinitely more significant: Reformation Day!

Reformation Day is a religious celebration for Protestants all across the world. Many theologians assert that October 31 commemorates a cosmic move of the Holy Spirit reminiscent of the Day of Pentecost. It began in 1517 when a German monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. The specific day of celebration varied for two hundred years, but in 1717, at the two hundredth celebration of Reformation Day, October 31 became the official date of remembrance.

What follows provides a very brief picture of the importance of this day in the history of the Christian church. Martin Luther had identified the problem of works-righteousness, the merit-based practices embedded in the extra-biblical traditions of Roman Catholicism. In a phrase, Martin recovered and declared the true Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone as it is set forth in sacred Scripture.

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Luther believed that the Word of God was to have supremacy (that is, preeminence or “first place”) as it relates to faith and practice. Tradition can certainly play a role in the church, but it must never rise to the level of being regarded as infallible truth. In God’s providence, at the time Luther hammered his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church, the Gutenberg printing press was ready to copy and circulate the Bible that Luther had translated into German in order to put the Word of God in the hands of the common person. He outraged Rome with his unflinching declaration that “A simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it.” Luther also recaptured the “priesthood of all believers,” which meant that every person mattered. There was no sacred-secular split. Every person—whether cleaning a stable, manufacturing a pair of shoes, or preaching the Gospel to hundreds—was in full-time ministry service to God when what they were doing was for God’s glory.

As you might imagine, the Roman Catholic Church was greatly displeased with Martin Luther! Luther was brought before the church and commanded to recant of his position, and his response left an indelible mark on the history of the church:

I cannot choose but adhere to the Word of God, which has possession of my conscience, nor can I possibly, nor will I even make any recantation, since it is neither safe nor honest to act contrary to conscience! Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise, so help me God! Amen.

The Protestant Reformation exploded out from Germany and swept through Europe. The torch was picked up by many of the giants in church history, men like John Calvin in Geneva, Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich, and John Knox in Scotland. The Reformation Luther led sparked the Anabaptist (free church) movement and the English Reformation, which expanded Christianity across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to America.

Make no mistake, Martin Luther’s hammer hit a nerve that vibrated all over the world! The Reformation reclaimed the good news of the Gospel: that salvation is by grace, not good works . . . mercy, not merit! Sometimes we wonder if one person can really make a difference. Well, the difference Martin Luther made will echo throughout eternity.

So on this Reformation Day, let me encourage you to rest in your redemption, knowing that everything you need has already been given to you by virtue of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus cried, “It is finished,” He meant what He said . . . and He said it to you!

Let me also encourage you to do as Martin Luther did: Go out and tell others that God so loves them that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

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

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is a song by the iconic English rock band, the Rolling Stones. The dominant theme in the song, which was originally released in 1965, is commercialism—never being satisfied with what you have and always wanting more.

Well, I have a word of supernatural satisfaction to give you today.

I will satisfy them with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty. (Jeremiah 31:14)

The prophet Jeremiah tells us there is a “satisfaction” the world knows nothing about. It is a supernatural satisfaction that comes from above, not below.

When God says, “I will satisfy them with abundance,” what abundance is He talking about? It is most certainly not what the prosperity gospel preachers say it is; it is not an abundance of health and wealth and all things material. The abundance Jeremiah promised comes from heaven and it comes in the form of the Almighty. It is not found not in the many good gifts God gives to us, but rather it takes its form in the Giver of the gifts Himself.

Here is another word from God on this subject to Jeremiah:

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom

or the strong man boast of his strength

or the rich man boast of his riches,

but let him who boasts boast about this:

that he understands and knows me,

that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,

justice and righteousness on earth,

for in these I delight,”

declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

To be filled with the bounty of God is to be filled with God Himself. This is the only place real satisfaction can be found, because it is the only place where your satisfaction can never be taken away from you. Every good gift can be taken away. Every blessing can be lost.

Job lost everything. He lost His health and his wealth and all ten of his children in one ghastly, agonizing day. Yet throughout all that unimaginable loss, Job never lost sight of the One who was his ultimate satisfaction: the Lord God Omnipotent. When our abundance is rooted in the Almighty, it cannot be shaken.

Think about it this way: are you truly satisfied deep down because of the stuff you have in this life? Are you satisfied because of your accomplishments? If you are honest, you’ll answer, “Of course not!” Nothing from below was ever designed to bring us ultimate satisfaction. When we seek our satisfaction in anything smaller than God, we must sing along with the Rolling Stones, “I can’t get no satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction!” If our Lord Jesus Christ is not enough to bring us satisfaction, what on this earth possibly will? Those who are struggling with this unfulfilled feeling will always find it rooted in the wrong desires of their sinful hearts.

Make no mistake, only sanctified souls are satisfied souls. Now, I am not implying that these are perfect people! None of us will live in perfection—or anything close to it—until we are glorified on the other side of the grave. What I am saying is that those who have a heart that truly beats for Jesus are the sanctified souls who find supernatural satisfaction in spite of whatever circumstances they face in this life.

