my words, His Grace : 01
God has been teaching me what it means to be humble and dependent on His grace in both ministry and my writing here in my little corner on the internet/ ‘christian blogsphere’ — so before I get into writing about my reflections for prayer/ministry — I’d just like to share what God has been showing me this past while in midst of my time of ‘writers block’ and not finding much ‘inspiration’ or ‘reflection’ to share with you, my dear reader.
I started reading 1 Corinthians on my commute to school yesterday and the Holy Spirit led me to this passage..
*1 Corinthians 1:17 NKJV*
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but *to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.*
and today He led me to the next chapter and more specifically –
*1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NKJV*
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, *did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom* declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you *except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.* 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And *my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.*
Just reading those two passages — we see Paul’s humility, soul/sole focus on the peaching of the Gospel — taking nothing for himself in glory, in word, in attitude — all to the Glory of God and that His beloved Church might know Him and depend on Him, verses our own silly human musings –
For me — in my late struggle with pride.. to be honest there are often a lot of things I want to share with you guys, here, at fellowship, in person whatever — but that pride holds me back.. because just as Paul writes, what benefit is it to you — what glory is it to God, if you listen/read to my words which are at times stricken with my own thinking, my own humanly wisdom that by pride is divorced from ‘revelation’ (lower case r) of the Holy Spirit. It wouldn’t spur you on towards God and thus why might the Holy Spirit demonstrate us when we continually greive Him?
It’s totally not beneficial — and really what can i say, what vocabulary or diction can I employ to lead you into knowing God, that richness and fullness of His grace — just to be enthralled by and in Him. It’s definately not by my eloquence of words.
Even Paul — an educated Pharisee; a Jew of Jews, a Roman citizen — Annointed and Chosen by Jesus Christ, Himself to be a spokesperson to the Gentiles — did not weigh pride in that but came in humility — not with persuasive pretty words or human wisdom — but just as he was in obedience to Christ — that the Corinthian church might come to know God, in the *demonstration of His Spirit and Power*
In our depravity as human beings — no matter what I or you or whomever does or says — there is NOTHING we can do to be saved, to have eternal life, to KNOW God, for who He is, and His unfathomable, richness of Grace, Mercy and Love, we can do NOTHING to further our relationship with Him — but ONLY in believing in Christ and confessing that He is Lord — having a true genuine loving surrendering relationship with Him, that is continual beyond ‘the point conversion’ by GRACE through FAITH — given to us freely by The Father — through Christ and in the work of the Holy Spirit indwelt within us, bringing us ‘revelation’ of the truth and life we are called to–
*It by His Sovereign and All Sufficient Grace* - and in that alone. that we are given faith, understanding — to who He is — that we have life.
Dear reader — as you read my empty powerless words, I pray that the the Holy Spirit might speak faith into your heart– infusing these words with power, that you might receive further Grace — and a Faith that abounds and abounds in your knowledge, understanding and relationship with God, our Father.. would you be edified and God Glorified — in these simple truths I have shared…
Praise God!