Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: salvation

Experience His Fullness

Encouragement

For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
John 1:16

John chapter 1 introduces us to the humanity of Jesus Christ, which means Jesus was God in human flesh.  He is eternal God who became part of creation.  God came to this earth to live among mankind in human flesh.

The Apostle John declares to us the Word became flesh and dwelt with mankind.  John is writing in first person because he saw Him, touched Him, and heard Him.  John wants us to know that Jesus is the living God.

In verses 14-18 John wants us to know about Jesus’ glory and grace. These two words help us to understand the person of Jesus.  When we receive His grace we can then see His glory.  

It takes grace for our spiritual eyes to be opened that we may see Him for who He is.  That is why the world does not know Him.  The world cannot know Jesus because they have not experienced His grace.  In essence, unbelievers are spiritually blind.

John says in verse 16, “because of His fullness we have received grace upon grace.”  The fullness that John is speaking of is the fact that Jesus fulfilled the law and became the spotless Lamb that permanently took away our sin.  The Old Testament sacrifice was only temporary but the fullness of Jesus is everlasting.  It is because of this fullness that we all receive grace upon grace.

Are you experiencing unending grace through Jesus Christ?  God wants us to experience His grace and see His glory now before we ever get to Heaven.  He wants to reveal Himself to you.  Take time today to look for His grace and enjoy life.  Paul said it best, “His grace is sufficient!” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Pray

Lord, thank You for Your grace. Your grace is all that I need. Help me to understand the fullness of Your never ending grace and love.

Great Is His Faithfulness

Encouragement

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-23‬

One of the most interesting things about this passage of Scripture is that for the first 20 verses the writer is focused on his personal struggles and afflictions. He explains in summary how life is full of pain and difficulty. And then all of a sudden he speaks of how God loves him, God is faithful, and God shows compassion.

There are two things we can take away from today’s verses. First, God loved us before we loved Him. His love is not like ours. He loves us with a committed or loyal type of love. It’s a fixed and final love.

God’s love not based on success or achievements. It’s a never changing love. He loves us because He wills to love us. 1 John 4:8 says “God is love.”  It is His nature. It is the center of His being.

It is important for us to understand this concept because it gives us security and hope. 

Here is the second take away… because God loves us, He is faithful to us. God has promises that are specifically for us today. There is a long list of promises that God has given to us through the Scriptures. He is faithful to keep His word.

This is also important because we know nothing will change, no matter who we are or what we do. If we choose not to serve God, He still loves us and keeps His promises to us. If we choose to disobey or rebel, God still loves us and remains faithful to us.

Nothing will ever change how God loves us. How great is His faithfulness. God’s love is unconditional and His faithfulness is great. What more can a person ask for? God’s love and faithfulness is all we need to get through life’s troubles and problems.

Pray

Lord, because You love me, I will love you. I will strive to serve you and honor you as my Master. Thank you for your love and faithfulness.

Align To God’s Will

Encouragement

“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”
‭‭John‬ ‭17:4‬

There is nothing worse than being out of the will of God. We may think that a bigger house, a larger salary, or a great getaway is what’s best for us, but God knows what we is best for us.

There is nothing wrong with bettering ourselves and making life more enjoyable as long as we are pleasing God. We should consult with God about everything before we do anything. God knows best.

One of the main problems we face as Christians in a fallen world is self agenda. We do what we want to do, when we want to do it. If we desire to build a house, we try our best to make it happen. If we desire a job that makes more money, we seek after it. When we want to go on a vacation we look for the places that will make us happy. But do we consult with God before we do things that we want to do? Maybe God has better plans for our life.

As Jesus was praying to the Father, He was able to confidently say, “Everything I’ve done has brought You glory.” Can you confidently say that today? Are you glorifying God with your life today? Are there some changes that need to take place? I think we all can make some improvements to glorify God more.

Living for Jesus in today’s world is a difficult task. We are surrounded by worldly things. Commercials are designed to make you think you need their product. We see other people look so happy and we want to be happy as well.

Sometimes we tend to get a little earthy minded in the things we spend our money on. But God wants us to set our minds on the Heavenly things. He wants us living for Him. We were created to glorify Him. We will find joy when we glorify Him. We will be at peace when we glorify His name. Before you do anything, make sure you are doing what God wants you to do.

Pray

Lord, I want to serve You and not this world. Let me be the image of Jesus to those who need hope. Thank you for blessing me today.