The kind of reptile that kills from ambush don’t deserve any consideration.”
–William MacLeod Raine (Mavericks)
“But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand… But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.”
“But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand… But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.”
–Acts 28:3,5 (NKJV)
—————————————-
“The ancient Hebrews were so tied by tradition they couldn’t recognize the Messiah when he was right there in front of them, and he was crucified.
The disciples, who walked and worked with the Christ, were very afraid of him; they hoped, but they also doubted, and they ran that night, and he was crucified.
The common people mobbed him, showed him their sicknesses and sores, and they threw down an aisle of palms for him and sang to him, and he was crucified.
His family was embarrassed, and stood outside, and wished he’d come home, and he was crucified.
Would we crucify Jesus today? It’s not a rhetorical question for the mind to play with.
I believe, we are each born with a body, a mind, a soul, and a handful of nails.
I believe, when a man dies, no one has ever found any nails left,
clutched in his hands
or stuffed in his pockets.”
–Lois A. Cheney (God Is No Fool)
We’ll never understand it, but we must try. It is not anything we can do. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship…” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV) Paul also wrote in Romans, “The just shall live by faith.” (1:17, NKJV)
“Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!”
–Julia H. Johnston
We are saved by grace, but here is what I want you to focus on this morning. We are sustained by grace as well! On this pilgrim journey with Christ as the Holy Spirit as our guide we are kept by grace and we grow in grace. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19, NKJV) We continue on the upward way; that narrow trail that is always winding upward. Oh, the obstacles that are in the way that we must climb over, the hidden rocks and roots in the path that we sometimes stumble over, but we continue on. Why? Because we are kept by grace.
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15, NKJV). Grasp hold of that truth. Believe it, rest assured in it! Work on living righteously. That’s right–work on it. “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29, NKJV) When I played ball, I practiced continually. I practiced in a formal setting with the team, but then I would spend hours practicing on my own. I practiced to become a ballplayer. Now, we must do the same as a Christian. We practice righteousness continually. No, we will never gain it, for only Jesus is righteous, yet we are to be like Him.
We stumble, but the Holy Spirit is there to help us maintain our balance. We hit a rock and fall to the ground, but the Holy Spirit is there to help us up. We must put forth our effort: to walk, to get up, but it is through the power of God that we are righteous. Remember, the Epistles were written for believers, for those who are a new creation, for those who are walking toward their heavenly goal. The path is not always easy for there are many different types of snares, traps, battles, storms, sicknesses, sorrows, and the life that may come our way–that will come our way. Yet, as a believer, as one who has Jesus Christ as Lord, you can rest in the comfort of the words of John, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV) This is for the Christian, and get it, get it! He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Oh, that we could grasp that we do not walk in our righteousness, for they are filthy rags, but we walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
—————————————-
“The ancient Hebrews were so tied by tradition they couldn’t recognize the Messiah when he was right there in front of them, and he was crucified.
The disciples, who walked and worked with the Christ, were very afraid of him; they hoped, but they also doubted, and they ran that night, and he was crucified.
The common people mobbed him, showed him their sicknesses and sores, and they threw down an aisle of palms for him and sang to him, and he was crucified.
His family was embarrassed, and stood outside, and wished he’d come home, and he was crucified.
Would we crucify Jesus today? It’s not a rhetorical question for the mind to play with.
I believe, we are each born with a body, a mind, a soul, and a handful of nails.
I believe, when a man dies, no one has ever found any nails left,
clutched in his hands
or stuffed in his pockets.”
–Lois A. Cheney (God Is No Fool)
We’ll never understand it, but we must try. It is not anything we can do. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship…” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV) Paul also wrote in Romans, “The just shall live by faith.” (1:17, NKJV)
“Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!”
–Julia H. Johnston
We are saved by grace, but here is what I want you to focus on this morning. We are sustained by grace as well! On this pilgrim journey with Christ as the Holy Spirit as our guide we are kept by grace and we grow in grace. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19, NKJV) We continue on the upward way; that narrow trail that is always winding upward. Oh, the obstacles that are in the way that we must climb over, the hidden rocks and roots in the path that we sometimes stumble over, but we continue on. Why? Because we are kept by grace.
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15, NKJV). Grasp hold of that truth. Believe it, rest assured in it! Work on living righteously. That’s right–work on it. “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29, NKJV) When I played ball, I practiced continually. I practiced in a formal setting with the team, but then I would spend hours practicing on my own. I practiced to become a ballplayer. Now, we must do the same as a Christian. We practice righteousness continually. No, we will never gain it, for only Jesus is righteous, yet we are to be like Him.
We stumble, but the Holy Spirit is there to help us maintain our balance. We hit a rock and fall to the ground, but the Holy Spirit is there to help us up. We must put forth our effort: to walk, to get up, but it is through the power of God that we are righteous. Remember, the Epistles were written for believers, for those who are a new creation, for those who are walking toward their heavenly goal. The path is not always easy for there are many different types of snares, traps, battles, storms, sicknesses, sorrows, and the life that may come our way–that will come our way. Yet, as a believer, as one who has Jesus Christ as Lord, you can rest in the comfort of the words of John, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV) This is for the Christian, and get it, get it! He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Oh, that we could grasp that we do not walk in our righteousness, for they are filthy rags, but we walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.