Tag Archives: Grace

Works

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Listen to Ephesians 2:8-10 this morning:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

faith_works_landscapeWe are not saved by works. But, we are, however, saved for works.

Wait, what?

Yep. We are not saved by our works. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. Our works aren’t good enough. We can’t “do” enough to save ourselves, our good will never outweigh our bad, and even the good we do will most times be plagued with pride and other sin.

It’s not that we are the scum of the earth, it’s just that we are prone to choose wrong. You are, I am, we all are. That’s ok. It just who we are.

And that’s what Jesus came to save us from. And this salvation doesn’t come from anything we “do” but what He did. We aren’t saved by our actions, but we are saved by believing by faith, which is given to us by grace, in Jesus Christ.

You don’t have to earn it. You can’t earn it. Just accept it. God loves you. Believe that. Your works to earn that.

Ok, so salvation through faith. Not works.

But, look at what it says today in verse 10 – we are created for good works. So our works don’t save us. But, when we are in Christ, we walk in faith, and good works follow.

So, there’s nothing you can do (or not do) to make God love you any more (or less). He just loves you.

But, He has made you for something. You are created for something. You were made to be faithful. To serve. To love. To be salt and light. To make a difference. To live in love, grace, mercy, and truth. That’s through Him. By Him. For Him. In His grace. For His grace. For His glory.

You aren’t saved by your works. But, His grace in you will call you to be more faithful.

You are His workmanship. You are His master piece. Today, through grace, may His love flow through us. And may all folks come to know how good He is, through His grace in our lives.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones

Oh, You’re a Christian?

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A few weeks back, I read a blog post that’s stuck with me. It was entitled, oh, you’re a Christian? You can read it by clicking here. Basically its the story of two folks talking and one realizing that the other is a Christian, and being surprised by that.

Why were they surprised?

They said, you don’t seem judgmental enough.

That’s stuck with me a lot since I read it. I’ve referenced it in several sermons and teaching moments. It has really bothered me. Why?

How have we, as the followers of the One that is love, is mercy, is grace, how have we gone from being defined that mercy and grace, to being defined as being too judgmental.

Listen to what Jesus does today in Mark 2:15-17:

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

wanted2The Word says that He ate with sinners and tax collectors. Those that were seen as less than, or not as good, not as holy, not as righteous. He ate with them. He loved them. He came for them.

He came for sinners.

Jesus Christ came for sinners. Of which I am the chief one.

We have got to be more graceful. How do we do that? Be remembering that we too are sinners that Jesus came to eat with. We too are sinners that Jesus came to save. We are not perfect. We are not superior.

We have to remember who we are. Remember how Jesus has loved us. And as saved us.

And love others in that way.

Today, may we seek to be like our savior. May we see to love everyone as He did. And may we seek to point others to His love and grace.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones

Putting the Cart Before the Horse

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One of the constant battles, struggles, whatever word you want to use, that we face sometimes as Christians is this struggle between faith and works. We are saved by faith, right?

And if we are saved by faith, then our works don’t matter at all. For our works don’t save us, they don’t make God love us, they don’t do any of that.

So, we have no reason to worry about our works or really even focus on our works in any way at all, right? Our works, the stuff we do, they just don’t matter.

Well, that’s not quite right. Listen to how Paul talks about all this today in Galatians 2:15-20:

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

cart-before-the-horsePaul says, yes, we are justified or “saved” by faith, not by works. Our salvation occurs not because of anything that we have done, but totally because of what God has done for us in Christ. As he says in, because by works of the law no one will be justified (saved).

But then, after that Paul reminds us, that we if we have saved, then it is Christ who lives within us. And we die to ourselves, our desires, our flesh, our sin. Our stuff. Our works don’t save us. We are not saved by what we do or not do. We are saved by what Christ has done.

But, it is Christ that now lives within us. And if we lives within us, then it will change our lives. It will change our thoughts. It will change who we are.

We aren’t saved because we “do” stuff. But, because we are saved we “do” stuff. We put the cart before the horse. We want to get clean and then get saved. And we get frustrated because we are never clean enough.

