Celebrate Grace-Be Thankful
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16
We are to celebrate the grace of Jesus as His peace rules in our hearts and we are to be thankful. What would my day be like if I was a little more thankful...or a lot more thankful? Do I see that anything good in my life deserves a thankful heart? Have I learned to even thank God for His sustaining grace during horribly difficult times? Do I have what is called the attitude of gratitude?
We need to celebrate grace within the body of Christ by seeing first that God is God and being in love with Him, and then by being thankful that He shows us mercy and grace and provides for us. There is much bitterness in the churches today over many issues that leads to more and more bitterness and gripe sessions...I am not innocent of this. Yes, we need to correct wrong thinking and faulty methods, but we must be careful not to go to extremes and lose a thankful heart for the things that are good. Thankfulness does not make null things we don't care for, but it can help us to keep our minds on Christ and not be controlled by our critiques. This is something that I think we could work on. I need too.
Some articles on gratitude from Desiring God...
How not to commit idolatry in giving thanks
Is gratitude a bad motivation for obeying God?
Endings Are for Gratitude, Beginnings are for Faith
Celebrate Grace-Study Scripture
One of the greatest places to look for grace is from the Word of God. This is where we learn of redemption as it is woven through all the bible, where we see a little into God's eternal purposes as individuals and as the body of Christ.
Theopedia has the following...
Ephesians 3:11 speaks of God's "eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord" (ESV). Another word for 'realized' is 'accomplished'. It is important to note a few things about God's "purpose" in this passage. The Greek word is in the singular, noting that God has one overarching purpose or plan. Second, it is described by Paul as eternal in that there was never a time when God's mind was a blank or a time when this very plan was not determined. Lastly, Jesus is essential to this purpose for it was accomplished in him. This understanding can be linked back to Ephesians 1:9-10 where Paul writes, "making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." Jesus is thus the climax and central focus of God's eternal purpose in all of redemptive history.
The church is also a main focus in God's eternal purpose. Before Paul states that "this was according to the eternal purpose" he writes in Ephesians 3:10 "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places" and then proceeds to say that "this was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord" (3:11). The church is connected to what Christ did to accomplish God's eternal purpose. We read elsewhere that Christians were "called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28), and that "having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11), and lastly that God "saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began" (2 Timothy 1:9). God's purpose involves the church as the church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).
We should celebrate grace by studying scripture because this is where we learn of our sin and due punishment and Jesus and His substitutionary death, atonement and resurrection. We learn about, not with full understanding, the calling of God and His power and purpose in saving sinners. We see the love, justice, mercy, power, sovereignty, holiness, wrath, wisdom, commands, and purposes of God when we study the scriptures. We also learn of the precious promises of God. These are grace, we do not deserve Jesus nor abundant treasures and promises, but God pours them on us to show us His glory. We see that we are able, through faith and by grace, to trust God to do what He says. We should feed on the Word. Do I spend time with God in the scriptures every day? When I do, do I just look at it as a good book with great stories to learn, or do I look at it as being God's very living Words to me and the world?
We can celebrate grace through scriptures with each other by being taught doctrine from the pulpit, by having bible studies, by reading books (although fallible) that help to explain the scriptures. These have been some of the greatest times of my life, teaching God's Word, hearing substantial preaching, and being with friends as we look into the scriptures together.
May God open the scriptures to us and burn a fire within us showing us that He is worthy of our worship as He fills us up with the fruit of the Spirit. These are ours because of grace.
For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
Ezra 7:10
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8
Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
Psalm 119:27
But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Matthew 22:29
They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
Luke 24:32
Celebrate Grace-Have Fellowship
The early church devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship. As I think about the different ways to see and celebrate grace I can not leave out the power of Christ working in the body of Christ. We need each other. God has made us for community. God has made us for Himself, the greatest fellowship possible. Do I make the most of the opportunities to encourage and be encouraged by those around me that love Jesus? Do I shy away from talking about the things of God and disciplines of the faith with my friends out of insecurity? Who is in my life that I know I can confess my sin? Who is in my life that feels like they can confess their sin to me?
Today I had lunch with an old friend. We had never really had great Christian fellowship with one another but we did today. We shared in each others pains and struggles and spoke words of hope and questions of true concern. Grace was applied today in our lives.
As the body of Christ we are to live out the great commission. And as we do this we are to devote ourselves to the scriptures, digging deep alone and with one another. We are to be accountable in light of living a life worthy of our calling. Being fed and feeding one another are part of God's plan in reaching the lost. 2 Timothy 2:2 is all about us entrusting what we learn to others who will in turn do the same thing. We are not to be lone rangers, riding off alone to do our ministry, we are to hold one another up. We are to be with each other during times of suffering. We are to love one another the way Jesus loves us. Am I a team player or do I set out to do my own thing for Jesus? This sounds like a ok plan, but it is not.
I thank God for those that have poured their lives out into me, teaching me about God and the Christian life. I need fellowship, I long for fellowship...not a "holy huddle" but a God ordained friend base that is passionate about being obedient to God, that love to worship Him. I need this. Lord, help me to never think that I have arrived and need no help from others.
Am I looking to see God move in others? Do I take joy when a friend has a great spiritual sucess or do I compare myself with them to see how I add up? Just think of how much Holy Spirit movement we could partake in and see if we would talk more with other believers about their lives and hearts. We must get below the ice into the flowing waters, below the put up to the real heart. Are we willing to let that guard down in order to have biblical fellowship or are we satisfied with just eating together? I don't have it together, but I want to. Do I want to hold others in my heart like Paul mentioned above or do I just want to fill it with me and my private journey? If I am to hold others in my heart then I must know them, more then the surface, more than the comfortable level. Obviously, we must be wise with those we have deep fellowship with and those we have good fellowship with. Lord, help me to celebrate You in he lives of my friends.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:42
It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Philippians 1:7
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.
Philippians 4:14
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1 John 1:1-4
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:16
Celebrate Grace-Remember Your Calling
We are called to walk in a manner worthy of our calling in which God is at work to make us worthy of His calling for His glory. God has called all believers to trust in His precious and very great promises that he has granted to us so that we can partake of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world.
God has called me! GRACE! It is not just that God has called me to a task, but that He has called me unto Himself, something that was not a desire of my flesh or waywardness.
But yes, God has called us to walk in a manner worthy or our calling and He will see it through for those that are truly hidden in Christ. There are so many good works that God has prepared in advance for us! There will be suffering. There will be setbacks from our perspectives. But God will do great and mighty works through us. Do I submit to Him daily? Do I look for the good works He has prepared? Do I listen for His voice? Do I celebrate this grace...this free gift of being able to make Christ known, to serve others, to love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength? Do I see my calling as a privilege?
We are to celebrate grace as we see others living according to their calling, as they live in a manner worthy of it. We are to encourage and point out to others this grace when we see them glorifying God with their lives. Am I consumed with "my ministry" so much that I am not looking into my friends ministries? I think this will help us to see if our ministries are actually idols. When Jesus is our focus we see Him through the works He gives us and the works He gives others. I need to remember my calling and I need to remember the calling of others.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
2 Timothy 1:8-14
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 1:2-4
