Grace for the Race

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21)

Martha was right: If Jesus had been there, her brother Lazarus would not have died. Martha lived with her sister Mary and their brother Lazarus. When Lazarus became deathly ill, the sisters sent for Jesus to come and heal him. John’s gospel tells us something as strange as it is insightful, “When [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” It seems so strange that Jesus did not come immediately to heal his friend whom He loved. He had healed so many who were not his friends, people He had never even met before!

Then Jesus said something that must have puzzled His disciples: “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4-6). Jesus did not go immediately to heal His friend because God had a greater plan that would bring Him greater glory. You see, by the time Jesus arrived Lazarus was dead — as dead as a doornail, as Dickens famously wrote. Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. Yet when Jesus uttered three words — “Lazarus, come out!” — the dead man walked out of his grave, alive and well (John 11:43-44). Just as our Lord had said, this sickness did not end in death and God was indeed glorified through it.

That is the primary purpose behind everything that Jesus does. You and I are so much like Martha! We often say, “Lord, if you had done this” or “Lord, if you had done that . . .” We must remember that no matter what Jesus is doing in our lives, we can be assured it is always for God’s glory and our ultimate good.

How would you fill in the blank today? “Lord, if you had _______ !” Perhaps it was something related to your job or a relationship or your finances or your health. Regardless of what it was, you must always remember that Jesus is working everything together to maximize the glory God gets in everything. Everything Jesus is doing in your life always trumps your desires, your dreams, your goals, and your preferences.

Christian, when Jesus does not meet your expectations, it is because He is planning on exceeding them! That certainly was true for Martha and Mary on that fateful day, and it is just as true for you and me today. We fill “blanks” when we are looking through the eyes of our flesh; we fill our hearts when we are looking through the eyes of our faith. You must decide which it will be each and every day.  

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

“Quiet! Be still!” (Mark 4:39)

After a day of teaching by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus told His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side” (Mark 4:35). Leaving the crowd behind, they all got into a boat and pushed off from shore. While they were crossing, a furious squall came up that threatened to sink the boat. The disciples — several of whom were experienced fisherman — were terrified. Jesus, no doubt exhausted from a long day of ministry, was sound asleep on a cushion. The disciples woke Him, crying fearfully, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38).

Clearly, Jesus was not the least bit worried about drowning. Do you know why? The answer lies in what He had initially said to the disciples: “Let us go over to the other side.” The disciples had completely forgotten the promise Jesus had made before they ever started their trip across the water. The boat the disciples and Jesus were in was unsinkable, because the Word of God had commissioned it to cross the Sea of Galilee, not founder in it. But the disciples forgot that promise, and they panicked. So Jesus spoke just three words — “Quiet! Be still!” — and the water immediately became completely calm.

I often say from the pulpit that when we are reading the Bible, we are to look for ourselves in the story. And when we are reading one of the gospel accounts in the New Testament, we can be completely sure that we aren’t Jesus! Which means that, in this story, you and I are . . . that’s right; we are the disciples, wailing, “We’re gong to drown!”

It is one thing to know about the promises of God; it is another thing altogether to actually take them to heart and believe them–to live in the certainty that God’s promises are real and enduring. When the storm winds begin to blow and the waves of challenge wash over us, we often completely forget our Lord’s promise that we are going to the other side of the lake. We must learn to take Jesus at His Word, rest in His presence, and rely on His power. In His time and in His perfect way, we can be fully assured that we will reach the other side of the lake safely.

One final thing to remember: When this storm blew into the lives of the disciples, they were right in the center of God’s will. They were doing exactly what Jesus had instructed; they were heading across the lake with the Lord. Never forget, Christian, that storms will come to us, and they come for two reasons: God’s glory and our good. Sometimes those storms come when we are in the closest proximity to Jesus. Jesus did not keep this storm from striking the boat they were traveling in, but He most definitely kept the storm from sinking it.

So . . . who is the captain of your ship? Do you still think it’s you? When Jesus is your Captain, you can trust Him to navigate the turbulent waters of life and bring you safely to the other side of every storm wind that blows. Safety is not the absence of storms; it is the presence of Jesus. When Jesus is at the helm of your ship, you can hold fast to God’s sure and certain promise that you will reach His intended destination for your life.

