(Read Gal 1:11-17)
This morning we continue our new series, “Maximizing 2015 by God’s GREAT GRACE.” As I have been meditating on God’s Great Grace and what I believe He wants to do in this season, this morning I was thinking about those who quickly reject the grace of God because it is not rational. Let me explain. When God reveals to us His plans for our life the plans are often far greater than anything we had imagined or completely different than what we had planned. We then have a choice. We can either accept God’s plans by grace (completely unmerited) and pursue them by faith, or we can dismiss them altogether and continue down our own path. Our choice is critical because one path leads to a life based on faith, empowered by God’s grace, and the other path leads to a life based on human reasoning, empowered by self-effort.
I share this with you because I believe the Lord is going to speak to you in this season. God is going to show you many of the great plans He has for you, plans He formulated before the world began. If you are not careful, you will ‘think your way’ out of God’s best by using logic and reason, and by attempting to make sense of God’s assignment. God is a Spirit and His plans are spiritual, not sensual, so they won’t always make sense. That’s why you need faith to access God’s grace.
Let’s use the Apostle Paul as an example. In his letter to the church at Galatia Paul said, “Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things as we seek to maximize this season.
1. God’s assignment for your life may not make sense.
a) When God revealed to Paul the plans He prepared for him before the world began, those plans were completely contrary to Paul’s actions at the time.
b) Paul tried to link up with the other Apostles, but they wanted nothing to do with a man who had been persecuting the church. That is why Paul said he could not consult with flesh and blood.
c) When God calls you to do something, it will be so big and so far ‘out of your comfort zone’ that you will have to rely on Him and Him alone.
d) God took a man, Paul, who was extremely educated in the Law of Moses, a man who was an elite amongst the Jews, and He called him to preach the Gospel to the uneducated. And God took an uneducated man, Peter, a man who had spent his professional years as a fisherman, and called him to preach the Gospel to the educated elite amongst the Jews. God does things like this to force you to rely on Him and His grace!
2. You need faith to accept and access God’s grace.
a) In this season of Great Grace the Lord is going to show you things about your future, things He planned for you before the world began, and all God is looking for from you is faith.
b) God does not need you to earn your assignment, because you have not earned it, nor will you be able to.
c) God does not need you to work hard (with your strength) to make it happen, because what He calls you to do is beyond your strength anyway.
d) All God is looking for from you is faith that will access His grace.
e) When God shows you what He wants to do through you in 2015, just yield to it. Just say, “Yes”. Open your heart and allow His power to flow through you to do what you could never do on your own.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your Great Grace towards me. Like Paul, I know You made plans for me before the world began. Before I was born You chose me and called me by your marvelous grace. As You reveal to me what You have called me to do in life, and what You want me to do in this season, I simply yield to it. My heart says “Yes” to Your will. I won’t attempt to make sense of it all, because I know You are Spiritual and not sensual. You require faith that does not need the validation of sense-realm evidence. So by faith I accept and access Your Great Grace in this season. By faith I say “Yes” to what You want to do IN and THROUGH me. By faith I surrender my all to You. I won’t think my way out of Your best. I won’t allow what others say to cause me to put a “NO” where You have put a “YES”. I simply accept Your best, because I know You decided to bless me by Your unearned Grace. I then pursue Your grace with my faith. There is no assignment too big, no obstacle too tall, no opposition too strong, and no challenge too hard. 2015 shall be the best year of my life, because this year I surrender to my heart to You and I experience Your Great Grace like never before! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
