Our Life Through His

The Spirit of God is the one who reveals Christ through you and me. Let Him have the full say in your life today as He dwells within you.


Scripture: Colossians 4:18, 2 Peter 3:18
Topics: Grace, Growth, Tests

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much, and hello again dear radio friends. How in the world are you? Hope everything’s going well at your house today. I feel fine. So glad to be up and about and full of bounce to the ounce, and happy in the Lord. I prepare these broadcasts for the most part early in the morning and it’s early, early today. It’s dark outside right now. Of course, by the time you hear, the sun may be shining where you are. Or some of you listen late at night, as I know, so it may be dark — whatever.

It’s early for me because so many of you listen just as you’re waking up and I get that early morning feel myself. I know how you feel when you’re struggling to get going in the day. And maybe you need a little extra encouragement from the Word of God. That’s what I pray every day, that God will put in to these sacred moments which you and I share together with His Word.

We’ve been talking about the grace of God, and the last thing that I mentioned although there’s so many of them in the Word of God that have to do with His grace, is from 2 Peter 3:18 “Grow in grace.”

There’s saving grace, and keeping grace, and transforming grace, and sufficient grace, and more grace, and the grace of giving, and the grace of suffering, and even the grace of dying. All of the aspects, let us say, or to change the figure of speech, the facets of God’s grace. But he says, “Grow in grace.” What does that mean? Well, it means grow in your knowledge of it, surely. Grow in your knowledge of it. A little child grows in knowledge, doesn’t he? First of all he thinks that electric receptacle is interesting because it has two or three little holes in it and he can poke stuff in it. He’s taken away there and somebody says, “Come on, don’t you want to grow up and have troubles? Don’t fool with that.” And then later on he learns that that’s an electrical outlet and that there’s 110 volts behind it and that he could be injured or perhaps killed. And so he learns about it. He grows in knowledge. So you know something of the grace of God today but you can grow in knowing more of the grace of God.

Small thought here, just a warning. Oftentimes more knowledge of God’s grace comes through more testings that make you depend upon His grace. Somebody said, “I prayed for patience and God sent me all these troubles,” and He had to be reminded that the Bible says, “Tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed.” So if you want to know more about the grace of God, it may indeed involve situations where you’re under tremendous pressure. I don’t know. It may; it may not.

Grow in grace means grow in the knowledge of God’s grace. It certainly means grow in the experience of God’s grace. Yes. And it means grow in appreciation for God’s grace. Adoniram Judson as he lay dying, gathered some young men around him and said to the young men, “Make much of the grace of God. Make much of the grace of God.” Why? Because the longer you live, the more you know how much you need God’s saving and keeping and transforming grace. Grow in appreciation for the grace of God.

I talked to my mother-in-love, Hilda Nilsen. She lived in our home for 21 years before God took her home just just before she reached the age of 90. What a precious, precious lady she was. We called her Bemore, that’s short for Bestemor. Bestemor is Norwegian for Grandma. And the kids had difficulty with that in the early years so her name for many years with our family was Bemore. And I said to her one day, “Bemore, how do you feel about the Lord Jesus now? What are your feelings now as the years have gone by?” And she thought a moment and then she said, “Well,” she said, “the longer I live, the more I need a great savior.” Yah, that’s it, appreciation for the grace of God. Grow in appreciating God’s grace.

And then, of course, it’s grown in showing God’s grace. Over the book of Acts, we read with great boldness gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all. Of our Savior, it was said, “They marvel at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth.” You have the privilege of showing the grace of God in your life. And that, I would think, is the ultimate result of being a Christian that not only do you believe and receive, and appreciate, experience, God’s grace but that you transmit it, that you show His grace. Grow in showing God’s grace.

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, Paul said. Show the grace of God in your lifestyle. It’s a big assignment, isn’t it?

Who does that? The Holy Spirit of God dwelling within you. Jesus said when He, the Spirit of God is come, He shall show you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The Spirit of God is the one who reveals Christ through you and me. Let him have full sway in your life today as He dwells there within you. Give Him full sway in your life so that you can show the grace of God, Alright?