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

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

There was a problem–a big problem! Thousands of people had spent an entire day listening to Jesus preach and teach, but now they were all hungry, and there was no food anywhere . . . expect for the meager rations that a little boy offered to the disciples, enough food to feed perhaps ten people. This problem became a possibility for Jesus to show that He truly is the Bread of Life, and He did! He fed every man, woman, and child, and there were baskets full of leftovers.

Another problem: “There is no more wine!” The host of the wedding was completely out of wine to serve the guests. This problem became a possibility for Jesus to show that He is the promised, divine Messiah, for new wine symbolizes the Holy Spirit. And He did! He turned water into wine–the best wine!

Neither of these problems were life-and-death issues. The people who had been listening to Jesus teach could have gone into town or gone home to get food, although they probably would have been disappointed and “hangry.” The people at the wedding could have carried on without wine, although it would have been an embarrassment of gargantuan proportions for the host family. Most of the problems we face are not life-and-death either, but they are problems nonetheless. The important issue is not so much what we are facing, but rather how we face those problems.

Where do you turn when you are facing problems in life? Do you look inside yourself for the solution? Or do you look outside yourself . . . and look up? When you turn to Jesus, talk to Jesus, and trust in Jesus, you will see how your problems become possibilities for Jesus to do great things in your life.

Because Jesus is for us, with us, and in us, we are to look to Him for the solutions to our problems and the answers to our questions. Jesus cares about everything we care about, and He is ready, willing, and able to help us through it all. Jesus cares about our flat tire, our delayed flight, and our sleepless night. Jesus cares about our toothache, our first date, and when we have to work late.

Regardless of the problems you are facing today, follow Mary’s advice to the servants at the wedding: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). When you do, you will see Jesus turn your problems into possibilities for grace to flow in and through your life.

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

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Everything is broken. We live in a broken world that does not operate in the way that God created it and pronounced everything to be very good. And because we live in this broken, sin-filled world, we will suffer from all the symptoms of its brokenness. It could be that you will suffer as a result of some kind of injustice or betrayal. You may suffer from sickness or disease. Perhaps, as many on Florida’s west coast did last fall, you will suffer the effects of a devastating natural disaster.

The world is indeed broken. But we must never forget that we too are broken. The greatest challenge we face in life does not come from outside us; it comes from within us. It is the evil that lives deep within our hearts. That is true for everyone, even for those who are in Christ.

Jesus conquered sin, Satan, and death on the cross. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant what He said. However, inasmuch as sin no longer reigns over us, it most definitely still remains. You and I have the internal problem of remaining sin in our lives, and it will never be completely eradicated while we live on this side of glory. Sin is part of our fallen nature, even after we have been given our new nature in Christ. Scripture tells us matter-of-factly that “The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:17).

This battle rages deep within the human heart, but even in our brokenness we are still immensely blessed. When we are in Christ, we have been given the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to fight against every temptation that comes our way. The Holy Spirit encourages and empowers us to rise above indwelling sin so that we can live according to God’s perfect plan for our imperfect lives.

On those occasions when we don’t rise above the brokenness of this world, but find ourselves muddling around on the sinful mudflats of life, we must cling to the truth that we are fully forgiven and unconditionally loved, thanks to the cross work of Christ. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not Satan. Not death. Not even our sin. Remember, “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20).

Yes, the world is broken, and we are broken. But we are abundantly blessed in all that brokenness!

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

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

We all like to believe that we can handle life on our own. We crave independence and deeply desire to control what is going on in our lives. But the truth is, we are totally dependent on God for everything we are and everything we do, “for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The fact is that we ought to fear our desire for independence, not our dependence on Him.

The world tells us that dependency is a sign of weakness. No one likes feeling weak or being seen as weak. Yet weakness is the universal condition of every person! Adam and Eve, created in their perfect state, were still weak and totally dependent on God. How much more dependent are you and I today, after Adam’s dreadful fall in the Garden, which plunged us into our own slavery to sin.

Weakness is an inescapable aspect of the human condition. God created us to need Him and depend on Him. Jesus said bluntly that apart from Him, we can do nothing. Yet even in our weakness we have all the strength we will ever need, because we have God’s strength working in us and through us. The apostle Paul rejoiced that “My very weakness makes me strong in him” (2 Corinthians 12:10 PHI). God gives us the strength we need to do everything He has called us to do. And the best way to receive God’s strength is to acknowledge how desperately we need it — not just daily, but moment by moment.

