November 14 – Abundance of Positive Matters

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  2 Peter 1:2 (ESV)

These words are a prayer of blessing written by the Apostle Peter in the second letter he wrote to believers.  What a great difference our lives become when we come to know God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. “This is a strengthened form of “knowledge” implying a larger, more thorough, and intimate knowledge. The Christian’s precious faith is built on knowing the truth about God (cf. v. 3). Christianity is not a mystical religion, but is based in objective, historical, revealed, rational truth from God and intended to be understood and believed. The deeper and wider that knowledge of the Lord, the more “grace and peace” are multiplied¹." When we accept Jesus as our Savior, God brings us into His family and begins to reveal himself to us.  He wants us to know Him and to keep learning more and more about Him. Our verse today tells us what happens when we learn to know our Lord better. We read that we receive grace and peace in abundance through knowing Him. It will be true as we learn to know Him better. What a benefit is promised to us here.

 

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^[1] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible., (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 2 Pe 1:2.

 

September 12 – Peace and Access With Sure Hope

Therefore having been justified on the principle of faith, we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ;  by whom we have also access by faith into this favour in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.– Romans 5:1-2 (DARBY)  Since we have considered these two verses over the past two days, today we look again in a different version of the Bible.

In the fifth chapter of Romans, we’ve already considered the first two verses mining for the promises God has given to us. For all who by faith believe that God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to live on earth in human flesh, God’s purpose was accomplished when after living a perfect life, without sin, Jesus was sacrificed on the cross while carrying the sins of the world. He paid in full the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). Everyone who believes in Him and repents, receives eternal life. So far we have noted two links which secures our eternal future. The Apostle Paul specifies two links securing our salvation; we have peace with God (v.1); we have access to be standing in grace (v.2). Also in verse 2 we find that we have a sure hope of glory. The third link, (v. 2) promises us access and hope, and standing in grace we make our boast in this hope of the glory of God. Our hope will positively not disappoint. It is amazing to recognize that this hope is ours. Proclaiming this hope we will never be ashamed for it is solid true.

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September 11 – Access to Overflowing Grace

 “...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 1b-2 (NASB)

As we read yesterday, we have a relationship with God based on objective peace. We were brought into this relationship of peace through our Lord Jesus Christ and by no self-effort or work. And now, “through whom [that is Christ] also we have obtained our introduction by faith." Again, to be clear, our introduction, our access, to grace is by faith; and it's through Christ alone.  Everything is because of Him.  This truth is rich, it has boundaries which are untouchable and unreachable.  “Through whom” ⸺  Jesus Christ, ⸺ we have peace with God and through Him we stand in grace.  It’s because of Him. Peace with God is a first link and standing in grace is a second link to our security in Christ.  The key thought is that the intercession of Christ brings all this to us all.  Through Christ “we have obtained our introduction,” or literally, obtained our access (see NKJV).   The word “access,” here is translated in the NASB by the word ‘introduction,’  which in Greek means access, entrée. It is a word of epic importance. It's a staggering word. Through Christ alone we have access by faith into God's realm where grace overflows.

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September 6 – Grace is Heaped

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  ” – Ephesians 1:7-8 (ESV)

The fourth of six promises we received by faith when we are saved by grace. We are redeemed and forgiven for all our sins and placed in Christ Jesus permanently. If we did not have this assurance from God, we would be in a miserable and dark place. Human nature first thinks that any good thing we have received is according to what we do with our own effort and works. This is why within all the other belief systems in this world, each requires the one to work to be good enough to qualify. This is not so with those who are in Christ Jesus. True Christians who are faith believers do not earn salvation or maintain salvation by their own effort. We have been redeemed not by our good deeds but by the one deed of Jesus Christ who shed his blood and died for us. He paid the penalty we owed and when we believe in Him for what He has done we are forgiven for every failure. All have failed and for those who believe, God applies His work of grace in a lavish way. His forgiveness is for all who believe and is forever.  

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September 2 – Here Are Six But There Are More

 “[God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” -  2 Timothy 1:9 -  (ESV)

Six Promises for those saved and In Christ Jesus. Pause for a moment and think how incredible it is to be united to Christ. Bound to Christ. If you are “in Christ” listen to what it means for you:

1. In Christ Jesus you were given grace before the world was created. (2 Timothy 1:9)
2. In Christ Jesus you were chosen by God before creation. (Ephesians 1:4)
3. In Christ Jesus you are loved by God with an inseparable love. (Romans 8:38–39)
4. In Christ Jesus you were redeemed and forgiven for all your sins. (Ephesians 1:7)
5. In Christ Jesus you are justified before God and the righteousness of God in Christ is imputed to you. (2 Corinthians 5:21) 
6. In Christ Jesus you have become a new creation and a son of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

The unbeliever is not in Christ Jesus but an enemy of God’s truth as revealed in the Bible. Declaring that one believes in Jesus is real does not save. True belief is saving faith, a gift of God. In the next few days we will look a little closer at each of these six promises in God’s Word. 

