February 12

JAMES 4

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passionsare at war within you? ² You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ⁴ You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

                                                                                 – James 4:1-10

JAMES 4 GRACE TO THE HUMBLE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The desires of the eyes and of the flesh and the pride of life

They all belong to the world and are the sources of all fights

They cause us to covet and long for something we don’t have

When we indulge on these things, we are feeding our lusts

But all those who do not conform with the systems of the world

They resist all evil and live under the grace coming from God’s word

Therefore, the God of mercy will grant favor to all those who are humble

But the Lord opposes the proud and all who resist him to become rebels.

In this account, James explains in great detail the grace that believers will receive if they live in humility. He brings into light what causes fights and quarrels among us. It is the passions at war inside each of every human heart that is the source of all sins. What are these passions? He pinpoints desires as the culprit of these obsessions which stirs us to covet, long, crave and even murder for what one does not possess.  James also pinpoints why we lack something. It is because we do not ask for our needs. Because God gives what his children ask for, the act of asking is humility. Even though we know God already knows what we need, he still expects us to run to him for the fulfillment of those needs. This is an act of humility and acknowledgement of their need for God’s provision and grace. But James also gives us a guideline on what to ask for. The reason for asking must be in line with God’s purpose for each one of us. It cannot be to fulfill our desires and passions that we will likely use to focus on the self rather than on glorifying God. James explains that God’s enemies are those who want to be friends of the world. In other words, when we have so many earthly desires, we follow the systems of “selfishness and pleasures.” This doesn’t belong to God’s purpose but it is the devil’s tactic to destroy our relationship with God.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think God restricts giving grace only to the humble and not to the proud?

February 11

ACTS 15

⁵ But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”⁶ The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”¹² And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.  – Acts 15:5-12

ACTS 15 GRACE CONQUERS THE LAW

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you were chosen by God, you were filled with grace

You need not follow rules, instead, you obey the law of love

You have been saved by Jesus’ finished work on the cross

Live your life so that you will constantly serve and follow Christ

By God’s grace, you have died to the law through Jesus’ body

There is no reason to live as rule keepers but to be God lovers.

In this account, Luke tackles the subject of law and grace. When the Pharisees insisted that the believers needed to follow Moses’ law of circumcision. Luke presents them a brilliant narrative of the inability of the Pharisees to recognize the gift of grace when Jesus died on the cross. He narrates how the apostles and the elders addressed this issue that the Jewish leaders were presenting. Peter reminds them of the presence of the Holy Spirit in every heart of each believer. This is what these so-called teachers of the law missed out. They have no understanding of the finished work of Christ. How could they? They opposed Christ and actually killed him. This is a good exposition of the difference between religion and relationship. Religion encourages rule-keeping while relationships are about love and sacrifice. Jesus did not die for us to follow rules but to love one another as we are loved by God himself. Pure religion according to James 1:27 says the undefiled religion according to God is to care for the widows and orphans. In other words, it involves being immersed in relating and caring for the needs of the vulnerable, weak and poor.

John 1:17 says that “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” This reiterates what Peter is saying in this narrative. Galatians 5:18 reiterates this too when it says “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

REFLECTION

• How can some Christians miss the grace when they are strict rule-keepers?

February 8

ACTS 4

³² Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. ³³ And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵ and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶ Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, ³⁷ sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. – Acts 4:32-37

ACTS 4 OVERFLOWING GRACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When they were called to be servants of the Lord Jesus Christ

They became part of a family of believers who constantly witnessed

By the grace given to them, they testified to the resurrection

It is in this testimony that they come together in communion

They began to fill each other’s needs and stayed connected

Therefore, grace abounded because they were committed

By living this way, they encouraged and built one another

They became strong and ready to grow their faith together.

Luke’s account focused on how the disciples lived their lives in a community. It showed the accountability of each of the believers and manifested how they loved each other and built one another. In verse 33, Luke mentioned the powerful witnessing of the apostles to the resurrection of Jesus. Because of such faithful praise to God, they were overflowing with grace. In verse 34, one of the proofs of the fruit of grace is that there was nobody who was poor or needy in that community of believers. Those who possess properties and houses, shared whatever they have with those who didn’t have much. They all brought to the apostles whatever they have so that as all the gifts and contribution were gathered together, they met all the needs of the whole community. Luke specifically mentioned Joseph who was a Levite and native of Cyprus who sold a field he owned and gave the proceeds of that property to the apostles. It seemed like it was a big and generous act of giving. As a result of such loving and caring for each other, they abounded in God’s grace. Their needs were all met and they abounded in love and fellowship with each other. The result of such building each other up and being responsible for one another grew their church and community. That is overflowing grace!

These sharing and caring for one another in the believers’ lives is still practiced in our Christian churches now. They followed that same format of giving. This is why we have offerings and tithes that we give so that the people of God will be provided for. Even the act of giving is a manifestation of grace that we received when we were chosen to be God’s people.

REFLECTION

• What overflowing grace have you received when you became a believer?

