2021-02-03
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
There are two kinds of grace. The first is saving grace, which means that the moment we place our trust in Christ, God wipes the entire record of our sins clean. The second is sustaining grace. Sustaining grace doesn’t promise us an easy, trouble-free life, but instead promises that God’s strengthening presence will be with us through the difficult times and struggles.
Paul wrote: ‘I was given a thorn in my flesh…Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”‘ (vv. 7-9 NIV). It’s a very vivid image – a thorn piercing the soft skin and lodging beneath the surface, bringing a reminder of our weaknesses with every move we make. But along with that comes the reminder that God’s with us in our weakness, holding us, letting us lean on Him for strength, and saying to us, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.
John Newton, the Anglican clergyman who wrote the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, found that God’s grace was sufficient. On the day his beloved wife, Mary, died, he found the strength to preach a Sunday sermon. The next day he visited church members, and later on, he conducted her funeral. Looking back he wrote: ‘The Bank of England is too poor to compensate for such a loss as mine. But the Lord, all-sufficient God, speaks, and it is done. Let those who know Him, and trust Him, be of good courage. He can give them strength according to their day. He can increase their strength as their trials increase…And what He can do, He has promised He will do.’
Isa 53-57; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 111; Prov 3:29-30
2 Korintiërs 12:9 NLV
Daar is twee tipes genade: 1) Reddende genade. Die oomblik wat jy jou vertroue in Christus plaas, wis God die hele rekord van jou sonde uit. 2) Volgehoue genade. Paulus skryf: “…Daarom, sodat ek nie hoogmoedig moet word nie, is aan my ‘n doring in die vlees gegee… Drie maal het ek die Here gesmeek dat dit my moet verlaat. Hy het egter vir my gesê: ‘My genade is genoeg vir jou, want my krag kom juis in swakheid tot volle verwesenliking'” (verse 7-9 NLV).
Wat ‘n helder beeld! ‘n Doring steek in die sagte vel tot onder die oppervlakte in. Elke tree is ‘n herinnering daaraan: Die kind in die rehabilitasiesentrum. Die rooi ink op die lêer. Die misdaadrekord. Die smagting na alkohol in die middel van die dag. Die trane in die middel van die nag. ‘Here, neem dit weg?’ Jy hoor egter die volgende: ‘My genade is genoeg vir jou.’ Volgehoue genade beloof ons nie die afwesigheid van beproewing nie, maar die versterkende teenwoordigheid van God.
John Newton, die Anglikaanse predikant wat ‘Amazing Grace’ geskryf het, het gevind dat God se genade genoeg is. Op die dag wat sy geliefde vrou, Mary, oorlede is, het hy die krag ontvang om ‘n Sondagpreek te lewer. Die volgende dag het hy kerklede besoek en later haar begrafnis waargeneem. Toe hy terugkyk op daardie tyd, het hy geskryf: ‘Die Bank van Engeland is te arm om vir so ‘n verlies soos myne te vergoed. Maar die Here, algenoegsame God, spreek, en dit word gedaan. Laat hulle wat Hom ken en vertrou, moed skep. Hy kan hulle krag volgens hulle dag gee. Hy kan hulle krag vermeerder soos hulle beproewings vermeerder. Dit wat Hy kan doen, het Hy beloof dat Hy sal doen.’
Sielskos: Jes 53-57; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 111; Spr 3:29-30
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
There are two kinds of grace: (1) Saving grace. The moment you place your trust in Christ, God expunges the entire record of your sin. (2) Sustaining grace. Paul writes: “I was given a thorn in my flesh…Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'” (vv. 7-9 NIV).
Such vivid imagery! A thorn pierces the soft skin and lodges beneath the surface. Every step is a reminder of it: The child in the rehab center. The red ink on the ledger. The felony on the record. The craving for alcohol in the middle of the day. The tears in the middle of the night. “Lord, take it away?” But what you hear is this: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Sustaining grace promises us not the absence of struggle, but the strengthening presence of God.
John Newton, the Anglican clergyman who wrote “Amazing Grace,” found that God’s grace was sufficient. On the day his beloved wife, Mary, died, he found the strength to preach a Sunday sermon. The next day he visited church members, and later on officiated at her funeral. Looking back he wrote: “The Bank of England is too poor to compensate for such a loss as mine. But the Lord, all-sufficient God, speaks, and it is done. Let those who know Him, and trust Him, be of good courage. He can give them strength according to their day. He can increase their strength as their trials increase…And what He can do, He has promised He will do.”
Soul food: Isa 53-57; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 111; Prov 3:29-30
2021-02-02
Acts 19:18 NCV
Speaking about the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote: ‘Many of the believers began to confess openly and tell all the evil things they had done…So in a powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing’ (v.18-20 NCV).
Spiritual healing happens in churches like this one. So if we find ourselves trapped in a pattern of repeated sin and failure, we need to seek out mature, committed Christians who won’t be shocked or start to judge us, who won’t break our confidence, and who’ll know how to pray for us.
Jesus gave His followers the authority to hear confessions and proclaim grace. ‘If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven (John 20:23 NIV). A spiritual cleansing takes place within us when someone looks at us and says, ‘God forgives you, I forgive you, now forgive yourself and walk in God’s forgiveness!’
Forgiveness can be a powerful force to help make us whole again. James wrote: ‘Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective’ (James 5:14-16 NIV).
So whenever we have something weighing on our minds that we need to confess, let’s take that first step to forgiveness and wholeness by talking to someone we can trust.
Isa 49-52; Matt 12:1-14; Ps 107:33-43; Prov 3:27-28
Handelinge 19:18 NLV
Met betrekking tot die kerk in Efese, skryf Paulus: ‘Baie van dié wat gelowig geword het, het hulle aangemeld en al hulle praktyke openlik bely… So het die Woord van die Here kragtig gegroei en sterk geword’ (verse 18-20 NLV). Geestelike genesing vind in kerke soos dié plaas. Wanneer jy dus in dieselfde patroon van sonde en mislukking vasgevang is, moet jy volwasse, toegewyde Christene soek wat nie deur jou probleem geskok sal word nie, wat nie jou vertroue sal skend nie en wat weet hoe om vir jou en saam met jou te bid.
Jesus het sy volgelinge die outoriteit gegee om belydenisse aan te hoor en genade uit te spreek. ‘Wie se sondes julle ook al vergewe, dit word hulle vergewe; wie s’n julle ook al handhaaf, word gehandhaaf’ (Johannes 20:23 NLV). ‘n Geestelike katarsis vind plaas wanneer iemand jou in die oë kyk en sê: ‘God vergewe jou, ek vergewe jou, vergewe nou jouself en wandel in God se vergifnis!’ Vergifnis is so ‘n sterk krag dat dit genesing kan fasiliteer.
Jakobus skryf: ‘Is daar van julle wat siek is? Dan moet julle die ouderlinge van die gemeente laat kom. Nadat die ouderlinge die siekes met olyfolie in die Naam van die Here gesalf het, moet hulle vir hulle bid. En ‘n gelowige gebed sal die siek mens gesond laat word; die Here sal hom laat opstaan. En watter sondes die sieke ook al gedoen het, dit sal hom vergewe word. Daarom moet julle julle sondes teenoor mekaar bely en vir mekaar bid sodat julle gesond kan word. Die gebed van iemand wie se saak met God reg is, het ‘n kragtige uitwerking’ (Jakobus 5:14-16 NLV). Indien jy nie seker is met wie jy moet praat, of wie jy kan vertrou nie, begin by jou pastoor.
Sielskos: Jes 49-52; Matt 12:1-14; Ps 107:33-43; Spr 3:27-28
