October 4, 2019
For full passage click: 2 Timothy 1:8-14 … “This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” vss. 9b-10
The message proclaimed by Paul was centered–not on the works of our hands–but on the grace and the power of God. What’s amazing is the conviction of the early church, that this grace had been given to us in Christ Jesus from the very beginning. It was the very essence of God and now had been revealed fully through the person of Jesus, the one who was now called the Christ. It’s that same grace that serves as the foundation of our lives today. It isn’t that works are not important, they are after all the fruit of the Spirit, but God’s power is revealed most completely in the unconditional love and mercy that is even more powerful than death. It’s hard for us to believe that radical message, just as hard as it was back in Timothy’s day. When the realities of life hit us between the eyes, our first impulse is to lash out and believe that threats and laws will win the day. Grace seems so weak and impotent, Sometimes we feel as though we’re being taken advantage of. But there really is power in grace, so much that Paul was persecuted for proclaiming it, and it continues to be the source of life and immortality for us all.
Thought for the Day: When have I felt the power of grace?
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