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June 18 – Surviving the Rampage

“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” – Romans 12:3 (NASB)

We find very little humility practiced in this world. Consider a current trend referred most often as “cancel culture,” (the term first appeared in 2016). Practiced by many who hold their views and attitudes to be the only correct and appropriate opinions while ignoring scientific orders and challenges our creator God’s clear truths found in scripture. There’s a current rampage against beliefs by those who don’t live according to these esteemed values or interpretations of right and wrong. In spite of  fear of ostracism from others, this practice of intolerance is not becoming of those for whom Christ, by grace, has chosen, saved, and adopted as children of God. Today’s passage warns us to not practice holding ourselves above others as anyone’s “betters” – better based on the values they hold and demand others to accept and hold. Today’s promise is for each true faith believer who has received an allotment measure of faith from God sufficient to use sound judgement based our faith in God’s word.  It’s this exercise which leads believers to recognize that in themselves we are nothing (1Peter 5:5), and will yield in us the fruit of humility without compromise.

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May 12 – Cannot Compare

“…made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”  Ephesians 2:5b-6 (ESV)

Today we have selected another passage which tells us how our God has wonderful plans for us and they include what He is doing with us, His children, these days. The Apostle Paul reveals to the believers in Ephesus and to us the amazing depth of what we have since God brought us into His family. Making for us a place with Jesus in heaven, He wants this to demonstrate something very important. And now that we are a part of His family He can be very kind and generous in His treatment of us. When He treats in a kind and loving way, He demonstrates how rich His grace is because we don't deserve such treatment at all. It is all by His grace and mercy that He does this for us. Has God been kind to you, His child? If so, that is part of His plan to show how rich His grace is. It's as our verse says that he might show what is incomparable – the unlimited extent of grace through kindness, lovingkindness. 

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May 5 – Able to Sympathize

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:15-16 (ESV)

 

As we look at the promises in today’s passage, let’s glance back just a bit at our promises from yesterday and remember our sleeping savior. On the stormy sea, the disciples were fearing for their lives. Experienced fishermen had to have been in storms before so to frighten them this had to be a really serious storm. Jesus needed sleep, he finds a cushion for comfort and goes to sleep unbothered by the storm. The very fact that Jesus needed to sleep reveals that He had a real human body that knew the feelings of fatigue and thirst and hunger. Hebrews tells us our high priest, is able to sympathize with human weaknesses. If Jesus had not known the weaknesses and temptations of humanity, He would not be a sympathetic High Priest, capable of offering us mercy and grace from the heavenly throne. But He does know our weaknesses because His experienced weaknesses too. He knew the pain of rejection: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11) There’s no pain or insult we might know that Christ hasn’t had—and because He knows such struggles, He invites us to come to Him.

 

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January 29 – Was, Is, Will Be Always

“Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” Revelation 1:4-5 (ESV)

The Apostle John was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ which he wrote under the inspiration of God’s Spirit. In the book God includes letters addressed to seven churches in what is called Asia Minor. Our verses today are the greeting from the common beginning of these letters. The seven letters were sent together and given to each church as the messenger brought them. In that part of the world, the custom was and is to greet people with the word “peace.” We read this greeting now because of the way it expresses the deep meaning of the source of our peace with God. It come from God and the reason He can give peace is because of who He is. To know that God has always been, that He is now, and that he will always be⸺produces a restful peace in our hearts. So when something disturbing happens let's remember that the promises of our eternal God are sure and absolute. The seven Spirits are likely a reference to the lampstand with 7 lamps—also a description of the Holy Spirit. And 7 is the number of completeness, so John is identifying the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

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December 10 – Unending Comfort and Hope

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,  comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (ESV)

How about the times in our lives when what we need is encouragement or comfort? Today's verse is about the grace of God through which we are comforted or encouraged.  God knows when his children need to be encouraged. He promises to give it to us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Father God in heaven have provided for us eternal encouragement to help us live the Christian life. This doesn't mean that God encourages us once and it lasts forever. It means that because He is eternally the source of encouragement and comfort. He is with us all the time. He never leaves us so whenever we need encouragement, God will be with us to give it to us.  When we need comfort He is our unending supply by grace. It is a promise from God that lasts for eternity because God's promises last that long. They never cease and He never exhausts the supply. Let's take encouragement from this promise today.

