BY GOD’S GRACE
MEMORISE: Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1
READ: James 4:13 -16
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
MESSAGE
One of the ways to know a true Christian is by what he or she says. When I see Christian talk about what they want to do or what they gave done without any reference to the grace of God, I wonder how strong their relationship with the Lord is, John 15:5 says: …for without me ye can do nothing.
Grace is a gift from God that can also be summarily described as ‘God’s help’. You need to understand that without grace -‘God’s Help’, you can do nothing. Even waking up in the morning is by the grace of God. You would therefore be taking the grace of God for granted when you begin to boast about the things you have done or that you plan to do without acknowledging the grace of God, which empowers you. In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus told the story of a rich man who had gathered a great harvest. In all that this man said, he did not acknowledge God who made that harvest possible. At the end of the day, all his boastings came to nought because he died that very night.
Beloved, please don’t take God’s grace for granted; it is only by His grace that you are alive today. It is only by His grace that you are alive today. It is only by His grace that you are where you are, what you are and have what you have. It does not matter how intelligent, strong or connected you are; if God were to withdraw His grace from you, you would soon realize that you can do nothing without Him.
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalm 127:1
From 1 Corinthinas 3:6, we see that human efforts without God’s grace cannot yield results. Paul can plant, Apollos can water the plant, but the increase only comes from God. 1 Corithians 3:7 says specifically:
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
When you want to talk about something you did, always say, “I did so and so by the grace of God”. When talking about something you plan to do, say, “I will do so and so by the grace of God”. Always acknowledge the grace of God in all you do and plan to do.
KEYPOINT
Without God we are nothing.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 3- 6
HYMN 10: JESUS MY LORD MY GOD MY ALLl
1 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
hear me, blest Savior, when I call;
hear me, and from thy dwelling place
pour down the riches of thy grace.
Refrain:
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore;
O make me love thee more and more.
2 Jesus, too late I thee have sought;
how can I love thee as I ought?
And how extol thy matchless fame,
the glorious beauty of thy name? [Refrain]
3 Jesus, what didst thou find in me
that thou hast dealt so lovingly?
How great the joy that thou hast brought,
so far exceeding hope or thought! [Refrain]
