God’s Grace, Part 3 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection…

Philippians 3:1-10b

Transcript

Good morning. I’m John North and I really enjoy starting the day with you each day and going into God’s Word together and spending some time with God.

Time with God, it’s the most important thing in your life. Have you learned to put it first? Knowing it’s the most important doesn’t do you any good unless you organise your life to reflect that priority. Set your alarm at a time that enables you to spend some time in God’s Word each day.

And don’t just get in a rut of reading a passage and then praying your requests and then going into your day. No, realise that God is there with you. He is speaking to you through his Word. And as you speak to him in prayer, don’t just bring a list of requests. Talk to him about what he’s saying to you. Talk to him about your day. Share with him what’s on your heart, your feelings, even if they’re feelings of anger or anxiety. Share them with God and then remember who he is and speak in faith to Him about how he’s going to be involved in those things. Spend time with God every day.

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We’re talking this week about God’s grace in our lives, and today we come to a passage in Ephesians chapter 2. Starting in verse one, it says:

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. In which you formerly walked according to the course of this world that is just like everyone in this world lives.

According to the prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, that is, Satan was involved in trying to move you further and further away from God.

And among them that is the rest of the people around us, we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind. And were by nature children of wrath. Even as the rest.

But God

Isn’t that great? It doesn’t just stop by talking about the condition we were in without Jesus Christ, but God, God got involved. He didn’t have to. We didn’t deserve it, but He loved us.

But God being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions. Made us alive together with Christ.

By grace you have been saved and raised us up with Jesus and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, for by grace you have been saved through faith.

And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as the result of works.

There’s no amount of good works that you do that could have earned what God has done for you in the depths of your sinfulness – God came. Not as a result of work, so no one can boast, no one can say I deserved salvation, no.

We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God wants to transform your life. Don’t think you have to clean your life up before you can come to God, before God would want to talk to you, no.

God comes, but God, being rich in mercy, when we’re dead in our transgressions and sins, when there’s nothing about us that would make us attractive to God, God, because of His love, being rich in mercy, reaches out to us. Jesus died for you so that you could find forgiveness with God.

God is ready to give you that forgiveness if you will turn to Him.

And invite him to remake your life the way it needs to be, why don’t you turn to God right now and put your trust in Jesus Christ and receive God’s forgiveness and become part of His family.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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