OUR DAILY BREAD : RISK

[cimi]

June 17
Monday


NO RISK

READ:
Ephesians 2:1-10
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For by grace you have
been saved through
faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is
the gift of God.
__Ephesians 2:8
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A colleague recently shared an experience I don't intend to try personally__bungee jumping. I found his description of the event both fascinating and terrifying. To think of jumping headfirst from a bridge hundreds of feet in the air suspended only by a giant rubber band is not my idea of a good time. But his leap was not without support. He described not one, but two heavy-duty harnesses that secured him to his lifeline__and to safety. The careful design and proven testing of those harnesses gave him great confidence as he jumped into the air.

As I listened, it occurred to me that for the follower of Christ, living in a sinful world is not a blind "leap of faith." We too have a pair of protections that can secure us in even the darkest times of life. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul wrote these words, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

It's in these twin harnesses__God's grace and faith in the finished work of Jesus__that our relationship with God safely rests. In the strength of these provisions, salvation is not a risky leap into the void. It's an exercise of confidence in God's Word and His unfailing love and protection. __Bill Crowder

````````````````'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,`````````````````
``````````````````````And grace my fears relieved;`````````````````````
``````````````````How precious did that grace appear```````````````````
``````````````````The hour I first believed! __Newton``````````````````
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We can expect God's peace
when we accept God's grace.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 2:1-10********************

1 And you He made alive,
who were dead in trespasses
and sins, 2 in which you
once walked according to
the course of this world,
according to the prince of
the power of the air, the
spirit who now works in
the sons of disobedience,

3 among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves in
the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and
were by nature children of
wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great
love with which He loved
us, 5 even when we were
dead in trespasses, made us
alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been
saved), 6 and raised us up
together, and made us sit
together in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus, 7 that
in the ages to come He
might show the exceeding
riches of His grace in His
kindness toward us in
Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace
you have been saved
through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift
of God, 9 not of works, lest
anyone should boast. 10 For
we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God
prepared beforehand that
we should walk in them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today's reading reflects on the extraordinary work of grace that God
has provided in bringing the spiritually dead to life. Through the
choice of our original parents, the human race became separated
from God and was brought under the influence of sin. Yet through
Christ's atoning death and victorious resurrection , those who believe
the gospel have been give a new supernatural life. All this is for the
praise of the glory of God's grace (vv.4-10).