God has promised to satisfy you with His abundance and His bounty; every promise God makes, He keeps. You can get satisfaction . . . if you are looking for it in your Savior. Nothing and no one else will satisfy.

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

Each morning we wake up in the crosshairs of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The battle is all around us . . . and, of course, within us. Today I want to offer you a word of comfort as you go forth into that battle that rages both around you and within you.

Though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out. (Joshua 17:18)

Regardless of what you are contending with today, the Power that is for you and within you is greater than any power that can come up against you. I can think of no greater comfort than to know that the victory is assured, can you?

When you read the Joshua passage above, think of the “Canaanites” as anything that attempts to hinder your forward progress in the direction God is calling you to go. Perhaps it is some abiding sin you have been struggling with for years. Maybe it is a bad habit that has a hold on you. Could it be an association that is attempting to derail your divine destiny? Remember, bad company does indeed corrupt good character.

So . . . what is the way forward? Trust not in your own strength, but rather in His. When you come up against the “Canaanites” of this world, you simply do not have the strength nor the stamina to defeat them. They are fortified with iron strength that will absolutely enslave you and keep you in bondage. But there is One who is stronger than any Canaanites you are currently facing. There is One who can crush every Canaanite chariot that comes your way. The Lord of Hosts is not only for you, He is not only with you, He is in you.

The apostle Paul assured us, “Sin shall not have dominion over you” (Romans 6:14). Why? Because of the cross work of Christ. Sin still remains in us, to be sure, but it no longer reigns. Jesus reigns in your life, and when you keep Him in His rightful place—seated on the throne of your life—you can be assured that the victory is already yours. When Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” He meant what He said. When Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” He meant what He said. And when Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant what He said!

Now, if there is anything that has dominion over you right now, take it to the cross and see it crucified in Christ. Jesus has already destroyed every Canaanite chariot, no matter how “fitted with iron” they may be. Any iron that comes up against our Lord will be will be thrown into the fire and forged into an instrument of glory in the hands of the Almighty.

Know this truth. Live this truth! “No weapon forged against you will prevail” (Isaiah 54:17). The Divine One is driving out everything that stands in your way.

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

Both my study of the Scriptures and my experience as a pastor have fully convinced me of this truth: When heaven seems silent, God is still there and He still cares! As I’ve said here before, we must remember that God always answers our prayers with one of the following:

YES

NO

WAIT

Our God has encouraged us to come to Him at all times with all our requests:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who k nocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

We all find ourselves in difficult seasons of life. From finances to family . . . wellness to work . . . relationships to retirement. When the storm winds of life begin to blow, we drop to our knees and go to the throne of grace. Why do this? Because not only have we been invited to do so, we have been commanded to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Like any good father, God wants us to come to Him with everything . . . including the many challenges of daily living.

But there are those times when it seems like heaven is silent, and our hearts’ cry changes from “God, are you there?” to “God, do you still care?”

But this is not for you! Sadly, many Christians have expanded the textbook definition of insanity—doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result—to include their time before the throne of grace. We pray a few times and do not perceive any answer . . . so we stop praying. We reason, “I prayed about that last week and this week and nothing happened, so what’s the point in praying more?”

This is a mistake of gargantuan proportions! In Luke 18, Jesus told His disciples the Parable of the Persistent Widow for the express purpose “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1 NKJV). God has given us clear instruction to seek Him in all things . . . and to keep seeking Him. We are to ask . . . and keep on asking. We are to knock . . . and keep on knocking. And on those occasions when we do this and receive no answer, it is not “insanity” to keep doing it. It is faith—faith in the One who has promised and proved to be faithful.

So . . . not knowing where this finds you today, let me ask you: Is there anything keeping you from continuing to ask, seek, and knock? God is there for you and God most definitely does care for you. You have His Word on it! He cares for every aspect of your life on this side of the grave and throughout all eternity. If God knows the number of hairs on your head—and He does—He knows exactly what you need right now and He is giving it to you. It may not look they way you want it to look, but you can be sure, God is giving you exactly what you need. Remember, God has promised to meet all of your needs . . . not all of your wants.

“Do not be anxious about anything,” we are told in Philippians 4:6, “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” God’s command is quite clear: do not be anxious about anything; pray about everything. And the promised reward is just as unambiguous: “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:8).

So keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking! Everyone who faithfully persists in prayer will eventually find the open door, the door God has opened in His perfect timing and according to His perfect plan for your life. May this truth encourage you today and every day you spend walking with the Lord in the land of the living.

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

Can you guess what the highest title is that any human being can achieve in this life? I’ll give you a clue: it has nothing with accomplishment or achievement on the job. In fact, it is not a title that can be awarded by any man or group of men.

The scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. (James 2:23)

Did you know that, in all of sacred Scripture, only Abraham is referred to as a friend of God? Yes, we read that God spoke to Moses “as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11), but only Abraham is actually called God’s friend.

