Running the Race as a Winner
Day Twenty-one
Each day I am more like him
As I see his blessed face.
His glory is my light,
My way’s not dim.
I sit with him by grace.[i]
Because of grace, our status of condemned criminals waiting for a terrible sentence, changed to that of heirs waiting for a fabulous inheritance. Grace is the guarantee of the preservation of the saints. God’s love for us produced spontaneous kindness toward us, creatures fallen from the Creator’s rule for perfection, we were unclean and guilty in god’s sight – fit only for condemnation. [1] When we make something and it isn’t what we intended, we throw it out and start over; God love choose to redeem his creation instead of throwing us out. God’s love awakened our adoration in return; and our love, once awakened, desires to give pleasure. The revealed will of god is that those who have received grace should, from that day forward, give themselves to good works. Because we have received God’s grace, we are motivated to do as he expects.
As winners in the race we practice daily to match our position in Mashiach – our gift from the Father because of the un-influenced direction of his own will. We become more and more aware of what we have in Mashiach Yeshua and exercise that in our daily walk.[ii] We apply our place in the royal family to our earthly lives and live in our victorious standing by remembering that we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.[iii]We stand fast in the truth with a caring spirit toward the family of God.[iv] We make ourselves continually aware of the power of the gospel and the reality of God’s plan; and our lives and lips spread the gospel as a result.
We, winners in the race on the path of victory, are not terrified or surprised when our walk with Mashiach results in conflict with the world. We know that God works all things together in the intertwined lives of the Church – his body parts – so his name will be glorified in the world; and we preach Mashiach in the joy of that knowledge. We look for God’s hand in everything that happens in our lives and the lives of the rest of the royal family and constantly submit to the Spirit’s control.
Prayer: O Lord, I owe my life and my love to your grace. I pray that you would use that grace like a bond to keep my heart sealed to you. Thank you, Lord. I know that you do just that and I am safe and secure in your grace. And blessed be the name of the Lord God from this time forth and forevermore.
[i] II Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:9-12
[ii] Ephesians 2:1-10
[iii] Ephesians 2:19-22
[iv] Philippians 1:27-30
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