To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:1-4
My faith in God may be rather simple, but it has brought into my life what seems like a multiplication of mercy, peace and love. These are precious indeed. I’ve noticed over the years, that God has placed people in my life to build me up in the faith. But, sadly, there are competitors too… more precisely, “creepers” that attempt to ruin my faith. On one hand, I know I am free in Christ. As Paul said ‘all things are lawful’ to me. But, ‘not all things are profitable’. Its this license and freedom I have, that they want to turn into licentiousness. They turn the grace of God into something corrupt, ugly, sinful… and in doing so, would have us do the same, which is in essence, to deny our only Master, Jesus. Let’s not let them win!
What in my life is a reflection of the grace of God? Is there anything I am claiming as ‘my right’ or ‘freedom in Christ’, but is actually a vice cloaked in spirituality?
God, as this day begins- I realize I was bought with a great and precious price. I belong to You. Thank you for multiplying the mercy, peace and love in my life. Protect me from ungodly behavior and attitudes that I deserve this or that. Today, I declare again that Jesus is my Master Teacher- my model in all things. I desire to be like Him, in word, thought and deed. Now, let’s go do something wonderful and beautiful.
