22 Jul Grace-Enabled Diligence
Preacher Huijun - 18 June 2015
Being Called Into A Blessed Lineage
A man is driven by his identity. Not only the identity of man decides what he does or does not do, it also determines his destiny. As we embark on the four gospel books, God wants us to get right with our identity first. Through the genealogy of Christ, God wants to draw the link between us and the family of Jesus. We're born into this blessed lineage not by our good conditions or favourable traits. In contrary, we often see the sinfulness, unholiness, how lowly, scandalous and dubious we are - yet God love all of us and chose us into His blessed lineage out of His sovereign grace, and give Christ to us so that we can be reconciled with God through Christ. God uses many examples of "Fallen" men to tell all believers that although they may look despicable in the eyes of men, nothing can stand in between the grace of God -- all imperfections of men can be covered by the precious blood of Christ and be used for the kingdom's purpose. When we let Christ be the king of our lives, always acknowledging Him in all things and let Him be the yardstick of all our standards, we will see the faithful and gracious God lifting us up and enables us to transcend the earthly struggles. For when we're called into His blessed lineage, we've been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessings in Christ, thus we're more than conquerors as children of God. Therefore, Jesus said - go sin no more. We who're born again by the Spirit of God, our destiny have changed. No matter how vulnerable we are, we can call upon God and receives the help of Holy Spirit to resist the insinuations and temptations that attack us and walk in the blessed living God has given us.
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Grace and Grace-enabled hard work
- <1 Cor 15:10>: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
- Grace has effect >>> work hard
- Grace and hard work not mutually exclusive.
<2 Th 3> 6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.
12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
Man is not created to be idle, but with a purpose.
- PURPOSE.
- “Idle men tempt the devil to tempt them.” – Charles Spurgeon
- “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.”
However, the Fall distorts our purpose and ways of working hard.
- Sloth, and an attitude of reaping without sowing.
- No desire to improve, or learn.
- Easily discouraged and give up.
- Habits that lack self-discipline.
- Burn out easily when not relying on God.
- Toil for the wrong motivations.
- Busy till drift from God.
We need healing in our labor/no labor.
- See the meaning to our hard work.
- Working hard is Christian virtue.
- Enjoy the process of working hard.
- In the end, God is looking not at the outcomes of our hard work, but at how faithful we are in using His gracious gifts.
<1 Cor 15:10>: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
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