“God’s grace means that I can rest assured that I’ll have everything I need to be what he wants me to be and to do what he wants me to do in the situation in which he’s placed me.
I’m no longer restricted to the limits of my own strength and wisdom. By his grace, I’ve a new identity and a new potential. I’m a child of God; the risen Christ now lives inside of me. I need no longer fear people or circumstances; I don’t have to feel weak in the face of suffering or temptation, because I no longer rest in the resources of my own ability. I’m in Christ and he’s in me.
"This new identity gives me new potential as I face the realities of life in this bent and broken world. God’s grace gives me reason to ‘take heart.’”
—Paul David Tripp, “Psalm 27: Take Heart”
posted at "Of First Importance"
2 comments:
Amen- It is interesting to that with this icredible new idenity we still fall back to living in the old idenity. THat is I think one of Satans best tactics at rendering us ineffective for the kingdom. To have us fall back into our old idenities, believing that what what the world says about us is true whatever that may be. This happens so quickly, that is why we must remind ourselves. Reminding ourselves of Christ finished work on the cross and his continual work on our behalf as a mediator of the new covenant that we are in with God. I am going through Hebrews right now and this is just coming alive, that is all that Christ is and does for us. We must remind ourselves often of this.
Hey E,
Since you mentioned the Book of Hebrews, it reminded me of that familiar from ch. 10:25 -- "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." But I think we sometimes forget why this is so important. It relates to what you said about reminding ourselves of key truths. Verses 23-24 say, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."
In other words, the reason it's crucial that we keep meeting together 'as church' is so that we can keep helping one another remember our core identity and out fundamental calling and mission.
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