A Call to the Lordship of Jesus Christ has been our focus these last couple of weeks. We need to be men and women who “bow the knee” as servant leaders with Marketplace Chaplains.
Do you remember the bullet points from an article by Dr. Vern Poythress, Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, entitled 10 Things You Should Know about the Lordship of Christ?
1)Christ is Lord over all because He is God.
2)Christ is Lord over all because in His human nature He has accomplished perfect obedience, has won salvation for us, and has been given universal dominion as a reward.
3)Christ claims authority over both believers and unbelievers.
4)We are to obey Christ in all things.
5)We are to serve Christ all the time, in all of life, with all our heart.
6)The means of grace guide us and equip us to grow in serving Christ.
7)Serving Christ makes a pronounced difference in every area of life.
8)Because of Christ’s lordship over the world, we can sometimes learn and cooperate with unbelievers in short-term projects.
9)Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
10)Through Christ, God establishes a pronounced distinction between the church and other institutions on earth.
Let’s focus on the sixth one:
The means of grace guide us and equip us to grow in serving Christ.
Grace is amazing, isn’t it? Of course it is!
First of all, we have been rescued by God’s grace: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
Grace enables us to get through the trials and difficulties in our lives. Paul wrote these words in the midst of a season of pain: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
It is grace that enables us to have a powerful prayer life: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, grace is the means with which God guides us and equips us to grow as servant leaders.
I believe the word hesed in the Hebrew scriptures best conveys the grace of God. It’s a hard word to capture in English. You’ve probably seen it translated as mercy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, or loyalty. It means we are part of His covenant community because of His loving-kindness.
The New Testament word is charis. It signifies the merciful kindness of our Lord, given to us, despite our sinful condition. This unmerited favor of God is a gift He’s given us to enjoy—a life with Him—and a life to grow and serve Him. It’s the means by which God pours His infinite love into our hearts.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.
--John Newton
Do you remember the bullet points from an article by Dr. Vern Poythress, Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, entitled 10 Things You Should Know about the Lordship of Christ?
1)Christ is Lord over all because He is God.
2)Christ is Lord over all because in His human nature He has accomplished perfect obedience, has won salvation for us, and has been given universal dominion as a reward.
3)Christ claims authority over both believers and unbelievers.
4)We are to obey Christ in all things.
5)We are to serve Christ all the time, in all of life, with all our heart.
6)The means of grace guide us and equip us to grow in serving Christ.
7)Serving Christ makes a pronounced difference in every area of life.
8)Because of Christ’s lordship over the world, we can sometimes learn and cooperate with unbelievers in short-term projects.
9)Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
10)Through Christ, God establishes a pronounced distinction between the church and other institutions on earth.
Let’s focus on the sixth one:
The means of grace guide us and equip us to grow in serving Christ.
Grace is amazing, isn’t it? Of course it is!
First of all, we have been rescued by God’s grace: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
Grace enables us to get through the trials and difficulties in our lives. Paul wrote these words in the midst of a season of pain: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
It is grace that enables us to have a powerful prayer life: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, grace is the means with which God guides us and equips us to grow as servant leaders.
I believe the word hesed in the Hebrew scriptures best conveys the grace of God. It’s a hard word to capture in English. You’ve probably seen it translated as mercy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, or loyalty. It means we are part of His covenant community because of His loving-kindness.
The New Testament word is charis. It signifies the merciful kindness of our Lord, given to us, despite our sinful condition. This unmerited favor of God is a gift He’s given us to enjoy—a life with Him—and a life to grow and serve Him. It’s the means by which God pours His infinite love into our hearts.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.
--John Newton
RSS Feed