38 lines
4.4 KiB
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38 lines
4.4 KiB
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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Day By Day By Grace
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Bob Hoekstra
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September 20
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<h1>Access to Grace through Humility and Faith</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>God resists the proud, but gives <b>grace</b> to the <b>humble</b>…through whom also we have <b>access by faith</b> into this <b>grace</b> in which we stand.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jam', 4, '6-6');">James 4:6</a> and <a onClick="return mV('Rom', 5, '2-2');">Romans 5:2</a>)</div>
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<p>Thus far in our daily meditations on <b>growing</b> in the <b>grace</b> of God, we have examined various areas of biblical truth, such as: the Old Covenant of law, the New Covenant of grace, God's sufficiency for godly living, living by the promises of God, and Old Testament saints who lived by God's grace. Now, we return to an extended consideration of how we avail ourselves of the glorious riches of God's grace. As noted earlier in our studies, God's grace is <b>accessed</b> through <b>humility</b> and <b>faith</b>.</p>
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<p>If we desire to live by God's grace, we must be willing to renounce pride and to walk in <b>humility</b>. <i>"God resists the proud, but gives <b>grace</b> to the <b>humble</b>."</i> The Lord is opposed to the path of self-sufficiency. When we pridefully assume that we can produce the kind of life God calls us to live, spiritual progress is prevented. Humility involves agreeing with God's pronouncements concerning our inadequacies. <i>"<b>Not</b> that <b>we</b> are <b>sufficient</b> of <b>ourselves</b> to think of <b>anything</b> as being <b>from ourselves</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr', 3, '5-5');">2 Corinthians 3:5a</a>). The person who is willing to walk humbly before the Lord has an accurate understanding of our comprehensive need for the Lord to work in and through our lives. <i>"<b>Without Me</b> you can do <b>nothing</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 15, '5-5');">John 15:5b</a>).</p>
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<p>Along with <b>humility</b> regarding <b>ourselves</b>, God wants us to walk in <b>faith</b> regarding <b>Him</b>. The Lord wants to work in our lives by His incomparable grace. <b>Faith accesses grace</b>: <i>"through whom</i> [Jesus] <i>also we have <b>access by faith</b> into this <b>grace</b> in which we stand."</i> The Lord is pleased by the path of "Christ-dependency." Whenever we face any issue of life by faith in Jesus Christ, we are drawing upon the abounding grace of the Lord. When we dependently accept that God can produce the kind of life He calls us to live, spiritual progress is assured. Faith involves agreeing with God's pronouncements that He is our adequacy: <i>"but <b>our sufficiency</b> is from God"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr', 3, '5-5');">2 Corinthians 3:5b</a>). The person who is willing to walk in faith toward the Lord has an accurate understanding of God's comprehensive ability to work in and through our lives. <i>"He who <b>abides</b> in <b>Me</b>… <b>bears much fruit</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 15, '5-5');">John 15:5b</a>).</p>
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<p>Also, as noted earlier, <b>humility</b> and <b>faith</b> are <b>relational realities</b>. Neither can be produced by us. They are not the result of human labor. They can only develop as an increasing reality through a growing relationship with the Lord Jesus.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Dear Lord, I humbly admit my own insufficiency to produce the life You want me to live. Nevertheless, I confidently confess Your grace as my sufficient resource for abundant fruitfulness. Lord, I want to know You better, that humility and faith might be growing realities in my life, Amen.</div>
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<a href="./devotions/daybyday/09/0919.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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<a href="./devotions/daybyday/09/0921.html">Tomorrow's Reading</a>
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