The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
“Super Superlative”
The New Testament speaks in what might be termed as super superlatives regarding the grace God gives to born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ for our walk with Him. The Apostles Paul, Peter, and John unite to bear clear witness to the Lord’s abundant enabling:
“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).
“His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3).
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (I John 5:3-5).
Do we believe this about ourselves, that is, ourselves as indwelt, motivated, guided, and enabled by the One Scripture declares to “work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure?” (Philippians 2:13). Or do we seem more like those mentioned in John’s sad indictment?: “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief?” (Matthew 13:58). The New Testament pages abound with promised and expected triumph of the believer in walking with God - “more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). However, they also record much sin and failure in believers of the early church. The Apostle Paul challenged the wayward Corinthians in order to wake them up to fulfill their calling as believers. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16). The Corinthians either did not know, or had forgotten the super superlative Presence of God. They accordingly lived down to scandalously low expectations. “In everything ye are enriched by Him… ye are yet carnal, and walk as men” (I Corinthians 1:5; 3:3).
We must know, we must not forget, and we must grow in the grace and knowledge of the God who made and sustains the universe being the same God who lives within us as the Life of our lives. Scandalous indeed are low expectations in believers regarding our walk with God. Such a perception besmirches the Lord and His Word. Certainly, we recognize our potential to distrust and disobey God in this present life (John 1:8). A “law of sin” remains in our flesh (Romans 7:23; 25). Never, however, is any sin excusable, and not once since our new birth has grace not been available to overcome temptation. This we must believe because it is true, and because our experience thereof awaits our access by faith: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death… the just shall live by faith” (Romans 8:2; 1:17). Incomprehensibly powerful grace enables every believer, the teeming and indwelling life of the risen Christ that must become the realized reality of all who believe and thereby access by “faith this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5;2). The Lord Jesus died that we might live. Tragic is the failure to believe and to avail ourselves of the super superlative “promise of life which is in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 1:1).
“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
(I Corinthians 10:13)
Weekly Memory Verse
“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.”
(Exodus 1:12)
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