David expressed it this way in one of his God-breathed psalms:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. (Psalm 20:7-8)

What have you been trusting in lately? Yourself or your Savior? Have you been fearing your dependence and weakness? We need never fear our dependence! What we absolutely must fear is the delusion of independence and strength. That illusion of autonomy is nothing more than succumbing to the serpent’s sly suggestion that “You will be like God.” We were made by God and for God, which means that God will supply us with everything we need to live the life He is calling us to live for His glory and the good of others. May this be the confession of our lives, by grace through faith in the One who died to give us life — both eternal life and everyday life.

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

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure . . . (Philippians 2:14)

From the time you get up until the time you return to your bed, you are engaging in conversation with yourself. Have you ever paused to listen to the kind of conversations you are having? It will either be marked by murmuring against God or magnifying His blessings. The choice is always yours. You have the power deep within you to grow better or bitter, regardless of the circumstances you are facing.

Do you live a life of complaining or blessing? To be sure, it is a mixture for all of us, but what is your primary conversation with yourself? It is all too easy for us to start moaning and groaning when life is not going according to our plan. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, we whine, grumble, and complain against God when things are not going our way. You see, the sin nature that lies within causes us to make life all about ourselves. When we shrink the size of our lives down to the size of our wants, desires, goals, and feelings — and when our expectations are not met — our internal talk frequently makes it clear that we are not happy with God.

It’s important to keep in mind that the Bible does not minimize the seriousness of murmuring against God. In Deuteronomy, Moses recounted how God’s people continuously murmured against God after having been released from 400 years of bondage in Egypt. What ruled their heart – murmuring – shaped their lives. They continued rebelling against God all the way into the Promised Land.

What is the confession of your life today? Murmuring or magnifying? When we forget God’s goodness and grace in our lives, we murmur. But when we remember just how good and gracious God has been, is now, and will be forevermore, we will magnify His glory in all we think, do, and say.

Christian, you can be assured that God’s plan for your life is always better than yours! The more you magnify God’s blessings in your life, the less you will murmur against Him. Let that truth set you free to replace murmuring with magnifying on those inevitable occasions life is not working out the way you want it to.

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

“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30)

God is always looking for those who will stand in the gap for others, just as He did in the days of the prophet Ezekiel. These people are known as intercessors; I like to call them, “gappers” for God’s glory. Does this describe you today?

I use the term gapper to refer to those times when we know someone is experiencing a gap in their relationship with God for any reason, and we exercise the awesome privilege of praying that God will bridge that gap. Whether it is a physical gap (some particular need) or a spiritual gap (some particular sin), we are called by God to intercede on behalf of that person and cry out to God to bridge that gap for His glory and that person’s ultimate good.

If it is a privilege to pray — and it is — how much greater a privilege it is to be praying for others! When we are praying for others, we focus less on ourselves and more on the Savior, and that is always a good thing for the people of God to do. When we pray for others, our relationship with God is strengthened as well as our relationships with those for whom we are praying.

Interceding for others is an unselfish expression of the love of God in Christ Jesus. We know that Jesus lives to intercede for those who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25); when we intercede on behalf of others, we are becoming more like the Savior. It’s one of those “win-win” situations in our walk with Jesus. Scripture tells us to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). One of the best ways to bear someone’s burden is to lift them to the throne of grace in prayer.

One final thought to encourage you to act as a gapper: When you are praying for others, you are participating in God’s Kingdom work. Because the Gospel meets both spiritual and physical needs, our prayers for others should also cover both spiritual and physical needs.

If you have not been consistently praying for others in your life, why not begin today? They will be blessed and so will you. Be a gapper for God’s glory!

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

You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. (1 Peter 2:9 NLT)

The devil is constantly trying to convince us to find our identity in anything smaller than Jesus. He would have us find our identity in our work, in our relationships, in our gifts, talents, and abilities. Perhaps you are finding your identity in your achievements and accomplishments or on how many people press “like” on your Facebook profile picture. This is what I call “identity theft.” When we place our value in anything smaller than Jesus, we are left weak, weary, and wanting. We have allowed our sinful flesh to steal our true identity from us.

