Sharing His G.R.A.C.E.

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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Songs of Encouragement   CURRENT TV SERIES Songs of Encouragement

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. --2 Corinthians 5:20 In Christ Jesus, you and I have received an astounding gift… it’s the gift of grace. So let me share a little acrostic that will make it easy to share Christ with those he brings across your path. It’s based on the letters G-R-A-C-E: “G” stands for the “Gift” of salvation. You and I can do nothing to earn his grace; it’s a gift. Ephesians 2:8 says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…. “R” stands for “Repentance.” To repent means to turn. In our sin, we were walking away from God, but then we turned from sin and began to follow Christ! “A” stands for “Almighty” God. We need to develop a relationship with Almighty God… the one who loves us and who has a wonderful plan for our lives.  “C” stands for “Commitment.” You and I are called to live in a committed relationship with Jesus, the Bridegroom. He died for us, he lives within us, and he’s coming again to receive us to himself! “E” stands for “Eternal” life. We receive the gift of eternal life by faith the moment we come to Christ! YOU AND I CAN DO NOTHING TO EARN HIS GRACE; IT’S A GIFT! The Crown of Life by Dr. Paul Chappell “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:12–15 Since the time of ancient Greece, laurel wreaths have been used as a symbol for victory. They were distributed to the winners of events in the early Olympic games, and later became more widely used in other fields. The Romans adopted the practice, and used the wreath to symbolize important military victories. Julius Caesar was voted the honor of wearing a laurel wreath on all public occasions by the Roman Senate in recognition of his many triumphs. As Christians, the Bible promises that there are rewards in Heaven for Christians who are faithful to God. One of those is called the “crown of life.” This is not “eternal life”—that comes only through trusting Christ as our Saviour. But it is a reward that will give honor to God throughout eternity. It is meant for those whose love for God is strong enough to motivate them to endure and resist temptation and triumph over sin in their daily lives. None of us will ever be perfect or sinless, but we can and should sin less as we grow in grace. Often our focus is on the sin and trying to overcome it by strength of will or character. However, the most important tool in defeating temptation is not found in our own power but in our love for God. The more that we love Him, the more we will want to avoid sin. When our hearts are not filled with love for God, we are vulnerable to the temptations that promise to fill the void.   Today’s Growth Principle:  If we love God as we should, sin loses its attractiveness, and we find it easier to resist temptation.