We love to compare ourselves to others. Oh, we may not admit
it but we wonder if we measure up, where we stand, don’t we? Where we went to
school, how much money we make, grades we get, the place we live, the clothes
we wear … there are so many ways that we try to figure out if we are ‘good
enough.’ When that impulse goes to
church, the result is not pretty. It is the ultimate tragedy.
In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he tells the younger pastor to
confront some teachers who were trying to play on human pride, who were
negating the grace of Christ with another ‘gospel.’ "Such teachings come through hypocritical liars,
whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They
forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God
created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the
truth. For everything God created is good, and
nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and
prayer." (1 Timothy 4:2-5, NIV) Those teachers claimed that becoming
acceptable to God meant being ‘good
enough’ by keeping rules about sex and food.
That false gospel is
still around. Keeping religious rules
as means of finding a place in God’s family tells us that if we do this or
that, refuse to go here or there, give this much, wear this and do not wear
that – it is a very long list – steals the heart of Christianity for millions. It is an attractive lie because it allows a
person to keep score, but it is a denial
of the very grace of God, shown us in Christ Jesus. I wonder if Paul wept as he wrote these
inspired words to some people trying so hard to save themselves? “Don’t
handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about
things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they
require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But
they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. Since you have been
raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where
Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand." (Colossians
2:21-3:1, NLT)
We are reconciled to God, our Father, by Christ Jesus, not
by doing enough good things. Salvation from sin does not come through knowing
more about theology, greater efforts at spiritual discipline, or practicing rigid
self-denial. If we could possibly arrive at some state of holiness by
ourselves, Christ would not have died for us! "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by
grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5, NIV) "—and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV) We accept a free gift, offered by God because
He is full of love, and we are saved. That
is the Gospel of Christ.
Some people misunderstand the amazing grace of God and turn
it into a license to sin. Others abuse
God’s grace and refuse to grow into a beautiful kind of holy life. But, that does not change the Truth we are
made right with Him by the gift of grace.
Are you duped by preachers who give you a system of religious
rules?
Have you been freed from slavery to sin only to be enslaved
to a new tyranny of Religion?
Look again to Jesus. Thank Him for a gift that changes from the
inside out.
Don’t insult God by reminding Him of your successes while
trying to hide your sins and failure. Instead, radically trust the message of
the Gospel – Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will
come again! A new life will emerge from
that forgiveness, one that is beautiful with a true holiness shaped in you and
me by the Holy Spirit. Do you think that
it is too good to be true?
The word from the Word points us to the experience of the ‘father
of the faithful’ – Abraham – reminding us that he did not receive his place
because of anything he had done, but because God loved and chose him. Be inspired to greater devotion as you read. "So how do we fit what we know of
Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things?
If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly
have taken credit for it. But the story we’re given is a God-story, not an
Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was
doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right
instead of trying to be right on his own.” If you’re a hard worker and do a
good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see
that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you
trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and
long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right
with God, by God. Sheer gift." (Romans 4:1-5, The Message)
___________
This Is Amazing Grace
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
Who leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory the King above all kings
(Yeah) (Oh) This is
amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You laid down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh Jesus I sing for all that You've done for me
Who brings our chaos back into order
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter
The King of Glory the King of Glory
Who rules the nations with truth and justice
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance
The King of Glory the King above all kings
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy worthy worthy
Jeremy Riddle | Josh Farro | Phil Wickham
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