PASTOR MARY: GRACE FOR THE RACE

NOTE: this was first posted July 23, 2017 www.maryldetweiler.wordpress.com

GRACE FOR THE RACE

(C)2017 Mary L. Detweiler All copyrights reserved

For it is by grace through faith……Grace is our starting point in our life and relationship with Jesus. Grace and faith working together.

It is as though grace is the key that unlocks the door of faith by which we enter into salvation.

In verse 8 of Ephesian 2 it states that grace “it is the gift of God.”

Our gracious Father even supplies the grace and faith for our salvation.

 

We cannot earn it, buy it, barter for it or even beg for it.

Ephesians 2: 9 says that “it is not of works lest any man should boast.”

Grace allows no room for pride as we see in James 4:6 that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Our life with Christ begins by humbling ourselves, acknowledging our need for a savior: that there is salvation in no other name but Jesus.

 

Our lives in the natural go through different stages, and so we grow and mature in our spiritual walk in a similar fashion.

 

Paul said, “when I was a child, I thought like a child….”.{ 1 cor. 13:11} “BUT WHEN I BECAME A MAN”. here Paul is speaking about our spiritual walk.

 

We have a beginning point, saving grace, and we need grace throughout our life stages.

 

Grace to begin our race, to run the race and to finish the race.

 

As we move from infancy to young adults spiritually, we need His grace to keep us in the race.

In Luke 2:40, we read that Jesus was growing strong as a young man and the grace of God was upon Him.

A grace to endure in the life of faith.

 

We need grace to keep us going and pursuing the deeper things of God.
Grace to seek Him and to find Him.

 

Grace for the pursuit of Him, in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom
and knowledge. the pursuit of His presence the pursuit of HIM.

 

As we mature and move into a more mature, adult stage, we need grace to keep us in the race til the finish.

 

Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7 that he had “fought the (good) fight, finished the race and kept the faith.”

It was by God’s grace that Paul wrote most of his letters or epistles in prison.

That it not normally a place of great inspiration!

 

He even began some of the letters by saying “May the GRACE
of our Lord be with you.”

 

God’s grace was mightily upon Paul as he was imprisoned , beaten, left for dead all for the sake of the gospel.

He was graced to appear before kings,rulers,Jews and Gentiles.

The grace upon Paul allowed him to minister mightily to others.

He didn’t use the grace of God for just living his own life.

Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost, to serve not to be served.

 

We need this same grace as we seek to follow Jesus example and imitate
Him. He left us to do the greater works as He went to His Father.

We are His ambassadors, ministers of reconciliation and vessels of light in a dark and dying world.

 

Isaiah 40:31 say “We will run and not get weary.”

Thank God for His amazing grace!

May we like Paul finish the race and its all because of His grace.

(C)2017 Mary L. Detweiler All copyrights reserved