As the meeting broke up, a good many Jews and converts to Judaism went along with Paul and Barnabas, who urged them in long conversations to stick with what they'd started, this living in and by God's grace. (13:43)Paul and Barnabas understood what these new believers would face. The spiritual battle would be fierce, and they would be tempted to drift or compromise or forget about grace. They would be drawn back to the law and trying to be good enough to earn God's favor.
It's frighteningly easy to get sidetracked in the Christian life. I see it all around me. I experience it daily myself. I get too busy. I justify my sin patterns. My desire for control is stronger than my desire to be obedient. I just want it to be about me for awhile. Distraction. Deception. Idol worship. Selfishness. These are only a few of the things that cause me to lose focus and drift away from living in and by God's grace.
That's why Scripture is full of reminders to stick with what I've started with, to live in and by God's grace:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh...If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5: 16, 25)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of 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 before hand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise (Ephesians 5:15)
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6, 7)
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct (1 Peter 1:13-15)What in particular keeps you from consistently living in and by God's grace? How do you use God's Word to encourage yourself to stick with what you started?
4 comments:
I think what consistently keeps me from living in God's grace daily is my idol of time. I confess I seem to consider my time more important than my time with God. Case in point was yesterday. I had limited time in the morning before we headed to Sea World. I debated whether to spend it in God's word or take the dog for a walk. I chose the latter so that we could get some exercise. I never got around to spending the time with Him.
What helps is just making a time every day to spend with Him and also memorizing verses. I appreciate being able to recall verses to help me keep my mind focused on things above rather than daily distractions.
Something else in today's reading struck me. Fasting and its importance in hearing from God. I have not put this in practice. Any insight out there to help me?
I hear you, Lisa! I do the same thing. I often escape to the non-urgent, unimportant things and sacrifice the important ones. And scripture memory is a great discipline! Glad to hear that helps you keep focused during the day.
I noticed the verses on fasting as well! And plenty more are coming. This is not a spiritual discipline that I've consistently used, but I want to grow in this area.
One resource is a recent sermon at church. Check out the March 4th sermon here: http://austinstone.org/resources/sermons
Also, Bill Bright has several books on fasting and Cru has some resources as well. Google "Bill Bright books on fasting" to find some of these resources.
Hope this helps!
So so encouraging reading Acts 13. And the verses you included in this post, Cici! Thank you. I think often just feeling rejected, like a failure, or conquered keeps e from living in and by God's grace. I so easily focus on that and get distracted instead of taking this mess constantly to the CROSS and accepting His love and forgiveness. Basically looking at the cross more than I look at my own sin and weaknesses and giving myself to Him- mess and all.
But using God's Word- by meditating on a verse and saturating my life with it changes this and helps me to stick with it. And be faithful and be empowered. Asking God to replace the lies in my life with His truth from the Word is powerful! So sometimes I paint His Word, sometimes I just post-it note verses around my room/home, or even blog on my own about verses God is using in my life. Treasuring God's Word in my heart- definitely want to grow in this and in the past year and a half this blog has helped me to so much! :) Praising God for that.
Glad to see your smiling face back on here, Christina! I've missed you.
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