Are you covered by grace?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(John 1:17 (NIV))

If you were pulled over for speeding, would you want to be dealt with based on the laws that you broke, or by the grace of someone in authority over you?

Think about the ramifications of that for a moment and consider that laws are written and enforced with exact wording. Using the speeding example, if you were driving 56 miles an hour in a 55 mile per hour zone, you are guilty of breaking the law. A strict adherence to the law would mean that you would suffer the consequences of your actions. Is that truly what we would want to happen to us in that situation?

Now, consider the laws that God has given through Moses. Unlike our traffic laws, these were written in stone by the hand of God. How do you think that these would be enforced if there was no hope of grace? We would be, and we all are, guilty of breaking every single one of God’s laws. How could we expect to uphold such a high standard when we can’t even keep from driving 56 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone?

Since the fall from grace, every single person who has ever lived has broken God’s laws. We are all guilty!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16 (NIV))

I am so thankful for grace! God’s amazing grace!

We are held accountable by the law of Moses and vindicated by the grace of Jesus!

When God sees you, does He see you as covered by grace?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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The proper time!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV))

Sometimes it is so easy to see the hand of God moving. The last 30 seconds and this verse are a very good example of just that!

I have multiple different sources that I look to in order to find what I will write about. I often will look online at a popular Bible software site, and that is what I chose to do today. This passage was the passage of the day. I did not feel that this passage was what I wanted to write about, so I turned to one of my long lists of notes and randomly stopped on one without looking. I am certain that you can already see what is coming!

It was the very same verse and translation!

All right, God. I get it!

Is there anything about this passage that jumps right out at you? To me, there are several. First and foremost is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus in which He gave himself as a random for all people. Probably the most intriguing part of this passage is the last sentence.

The proper time!

Just as it appears that it is the proper time for me to talk about this passage, there are also proper times that have happened and will happen according to God’s plan.

Jesus came at the proper time.

He was witnessed about at the proper time.

He will return at the proper time.

Will you be ready when He returns? What if He returns tonight? Will you be ready at the proper time?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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