Bible Devotion - 3/9/2021

Not too long ago I read the testimonial of a man who talking about all the good things going on his life. He had received a promotion at work. He had sold some investment property and made a handsome profit. His twin son and daughter were the top two students in their graduating class. And he talked about three or four more areas of his life that were going well. Then, he finished his testimonial by saying, "I guess I better get ready; something bad is bound to happen before too long."

Many people live their lives as if that statement were true. They feel uncomfortable if they experience too much success. They believe that the scales of life have a way of balancing out our experiences. If things are on the upswing today, they are certain that it will not be long before the pendulum moves the other direction and evens out the score.

But let me tell you the problem with this kind of thinking. If that is our philosophy in life then we will tend to view life in terms of limitations: In other words, there is only so much joy we can experience; there is only so much love we can have in a relationship, there is only so much mercy we can obtain before we reach our limit and have to wait for something bad to come along and balance the scales. Do you know someone like that? Better yet, are you like that?

Today, we are going to look at a passage of scripture that teaches the principle of no-limit living, and tells us about all that is ours, if we are Christians. In this passage of scripture (1 Corinthians 1:3-9) Paul uses a phrase that is extremely hard to ignore. He tells us that we have been "enriched or made rich" by Christ.

 I want to show you three ways in which a relationship with Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to experience no-limit living.  

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

First of all we have…..
1.  Boundless Resources (vs. 7)
 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

If you are a person who is committed to doing God's will, then you don't have to worry if you “have what it takes” to do it.  Because God makes available the boundless resources of the gifts of His Holy Spirit.
This principle also applies to churches. The bible tells us that when a congregation dedicates itself to doing the work that God has called the church to do, they don't have to wonder if they have the right kind of leaders, or the right kind of staff, or the right kind of people-God has already given them every spiritual gift they'll need to accomplish his will on earth.

Secondly, we have….
2.  Boundless Strength (vs. 8)
Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The point Paul is making here is not "How much sin can I get away with and still be a Christian?" The point is that Jesus can keep us strong and faithful to Him until the end.  Most of us are more aware of our ability to fail than we are of God's ability to keep us strong. This lack of faith in God's strength is what is preventing many of you Christians from doing more with your lives.  

There's a third principle of no-limit living and that is we have been given...

3.  Boundless Access (vs. 9)
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

A popular song of yesteryear has these lyrics…
My boy turned 10 just the other day,  He said "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.  Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today.  I got a lot to do." He said, "That's OK."

A lot of us can relate to that kind of father. He's busy, He’s stressed, He has a multitude of his own problems to deal with and he is basically unavailable.  Many people think this is how God is….distant, cold and unconcerned.

In the story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus tells of a father who is heartbroken over his son's defiance, and who joyfully restores his son when he comes home. And Jesus assured us that our Father was a loving, generous Father who wants to give good gifts to His children.

Most of all, Jesus constantly reminded us that God is approachable. He is not a God that we have to wait in line to see. Jesus told us that we have instant access to Him, through Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews tells us in 4:14-16….
 
Hebrews 4:14-16  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The phrase “In Time of Need” means “As the Need Arises.”

Dear Child of God understand today that God has held nothing back from you.  He wants to enrich your life with spiritual blessings.  We have instant access to him, to his resources, and to his strength.  Face today with that assurance.
 
In His Grip,

Brother Jeff Sizemore