“But by the grace of God I am what I am…“–1 Cor. 15:10

Thinking about the grace of God, I was reminded of this statement I had recent filed  away. This reminds us of a glorious truth that we should never forget. This simple little phrase is packed with meaning and should never be taken lightly. As you read I hope you will make a personal application to your situation. The writer said:

I have friends who like to ensure that they are constantly reminding themselves and others about the grace of God. The way they do this is to append a simple phrase to many of their sentences. What was at one time a deliberate decision has, over time, become a habit. A good habit, I think.

“How have you been lately?” “I’ve been doing well, by God’s grace.”

“How did you do with your personal devotions this week?” “By God’s grace, I read and prayed every day.”

“You asked me to pray about your battle against sin in this area. How did it go last week?” “It went really well, by God’s grace.”

It’s easy to overlook a little phrase like that. It’s easy to let it be little more than background noise, quickly filtered out. But a couple of weeks ago it was like I heard it again for the first time: “By God’s grace.” It’s a beautiful thing! It is an acknowledgement that without the sweet grace of God, the very opposite would be true. It is an acknowledgement of utter dependency upon God.

I am healthy today, instead of deathly ill today, only because God has extended grace to me.

I was able to spend time in the Bible this week, and I was able to be committed to prayer this week, only because God reached out to me in his grace. Without that grace I would have run far and fast.

I did not succumb to that ongoing temptation this week, and instead was able to do those things that honor God, and only because God gave me the grace to put off sin and put on righteousness.

Without God’s moment-by-moment grace I would be this way, but with the existence of God’s constant, powerful grace, I am this way instead. (By God’s grace.Tim Challies)

“ But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1
The following is part of a message byGeorge Mylne, entitled “Fear Not!” delivered in 1854. If you are a Christian you need to understand who you are and what you have in Christ. Living in the light of those glorious facts will transform your life in every way.Read this slowly and then read it again.

Child of God, dismiss your doubts; put away your fears.
Jesus says, “Fear not, you are Mine!”
Mine by creation,
Mine by redemption,
Mine by right,
Mine by purchase,
Mine affection,
Mine by choice,
Mine for life,
Mine in death,
Mine for time,
Mine for eternity!”

In all seasons; under all circumstances–you are Christ’s!
As a father speaking to his child;
as a master speaking to his servant;
as a husband speaking to his wife;
as a brother speaking to a brother;
as a friend speaking to a friend;
as a potter speaking to the thing he has made;
as a buyer speaking to the thing he has bought–
Jesus says to you, “Fear not, you are Mine!”

And why does Jesus say, “You are Mine”?
Because He loves you,
because He has chosen you,
because He gave Himself for you,
because He will not part with you!

Will Jesus ever give you up?
Will He ever forget you?
Will He ever hide Himself from your prayers?
Will He ever disregard your tears?
He says, “Fear not, you are Mine!”

Will the bridegroom part with the bride, or the husband with his beloved wife? They may part–yet Jesus will never part with you. “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?” But even if that were possible, yet will Jesus never forget you. He has you in His heart. He has engraved you upon the palms of His hands! (Isaiah 49:15, 16.) He says, “Fear not, you are Mine! Fear not, you shall not be taken from Me. Fear not, I will never forsake you!” His eye is upon you. His affections yearn for you. Oh! the tenderness with which He bends over you, saying, “Fear not, you are Mine!”

When Jesus says, “You are Mine“–do you say,“And I am yours. I am my Beloved’s–and His desire is toward me!” (Song of Solomon 7:10.) This is the way to delight the soul of Jesus —–He says to you, “You are Mine!” Then fear not!

“ It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Each Christian may find in his own case, some peculiar token of God’s providential kindness to him. It is in the details of each man’s personal history that we find the most touching manifestations of God’s providential care. None of us can refuse to acknowledge that we have been the objects of a watchfulness which has never slumbered, and of a benevolence which has never been weary in doing us good.

Were we to attempt an enumeration of all the . . .
blessings which we have received at God’s hand,
deliverances which He has wrought out for us,
snares from which He has preserved us,
manifestations of His long-suffering patience, and tender mercy, of which we ourselves have been the objects–were we to begin with the years of infancy and helplessness, and to trace our progress through the slippery paths of youth, until we reached our present state–we would soon find how impossible it is to reckon up the sum of our innumerable obligations to “the loving-kindness of the Lord.”

For not only has God spared us in life, and upheld us from day to day, by His almighty power; not only has He given us our daily bread, and made our cup to run over–and that, too, notwithstanding all the ingratitude which we have displayed, and the manifold provocations which we have offered; but, in peculiar seasons, in seasons of difficulty and trial–He has often delivered . . .
our eyes from tears,
and our feet from falling,
and our souls from death!
And as often as we have cried to the Lord in our trouble, He has delivered us from our distresses–or supported and comforted us under them. So that each of His redeemed people, on a review of God’s dealings with Him, will be forced to exclaim:
“The Lord has been my Shepherd!”
“I have not lacked any good thing!”
“Hitherto has the Lord helped me!”
“The Lord has done all things well!”
“Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life!”
—(James Buchanan}

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.“–Eph. 3:17-19

The Dimensions of the Love of Christ! It is broad as humanity, “for God so loved the world” (Jn 3:16, cp 1Jn 3:16); the length God’s love had no date of origin, and shall have none of conclusion. God is Love (1Jn 4:8, 16), it continues ever, indissoluble, unchangeable, a perpetual present tense. Its height–as the Flood out-topped the highest mountains, so that Love covers our highest sins. It is as high as the heaven above the earth. Its depth–Christ our Lord descended into the lowest before He rose to the highest. He has touched the bottomless pit of our sin and misery, sorrow and need. However low your fall, or lowly your lot, the everlasting arms (Deut 33:27) of His love are always underneath.

The Apostle talks by hyperbole, when he prays that we may attain to a knowledge of the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ. We cannot gauge Christ’s love, but we can enjoy it. Probably the only way to know the love of Christ is to begin to show it. The emotionalist, who is easily affected by appeals to the senses, does not know it; the theorist or rhapsodist does not know it, but the soul that endeavours to show the love of Christ, knows it. As Christ’s love through you broadens, lengthens, deepens, heightens, you will know the love of Christ, not intellectually, but experimentally (1Jn 4:11, 1Jn 4:12; 1Jn 4:20, 21).

But you say, “there are people in my life whom I cannot love.” Granted, but you must distinguish between love and the emotion or feeling of love. You may not be able to feel love at the outset, but you can be willing to be the channel of Christ’s love. I cannot love, but Christ is in me, and He can. Is it too much to ask that all this should be realized in ourselves and in others? No, because God is already at work within us by His Holy Spirit, and He is able to do infinitely beyond all our highest requests or thoughts. Ask your furthest, think your highest, and the Divine Love is always infinitely in advance.

We thank Thee, O God, for the infinite love which Thou hast given us in Jesus Christ. We have no measure for its heights and depths, its breadths and lengths. Teach us with all saints to know more because we love more. AMEN.–F B Meyer