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December 2 – Superabundant Supply

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” John 1:16 (NASB)

The Apostle John begins the account of Jesus' life with a promise. The Word made flesh (John 1:14) is the source of grace, which is the sum total of all the spiritual favors God gives to people. The words “we … all” refer to Christians and include John the author. Out of His fullness His grace … “grace in place of grace”. This phrase emphasizes the superabundance of grace that has been displayed by God toward mankind, especially believers. Grace comes to Christians in the way that waves continue to come to the shore in both calm and tempest. The Christian life is the constant reception of one evidence of God’s grace replacing another. God does not run out of a supply of grace to give us and He does not consider that any of us have received all the grace we need or will ever get. It is out of His fullness which never is exhausted and love which never ends. We hope the Lord has blessed you many times in the past. In many different ways and He continues to bless us these days. What a promise we have all received – an unending supply of grace.  

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November 14 – Abundance From Knowledge

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” 2 Peter 1:2 (ESV)

These words which are a blessing or prayer written by the Apostle Peter in the second letter he wrote to Christian believers in the first century.  This “knowledge” is a strengthened form implying a larger, more thorough, and intimate knowledge. Our precious faith is built on knowing the truth about God. Christianity is not a mystical religion, but is based in objective, historical, revealed, rational truth from God and intended to be understood and believed. The deeper and wider that knowledge of the Lord, the more abundant is the “grace and peace”. What a great difference it makes in our lives when we come to know God and His Son Jesus Christ. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, God brings us into His family and begins to reveal himself to us.  He wants us to know Him and to keep learning more and more about Him. Our verse today promises us what happens when we learn to know our Lord better. We receive grace and peace that multiplies through knowing Him. It will be true as we learn to know Him better. What a benefit is promised to us here.

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October 15 – Abundantly Poured Out

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight,” – Ephesians 1:7-8 (ESV)

What is it like to have someone lavish good things on us? ‘Lavish’ is not a word we use enough but it means so much and when used in today’s context, it is a blessing and a promise. It means to pour out, to abound and our promise is that God has already poured and continues pouring out in abundance the riches of His grace. We don’t deserve grace and we can’t earn it. Grace is given to the undeserving by the will and action of God. The term ‘redemption through His blood’ is used here and is an act of paying the required ransom to God for the release of a person from bondage. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross where he bled and died, paid that price for every elect person enslaved by sin. It was Jesus Christ’s gracious action that bought each of us who believe out of the slave market of iniquity. The price of redemption was death. The promise of redemption includes the limitless grace of God, and forgiveness of sin. This promise brings divinely-bestowed spiritual understanding. This is what God has poured out lavishly, beyond our imagination because He loves us. 

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August 09 – Wasted But Renewed

“ For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:15-16 (ESV)

It is true that the physical bodies are by nature in a steady decay. There is no miracle or magical method that will arrest what the Apostle Paul calls ‘wasting away.’ That fact does not stop our unending search for renewal; attempting to find ways to slow the physical decline and maintain the vitality of youth. Our verses come in this chapter just after Paul has detailed what he has experienced in his body on account of his effort to bring the gospel and teaching of Jesus Christ to them. All that has happened has been for the sake of those who were served in Paul’s ministry. In other words, when the gospel enters the hearts and lives of an ever-increasing number of people, God’s grace abounds. These are fellow believers who begin to lead unbelievers to Christ. And as a result, all believers can now live to please God and express their thanks to him. The effect of physical decay on Paul didn't mean that he lost heart and we shouldn’t either. We are promised that the eternal part of us which is within our soul and spirit is renewed every day.

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June 10 – It’s All On Him

 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God…” Galatians 2:20 (NASB)

The Apostle Paul made this statement, “I do not nullify the grace of God…” in a confrontation with those who wanted to compel new Gentile Christians to follow the Jewish Law. Paul argued that if righteousness and salvation were possible through obeying the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Being ‘good enough’ will never save anyone. We are declared righteous by what Christ did for us on the cross. Once was a young boy who was on a raft in the middle of a deep lake with his father. His father was diving off the raft to move it to shore, on one dive, the boy lost his balance and fell into the water. In a panic he tried to swim up but couldn’t. He was too far under water to reach the surface. As the boy went down a second time his father grabbed his arm and pulled him up and back onto the raft. There was nothing the boy could’ve done in that circumstance to avoid drowning. His salvation depended fully on his father. The boy added nothing – he didn’t nullify what his father did. That is the same with the grace from God that saves us. 

