25 lines
4.5 KiB
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25 lines
4.5 KiB
HTML
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<div class="head">Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">February 9</div></div>
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<h2>Reflecting on Grace: Humility and Faith</h2>
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<div class="block"><i>For you know the <b>grace</b> of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for <b>your</b> sakes He became <b>poor</b>, that <b>you</b> through His poverty might become <b>rich</b>…b>Not</b> that <b>we</b> are <b>sufficient</b> of ourselves to think of <b>anything</b> as being <b>from ourselves</b>, but our <b>sufficiency</b> is <b>from God</b>…"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him <b>deny himself</b>, and <b>take up his cross</b> daily, and <b>follow Me</b>."</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',8,9);">2 Corinthians 8:9</a>; <a onClick="return mV('2Cr',3,5);">3:5</a> and <a onClick="return mV('Luk',9,23);">Luke 9:23</a>)</div>
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<p>Let's take a <b>reflective</b> look at <b>humility</b> and <b>faith</b>. We have repeatedly encountered these two relational realities. This is to be expected, since <i>"God…gives <b>grace</b> to the <b>humble</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jam',4,6);">James 4:6</a>), and <i>"we have <b>access by faith</b> into this <b>grace</b> in which we stand"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Rom',5,2);">Romans 5:2</a>).</p>
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<p>In our first devotional study, humility and faith were evident. <i>"For you know the <b>grace</b> of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for <b>your</b> sakes He became <b>poor</b>, that <b>you</b> through His poverty might become <b>rich</b>."</i> In order for Jesus to rescue us from our desperate situation, He had to become poor. When He hung on the cross for us, He took the spiritual poverty of our sin and guilt upon Himself. What a <b>humbling</b> picture of our inborn spiritual condition. Basically, we had to agree with the Lord, <b>humbling</b> ourselves before Him, asking for His help. Additionally, <b>faith</b> was involved. We had to <b>believe</b> that through His death, we could become spiritually rich, that is, forgiven of sin and righteous in His sight.</p>
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<p>Humility and faith were later seen as vital for walking in this new life in Christ. <i>"<b>Not</b> that <b>we</b> are <b>sufficient</b> of ourselves to think of <b>anything</b> as being <b>from ourselves</b>, but our <b>sufficiency</b> is <b>from God</b>."</i> The sufficiency we need for Christian living does not originate in us. Actually, we must not think of <i>"<b>anything</b> as being <b>from ourselves</b>."</i> How <b>humbling</b> to learn, even as born-again believers, that we need the Lord in everything. Then, how do we find the necessary resources? This is where <b>faith</b> applies. <i>"Our <b>sufficiency</b> is <b>from God</b>."</i> This is <b>truth</b> that we are to <b>believe</b>.</p>
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<p>When we examined Christian discipleship, humility and faith again appeared. <i>"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him <b>deny himself</b>, and <b>take up his cross</b> daily, and <b>follow Me</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Luk',9,23);">Luke 9:23</a>). Jesus' call to come and follow Him can only be received by those who will say, "No to self" and "Death to self." This is <b>humiliating</b> to the self-life, to think it is not good enough, to admit that it belongs on the cross. This is especially <b>humbling</b> when we see that these are to be our daily confessions. The rest of the discipleship issue is settled by <b>faith</b>, trusting in Jesus each step of every day.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Dear Heavenly Father, give me this perspective on the Christian life. Teach me, Lord, touch my heart, that I might be willing to walk humbly before You day by day. Build my faith, Lord, that I might depend upon You step by step throughout each day!</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/02/0208.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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