daily bible readings

What was your life like before you came to Christ Jesus in repentance and faith? What was the state of your heart? What actions or sins were you indulging in? The Apostle Paul was a pharisee before he came to Christ. He was known as Saul of Tarsus. Paul describes himself as the worst of sinners. Even though he was a man of the cloth, he was violent and abusive. He was an blasphemer, violent and a persecutor.  (1 Tim 1:12-13). Saul’s life mission was to annihilate the breakaway faction of the Jews that followed Jesus and preached the resurrection of the dead in Him.

But, in 1 Timothy 1:16 Paul declares, “I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” Paul understood and experienced all the realities of 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 in his own life. Paul knew what it meant to have grace freely given to him in Christ Jesus. He had been enriched in every way. The testimony of Christ, given by Christ Himself, was confirmed in his life. He placed his hope solely on Jesus and was waiting for the blessed second coming. He had been kept strong by Jesus through trials, temptations and persecutions. God had rescued him time and time again. God had opened doors of gospel sharing to allow Paul to fulfill his life commission. And, he had experience of God’s faithfulness in many varied situations. Is it any wonder that Paul praises God and gives thanks for the work He is doing among the Corinthians?

It’s all too easy to forget what Christ has done for us, the more we live the Christian life. Our conversion fades into the background and a sense of complacency comes upon us. Sometimes we even look down our noses and sneer (of course, quietly to ourselves) at those who struggle and fall into sin. We might even utter a quiet prayer that they would grow to be more like us.

But, if we constantly bear in mind what God has done for us, our hearts will be more like Paul’s heart and, of course, Jesus’ heart. If we remind ourselves daily of the grace given to us in Christ Jesus, we are more apt to be like Jesus in our day to day dealings with people and other Christians. It’s very hard to be condemning and superior when we recall the grace given to us as a non-Christian and how little we deserved such grace.

This is not a morbid introspection that causes us to tell everyone that we are nothing but miserable sinners. It is not a self-absorbed introspection that stops us from using our gifts to glorify Christ and to build up the body of Christ, the church. It is a healthy realisation that we have been saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ as much as any other Christian has. It’s a healthy realisation that the street kid who confessed Christ as his Lord and Saviour is fundamentally no different to me in that we both needed salvation and grace to be given to us.

If we start each day by focusing on Jesus and by thanking Him for all that he’s done for us personally, then we are setting ourselves up to be grace-filled throughout the day and to treat or react to others with grace. Paul is filled with the grace of God because he has personally experienced that grace in powerful ways in his life. As he recounts the grace of God in the lives of the Corinthians, is it any wonder that he praises God?

PRAYER

Adoration:

· Adore God for He is grace and loves to lavish His people with grace and mercy.

· Adore God that He has sent Jesus into the world to deal with our sinfulness and to bring us to himself in repentance and faith.

Confession:

· Take time to confess your sins to the Lord and to ask for forgiveness

Thanks:

· Thank God for the work He’s done in your life to date.

· Thank God for the work He’s done in other people’s lives.

Supplication:

· Pray that as we meet tomorrow for church, probably still on line, that we would  grow in grace and learn to have an attitude of gratitude.

· Pray that God would grow us in grace and teach us more about Himself and make us more like Himself.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Describe what God has done, by grace, in your life to date?

2. Why is it important to have an attitude of gratitude?

3. How can we grow an attitude of gratitude?

4. Why is it important to start each day by focusing on God’s grace?