Well, now, we come to this post script. It says, “Written from Rome to the Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.” These were the stenographers, so to speak. These were the secretaries. These were the people who put down the words probably on parchment or whatever material was used at that time for writing. When Paul was talking to Timothy, just before the close of his life, he gave him some directions and he said, “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, bring with you, and the books but especially the parchments.”

So we had books and parchments. Whatever they were, or however they were bound oftentimes rolled up as scrolls in those days, but whatever form they were, these two people, Tychicus and Onesimus, had been the ones to put down what Paul was saying. Then he signed it at the end. “The salutation by the hand of me, Paul,” it says in 4:18.

Now, Tychicus is a beloved brother, a faithful minister and a fellow servant in the Lord. We talked about him some time ago as you recall.

Onesimus was a runaway slave. He was owned by a man named Philemon and he ran away from him, went to Rome, and not only found Paul but was found by the Lord Jesus Christ and became a Christian, and a great comfort, actually, to Paul.

Paul says he’s just a great comfort to him. And he says here in Colossians 4 that Onesimus is a faithful and beloved brother. So Paul sent him back to his master to make things right with his master but also sent a letter with him saying “If he’s done anything wrong, you put it on my account, I’ll repay you. Of course I have to remind you that you owe your very life to me,” said Paul. Paul wasn’t above applying a little pressure once in a while. The right kind of pressure is not sinful, in my opinion. The right kind of personal pressure that helps people do the right thing is not sinful.

It is when you become a politicker and a manipulator of other people that the Spirit of God is grieved. Well, anyhow, these two people Tychicus and Onesimus who were there with Paul and concerning whom he speaks with such appreciation, they were his scribes, his secretaries. What about it? Well, let me talk to secretaries. Happily, the status of secretary has been coming up in our world. There was a time when one would say, I’ve heard them say it, I’m only a secretary. Well, happily, that is changing and I’m glad. Whether you’re a lady or a man secretary is beside the point. But you are important and the world is beginning to realize that.

Oftentimes, you are the face that your boss wears because the first impression that somebody has about your boss is you. Had you ever thought of that? Someone comes in your office and asks to see Mr. So and So, whatever his name is, you’re his secretary and the attitude you have and the words you use, and the way you receive that person, is the face for that moment of your boss. The impression that this man has about your boss is given to him by you as a representative of your boss. You’re the face that the corporation wears at that moment. So you’re important, aren’t you? Yes, you are.

And of course those of us who, like me, have had secretaries who were faithful and extremely capable, we know how much we owe to those dear people who have invested so much of their very life in helping to make us successful. Do you ever pray for your secretary, mister or missus? Do you ever pray for your secretary? Do you ever thank God for him or her? Do you ever ask God to give grace and strength and patience and wisdom to that person who is transcribing your dictation and answering your telephone and scheduling your appointments and reminding you of anniversaries and birthdays and other things, appointments that you mustn’t forget? Do you ever pray for that person? Do you ever thank God for that person? Do you ever indicate to that person that he or she is indeed important?

Well, it’s a pretty good idea, wouldn’t you think? Tychicus and Onesimus were secretaries but they’re important. Now, what is the essence of the importance of this? Now, we believe that the truth of the Bible is eternally valid, valuable, and to be obeyed, isn’t that true? “The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. We have not followed cunningly devised fables,” says Peter, “but the Word of God instead.” So we believe that the Bible is the Word of God, not just contains it but is, isn’t that true?

We believe in the inspiration of the scriptures and that the Bible is infallible and inerrant and that if science or anybody else disagrees with it, we’re willing to wait until science catches up. Amen? If that be true, then some of that inerrant, infallible, important message was written by two human beings who didn’t say it, they just wrote it down as somebody else said it. But they were the transmitters of eternal truth.

You, my dear friend, be you a secretary or administrative assistant or clerk or whatever, you are part of what God is doing in transmitting His eternal truth from His heart to some needy human being. You are important to God and to people. Think about it.

Dear Father, today, oh may we be faithful transmitters of Thy wonderful truth reflecting Thy grace, showing Thy love, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!



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