WBC Daily Devotions July 12-July 16

Daily Devotions for July 12-July 16

MONDAY, JULY 12

Grace and faith are terms that we toss around quite freely in Christian circles. In fact, we use them so much that perhaps sometimes we lose track of what exactly they mean. As we follow up on Pastor Rob's sermon, "Only grace, only faith," we'll explore some Biblical passages that help ground our understanding of these key terms.

We start today by reading Galatians 1-2 and Ephesians 2:1-10. Perhaps my favorite word in this section of Ephesians is the simple but powerful conjunction, "but." We were dead, "but" God brought us to life. We were lost in sin, "but" God rescued us. We were under judgment, "but" God showed us mercy.

The amazing power of these verses is not lost on those who have recently experienced God's mercy in their lives, but the further away we get from that moment of regeneration, the fuzzier we become on this concept of grace. We have a tendency to diminish the extent of sin in our lives and reduce the distance between us and God. In doing so we unintentionally lessen the startling nature of God's saving grace. We deserved death, but instead God gave us life.

We have been given an amazing gift, a new lease on life. Now, what are we doing with it? How have we been changed and who are we sharing this good news with?

TUESDAY, JULY 13

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known" (John 1:16-18).

Jesus has made known to us the grace of God, the redemption that we could never achieve or earn or merit by ourselves. He alone was able to conquer death. He alone was capable of restoring us into relationship with God the father. While we were stumbling around in darkness, He brought us into the light.

The impact of this "grace and truth" that John mentions is made clear by Paul throughout his letter to the Romans. For example, read Romans 5. Now, some of you may be thinking that all this talk about grace and faith applies only to the non-believer, that grace is of significance only to someone who does not yet know about it. However, turn back in your Bibles to Romans 1:1-10. To whom does Paul address this long letter?

The problem is that although we have all been recipients of God's grace at one point or another in our lives, we all too quickly forget about it, resting comfortably in our new-found friendship with God. The problem is that this freedom to approach the throne can lead to apathy and laziness in our spiritual lives. Our zeal for the Lord waxes and wanes according to the ups and downs of our daily lives. Our passion for His word comes and goes depending on whether we feel as if we have enough time or energy.

Against all this we have to remind ourselves constantly that our righteousness is not our own, it is imparted to us by God through Jesus Christ. In fact, it cost Jesus His very life. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). How should we then live? Has our pursuit of God drifted off into the realm of "spiritual matters" that we'll get to when we have enough time? Or is a life lived in service to the King of Kings the driving force behind every single thing that we do in this life?

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14)

Pastor Rob Rienow reminded us in his sermon on Sunday that grace means getting something we don't deserve. It means receiving something (salvation) that we did not earn. Using the language of Ephesians 2:8, it is a "gift." As Paul tells Titus, Jesus gave Himself as the payment needed to buy us out of slavery to wickedness. That's incredible news!

Now, keep reading and finish the rest of the tiny letter to Titus. How does Paul describe our lives before Christ? What happened that caused such a great reversal in our lives? Looking at both Titus 2:11-14 and Titus 3, what is expected of us now as a result? How are we measuring up to these expectations? What quarrels and disagreements have we been engaged in recently that perhaps we should drop? What good works has God called us to participate in? What is keeping us from doing so?

Finally, Paul begins and ends most of his letters with "grace and peace" to his readers. How are we sharing God's grace with our brothers and sisters in Christ?

THURSDAY, JULY 15

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph. 2:8-10)

God's grace is shown in the free gift of salvation, achieved solely and completely by the power of God. However good and nice we think we may be, we are all hopelessly lost in sin and rescued only by the work of Jesus Christ. This we receive through faith.

However, faith, like grace, can be a fuzzy term that lacks any meaning for us. The term is used by just about every religion on earth, including people who don't even have a religion. "We just have to have faith" is a common catch-phrase. But faith in what? How does this mean anything other than just saying, "Gee I sure hope something good will happen and not something bad."

Biblical faith is much deeper. It means putting our full trust and hope in a person. When we talk about faith, we are talking about trusting Jesus with absolute commitment.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil.
(Prov. 3:5-7)

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
(Deut. 6:4-9)

Don't let the world reduce your concept of faith into something vague and wishy-washy. Instead, seize upon the person and work of Jesus Christ and pursue Him with every fiber of your being. Total trust. Absolute certainty. The end of us, the beginning of Him.

FRIDAY, JULY 16

As we conclude this week's focus on grace and faith, we turn back to the psalms and suggest that you read Psalm 62. Read the psalm twice and pray for God's help to reorder your life so that He really does become the rock, the pillar, the center of your life.

Jonathan Ziman
Community Life Pastor

Wheaton Bible Church
27W500 North Avenue
West Chicago, IL 60185
630.260.1600
www.wheatonbible.org