15 lines
4.6 KiB
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15 lines
4.6 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 13</div></div>
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<h1>The Comprehensive, Freely Giving Plan of God</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>He who did <b>not spare</b> His <b>own Son</b>, but <b>delivered</b> Him up for us <b>all</b>, how shall He not <b>with Him</b> also <b>freely give</b> us <b>all things</b>?</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Rom', 8, '32-32');">Romans 8:32</a>)</div>
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<p>By the free gift of God's grace, ministry is given to us. <i>"I became a <b>minister</b> according to the <b>gift</b> of the <b>grace</b> of God <b>given</b> to me"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph', 3, '7-7');">Ephesians 3:7</a>). By His grace at work in us, our ministry can be marked with courage and selflessness. <i>"<b>None</b> of <b>these</b> things <b>move</b> me; <b>nor</b> do I <b>count</b> my life <b>dear</b> to myself"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act', 20, '24-24');">Acts 20:24</a>). This pattern of grace fits the entire plan of God, because His plan is a <b>comprehensive</b>, <b>freely giving plan</b>.</p><p>As we have seen, <b>give</b> is the <b>language</b> of <b>grace</b>. Note the <b>extent</b> to which God desires to <b>give</b> to us. He wants to <i>"<b>freely give</b> us <b>all things</b>."</i> <b>Everything</b> that God considers as needful for fullness of life, He freely makes available by His grace. The Scriptures repeatedly speak in such comprehensive terms. <i>"His divine power <b>has given</b> to us <b>all things</b> that pertain to <b>life</b> and <b>godliness</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Pe', 1, '3-3');">2 Peter 1:3a</a>). <b>All</b> that it takes to <b>live</b> as God intends, and to grow in <b>godliness</b> as He desires, has already been given to us in Christ. As we get to know the Lord more and more, all that He has given us in Christ is progressively brought into our experience: <i>"<b>through</b> the <b>knowledge</b> of <b>Him</b> who called us by glory and virtue"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Pe', 1, '3-3');">2 Peter 1:3b</a>).</p><p>The death of Christ is our assurance of having the comprehensive dimensions of God's grace fully available to us: <i>"He who did <b>not spare</b> His <b>own Son</b>, but <b>delivered</b> Him up for us <b>all</b>."</i> Jesus is the Father's deeply loved Son. Through a prophet of old, the Father proclaimed this divine love. <i>"Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom <b>My soul delights</b>!"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Isa', 42, '1-1');">Isaiah 42:1</a>). When the Son was on this earth, the Father declared His loving delight from heaven. <i>"And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My <b>beloved Son</b>, in whom I am <b>well pleased</b>'"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Mat', 3, '17-17');">Matthew 3:17</a>). Jesus is consistently revealed as the object of the Father's love: <i>"The <b>Father loves</b> the <b>Son</b>…the <b>Son</b> of <b>His love</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 3, '35-35');">John 3:35</a> and <a onClick="return mV('Col', 1, '13-13');">Colossians 1:13</a>). The magnitude of the Father's love for His Son is behind His love gift to us. <i>"For God <b>so loved</b> the world that He <b>gave</b> His <b>only</b> begotten Son"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn', 3, '16-16');">John 3:16</a>). Our loving and generous Father has not held back from us the sacrificial gift of His beloved Son, who died for our sins. Now, if He did not hold back His most prized treasure (His own beloved Son), there is no way that the Father will hold back any lesser gift from us. <i>"How shall He not <b>with Him</b> also <b>freely give</b> us <b>all things</b>?"</i></p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Loving Father, I praise You for Your great love, in giving Your beloved Son to die for my sins. I thank You for the assurance this brings that everything else that I need will be freely given with Him!</div></div></div><div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/12/1212.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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