What better way to end my blogging semester than by writing on the grace of God, for it is by His grace that we have made it thus far!
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God- the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace..." -Romans 1:1-5a
Verse 5 is one of the most powerful verses of Scripture I have read in a long time. We receive God's grace through Christ, by faith, for justification. However we also receive His grace for His name's sake. Think about the implications that this verse has in our individual walks with Christ. We are not recipients of God's grace for our own sake; not for our own salvation, forgiveness, or joy. These things are a part of God's gracious gift to us, however ultimately He bestows His grace on us for HIS own sake, not ours. This leads us to a God-given responsibility...
"... and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to obedience that comes from faith." -Romans 1:5b
For HIS sake we receive grace and apostleship in order to extend His grace to others that, in turn, they may also be recipients and extenders of His grace for His sake. Experience God's grace, extend His glory... that is what we are called to.
Note that nothing in this is about us. At all. It's all about Him; praise His holy name!
I commented on Callie's post.
I'm glad you posted on this subject, as this is probably the greatest thing I've learned in my relationship with God while I have been at this college. It's never about you, but it's always about Him, our master and sustainer, a being that we cannot even begin to comprehend and we are foolish to do so. I love Him for the grace that He gave me (for His sake) and for the fact that He is God and that I am not alone but that there is something more to this world than just myself. I don't have to live as though the entire world is on my shoulders because of the grace He gave freely. Merry Christmas, indeed...
ReplyDeleteI love how we got to end out semester with a study of Romans! I really was touched by your post. I sometimes forget about why God gave us his grace and yes it is for his gloy. I get so consumed with my own problems that I forget about God's calling for us to be his apostles and share his word. Reading Romans is always a reminder to just have faith in him!
ReplyDeleteThis is true. God's grace works wonders in our lives, but it is that same grace that also serves Him. We as Christians are supposed to spread the Word of Christ, and through His grace, we can do so, thus allowing grace to serve God's Will as well. In everything, God's Will is accomplished. And for that, I am made happy. :)
ReplyDelete