Don’t worry about cleaning yourself. Come to Jesus. And He will clean you. He will wash it all away. He will take care of it.

Don’t put the cart before the horse. Focus on Jesus. And He will take care of your actions. For we are saved by grace through faith.

But that salvation will truly change us.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones

What We are Here For

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One of the questions that we are prone to ask a lot in life is this – why are we here? What is our purpose? What are we to do? Why does God have us where He has us?

What is our reason and our purpose in life?

Today, in Psalm 106: 6-8, David writes a little about what we are here for. Listen to what it says:

Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power.

imagesThis Psalm is the story of Israel and God. It tells of their unfaithfulness and God’s faithfulness. And so, the question is raised, why is God so faithful to His people when they are so unfaithful?

Why does He save them when they wander away so far?

What does He restore and give grace when they fall so often?

Why does He save?

This is why. He saved them for His name’s sake. He saved them, that through them, His power and His might and His glory would be made known.

He saved them, in spite of their sin, because through them, He would be glorified, He would be lifted up, He would be worshiped.

Why are you here? What are we here for? Why are we saved? For God. For His purpose. For His glory. For His plan.

You purpose in life is not to have a job or get a house or a car or fame or status or anything like that. Your purpose is to know God. To worship and glorify Him. And to, through you, let His light shine out into the world.

That’s what you were created for. That’s what I was created for. That’s what all of us were created for. That’s what we are here for.

To glorify God. To live in His grace.

You have been saved, you have been forgiven, you have been loved so that you can give glory to God. So that you can worship Him. So that you can point others to Him.
Live in that, and find life. Live in Him and find life. Live in Him and find your purpose.

We were made for Him. May we live in His life today and always.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Conviction

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shamehandsYou ever felt really convicted by God for something that you’ve done wrong? That’s called conviction. Conviction is when God’s spirit lays hold to our hearts and says – that is wrong.

Sometimes we feel conviction in a message that is preached.

Sometimes we feel it when we are reading the scripture or praying.

Sometimes we feel it after and action that we have done that is wrong.

Sometimes we just feel it. We just know that there’s an area of our life that we’ve got to change, that we’ve got to give to God, that we’ve got to make right.

And you know what? That’s as good thing. Listen to what Paul says today in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11:

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

He says Godly grief (or conviction) produces repentance, which leads to salvation. This conviction is actually God’s way of drawing us closer to Himself. This Godly grief of conviction is God’s way of showing us the right path, showing us the way that we should walk, showing us what we should or should not do.

We need to, in our lives, feel that conviction, when we are wrong. Because that steers us right. That makes us right. That turns us right.

Today, in your life, where is that area that God has convicted of you? Where do you feel like is an area that God has pointed out that you need to give to Him?

That feeling of conviction? It is truly one of God’s greatest gifts to you. It is truly one of the ways that God draws you back to Himself.

Today, if you feel, thank Him for it. And all it to help you become more faithful!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Give Thanks

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172Today, you’ve been forgiven.

Now, you have to accept that forgiveness. For it to make a difference in your life, you’ve got to accept it, internalize it, believe it for yourself.

Allow it make a difference in your life and in your soul.

But, you’ve been forgiven. The work is done. The price is paid. The effort is fulfilled.

Will you give thanks today? Listen to the story we see today in Luke 17:15-19:

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus heals 10 lepers. He tells them to go and present themselves, for in that day to be fully “cleansed” you had to present yourself to the priests.

So, all 10 do that.

And only 1 returns to give thanks. Only 1 returns to Jesus to thank Him for their healing and their new life. Only one returns to show a thankful heart for what God has done.

Today, you’ve been forgiven. Today, grace is available and ready for you. Today, mercy and hope and new life are there for you.

And if you’ve received it, have you returned to God to say thank you?

He loves you. He heals our brokenness. He gives us love.

And out of thankful hearts we should stop. Pause. And say thank you.

Of the 10 folks healed, only 1 returned. Today, will we be 9? Or will we be the 1?

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Loved to Love Others

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God is in the business of making all things right. God is in the business of bringing restoration and hope and peace to lives, their lives, and lives.

