Grace, grace!

(Thomas Brooks, "Heaven on Earth" 1667)

"That no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:29

"God does not look for any goodness or merit in the creature to draw His love--but He will justify, pardon, and save for His name's sake. All the motives which move God to show mercy are in His own bosom.

Salvation is only from free grace, and not from anything good in us, or done by us.

God is free to bestow His promises upon whomever He pleases.
He often steps over the rich, and chooses the poor;
He often steps over the learned, and chooses the ignorant;
He often steps over the strong, and chooses the weak;
He often steps over the sweet nature, and chooses the wicked nature;
He often steps over the noble, and chooses the vile; etc.,
that no flesh may glory, and that all may shout out "Grace, grace!"

"By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10"
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Did you catch that? By HIS grace! Not by our grace, not by our attainment are we what we are today. No, we are here today reading this post because of the mighty GRACE of GOD. In fact, we ARE ... because of the GRACE of GOD. Our physical presence here at the computer screen is due only to God's GRACE. Our spirituality is because of the GRACE of God. Our edifying gifts are ours, only in as much as they were given to us by the GRACE of GOD for their use to exhibit HIS GRACE to the body of believers, called to be HIS church. We literally, physically, spiritually, metaphorically, figuratively ARE... ONLY because of GOD'S fantastic GRACE. What's more, all that we posses, both physically and spiritually is only by the GRACE of GOD. Do you see the importance here? This is not something that can be glazed over in order to "get to the heart of the gospel"....God's grace IS THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL. What is more GRACE-FULL than the King of Kings, coming down from His throne to redeem those that were lost? What can be closer to the heart of the gospel than that?

With all this being said, we can unashamedly and truthfully say, that without God's grace, we would be base men, bondmen, beggarly men, blind men, deformed men, disconsolate men, dead men, and damned men. But God's GRACE came down! God's grace was and is preeminent and preemptive in all matters of the salvation of men. Before the foundations of the world, GOD'S GRACE was in action (Ephesians 1:4, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:20). What man can boast that he sought salvation for himself, "before the foundation of the world"? No, not one, so "that no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:29.

Quit your glorying in the flesh, and recognize and rejoice that Jehovah God SOUGHT YOU! That 'good news' is enough to lift even the heaviest of spirits, and lighten the heaviest of loads.

Grace, Grace!
Bro. Hank ><>