Today’s Reading: John 15:9-17
2 Peter 3:18 — But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
God promises grace to grow. How can we truly know God apart from grace? We cannot. God graciously reveals Himself to us. We would not know God apart from His grace.
Grace is a manifestation of God’s love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” Another way to think of this statement is “For God so loved the world that He graced us with His only begotten Son.” Grace sent Christ to earth to live among us and reveal what God is really like.
By grace, the Spirit opened the eyes of our hearts to “see Jesus” so that we could make the choice whether to receive or reject Him as our Savior. Grace gives us enough light to see the truth we need to believe and receive the gospel.
Grace is the means by which God relates to His children. Grace is the language of the truth God communicates to us, and grace gives us the capacity to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our knowledge of the Lord grows as we master the language of grace. Just as we learn about the culture of a country by learning its language, we learn the character and nature of Christ and His kingdom through learning the language of grace.
By grace we have a relationship with Christ. There is infinite knowledge about God, but we have finite minds. Our capacity to receive the knowledge of God grows through our grace relationship with Christ as He speaks to us grace words that give us grace thoughts so we can have a grace identity and do grace works that glorify Him. In Christ, everything is grace upon grace upon grace upon grace…
10/22/2024 Devotional
"For God so loved the world that He graced us with His only begotten Son.”
Can a tiny ant crawling on the ground imagine human capabilities? I don't think so. Looking down at the ground from above, you can't see human existence at all. Isn't this exactly what God is? The being who created this universe! So I can only know that everything I have received is grace.
I have been red striking a difference in the wording of prayers. When difficulties come,Christians in affluent countries tend to pray, "Lord, take this trial away from us!"
I have heard persecuted Christians and some who live in poor countries pray instead, "Lord, give us the strength to bear this…