God is the business of making all things right.

Listen to what Paul writes today in 2 Corinthians 5: 18:21:

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

love-God-love-others-titlePaul says that God, through Christ, has reconciled us to Himself. In other words through what Jesus has done for us on the cross and in the empty grave, God has, and is making all things right for us with Him.

There is grace. There is mercy. There is forgiveness for us in Christ. Today, there is the chance to start over, begin again, wake up to a fresh and new start.

Today, this is a new day.

But, then, look what he says – God has reconciled us, so that we can be God’s ambassadors. Today, it isn’t just that God want you to know mercy and freedom and grace and power.

It’s that God wants to use you to so that others can know His mercy and grace and power.

He loves us so that we can know love, and love others.

He forgives us so that we can know forgiveness, and forgive others.

He gives us life, so that we can help others know life.

Today, He is calling you into Himself, into love and life. And He calls us to live in church a way, full of grace and mercy, that others will want to know the God that we know!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

All

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Who does God want to save? All people.

Who does God love? All people.

All people. Me, you, that guy down the street, your co-worker, cousin, aunt, and mail man. Everyone. All people. The world. Whosever.

Listen to what Paul writes to Timothy today in 1 Timothy 2:3-6:

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

271402392_640God desires that all be saved. Jesus Christ gave himself as a ransom for all. God wants there to be restoration and hope for all people. That’s His heart and His desire. And He wants to used us to accomplish that.

We are His representative today. We go out in our work. In our family. In our community. Everywhere we go. And take that Good News with us.

To all.

To everyone.

No one is unimportant. Everyone matters. Everyone is made in His image. All of us. Me, you, all of us.

God loves them all. May we do what we can do today, to show His love to all that we meet today.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

“Them”

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We really want to God to get “them” sometimes, don’t we?

After all, “they” are wrong. “They” should be punished. “They” deserve God’s judgement. He should get “them” for their sins and their mistakes.

That’s what we can think and believe. That’s what we can truly believe.

But, here is the thing. Jesus doesn’t just love us. He loves “them” too.

Listen to what happens in Luke 9:52:55:

And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them.

Fire_From_HeavenThey reject Jesus. And the disciples say, do, you want us to call down fire from above to consume them. Ok, two things here.

First, really James and John? You think that you can call down fire from above? Really? Like that’s your job? We should be very careful when getting ready to call down the fire of God’s judgement. That’s not our job.

Second, if they had stopped to think, they would have realized that Jesus came to save “them.” And us as well. Cause here’s the thing, it isn’t just “them” that make mistakes and fall down. It’s us too.

Today, let’s remember that we are not the judge of the world. That’s leave that to God. Let’s stop calling down fire. And lets, instead, turn to the one thing that can truly change lives.

Love.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What I am Thankful For

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300px-StJohnsAshfield_StainedGlass_GoodShepherd_Dk_FaceThere’s a lot of things that we can be thankful for in regards to our faith.

We can be thankful for the goodness of God. We can be thankful for all the good things in life that God gives us, for the Bible tells us that all good gifts from God.

We can be thankful for the truth of God in scripture. In prayer. In worship.

We can be thankful for His grace and mercy that He gives when we fall down and ask for help.

We can be thankful for His peace that gives. For His hope. For His joy. For His strength.

All these are things that we can list on our things that we are thankful for. And they are good things. But, today, let me tell you what I am most thankful for. Listen to the words of Hebrews 4:14-16:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 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.

It’s that phrase in verse 15. “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness.” I am thankful that Jesus understands.

The word tells us that Jesus was fully God and fully human. And in that, He is able to understand our temptation, for He was tempted as we are. He understands our hurts, as He was hurt. He understands our tears, as He cried. He understands us.

And it isn’t just that He understands, but He has sympathy. He has compassion. He has grace for us.

He lived as we live, walked as we walked. He understands. No matter what it is, right now, Jesus understands.

He is not uncaring towards your hurts, pains and loss. He understands. He cares. He is there.

That is what I am thankful for. Jesus understands what we are going through.

And He never gives up on us.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.