And yet you may have more in common with Abraham than you think! Jesus said something quite remarkable when He told His disciples that they were no longer slaves or servants; they were now His friends:

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. (John 15:13-15)

That is your truth today if you are, by grace through faith, in Christ. Have you transferred your trust to Jesus Christ as your only hope for eternal salvation? If your answer is YES, then Jesus calls you His friend!

Now that is a word of eternal encouragement! Now, we all must remember what it really means to be a friend. Being a friend is not simply being someone’s “acquaintance.” Friendship speaks of an intimate, personal, loving relationship. And that is your relationship with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe; Jesus calls you His friend!

How does that make you feel? How does that speak into your life right now, today, right where this finds you? Regardless of what you are facing—in your personal life, your professional life, your academic life, your relationships—Jesus counts you as His friend, and that should give you a peace that passes all understanding.

Notice that the Scriptures say, “Abraham believed God,” which is the key that unlocks the doorway leading to friendship with God. We must believe God, not just believe in God. James sternly warned, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder” (James 2:19). It’s not enough to believe in God; we must believe God and take Him at His word. We must trust Him even when we cannot trace Him. We must be willing to follow God wherever He leads us, especially when He is taking us in a direction we don’t necessarily want to go.

Remember, friendship with Jesus goes both ways. He is your friend and you are His friend. He did not bring you this far to leave you where you are today. What He began in you He will one day bring to completion.

Be encouraged! Be inspired! Be strengthened by knowing that your friendship with God can never be broken. You have the highest title anyone could ever have! Let that truth set you free.

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

You may be familiar with the Latin phrase E Pluribus Unum – out of the many, one. You see this 13-letter phrase on the Great Seal of the United States, carried in the beak of the Bald Eagle. It was intended to communicate the message that out of the many states emerges one single nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I’d like to use that phrase to offer you a word of great encouragement: there is an eternal E Pluribus Unum that has been given to the church by its leader, our Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul explains it to us in the following passage.

As a prisoner for the Lord I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)

Here we see the eternal E Pluribus Unum: out of the many, one. To be sure, we are diverse in countless ways:

• Race
• Class
• Gender
• Age
• Appearance
• Social standing
• Gifts, talents, and abilities

But at the same time, we are to find our unity in our diversity. All of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ are totally united because of the One who has united us. Notice in the passage above that Paul says, “Make every effort to keep [maintain] the unity of the Spirit.” This unity is not something we create when we are brought into the church; it is a gift that has been given to us from on high. Our role within the body is simply to maintain our unity because, as the church of Jesus Christ, we are one body and one spirit united by a common purpose: to glorify God and expand the cause of the kingdom of Christ.

Think about it this way. As a member of this “one body,” you are part of something bigger than just your own life. You are part of the kingdom of God. You have been called by God to expand the borders of your life out to the boundaries of God’s kingdom. Never are you to shrink the borders of your life down to the borders of your life! Living for the Savior (rather than for self) is living a life of transcendence. It is living a life of meaning, purpose, and significance. It is living a life that truly matters.

So . . . how does that make you feel today . . . knowing that you were made to live for something bigger than your own life? I hope you feel encouraged today to live in the light of eternity—today and every day until you are received into glory.

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

We all live lives marked by unfinished business. How often we start out well, only to find our dreams unrealized and our goals unaccomplished. But this is not so for our Lord. God always finishes everything He starts . . . and that includes what He starts with YOU!

The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.” (Isaiah 14:24)

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. (Psalm 138:8 ESV)

These are words of incredible comfort for the people of God. Our God does not abandon the works of His hand. What God begins, He finishes. His every purpose will be accomplished exactly as He has planned. His promised purpose of a new heavens and a new earth will one day be accomplished. His promised purpose of a new humanity—a people for Himself—will one day be accomplished. Nothing can thwart the purposes of God. He who begins . . . will bring to completion. He who starts . . . always finishes.

There certainly would be no comfort in thinking that it is up to us to complete what God begins in our lives. If this were true, our faith would falter and our hope would be hollow. We would experience no lasting victory against the world, the flesh, and the devil. We would be utterly lost! But God does not get our salvation started and expect us to keep it going by the spiritual sweat of our brow. God begins in grace, He carries on in grace, and He will one day complete in grace. The same grace that saves us also sanctifies us, and God will not stop one step short of the finish line, when we will be perfected and received into glory.

He will complete what he appoints for me . . . (Job 23:14 ESV)

Regardless of where this finds you today, let this truth set you free from anything that is hindering your forward progress. Yes, our lives are often marked by taking one step forward and two steps back. At times we find ourselves standing atop the summit and at others we are wallowing in the depths of the valley. But through it all, our God is conforming us more and more into the likeness of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Remember, it is God’s perfect plan to adopt imperfect people and perfect them. He takes our mess—all of our mess—and turns it into His masterpiece. He takes what is broken and makes it whole, and He does it for the praise and glory of His name. It is His faithfulness to us, not our faithfulness to Him, that makes this promise sure. Do not doubt that your God will finish what He started in you. Trust Him to make good on His promise, and trust Him to do it His way and in His timing.

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