17 January 2021
Two-Minute Features | 24 January 2021 | 10 January 2021

Grace or Achievement Based System? (TMF:1530)

Friday, January 22, 2021
Peace to Live By: Grace or Achievement Based System? (TMF:1530) - Daniel Litton
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       Often times I think that people who really believe they are living under the new way of grace have instead just formulated a new law by which they live. And they think that since it’s a lesser law than God’s Old Testament prescription, that they are living by grace. But that’s not a true understanding of grace at all. Bear in mind that if we are living by an achievement based system, a system where we earn this or that before God or others, we are not living under grace. Grace is God giving us, what? It is God giving us what we do not deserve. We accept grace from God through our faith. And, as Paul said earlier, our faith does not come from us. We didn’t come up with our faith. Our faith was given to us as a gift from God. And since it is a gift, and we didn’t earn our faith, and didn’t therefore earn our grace, grace then is not something of our own doing.

Access By Faith Into God's Grace (TMF:1529)

Thursday, January 21, 2021
Peace to Live By: Access By Faith Into God's Grace (TMF:1529) - Daniel Litton
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       Our next verse here in Romans chapter 5, verse 2: “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (ESV). In addition to our peace with God, we have obtained access by our faith into God’s grace, where we stand. What is God’s grace? I think it’s the ability for us as Christians to live a successful life, in God’s eyes, beyond our own personal potential. We cannot be righteous in and of ourselves. We can’t achieve our own righteousness by following a list of rules and regulations that we come up with from our Bibles. People can say they live by grace, but do they really? Often times I think that people who really believe they are living under the new way of grace have instead just formulated a new law by which they live. And they think that since it’s a lesser law than God’s Old Testament prescription, that they are living by grace. But that’s not a true understanding of grace at all.

Jesus Has Given Us His Peace (TMF:1528)

Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Peace to Live By: Jesus Has Given Us His Peace (TMF:1528) - Daniel Litton
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       In fact, to capture this thought, let’s consider what Jesus told his disciples right before his crucifixion, back in John, where we were a second ago, which was a time of heightened stress (at least for him, and one of which was about to be for the disciples). He said to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, ESV). Wow. This means that no matter what the times, even in times of trouble, we have Jesus’ peace. And, we are not supposed to let our hearts be troubled, neither to let them be afraid. That means we have to choose not to do that because we know who our God is, and our standing with him. As all of us realize, however, that’s much easier said than done, isn’t it?

Peace Gives Us Confidence with God (TMF:1527)

Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Peace to Live By: Peace Gives Us Confidence with God (TMF:1527) - Daniel Litton
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       Our peace with God, then, gives us confidence with God. You know you can have confidence with God, before God, right? I think a lot of Christians have failed to realize this very important and essential point. We should not approach God with a hesitating attitude, or a fearful one, or one where we feel that God doesn’t want to be bothered by our presence. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God gives us both mercy and grace. He gives us mercy, forgiveness from our sins, our failings, when we need it. And he gives us grace, extra blessings and ease, which helps us with whatever it is that we need help with. It is a timely help. We should expect God to give. So, peace with God really, ultimately then means peace of mind. Now, granted, I think it’s safe to say that not all of us, or perhaps most of us, have mastered this peace of mind that results from our peace with God.

Reverent Fear of God & Peace (TMF:1526)

Monday, January 18, 2021
Peace to Live By: Reverent Fear of God & Peace (TMF:1526) - Daniel Litton
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       We, as Christians, still retain our reverent fear of God, but in our relationships and in our dealings with God, we now have peace. As Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15, ESV). We can now see God is our friend, even though we still revere him. Remember what the writer of Hebrews has told us? He said in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (ESV). Our peace with God, then, gives us confidence with God. You know you can have confidence with God, before God, right? I think a lot of Christians have failed to realize this very important and essential point.