Weekly Devotional 1-14-19
Reconciled to God by His Grace and by Our Faith
Continuing with the theme of last week’s devotional “Peace with God / Peace of God” we today consider steps in that accomplish-ment. Certainly to have peace with God one’s alienation with Him must be overcome. God is holy, but man is sinful, and sin cannot be in the presence of God. God however provided a means by which man’s sin could be forgotten and forgiven. And He did this before He created the world. Knowing that man could not do anything to make amends for his sin took that sin upon Himself. He became a man and then gave His life for that amending. From John’s gospel we read: “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
In this passage we see the two-part solution to having peace with God and following, the peace of God. God’s part was the giving of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Man’s part is to believe in that gift. This is made abundantly by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians. “1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Galatians 2:1-10). Did you notice verse 8? According to this verse man is saved by grace and faith. Grace being God’s part and faith being man’s part.
Thanks be to God that our faith is given us by the Holy Spirit. He has given us the ability to believe, the desire to believe, a desire to surrender our lives to the save keeping of Jesus and a desire to turn from our sinful lifestyle, our old natures. When this is accomplished, we have peace with God and the peace of God.
Steve
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
All Scriptural usage is from the NKJB