'grace of God' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” vss. 12-13 Philippians 2:5-13 Paul is not telling the Philippians to forget about the grace of God with these profound and insightful words. Not at all! All…
Daily Devotions
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” vss.15-16 Romans 8:12-18 When we, by the grace of God, begin to lead lives that bring us joy and that are a blessing to others, it’s not because we have somehow found the strength in ourselves to…
Daily Devotions
[Jesus] went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.” vss. 19b-20 1 Peter 3:18-22 Noah’s ark was one of the favorite symbols of early Christians, and is featured in crude drawings on the walls of many ancient worship sites. For them the ark was…
Daily Devotions
Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” vs. 58 Acts 7:55-58 Paul was very open about his past, that he had in fact been involved in the persecution of the followers of Jesus. In his letter to the Galatians he writes that he violently persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it, not out of hate, but…
Daily Devotions
Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy…” vs. 8 1 Peter 1:3-9 This letter is addressed to believers living in five Roman provinces in what is now the country of Turkey. Some had suffered alienation from families and persecution by authorities because they had become followers of Jesus. Even though they had never seen him they had…
Daily Devotions
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” vs. 30 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Paul sensed that one of the problems in the Corinthian congregation was that some of the people had begun to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. He reminds them that when they were called to become believers they were all nobodies, and none of them was in any…
Daily Devotions
I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.” vss. 12-13 1 Timothy 1:11-14 Our faith history is replete with stories of changed lives, and there is none more compelling than that of Paul, right back at the very beginning. At first an opponent of the Church, he became its greatest missionary…
Daily Devotions
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly…” vss. 11-12 Titus 2:11-14 This little letter, likely composed sometime in the late first century, provides a picture of the Nativity that we could well take to heart as we put the final touches on our Christmas preparations. It’s been a long Advent, and the ongoing concerns…