15 lines
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15 lines
4.5 KiB
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<html><head><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">December 17</div></div>
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<h1>More on Relating Rightly to the God of All Grace</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>The <b>God</b> of <b>all grace</b>…it is the <b>Spirit who gives life</b>; the <b>flesh</b> profits <b>nothing</b>…that I may <b>know Him</b> and the <b>power</b> of <b>His resurrection</b>.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('1Pe', 5, '10-10');">1 Peter 5:10</a>; <a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 6, '63-63');">John 6:63</a>; and <a onClick="return mV('Phl', 3, '10-10');">Philippians 3:10</a>)</div>
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<p>In order to live day by day by grace, we must relate rightly to <i>"the <b>God</b> of <b>all grace</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('1Pe', 5, '10-10');">1 Peter 5:10</a>). Essentially, this involves developing a personal relationship with the Lord. <i>"And <b>this is eternal life</b>, that they may <b>know You</b>, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 17, '3-3');">John 17:3</a>). A growing relationship with the true and living God produces the relational realities of humility and faith. Thereby, we are able to live by the grace of God: <i>"God resists the proud, but <b>gives grace</b> to the <b>humble</b>…We have <b>access</b> by <b>faith</b> into this <b>grace</b> in which we stand"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('1Pe', 5, '5-5');">1 Peter 5:5</a> and <a onClick="return mV('Rom', 5, '2-2');">Romans 5:2</a>).</p><p>As we are in the word of God, <b>growing</b> in the <b>knowing</b> of <b>God</b>, there are many ways to express <b>humility</b> and <b>faith</b> toward the Lord. We have emphasized a number of these in previous sections of these devotions. <b>Living</b> by the <b>Spirit</b> was one of these. <i>"It is the <b>Spirit who gives life</b>; the <b>flesh</b> profits <b>nothing</b>."</i> The spiritual life that the Holy Spirit alone can provide is what the new covenant of grace offers to man. God <i>"also made us sufficient as ministers of the <b>new covenant</b>, not of the letter but of the <b>Spirit</b>; for the letter kills, but the <b>Spirit gives life</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr', 3, '6-6');">2 Corinthians 3:6</a>). As we humbly depend upon the Spirit, God graciously fills our lives with His life.</p><p>We considered another way to walk in humility and faith through <b>living</b> by the <b>power</b> of the <b>resurrection</b>: <i>"That I may <b>know Him</b> and the <b>power</b> of <b>His resurrection</b>."</i> Yes, resurrection power is available for daily Christian living. <i>"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know…what is the exceeding greatness of <b>His</b> power <b>toward us who believe</b>, according to the working of <b>His</b> mighty power which He worked in Christ when He <b>raised</b> Him from the <b>dead</b></i> <i>and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph', 1, '18-20');">Ephesians 1:18-20</a>). Of course, experiencing this power requires <b>humbly</b> admitting that we have <b>no</b> power on our <b>own</b>, and then <b>relying</b> on His mighty power.</p><p><b>Living</b> by the <b>Spirit</b> and <b>living</b> by <b>resurrection power</b> are two ways to relate rightly to the God of all grace. They both are experienced through <b>humble dependence</b>. They both result in the <b>grace</b> of God becoming our <b>daily resource</b> from the Lord.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord God of all grace, I need Your Holy Spirit to fill me with Your life. My flesh profits nothing. Lord, each day I need the power of Your resurrection working in my life. I have no effective power that I can generate on my own. I praise You that these are available through humble dependence!</div></div></div><div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/12/1216.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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