TheosGuy

Here are some thoughts on God’s grace towards us. I had these written down from somewhere and do not remember their source. They do not originate with me.

• Believe and expect to be graciously loved and blessed by God. We should expect to be blessed by God though we do not deserve in any way to be blessed by God. No one deserves God’s grace; but everyone can expect God’s grace (Psa. 56:9; 84:11-12; 103:9-10).
• Grace is God working in you for His pleasure, not you working to gain God’s pleasure (Zechariah 12:10; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:13). Receive His grace in you.
• See trials not as God’s judgment, but as God’s gracious loving means to build Godly character and spiritual maturity in you (Romans 5:3-5; 8:28-29; Hebrews 12:3-11)
• The hope to be better is a failure to see yourself as complete in christ (Romans 6:14; Colossians 2:10; Philippians 1:6; 2:13; 2 Peter 3:18). Disappointment in myself means I am trusting in myself, my flesh, not God.
• Discouragement is the product of unbelief (Num. 13 and 14; Acts 18:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). Discouragement means I don’t believe God will fulfill His word and promise.
• To be proud is to be blind (Proverbs 16:18; 1 Peter 5:5-6). The proud think they are the reason for their blessing, that is spiritual blindness.
• The lack of blessing comes from unbelief (Joshua 1; Romans 4). We to simply believe and receive God’s grace, not trust in ourselves.
• God’s blessings are not contingent on our devotions. The reverse is true – God’s blessings produce our devotions (Romans 2:4; 3:24; 4:4; 11:6).
• True praise rises spontaneously from my recognition of God’s grace in my life (Romans 11:34-35;Hebrews 13:15).
• God’s grace produces loving appreciation. Effort/work for God should be motivated purely by loving appreciation for His gracious provisions (2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Romans 5:5; 12:1-2; 1 John 3 and 4).

Pray it deep down into your heart. And then receive from the Lord. God’s grace is something we need to receive and it is something we need to share (Ephesians 4:29). We need to be agents of God’s grace (Colossians 4:1-6).