Tag: grace

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The colors of grace

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from 1 Peter 4.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 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 4:10-11).

I love Peter’s description of God’s grace like the color chip display at a paint store. The variety of hues never fails to amaze me. Grace might look like love, but it can also show up as hospitality, stories of God’s power, or helping others. It’s like everyone has their own individual grace language or seasoning.

I believe it’s much easier to state what grace is rather than describe what it looks like. Grace is God’s gift of salvation for us through the redemptive suffering and death of his son Jesus on the cross. That is an unchanging, historical image of God’s grace. But putting on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27) will look a little different on each one of us.

Sometimes it sounds like a bold, confident prayer. Other times, it will be a simple song sung by a child. Sometimes it tastes like lunch with a dear friend. It could be the reassuring words of a doctor. Or even just laughter that makes you chuckle, too.

Since I really don’t deserve anything good from God, every blessing is an expression of grace. God uses people to deliver that grace, just as he used his own son to bring us life.

The other day I was walking the big dog when an Amazon truck pulled over for a delivery. A young man hopped out with a package while an older woman (his mom?) stayed behind the wheel. He exclaimed, “Is that a Great Dane? Is she friendly?”

“Yes. Too friendly. She wants to be friends with everyone.”

As he scratched behind her ears, he mentioned, “My grandmother had a Great Dane, a harlequin.” With a truck full of deliveries, he couldn’t stay long.

But around the block, the same truck stopped in front of another house, and he got a bunch of kisses from the dog. In her own way, the dog brought back sweet memories of an important person in his life.

Sometimes grace looks like a guy walking his dog down the street.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

What does faith look like?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Hebrews 10 and 11.

So what does faith look like?

I guess there as many answers as there are answer-ers. For some, faith looks like going to church. For others, it’s traveling far from home on a mission trip. Memorizing bible verses? Praying before meals? Wearing a cross necklace? Being nice. Honest. dependable. Perhaps all of the above.

But perhaps more. In Hebrews 11, faith means looking forward to everything God promised, trusting him, and doing what he says. It means not looking back, but always towards what will be.

Why do that? Because he who promised is faithful (10:23). That’s why faith looks like confidence (10:19), full assurance (10:22), and no wavering (10:23). It’s absolute certainty in God’s mercy and grace that is ours in Christ.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Sometimes he displays his grace through you

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Simon Ray on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Titus 2 and 3.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11,12).

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:1,2).

From some past bible class, I wrote two things in the margins of Titus in my bible: “The gospel must prove itself in the public square” and “Churches are agents of transformation in culture.”

Does the gospel make a difference? We know it does. It changes everything. Our justification by grace through faith in Christ covers our past with forgiveness and assures us of eternal life in the future.

But what about today? Does the gospel make a difference today?

A little kindness makes a big difference. It doesn’t just make life more pleasant. It makes grace real.

Grace isn’t just an idea. It has a pulse. It’s breathing. It’s a person. It’s Jesus. It’s his people. It’s me.

Have you ever been surprised when grace shows up in your life? Like that time when you didn’t quarrel with someone? Or when you responded gently to a comment someone made that you didn’t necessarily agree with? What about that time when you treated someone with kindness?

It happens every once in a while, doesn’t it? God displays his grace through you.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Level ground

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Lidia Nikole on Unsplash

A few “through the bible” thoughts from Philemon.

When Paul sends Philemon back to Onesimus, it is “no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother – especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord” (Philemon 16).

In the margin of my bible I had written, “The ground is level before the cross.” Faith in Christ not only changes our relationship with God, but also with other people. None is better or worse than another. We’re all in desperate need of grace. We all have a Savior who brings that grace to us, no matter who we are or who we used to be.

This is a totally different worldview, isn’t it? We constantly compare ourselves with others, looking up to some, condemning others. We don’t even know them. Not really.

One song lyric described Jesus as one who looked down on us, but never looked down on us. The former is situational. He is on the throne, ruling over all. The latter is relational. He doesn’t condemn us, but does everything he possibly can to save us.

Wouldn’t it be something if we all shared his perspective?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

High, low, buffalo

Posted on by William Douthwaite

When we’re together with the granddaughters, someone will say, “High, low, buffalo!” In response, we’ll go around the table and share the high point of our day so far, the low point, and then something silly (the buffalo). It’s a variation of the “Good thing/bad thing” we launch into with the grandsons.

It’s a fun discussion starter, and a good way to reflect on the blessings, adventure, and joys of each day.

But in some ways, every day is a bad day (according to Romans 3) and every day is a good day (according to Romans 4).

“None is righteous…no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10,12). I’m never really having a good day.

On the other hand, “To the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). In other words,
‭‭through faith, I’m always having a good day.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to do better. And it’s good to admit you’ve screwed up. But it’s important to remember that we’re justified by grace through faith, which means God no longer judges us by high, low, or buffalo. His love is steadfast and endures forever.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

No excuses

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Romans 1 and 2.