In our verse for today, Peter reminds us that we are called to live in the reality of our royal identity as children of the Most High God. When we are in Christ, we have an identity that nothing in this world can tarnish or take away. The apostle Paul assured us that “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). This God-breathed truth is intended to strengthen us to rise above looking to the culture around us for our identity and to find it only in Christ.

We are in this world, but not of this world. We are pilgrims passing through this world on our way to glory. Along the way, we are to keep our eyes fixed on the One who laid His life down so that we can live in relationship with Him forever.

Where have you been looking to find your identity lately? If it is in anything smaller than Jesus, it will never satisfy. Silence the lies of Satan in your life! Your value is in Christ. Your self-worth is in Christ. Your meaning, significance, and purpose in life are in Christ alone. When you rest in and respond to this truth, you will no longer be subject to the “identity theft” that threatens to disturb your peace and rob your joy.

Remember, you are who Jesus says you are. Even in your mess, you are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). You are His child, even when you are not acting like it. You were created to be exactly what Jesus says you are, nothing more and nothing less.

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)

In the story commonly referred to as “The Feeding of the 5,000,” Jesus actually fed closer to 15,000 or 20,000 people, who then were ready to make Him their king. Why did they want to do that? Because Jesus had just met their physical need for food. Jesus had taken a little boy’s lunch and fed the huge crowd that had come to hear him preach. The people had been looking for a king to meet their physical needs, and they believed they had found Him. But Jesus would have nothing to do with their narrow-sightedness and withdrew from the people. When the crowd finally tracked Him down, Jesus admonished them:

“You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:26-27)

You see, the physical blessing of food that Jesus provided was intended to point to the deeper need of every human heart: forgiveness. The deepest need of the people then and of people today is the spiritual provision Jesus provides in order for us to rise above sin, Satan, and death. Jesus was most definitely the promised King, but He was not the king the people wanted. They wanted a king to meet their physical needs, who would remove the yoke of Roman oppression and reestablish the throne of David in Jerusalem. To be sure, when Jesus returns, all of this will come together. But Jesus did not come the first time to do those things; He said very clearly that “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10 ESV). He had come to deal with what separated us from God, which is our sin.

What kind of king have you been looking for lately? Are you expecting Jesus to meet your earthly kingdom expectations? There are times when we think and act very much like those who were miraculously fed by the five loaves and two fish; we feel like Jesus is not the king we want, but we must rest in the truth that He is always the King we need. When Jesus is not meeting our earthly expectations, it is because He is preparing to exceed them. Let that truth set you free to receive Jesus for the King He truly is, the One who has promised to meet all your needs in His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19).

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

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

By sinful nature, we all point fingers of blame at others. That started all the way back in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned against God. Eve blamed the serpent, Adam blamed Eve and God, and we have all been blaming ever since! In fact, we have become quite proficient at pointing fingers of blame at others.

The events in the Garden make it clear what the problem is. The sinful slime of the serpent makes us all self-righteous. We do not naturally look within ourselves to identify the cause of our sin; no, we look outside ourselves to blame others and make excuses for our behavior. We all have sinful inner attorneys who are all too willing to rise to our defense and begin pointing fingers at everyone except ourselves. Even when our consciences begin to convict us of our wrongdoing through the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit, we stubbornly rationalize that the problem is outside of us, not within us.

But this is not for you! When we start pointing fingers at others, we must remember that most of the time, those fingers are actually pointing back at us. We must accept the truth that we are sinners in need of a Savior; we needed Him when we came to faith, and we need him every moment since then! We need the transforming power of God’s grace applied to our lives every day in order to come to terms with the fact that we always fall short of God’s goal for our lives. When we do fall, we accept the truth that we are sinful, we repent of our sin, and respond to God’s forgiveness.

Only God’s grace can cause us to stop pointing fingers. Only God’s grace can cause us to forsake our sinful self-righteousness and rest in the righteousness of the One who came to set us free. Only God’s grace can cause us to see the plank in our own eye instead of searching intently for the speck in the eyes of others.

Have you received this grace today? Are you resting in the perfect performance of Christ in your life for all those times you perform imperfectly? Remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus (Romans 8:1).

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