Monday, July 29, 2019

But God!


The thing about grace that amazes and blows me away is that grace is not just something nice that Jesus does for good people. Grace is a perfect, holy, righteous God showing unmerited favor to imperfect, unholy, unrighteous people. It is God doing good for us humans who desire only bad.



The term in Scripture that shows that truth is “But God”. “But God” connects our unworthiness with God’s grace. We see this most clearly in Ephesians 2.



Ephesians 2:1-3

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.



Ephesians 2:11-12

Therefore remember that at one time Gentiles in the flesh called “the uncircumcision ” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands – remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world



Ephesians 2:19

So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God





Before experiencing God’s grace that saves and changes us, we were:

Dead in trespasses and sins

Following the course of the world, the devil, a spirit of disobedience

Living in the passions of the flesh

Carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind

By nature, children of wrath

Separated from the people of God and from Christ

Strangers to God’s covenants

Without hope, without God

Strangers and aliens in this world



But God!



Ephesians 2:4-7

But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.



Ephesians 2:13-18

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.



Ephesians 2:20-22

Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.



Grace makes us:

Recipients of God’s mercy and love, and of the peace of Christ

Made alive, and made a part of the people of God

Raised with Christ

Seated with Christ in the heavenly places

Set to receive grace throughout eternity

Reconciled to God

No hostility between God and man

Access in the Spirit to God the Father

Citizens and members of God’s house

Built upon Christ and His Word

Growing into a holy temple in the Lord

Built into a dwelling place for God



What makes the difference?

Not our goodness

Not our deserving it

Not our earning it



God’s grace is what makes the difference. It is the only things that makes the difference.



Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is experiencing God’s grace and being transformed by that grace.



By God’s Grace, Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls,

                                      Joe

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