Grace For The Journey

Francis Schaeffer, the American Evangelical Christian theologian and philosopher once referred to the grace of God as “the present value of the blood of Christ.”  In essence, he was saying that there is a continual need to never grow past our need of the grace of the Gospel.

We are totally dependent on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ every day!

That precious blood that cleansed us from all unrighteousness when we were saved (1 Peter 1:19 – “know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from our aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ …”) is the same precious blood that cleanses us from all unrighteousness as we are being sanctified (conformed into the image of Christ) along our journey to heaven (1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”).

The Gospel is for sinners, you see,

And

We are still sinners after we have been saved.

God does not save us by grace and then expect us to live our lives by the spiritual sweat of our brow.

We are not only saved by the truths of the Gospel,

We are to grow by those truths as well.

Moment by moment, we are dependent on the grace of the Gospel to wash our every thought, word, deed, and desire in the fountain of His purifying blood.  Every imperfect performance and impure motive must be cleansed by His precious blood.  Schaeffer was absolutely right in referring to God’s grace as “the present value of the blood of Christ,” because we are totally dependent upon it – both as the door into the Christian life and the floor upon which we build our Christian life.

So . . . have you been building your life on the Gospel or on your perceived good works?  Do you believe God is blessing you because of your merit . . . or His mercy?  Are you attempting to finish what God started in you?  Or are you trusting in the finished work of Christ?

It is only through Him and in Him alone that we make our way into our eternal rest, and every step of the way we are reminded of these words from the beautiful old hymn:

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh precious is the flow that makes mw white as snow;

No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is God Word … This is Grace for your Journey …

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”