Building Into Each Other
Life is all about relating to others in love, forgiveness, and grace. We need each other.
Life is all about relating to others in love, forgiveness, and grace. We need each other.
Life is all about relating to others in love, forgiveness, and grace. We need each other.
“Have I lost my salvation? Does God still love me even though I'm doing everything wrong? And where do I go from here? I don't know what to do.”
Each weekday at 7:40 a.m. and again at 4:30 p.m. my stress level rises considerably. This stress can last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on—you guessed it—how traffic is. Yes, I'm talking about my work commute.
Some joy experienced at Christmas is seasonal. Is our joy only related to Christmas because of all the pleasant things associated with it? Or is it “all-weather” joy like the tires, good to run on all year through all seasons?
Jesus has provided us a faith which frees us from the bonds of sin and frees us for the purpose of following Him. Let’s take a closer look at Paul’s exhortation that we stand firm in our freedom.
It is correct to say God wants me happy. But He doesn’t want us to value it above other things or base our happiness in superficial temporary circumstances. God built us to desire happiness but He wants us to find it in relation to Him.
Christians since the first century have been tempted to trade grace for a life directed by strict law and high-minded requirement. The Apostle Paul addressed the Galatian church on this very issue, warning them against trading God’s Gospel for a different, human-made gospel. As we hear the word to the Galatians, keeping our message grounded in grace will help our lives exude grace.
When we live God’s way, we experience the Fruit of the Spirit in good times and bad. Because it’s a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, this fruit is not tied to things of the world, emotions, health, or anything else.
There will always be those who abuse God's grace. Let's clarify and analyze this tension while being careful not to allow the abuse of a few to diminish the message of grace.