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May 24 – Unbounded Grace

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” -  Romans 5:1-2 (NASB)

Day to day we may not, very often, think about the grace in which we stand. Considering that grace in our lives is pretty much limited to the word “gracious” which, means kind, polite, civil, tactful, and courteous. Grace, however, is much more than politeness or civil behavior. Our promise in today’s verse is powerful because it explains what grace brings to us. Because of the grace God has for us we, who in faith believe in Jesus and His words, have been justified. Notice the “have been” there? It is past, it is a done deal. Being justified provides for us peace with God which is also by grace, our possession. We have such a possession of peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and it is through Christ we were introduced by faith into this marvelous grace. We really need to think about this deeply and frequently. It is a gift which continues to develop into more gifts from God. The last promise is hope, and hope is ours because of what God has fully done for us by grace. It a hope for which we can triumph in the glory of God.  

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May 17 – Power to Perfect the Weakness

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Weakness is bad, right? None of us seek to be seen as weak even if we are weak. Yet, these words were written as a testimony by the Apostle Paul. Paul tells of a prayer he had earnestly prayed three times asking God to remove a problem that he called “a thorn in the flesh.” We do not know just what it was while many who also do not know speculate with assumptions. What we do know is that God knows what is best for us and everything that He does for us is for our best even when it's not what we asked for. God knew what was best for the Apostle Paul. God also knew the perfect solution for his problem.  Paul acknowledged his weakness; it had a purpose – to glorify God.  Paul learned to even boast of his weaknesses. If we are true children of God we will want more than anything else, that God's name will be glorified. We want to realize His power is perfect and all he does is perfect. When God does not do just what we ask of Him, He always gives us the grace and power to overcome.

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January 19 – Done Deal Here and Now

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”  Ephesians 2:4-6 (ESV)

This passage assures us that our salvation is by the grace of God. We did nothing to make it ours, we can’t. God’s love has done three things: (a) it has made us alive with Christ, (b) has raised us up with Christ, and (c) seated us with Him in the heavenly places.  This is all promised and done because what Jesus did for us. It becomes what happened to us in Christ Jesus.  Although still flesh and bone walking on this earth breathing air, what Christ did, became a reality so true that God considers it a done deal for us. When God draws us to Himself and offers us a new life in Christ Jesus, we received it by grace. Although this is difficult to understand with our human reasoning, and various questions arise as we’re trying to grasp how it is; we rest on the faith given to us by grace and accept it as truth. We do not have to fully understand everything we receive for it to be true. It’s true because God has declared it true by His will⸺that is what makes it true and for us right here, right now, it's accomplished. 

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January 12 – Power From God To Do Good Things

“By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.  1 Corinthians 15:10  (ESV)

Grace is not only God’s unmerited favor to do good for us when we don’t deserve it. It is also enabling power, an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us. God’s grace is God acting in us to make us work hard, to make us keep our commitments and resolutions (if they are appropriate).  Apostle Paul says he worked hard: “By the grace of God…I worked harder than any of them.” Paul says, “Work out your own salvation,” and adds, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13). Grace is power from God to do good things in us and for us. This grace is promised to us. It was applied in our past and it will be applied in our future. If you have ever watched water go over a water fall and wondered why it seems endless – think Niagara Falls – that is what grace is like. It’s ever flowing over the waterfall of the present, from an inexhaustible river of grace from the future, into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past.

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January 1 – A Little While

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  1 Peter 5:10-11 (ESV)

Perhaps it seems out of place to begin the New Year with a benediction. The New Year may not always be as “Happy” as we would wish, but as Christians we are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3) and can look forward to a “Blessed New Year” throughout the problems that may come. Suffering is a common experience for all humans. None seek it out but we know that it is part of our walk with Jesus Christ for He promises that we will suffer for His sake as we proclaim our faith in Him. So, Peter confirms for us that suffering is going to be ours for a “little while.” But, afterward, God promises that He Himself will be the one who will restore us, and confirm us, and strengthen us, and then establish us. What a promise that is! We are members of God’s family and we live in His dominion. This is what will be ours for eternity. So, the suffering of last year and the suffering we will encounter this year is all but for “a little while” when the rest will be ours for eternity. 

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