The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"The Root of Grace, the Fruit of Obedience"
"Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).
The writer of Hebrews declares that we "serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear" as we "have grace."
God's freely given favor in the Lord Jesus Christ - grace - serves as the dynamic means where we walk with God in faithful obedience. In times of distrust and disobedience, therefore, the issue always involves some mode or measure of abundantly gracious provision we fail to access. Indeed, we live for God by living from God. Little wonder the Apostle Peter commanded, "Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18). Peter well knew the grace that initiated our Christian life also supplies the power by which we live the Christian life. The Apostle Paul concurs…
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith" (Colossians 2:7).
Paul clearly states that whatever began our relationship with God must continue it.. Receiving grace for spiritual birth also motivates, guides, and empowers spiritual life thereafter. Obedience problems in the Christian life are always grace problems, namely, in some manner we fail to trust God and access His promised enabling to overcome temptation. Our spiritual enemies well know this and ever seek to distract and deceive us from the freely given presence and working of the Spirit of Christ in our hearts that makes possible His empowering of our thoughts, attitudes, words, and deeds. Again, Paul states the matter more plainly and succinctly: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (II Corinthians 9:8).
Halfway through writing this message, I stepped out to water our gardens. The mulberry tree in our backyard presently bears its first ripe fruit of the season. The thought occurred to me as I picked several berries for Frances and myself: "these berries did not grow or produce themselves." Fruit requires a tree or a vine, along with good soil, sunlight, rain, and the blessing of God. This is true in the natural realm. It is vastly more true in matters of the spirit. Not one act of obedience by God's people throughout human history has ever occurred apart from the grace of His presence and working. Believers certainly play a role of response as we trust and submit to our Heavenly Father. The fruit, however, always results from His working in us so that we may work from Him (Philippians 2:12-13). Always. "Without Me, ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).
Whatever our particular challenge or temptation, the issue involves the grace of God in Christ. "What must I realize about the Lord's freely given provision for overcoming? How can I access the gifts of His grace that make possible acceptable service?" Answering these questions in the light of Scripture makes it far more likely we will "have grace" in order to "serve God acceptably." Obedience will flow from this glorious fount of the Lord of grace, who will receive all glory and praise for the life to which He calls us, and for the freely given favor that makes it possible.
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
(I Corinthians 15:10)
Weekly Memory Verse
"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father."
(Matthew 10:29)
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