“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8 – 9
This morning I rise to thank God for His grace and mercy that delivered me from the power of Satan and sin into the loving arms of Jesus Christ. If this morning you are saved, truly saved, then you are blessed beyond human imagination. There are so many who God has saved that has no knowledge of how they were save and why God saved them, they just know that they are saved. However, there are some that understand a lot about the salvation process and how God saved our souls. We must understand that each and every step of knowledge and understand is a gift from God not given to anyone but whom God has elected to manifest it. From the beginning, God’s election from salvation to the glorification of our bodies (when Jesus returns) is by God’s grace, each and every step. To know and understand this is a blessing of grace. God said, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 The “natural man” is a lost person, and to be “spiritually discerned” means they are unable to discern the things of the Holy Spirit. We must understand that understanding anything of God is a gift, it is not natural or learned. The learning part of God’s works is a blessing just as salvation is a blessing from God through the Holy Spirit. We who are saved and learned in God’s word are blessed beyond human knowledge or human imagination. God has “mercy” on us, most people do not understand the word means – compassion or pity - we read in the Psalms these words, “Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. (6) Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. (7) Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.” Psalms 25:6 – 8 As the Psalmist prays for mercy it is God’s gift that delivers it to us. The Christian has nothing to brag about, although many do. It is us whom God has saved that should fall on our faces before the Lord our God and thank Him daily for everything we have in Christ Jesus. And it does not stop there, every inch of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom is a gift from God, none is self-educated. The more we have in God’s gifts, is the more reason we must fall on our faces and praise God for His gift of grace. God has before the foundation of the world chosen your life, your salvation, your gifts in life, and you position in time. Everything is predetermined before the foundation of the world by God’s own mercy and grace. Missionary Dan Sullivan this week told me we are all convicted by our convictions, exactly the word I was looking for. It is not about your convictions or my convictions it is about God’s gift of grace to us all. Biblical knowledge and understanding are also a gift of grace, no one is infallible in the scriptures nor does anyone understand it perfectly, therefore we all have our “convictions”, and we walk and live by them. Everyone does not get the same gifts, nor do we all understand the very same thing in the scriptures. Please understand, some people are saved because of God’s grace and power and do not know it, some people are educated in the scriptures and do not know why or how. We may think or suppose, but if we do not understand that it is all by God’s preordained gracious power then we need more grace and understanding. So please lets us all be humble in God’s gracious gifts, God’s preordained plan for us, and be in much humility bowing and praising God for every step in our salvations and Christian life. Let us be patient in life and wait on the Lord’s gracious hand to lead our life because each step is ordained by God. Do not be so proud in life to the point of being critical of other believers and churches, because who are we to be proud. Paul wrote “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 Who are but a person of conviction also praying to God that you are scripturally correct. We all have our convictions in the scripture, in time God will correct us all and teach us truth, and when we are with the Lord, we will all believe the truth. So, because of grace, learn to bow before the Lord God and thank Him for your knowledge, praying that your convictions are correct, and let’s all love one another as recipients of grace should, all thanking God together for His mercy and grace, Amen!
