Grace For The Journey

  If we are to be disciples of Jesus we should be like Him in every way.  Now . . .

That does not mean we

Will be like Him

In His perfection,

But rather His practice.

The life we live should resemble the life He lived, and there is no better portrait of His life than the one found in the book of Acts in five simple words.  It is presented in Acts 10:36-38 where the Bible says, “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all – that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and begun from Galilee after the baptism which John  preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

There are three things I would like to highlight in those remarkable verses: HE WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD!

1. HE went about doing good.  To be sure, Jesus had His disciples whom He sent out to do good, but He never neglected to do good Himself.  The King of kings and the Lord of lords did not neglect to do good Himself.  In today’s language, it’s one thing to write a check in support of ministry needs; it’s another thing altogether to show up personally and meet that need physically when possible.
2. He WENT ABOUT doing good.  He did not set up shop in the center of Jerusalem waiting for others to come to Him.  He went out to them, meeting people in their place of need.  He went to the sick.  He went to the hurting.  He went to the lame.  He went to the broken.  He went to the poor.  He went to the outcast.  He went to the demon possessed.

He went on errands of eternal good

For the lives of so many,

In spite of distance, difficulty,

Danger . . . and ultimately death.

3. He we about DOING GOOD.   The portrait of the life of Christ makes it clear that the gospel was never intended to meet only spiritual needs.  Jesus came not only to redeem, but to restore. His rescue is far reaching with the intended good of all of the broken creation.  He went about doing good as a portrait of His ultimate goal of making all things new; And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

His main business it was to travel

From place to place to do good.

He did not go for applause,

Or wealth, or comfort, or ease,

But to power to experience

And enjoy life

As far as possible.

This is the simple

But sublime record

Of His life.

It gives us a distinct portrait of His character, as He is distinguished from conquerors and kings, from false prophets and from the mass of people.

Someone has said, “God wants us to join Him in His work of renewing people, places, and things.”

He wants Christians to renew their cultures

To the honor and glory of God.

God wants those He’s redeemed

To work at redeeming and transforming

This broken world and all its broken structures

– Families, churches, governments, business –

In a way that reflects an answer to the Lord’s Prayer:

‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

The life of Christ makes it clear that what we are positionally (a child of the Most High God) needs to be lived out practically (going about doing good).  The only way we will ever become what we already are is by surrendering our lives to the service of our Savior, so that He, by His grace, can paint a portrait that matches our profession.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The 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.”