| OzThoughts. Wednesday 14th May 2008 St Paul is quick to remind the Ephesians that it is God who has affected great change in the lives of Christians. Let’s think for a moment about what he says: Ephesians 2:4-7 (The Message) 1-6 It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. 7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. I was reminded of this as I read of Peter’s reaction to people who heaped praise on him after he had healed the crippled man at the gate of the Temple. ‘When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people: "Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we're the witnesses. Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.’ (Acts 3: 12-16) Prayer: Lord, Our God, we ask you to cleanse us from all self pride, and to point all men and women to you as the source of our holiness, love and power for service. Amen. Not what these hands have doneCan save this guilty soul;Not what this toiling flesh has borneCan make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or doCan give me peace with God;Not all my prayers and sighs and tearsCan bear my awful load. Thy work alone, O Christ,Can ease this weight of sin;Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,Can give me peace within. Thy love to me, O God.Not mine, O Lord, to thee,Can rid me of this dark unrestAnd set my spirit free. Thy grace alone, O God.To me can pardon speak;Thy power alone, O Son of God.Can this sore bondage break. I bless the Christ of God.I rest on love divine.And with unfaltering lip and heartI call this Saviour mine. Author: Horatius Bonar (1808-89) The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 297 ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` You can also receive OzThoughts from the following groups (which you are welcome to join): SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/ Poems from the Lord by Ailsa Yates: http://groups.msn.com/PoemsfromtheLordbyAilsaYates Please forward this to your friends. Thank you and God bless you with love, peace and joy. |
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