This morning a song about being thankful reminded me again of God's goodness toward me. I am saved by grace and live by grace. The gospel of grace is entirely practical. In so many ways, all the good in my life is because of His goodness to me.
For instance, we who are so easily prone to be people-pleasers are even more prone as Christians to be, or try to be, God pleasers. I so easily forget that pleasing God happens only because of His goodness toward me.
God says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. . . . Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:11–26)The gospel informs me that any goodness in my life comes because of God's goodness. I do not behave so He is pleased but rather, His Spirit makes possible any goodness in me. It is never the other way around — for in my flesh dwells no good thing. Note the order of actions here:
But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone… (Galatians 1:15–16)The order of grace never changes or varies. It begins in the will of God before I was born, and as perplexing as it may be, I cannot argue with it. Faith is about believing and trusting what God says now, not what I can understand completely, or because I do it, but because He says it. His example:
. . . . when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. (Romans 9:10–16)That this happens “before I was born” implies before I had done anything good or bad. He called me by His grace and that call was effectual to graciously reveal his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to me. Seeing Jesus changed my life. As a result of this revelation in my heart, God made me a willing servant. Good works will never cause God to be gracious; but God’s grace always causes his people to walk willingly in good works. It must be this way lest I boast and rob God of His glory.
PRAY: Jesus, Your peace and joy are gifts that enable me to live in ways that please You. This response to You is not my doing but the work of Your Spirit. I do not need to fret or be anxious about doing what You want me to do, for grace makes plain the path before me. When You show it to me, I could say no and refuse to walk in it, but You make plain the folly of doing things my way. This is why grace is practical — Your grace keeps me from wanting to live in sin. Amen!
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