Grace For The Journey

  I am sure you have heard the phrase “Coming to Christ.”  Rightly understood, we realize that it is the enabling grace of God that calls us to come to Christ.  Jesus stated in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day.”

By nature, we will always choose

Our own way of salvation

And not the way

Of salvation through Christ.

Our minds are too fickle,

Our hearts are too depraved,

And our wills too stubborn.

It is only by a supernatural work of God’s grace

That anyone comes to Christ

And receives the gift of eternal life.

Salvation is all of grace, from beginning to end.

I am also sure you have heard the phrase “Going for Christ.”  Rightly understood, we must realize that this too is possible through the enabling grace of God.

Without the same enabling grace

That raised us from death to life,

We would always choose

To go our own way.

We would go where we want to go, when we want to go, and get there in the way we think best.  Without grace, we would be going only for ourselves and for the advancement of our agenda and kingdom.  Without God’s work of grace we consider ourselves to be the sovereign ruler, lawgiver, judge, and jury.  So . . .

Whether we are coming to Christ

Or going for the glory of Christ,

It is because of God’s grace

That is at work within us.

The Bible affirms this in the following verses:

COMING TO CHRIST:   “To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” . . . “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in very good word and work.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14, 16-17).

GOING TO CHRIST: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

As Christians,

We should be every bit as comforted

As we are challenged

To grow into the person God is calling us to be,

Knowing that it is all of grace.

Yes, we choose, but we choose in response to His conviction and convincing work on our hearts.  Yes, we work, but we work through His ability and in His wisdom.  Yes, we participate, but we participate through His power.  In His strength, His wisdom, and His power we are able to live the life of Christ and engage in the advancement of His kingdom with all joy and confidence.

If God began this work in our coming to Christ, and it is all of grace even after we are saved, we can rest assured that God will complete His work in our lives, providing all the grace we need in our “going” for Christ wherever He sends us.  We can rest in the what the Bible says in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

It is important to understand that “going” for Christ is not synonymous with foreign missionary work – as important as that work is in advancing the cause of Christ.  Think mission right where you are:  mission in marriage; mission in the marketplace; mission in the everyday activities of life; mission in every ministry you have been called to serve in – right where you are!

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.”