The Grace of God
Some Bible words have been handled and mishandled for so long they've become shopworn and of very little interest to anyone. Not so with the word grace; it still retains its lustre and mystery.
If a complete stranger asked if he could borrow your car for a few hours, you’d probably say no. But you would surely say yes if a close friend made the same request. We can only put our full trust in someone we’ve come to know well. That’s one reason why the study of God’s attributes is vitally important to the believer. To know Him is to trust Him. To know Him is to worship Him.
Although we can learn much by studying each of His qualities, don’t expect them all to fit together easily as if you’re piecing together a puzzle. Does God’s love fit easily next to His wrath? Does His justice fit nicely with His grace? Never cease learning more about our exalted, mighty God; just leave room for mysterious words like unsearchable and unfathomable.
Some Bible words have been handled and mishandled for so long they've become shopworn and of very little interest to anyone. Not so with the word grace; it still retains its lustre and mystery.
The popular notion of God, as if He were a benign, aging grandfather, sitting passively in heaven—affable, lenient, permissive, and devoid of any real displeasure over sin because He loves us—cheapens God's love. It doesn't uphold the value of His love. In truth, looking into God's heart to discover His love is to discover His other attributes as well.
In the beauty of God's holiness, we see the ugliness of our wretchedness, yet we also find the encouragement to be holy…as He is.
Our belief or disbelief in God adds nothing to nor takes anything away from His glory, any more than our sight or hearing commands the sun and the birds. But if we were suddenly struck by disobedience and self-conceit to steal God's glory, even then He would remain undiminished. God's glory is His and His alone, and with no other does He share it.
Walking closely with the Lord means we must come to terms with forgiving others. Yes, must. We can’t avoid or deny the fact that relationships often bring hurt and the need to forgive.
We may take God as He really is or reject Him on the same basis, but the one opinion not open to us is to create Him as we’d like Him to be. He is and has always been the God of love and justice in both the Old and New Testaments.
The Son proceeds from the Father like radiance from glory. Although one is distinct from the other, it is impossible for the one to exist without the other. There never was a time when glory existed without its radiance.
Most people would say death is the end but Christians have a hope that goes beyond the grave. In this message, Chuck Swindoll offers a glimpse into the future for those who trust in God.
John 3:16 is quite possibly the most well known verse in the entire Bible. It's seen on bumper stickers, T-shirts…even at football games. But our familiarity with this passage can make us numb to the truth it offers. In this message, hear Chuck Swindoll explain God's amazing love.
The virgin birth circumvented the transmission of the sin nature and allowed the eternal God to become a perfect man. He never sinned, which qualified Him to be a righteous substitutionary sacrifice for sinners.