February 7

TITUS 2

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. ¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. –  Titus 2:11-15

TITUS 2 THE BENEFITS OF GOD’S GRACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God gave us grace because we cannot cleanse our sins

Only Christ’s blood made it possible to reconcile with Him

By the grace of God, we are able to train for righteousness

We can now have control over our desires and ungodliness

By the sacrifice on the cross, we no longer follow our cravings

Instead, we renounce our worldliness and seek godly living

With the grace granted to all those whom he has elected

Every believer is now able to praise God instead of pleasing self.

In this letter, Titus gives the church a guideline for the believers to follow by spelling out to them the benefits of God’s grace. It is almost like giving an instructional manual as to the profits of being granted salvation through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Here are some of the results of God’s grace in a believer’s life according to Titus:

• The believer is saved from the damnation of sin – no one can save himself from God’s wrath so

             God gave us Jesus to do that. He paid for our sins because we cannot pay it ourselves.

• It trains the believer to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions – by being freed from the

             wrath of God, we can now let go of all the sins we habitually do. We are now alive in Christ and

             no longer slaves to sin.

• It allows the believer to have self-control and upright lives – since the Holy Spirit lives in

             every believer, he is now able to take over the out-of-control lives they used to live.

• The believer now posses a blessed hope -the hopeful expectancy of the fulfillment of the

             promise of God to his own people. They no longer believe in lies from the world but looking

             forward for the coming of Jesus.

• The believer is now purified from his sins when he believed in Jesus – this means that he is now able to see himself as the temple of God and that everything he does is going to keep that temple pure and holy since God himself is holy.
• The believer is now able to do good works because he is now a slave of righteousness and no longer in bondage to sin-his heart is changed from the sinfulness to the righteousness of Christ.

REFLECTION

• Why is it important for us to understand the benefits of God’s grace as Christians?

 February 5

ROMANS 5

¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespassled to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord – Romans 5:15-21

ROMANS 5 GRACE ABOUNDS WHERE SIN INCREASED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Do you not know that Jesus came to pour out his grace on you?

Even though Adam made you sinful, Jesus made you righteous

Sin has made you guilty and exiled you from the presence of God

But Jesus has paid the price so you won’t experience his wrath

When sin increased, God’s grace overflows more

His steadfast love endures forever and his mercy abounds.

In this letter, Paul states the difference between the aftermath of Adam’s sin and God’s grace. When Adam rebelled and disobeyed God, he was banished from the garden and removed from God’s presence. The consequences of his sins were to work for his own livelihood and toil the ground where he came from. God kept the garden guarded with cherubim and a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24) so the tree of life will be protected from Adam and Eve, who are now defiled. This is what happens to us when we sin. We shut ourselves when we sin and hide from God’s presence because of our filthiness. We become spiritually dead and continue to be unable to cleanse ourselves.

But because God’s love for us is so vast and indescribable, He gave us a way out of that deadness to come back to life through Jesus. His perfect sacrifice on the cross was God’s solution to the problem of man’s sinful state. His anger over our sins cannot be appeased by unholy and defiled people, so he sent us his only Begotten Son to cleanse us from sin, while we are still sinners. Jesus didn’t die for the perfect people who are sinless since there is no such person. Jesus died for all those who need to be cleansed and reunited with God. Even though Jesus died for the whole world to be redeemed from sin, only a few are given the gift of faith. The invitation is open to all people, but only a few are given the ability to receive, accept and serve him. Many are called but only a few are chosen.

REFLECTION

• Give insights when sin increased and grace flourished.

February 2

1 PETER 4

⁶ For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.⁷ The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:6-11

1 PETER 4 STEWARDS OF GRACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you declared Jesus as your Lord and Savior

It is because of his grace that you were able to do so

It is an unmerited favor that He gave you his grace

It is not for your own benefit but solely for his praise

Since he gave you such undeserved favor

You ought to use it to serve one another.

In this account, Peter teaches the believers the reason why the gospel was preached to them. He emphasizes the state of the sinner’s life which is dead. In other words, he wants them to recognize that it is the grace of God that saved them from their own sins. There is nothing that they can boast about when it comes to their salvation. It is all the Lord’s work that freed us from God’s wrath. By his grace, we are freed from the bondage of sin.

Peter gives the church instructions as to how to be stewards of God’s grace. He pointed out the following:

• To be self-controlled and sober-minded- they must not be following their flesh and gratifying their own selfish desires. They must be able to control their urges and pleasure seeking self.
• To keep loving one another earnestly so their sins will be covered- this means that they no longer live in fear or mistrust. They will choose the path to love instead of fear so that they are not bound to be slaves of sins.
• To show hospitality to one another without grumbling- to welcome and be open to carry each other’s burdens and exercise generosity to others.
• To be stewards of grace for the praise of the Lord- to manifest giving grace to others especially those who need it most and who are not deserving. Because we were given amazing grace when we don’t deserve it, we also ought to give such grace to those who are difficult or treat us badly.

By following these guidelines that Peter gave the believers, they can walk in love and steward the grace that they received from God while they didn’t deserve it. This way, they bring God all the glory.

REFLECTION

• How does grace and love work hand in hand in a believer’s life?