Christ Church Daily Devotion April 24 2024

Paul's testimony of God's grace through Christ Jesus is shared in 2nd Timothy 1:9-10. Paul encourages Timothy to proclaim the gospel without shame, even though Paul himself is a prisoner. He emphasizes that grace comes from God's heart, given through Christ even before time began. This grace has been revealed through Jesus, who has defeated death and brought life and immortality through the gospel. Grace is a gift from God, unmerited and freely given to all. It is received through repentance and discipleship, and we are called to be witnesses of this grace. John Newton's song, "Amazing Grace," reflects the depth of God's grace. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for April 24th 2024. Today we will be reading from 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verses 9 through 10. He has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. There's a whole lot of good news in these two brief verses. It is the Apostle Paul's testimony of God's grace through Christ Jesus which Paul has received and now Paul is encouraging young Timothy to not be ashamed to proclaim the gospel for the Lord's sake or for Paul's sake. At the time of his writing Paul was a prisoner in chains for the sake of gospel. It's understandable that Timothy would need this encouragement from Paul. Verse 8 leads us into verse 9 by the power of God who has saved us. Paul is helping Timothy and us today realize that God is the giver of all grace. Grace proceeds out of God's own heart and is given through Christ Jesus even before time began and now the grace, this grace, has been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ and God's power through Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Grace is defined by the unmerited favor of God and an important phrase in these verses is not because of anything we have done but because of God's own purpose in grace. The NRSV translates it not according to our works but according to God's own purpose in grace. Grace is a gift which God offers to us to receive. Grace is offered and freely given to all without exception. It is up to each individual to receive this gift from God through Christ. This grace is freely given but it is not cheap grace. It is God's gift of sacrificial grace which God initiated through the gift of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Therefore we are called as Timothy was called to be witnessed and witnesses of this blessing of grace through repentance and faithful discipleship. We can let our lives be living testimonies of God's saving work of grace through Christ by offering through words and actions God's grace to others. Your personal worship option is John Newton, once the captain of a slave ship, realized the depth of his sins and when he realized the depths of God's grace wrote this song, Amazing Grace. The words of the last stanza are when we've been there ten thousand years bright shining as the Sun we have no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. Amen.