THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
The little boy began "pitching a fit!"
In the middle of the living room floor, he began dancing as if he had ants on his feet.
He was flailing his arms aimlessly, caring not if they struck anything or anybody.
The boy's father ran over and picked him up.
He captured him in his arms and held him tightly.
Soon, the boy's temperament returned to normal.
A visitor noted to the father, "If that were my child, I would have spanked him!"
The father said, "Yes, but you are not his father. You haven't spent the time with him that I have. You don't know the times we've spent in the doctor's offices trying to find what causes this. I have talked to him, and I have spanked him. But nothing calms him down like holding him in love!"
____________________________________________________
________SCRIPTURE__________________________________
John 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
KJV
____________________________________________________
_______THOUGHT____________________________________
Grace is the undeserved, unearned favor of God.
Grace called us through Christ to conviction, convincing and salvation.
And grace STILL moves upon Christians after salvation!
If Christians were not saved, they would find comfort in the world as others do.
Those who are "of the world" find some solace in comparing themselves with each other, rather than with Righteousness.
And they care for one another ("love his own") by seeking to impune the Gospel and deny the Christ.
But Christians are NOT "of the world."
They are of God, in Christ Jesus!
Thus they are God's children by adoption, and receive FURTHER grace from the Father of Life and Light!
It is the grace that HOLDS us in the love of the Father.
Because we surrendered to Jesus as Lord, we are "chosen" by Him for special grace!
Because we have believed, we do receive!
Yes, this is grace that convicts us when we sin.
Yes, this is grace that continually convinces us Jesus is Lord.
Yes, this grace is UNTO salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
But this grace goes even FURTHER!
It is more than redemptive grace, it is preemptive grace!
This grace calls us to prayer and Bible study.
This grace calls us to attend and give at a local church.
It is the upholstery added to the skeleton of the couch.
It is the rainbow in the cloudy sky.
Christian, because you have chosen Christ as Lord, He has chosen you for special grace!
Thank God for this special grace which:
seals us in salvation,
encourages us when difficulty appears,
carries us when we are cursed for moral principles,
lifts us when we are discouraged,
and keeps us until that final day (Philippians 1:6)!
Love ya!
Bruce