THE HIGH COST OF GRACE
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
Grace is God's undeserved goodness & kindness toward us w/o
regard to our merit or worth. It is freely bestowed on all who believe
the good news that Jesus is the Son of God, & He died for their sins.
Although grace is free, it sin't cheap - the Lord paid a high price to obtain
this blessing for us. He left the wealth of heaven to come to earth so
that He could redeem us & give us the riches of His celestial home. Think
of what that meant in terms of Jesus' earthly life: The One who is
Creator & Owner of all things lived on earth w/o possessions. He was
born in a borrowed stable, had no place to lay His head during the
years of His itinerant ministry, & borrowed not only a donkey for entering
Jersualem but also an upper room for the last supper. Even the tomb
was not His own. Christ also laid aside the glory He had w/the Father.
Although He never ceased being God while on the earth, His radiant
divinity was veiled w/human flesh. Being born as a helpless baby, Jesus
gave up the use of His omniscience & went through all the stages of
human flesh. Being born as a helpless baby, Jesus gave up the use
of His omniscience & went through all the stages of human growth &
development. The Son of God descended from reigning on the Father's
throne to washing the dirty feet of His disciples.
EARLY LIGHT Christ became poor but lost nothing. Jesus regained the
glory of heaven & brought us along. In following Him, believers likewise
lose nothing & gain everything. We die to self & gain our souls; give away
riches & receive heavenly treasures; & humble ourselves to be exalted in
God's time.
