Grace Unlimited
My plea is that we not limit grace to Christ. We, too, can learn to be just as gracious as He. And since we can, we must, not only in our words and in great acts of compassion and understanding but in small ways as well.
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
My plea is that we not limit grace to Christ. We, too, can learn to be just as gracious as He. And since we can, we must, not only in our words and in great acts of compassion and understanding but in small ways as well.
Remarkable, the freedom and release it brought. And it came in full force from the only One on earth who had unlimited power, the Son of God.
The late pastor and Bible scholar Donald Barnhouse perhaps said it best: "Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace."
Freedom gives people a "Yes" face. I am confident Jesus had a "Yes" face. I have never seen Him, but I've determined from what I've read about Him that this was true.
Read Galatians 6:1
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. (Galatians 6:1)
Read Hebrews 11:16
Like silent shadows, the heroes of the faith pass beside us, pointing us toward the upward way, whispering words of courage.
The memory of all those models of righteousness now gone from view puts needed steel in our spirit, prompting us to press forward, always forward.
The legacy of their powerful presence and penetrating pages adds depth to our otherwise superficial existence.
Because their convictions live on in words that challenge today's shallow thinking, we do not—we dare not—remain the same.
Read Job 1–2, 42
Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’
I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (Job 42:1–6)
Read Romans 3
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:23–24)
Read Colossians 3:12–14; James 5:11
We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. (James 5:11)
Read 2 Corinthians 11-13
There are 1,130 frostbitten miles, mountain ranges, blizzards, hungry beasts, and frozen seas between Anchorage and Nome. This awful trek is the scene of the ultimate endurance test known as the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, where 12 huskies pull a sled and its driver through the most gruelling, inhuman conditions one can fathom. One frequent champion was the late Susan Butcher, whose tough-minded fixation on winning earned her the nickname Ayatollah Butcher.