Grace, 6of10

~ The Depth of God’s Grace ~ 

Key Scripture  ~  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him” (Ephesians 1:7-10).

Comment  ~  The depth of God’s grace toward the sinner is greater than can be imagined.  God’s grace can be accessed not only the rapist or the serial killer but also by the gossiper, liar, or tax cheat. 

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: [1] a proud look, [2] a lying tongue, [3] hands that shed innocent blood, [4] a heart that devises wicked plans, [5] feet that are swift in running to evil, [6] false witness who speaks lies, and [7] one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19).  

Have you ever been guilty of one or more of these seven items?

Contemplate This  ~  “We are [being] transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as [the grace of] God enters our lives and we become like Him” (2 Corinthians 3:18b, The Message). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Quote: Jim Elliot, 12

~ Hell ~

Why Does God Send Men to Hell?

The following is an excerpt from a book.

Now, God can’t do anything else but send some men to hell. What would you have Him to do? Would you have Him pass over the whole thing, as soon as that man, after he’s lived his life of crookedness and passed sweetly into a coffin, comes before God? What would you have God do about it? Would you have God say, “Oh well, it’s all right. Forget it.” Well, God can’t do that. I mean, say that He would even like to. But don’t you see the problem, which to you is not just a theological problem, but also a practical one?

You now have a very real problem arising in your mind. The problem between justice and mercy. You’d like to see the man get off in a good thing. You’d like to see him, just because you’re a good fellow yourself, you’d like to see him get on by in eternity. But somehow, you say, it can’t be and really be just. There is mercy in you like there is in God, and there is justice in you like there is in God to a certain degree, and these things argue against one another.

What would you have God do? God’s got to do something with every man He has created because He just made men to live forever, that’s all. And as He does that, He also decides that He will give the ultimate Word to man, and that Word is given to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ taught us that those kinds of men were going to hell along with lots of other people who didn’t want to really say they were crooked. They wanted to say, “Well, I really haven’t hurt anybody.” But they still live for themselves, they have not given themselves over to God. God demands obedience.

Jesus Christ taught us this much about heaven, that it was God’s throne. And until a man was subjected to the idea that God was on His throne in heaven, he wasn’t going to receive anything from God by way of real blessing.

~ from “JIM ELLIOT: A Christian Martyr Speaks to You, pgs 108-109  (ISBN: 9781615797646)

Learn more about this important book at Amazon, the Publisher, or the Author’s website.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Identity in Christ, 58

~ I Am One Who Is Holy In God’s Eyes ~

Introduction  ~  When Christians understand the various characteristics and aspects of the birthright which came with their second birth, they comprehend their identity in Christ.  Once Christians understand their identity, their destiny is also clear!  This series of “Abundant Life Now” posts will look at one of those facets each week. 

This Week’s Verse  ~  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6).

~~~ EXPLANATORY “IDENTITY IN CHRIST” NOTES ~~~  

(1)  Each Monday ALN posts an example of Scripture’s description of aspects/characteristics of Christians—those who have personally trusted in Jesus Christ, The Messiah, as their personal Savior.

(2)  This series is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

(3)  God the Father described Himself to Moses as the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).  God the Son also said “I AM” (John 8:58). 

(4)  Jesus Christ is the Son of God and several times in the Gospel of John He refers to Himself as “I am.”  “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35-51), “I am the Light of the World” (8:12, 9:5), “I am the Door” (10:7-9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11-14), “I am the Son of God” (10:36), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (11:25), “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (14:6), “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me … Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me” (John 14:10-11), and “I am the True Vine” (15:1-5). 

(5)  Individual Christians are also sons and daughters of God.  This series will show some of the various “I am” aspects of a Christian. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .