Now is the day
This week's study is on 2 Corinthians 6:1-2:
It's been a long day and I have only a short study for you this week. These verses are simple but powerful.
We hear a lot about God's grace and favor, but we don't always connect with it. We hear that Jesus died two thousand years ago, and we hear that we'll spend eternity after death with him, but we don't really know what to do with that unappetizing bit in the middle, which is today. When we see things that way, we receive God's grace in vain, because we aren't doing anything with it. If someone tells you that it's raining out and you can borrow their umbrella, and you ignore it and go outside, did their words or their umbrella do anything to keep you from getting wet? No! You received their offer in vain.
God tells us, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." In other words, God loves us, hears us, and saves us. But if that's always in the future or in the past, what good is it? If your sins aren't forgiven until you die, how does that help you now? And if Christ's sacrifice was used up thousands of years ago, and all you have is the commemorative statue hanging on the wall, how does that help you now? God isn't just a God of the past and of the future. He's also the God of now.
God doesn't only love us in the past. "Well you were cute when you were a sinner, but that was years ago." He also doesn't just love us in the future. "If you make it to death without messing up too badly, you'll experience my love. Meanwhile I'm going to wait and see what happens." He loves us now! Now is the time of God's favor! Now is the time of our salvation! We are loved now! Our sins are forgiven now! God hears us now!
Don't receive God's grace in vain. It's not a dusty memento or a savings bond. It's love, and power, and a second chance, right now.
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
It's been a long day and I have only a short study for you this week. These verses are simple but powerful.
We hear a lot about God's grace and favor, but we don't always connect with it. We hear that Jesus died two thousand years ago, and we hear that we'll spend eternity after death with him, but we don't really know what to do with that unappetizing bit in the middle, which is today. When we see things that way, we receive God's grace in vain, because we aren't doing anything with it. If someone tells you that it's raining out and you can borrow their umbrella, and you ignore it and go outside, did their words or their umbrella do anything to keep you from getting wet? No! You received their offer in vain.
God tells us, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." In other words, God loves us, hears us, and saves us. But if that's always in the future or in the past, what good is it? If your sins aren't forgiven until you die, how does that help you now? And if Christ's sacrifice was used up thousands of years ago, and all you have is the commemorative statue hanging on the wall, how does that help you now? God isn't just a God of the past and of the future. He's also the God of now.
God doesn't only love us in the past. "Well you were cute when you were a sinner, but that was years ago." He also doesn't just love us in the future. "If you make it to death without messing up too badly, you'll experience my love. Meanwhile I'm going to wait and see what happens." He loves us now! Now is the time of God's favor! Now is the time of our salvation! We are loved now! Our sins are forgiven now! God hears us now!
Don't receive God's grace in vain. It's not a dusty memento or a savings bond. It's love, and power, and a second chance, right now.
Comments
Post a Comment