"By the Grace of God I Am What I Am"

[Turbopun]

November 30, 2008

"By the Grace of God I Am What I Am" - by Oswald Chambers

By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain . . . —1 Corinthians 15:10

The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, "Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint." But to say that before God means, "No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible." That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, "Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified," is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.

There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.

 

[Br. Bear]

Bless the Lord

O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.


Psalm 107:8





If we
complained less,
and praised more,
we should be happier,
and God would be more glorified.

Let us daily praise God for common mercies -
common as we frequently call them,
and yet so priceless,
that when deprived of them we are ready to perish.

Let us bless God
for the eyes with which we behold the sun and stars,
for the health and strength to walk abroad,
for the bread we eat,
for the raiment we wear.

Let us praise Him
that we are not cast out among the hopeless,
or confined amongst the guilty;

let us thank Him for liberty,
for friends, for family associations and comforts;


let us praise Him,
in fact,
for everything which we receive from His bounteous hand,
for we deserve little,
and yet are most plenteously endowed.



But,

beloved,

the sweetest and the loudest note
in our songs of praise
should be of
redeeming
love.



God’s redeeming acts towards his chosen are for ever the favourite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged.
We have been led to the cross of Christ - our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can antedate the period when we shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and shall we not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer?


Child of God,
canst thou be silent?


Awake, awake,
ye inheritors of glory,
and lead your captivity captive,
as ye cry with David,

“Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me,
bless His holy name.”


Jesus




from C.Spurgeon