With more means of communication than ever, we’ve also got more excuses.

  • “I didn’t see your email.”
  • “I didn’t get your message.”
  • “My phone was dead.”
  • “I didn’t hear what you said.”
  • “The email went to my spam folder.”
  • “I never got the letter. It must have gotten lost in the mail.”

In Romans 1, Paul states there’s no excuse for not knowing God. Creation makes it obvious (1:20).

In Romans 2, Paul adds there’s no excuse for your behavior, either. You can’t say you didn’t know. Either your conscience (2:15) or the law (2:17) convicts you.

On the one hand, I’m dismayed that all my excuses have been disqualified.

On the other hand, with no excuses to fall back on, I have can only depend on grace. Which is where my hope should be anyway.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Are you ready for this?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Anyzoy studio on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Mark 1.

“Prepare the way of the Lord” (Mark 1:3).

I have painted my share of inside and outside walls over the years. I can attest to the fact that preparation is at least half of the job.

Let’s say my task is to paint the front bedroom of my home, which measures 12 foot square. I first need to get all the furniture out of the way, and everything off the walls. That includes the curtains, blinds, and hardware that goes along. Next, I have to fill in all those holes in the wall were nails used to be. After they are filled, I sand the spot smooth and spray the area with wall texture.

What’s next? I tape off the baseboards and spread out the drop cloths. Once that’s done, I wipe off the walls and let them dry. I’ll be cutting in all the trim next, so I make sure that I have the right brush along with a few rags. Oh, and of course, I spread out my drop cloths. Because guess what? I’m a little sloppy when I paint. When I’ve got enough paint, rollers and covers, I’m ready to get to work.

Bottom line? I spend much more time preparing to paint a room than I do for the Lord’s arrival.

I hear “Jesus is coming!” from every angle. Songs and sermons say it’s going to happen any minute. History tells me our predictions will be wrong. Scripture says, “Be ready!”

So how do I get ready for a certain event that will happen at a completely unknown moment in time?

I study to get ready for a test. I run lots of miles to get ready to run a marathon. I clean every nook and cranny of my home when we’re expecting guests. I put all my ingredients in small bowls before I begin cooking. I practice my part over and over again before the concert.

What do I do in preparation for the Lord’s arrival?

Most of the time, I do nothing. I pray for his activity, and then I’m surprised when he shows up. I’m shocked when he heals, reconciles enemies, overwhelms demons, and gives new life. Rather than being prepared, I’m surprised by his powerful presence.

Prepare to be surprised. Prepare for the unexpected.

Prepare for grace.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Ugly grace

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Liza Summer on Pexels

Some “through the bible” thoughts from the Old Testament book of Jonah.

After Jonah is thrown off the boat, swallowed by a fish, and spit up onto the beach, we find out why he didn’t want to go to Nineveh in the first place. Jonah says to God, “That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster” (Jonah 4:2).

God’s grace is wonderful when applied to our lives. It’s harder to swallow when he’s gracious to someone else, someone we know deserves to be punished.

I find it hard to understand how God could forgive people who have done atrocious things. This struggle reveals a shocking self-righteousness, as if there was nothing very sinful going on in my life.

The truth? I’m much more sinful than I realize. The ugliness of the cross reveals the ugliness of my sin, which Christ took on himself. Rather than thinking of myself as less-needful of grace, I’m need to be reminded I’m less deserving of grace than I thought.

The Jonah in me needs a regular reminder of God’s unlikely yet very real grace, mercy, and steadfast love.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I don’t want to do that

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Jeremiah 42 and 43.

Most of the nation has been taken into exile. The remnant who’s left wants Jeremiah to ask God, “Now what should we do?” They promise, “We will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you” (Jeremiah 42:6).

Jeremiah passes along this message from the Lord: “Don’t run away to Egypt. Stay here. I’ll take care everything” (42:10-12).

That’s not the answer they wanted to hear. “You’re lying!” they said, and “did not obey the voice of the Lord” (43:7). They all ran away to Egypt, dragging Jeremiah with them.

How often has someone asked you, “What do you think I should do?” Or, “What can I do to help?” After your thoughtful and loving response, they reply, “I don’t want to do that.” You’ve been that someone, haven’t you? Yeah, me, too. We don’t really want advice. We just want someone to affirm what we wanted to do all along.

It’s just like the man who asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16) He had obey all the commandments, and wanted to make sure he had left nothing undone. When Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Jesus, he walked away sadly because he had a lot of possessions. Jesus’s instructions were the last thing he wanted to do.

The fact that Jesus’s instructions are often the last thing I want to do reveals a lot about my heart. I need his grace a lot more than I like to admit.