15 lines
4.5 KiB
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15 lines
4.5 KiB
HTML
<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 7</div></div>
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<h1>Grace for Serving the Lord Acceptably</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have <b>grace</b>, by which we may <b>serve</b> God <b>acceptably</b> with reverence and godly fear.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr', 12, '28-28');">Hebrews 12:28</a>)</div>
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<p>We who follow Jesus dwell in a unique kingdom, the kingdom of God. <i>"For our citizenship is in heaven"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Phl', 3, '20-20');">Philippians 3:20</a>). In order to <b>serve the Lord acceptably</b>, we must learn to serve in a unique, heavenly manner—by <b>grace</b>.</p><p>We all began in a different kingdom than the Lord's. We were under the powerful influence of spiritual darkness. We existed in a realm devoid of true love. Then, our great God rescued us, bringing us into a kingdom of light and love: <i>"giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the <b>light</b>. He has <b>delivered</b> us from the power of <b>darkness</b> and translated us into the kingdom of the <b>Son</b> of His <b>love</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Col', 1, '12-13');">Colossians 1:12-13</a>). Furthermore, in that former kingdom, we were easily threatened by every manner of instability. Our lives were built upon the sand of philosophical speculations and human inadequacies. Now we are in <i>"a <b>kingdom</b> which <b>cannot</b> be <b>shaken</b>."</i> We entered this kingdom by the rock solid provision of grace, and we stand in this same grace today: <i>"<b>justified</b> freely <b>by</b> His <b>grace</b>…we have access by faith into <b>this grace in which we stand</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Rom', 3, '24-24');">Rom 3:24</a>; <a onClick="return mV('Rom', 5, '2-2');">5:2</a>). When circumstances change, we need not be shaken. Our King and His grace are constantly available and always sufficient. <i>"<b>Jesus Christ</b> is the <b>same</b> yesterday, today, and forever"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr', 13, '8-8');">Hebrews 13:8</a>).</p><p>When we received the King as our Lord and Savior (see <a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 1, '12-12');">John 1:12</a>), the full resources of His kingdom became our portion forever. God <i>"has blessed us with <b>every spiritual blessing</b> in the <b>heavenly places</b> in Christ"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph', 1, '3-3');">Ephesians 1:3</a>). Yet, in a profound sense, we are <b>still receiving</b> His kingdom. <i>"We <b>are receiving</b> a kingdom which cannot be shaken."</i> This process of receiving involves the daily appropriation of His kingdom provisions, by faith. The provision of grace is especially strategic, since this is how we serve God acceptably. <i>"Let us have <b>grace</b>, by which we may <b>serve</b> God <b>acceptably</b>."</i> We are called to serve our King. We cannot serve Him by merely attempting to do the best we can. That would be law performance, energized by the flesh. We need to have grace as our empowering resource, just as the early church had. <i>"And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And <b>great grace</b> was <b>upon</b> them <b>all</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act', 4, '33-33');">Acts 4:33</a>). Desiring to minister by grace allows our service to flow forth <b>acceptably</b> as worship unto the Lord: <i>"with reverence and godly fear."</i></p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord Jesus, my King, I praise You for bringing me into Your unshakable kingdom. I want to serve You acceptably—having my service arise to You from a worshiping heart. So, I humbly look to You to fill my life with Your grace, in Your name, Amen.</div></div></div><div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/12/1206.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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