From Pastor Rex Holt, Mercy Chapel:
Ok everyone, let's get back to the 50 days of grace daily devotionals. I had a great time in Haiti and look forward to sharing with you some of the exciting stories and events of this past week. It has been thrilling to see God at work in the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
The past two days I have talked about "G" and "R" using the acrostic GRACE. Today let's look at the last three.
The doctrines of grace have been expressed through he acrostic TULIP. But how are these dynamic doctrines of grace expressed practically in our lives? Try another acrostic. GRACE. I have summarized below each of these five practical expressions of grace. Each point has a key scripture and a symbolic element to help us better understand and apply it to our lives. Since I have already talked about the first two in previous posts, I will expand more on the last three.
God’s glory above all else - A passion for God’s glory is the heart that pumps life into the entire body.
Scripture: “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, (truth) we (eagerly) wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” Isaiah 26:8 (NIV)
Element: Fire – Fire is a symbol for us of the glory of God.
“Our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29
Relationships are more important than rules. Grace flows through relationships. We grow best in the context of relationships. Growth takes place not in isolation but in connection with others.
Scripture: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
Element: Wood - Trees in a forest illustrate this. Aspens, for example, grow as a community; they are interconnected by their roots and share nutrients and resources to support each other.
Acceptance of others - Acceptance of others is not mindless tolerance of sin. It is an attitude that looks beyond the externals and the masks people wear to cover their real needs. Acceptance is seeing people the way God sees them. When Samuel was told to anoint David as king, God said to him, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature … For the Lord does not see as man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” If we are to live in grace then we must look beyond outward appearances and see the needs of the heart.
Scripture: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV)
Element: Earth – The ground reminds us that we were formed from the dust of the earth and that we are all of equal value and worth to God.
Compassion - Before the world will care what we know they must know that we care. We have the great honor of sharing the water of life with thirsty souls. Someone said, “The greatest sin of the desert is to know where water is found and not to tell others.”
Scripture: “Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14
Element: Water
Encouragement - People need hope like a suffocating person needs air. We must breathe the air of encouragement into those who have had the wind knocked out of them by the blows of life.
Scripture: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13
There was a man named Barnabas who constantly encouraged the early church. The name Barnabas means “Son of encouragement”. He amazed people by his generosity and attitude of encouraging others. (Acts 4:36-37)
Nobody wanted anything to do with the madman Saul of Tarsus after his conversion. The apostles were all afraid of him. Was it genuine? Is this a ploy? But Barnabas believed in him and brought him to the other apostles and thus Paul the Apostle, the greatest missionary who ever lived got his start. (Acts 9:26-27)
When young John Mark dropped out of his first missionary journey, leaving Paul and Barnabas, it looked like the end for John Mark. Paul refused to take him on the second missionary journey but Barnabas, Mr. Encourager, took Mark with him. (Acts 15:36-40) Because of Barnabas’ encouragement we have today the Gospel of Mark.
Ask God today to make you a person of grace and encouragement. How many lives are hanging in the balance waiting for their Barnabas to show up and give them the fresh wind of encouragement.
Element: Wind
The past two days I have talked about "G" and "R" using the acrostic GRACE. Today let's look at the last three.
The doctrines of grace have been expressed through he acrostic TULIP. But how are these dynamic doctrines of grace expressed practically in our lives? Try another acrostic. GRACE. I have summarized below each of these five practical expressions of grace. Each point has a key scripture and a symbolic element to help us better understand and apply it to our lives. Since I have already talked about the first two in previous posts, I will expand more on the last three.
God’s glory above all else - A passion for God’s glory is the heart that pumps life into the entire body.
Scripture: “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, (truth) we (eagerly) wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” Isaiah 26:8 (NIV)
Element: Fire – Fire is a symbol for us of the glory of God.
“Our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29
Relationships are more important than rules. Grace flows through relationships. We grow best in the context of relationships. Growth takes place not in isolation but in connection with others.
Scripture: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
Element: Wood - Trees in a forest illustrate this. Aspens, for example, grow as a community; they are interconnected by their roots and share nutrients and resources to support each other.
Acceptance of others - Acceptance of others is not mindless tolerance of sin. It is an attitude that looks beyond the externals and the masks people wear to cover their real needs. Acceptance is seeing people the way God sees them. When Samuel was told to anoint David as king, God said to him, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature … For the Lord does not see as man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” If we are to live in grace then we must look beyond outward appearances and see the needs of the heart.
Scripture: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV)
Element: Earth – The ground reminds us that we were formed from the dust of the earth and that we are all of equal value and worth to God.
Compassion - Before the world will care what we know they must know that we care. We have the great honor of sharing the water of life with thirsty souls. Someone said, “The greatest sin of the desert is to know where water is found and not to tell others.”
Scripture: “Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14
Element: Water
Encouragement - People need hope like a suffocating person needs air. We must breathe the air of encouragement into those who have had the wind knocked out of them by the blows of life.
Scripture: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13
There was a man named Barnabas who constantly encouraged the early church. The name Barnabas means “Son of encouragement”. He amazed people by his generosity and attitude of encouraging others. (Acts 4:36-37)
Nobody wanted anything to do with the madman Saul of Tarsus after his conversion. The apostles were all afraid of him. Was it genuine? Is this a ploy? But Barnabas believed in him and brought him to the other apostles and thus Paul the Apostle, the greatest missionary who ever lived got his start. (Acts 9:26-27)
When young John Mark dropped out of his first missionary journey, leaving Paul and Barnabas, it looked like the end for John Mark. Paul refused to take him on the second missionary journey but Barnabas, Mr. Encourager, took Mark with him. (Acts 15:36-40) Because of Barnabas’ encouragement we have today the Gospel of Mark.
Ask God today to make you a person of grace and encouragement. How many lives are hanging in the balance waiting for their Barnabas to show up and give them the fresh wind of encouragement.
Element: Wind
