A Graceful Age
It's difficult to accurately imagine living in another era. It's especially hard and startling to contemplate that Grace and Salvation, at one time, were neither revealed nor given freely to men.
The prophets of old knew this. They, by faith, believed God for promises they knew they would never see fulfilled. They saw grace and salvation afar off and prophesied about this age. They realized their living and faithfulness, their searching and hoping would be fulfilled in another man's time. Our time.
They lived with shadows and died with reflections; knowing the day of Jesus would come and they would not take part. Yet, their lives bear witness to God's presence and wisdom, they were not vexed or discontent; they knew and they prepared for the time when Grace would come. They became the stones upon which we walk.
How dare we tread lightly? We can take part in the most glorious of dimensions - grace! We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, prophets who looked ahead and angels who look down and long to understand. We breathe this atmosphere of grace; we walk freely where angels can never go. This grace from the the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for us. We do not deserve it; how easy it becomes to treat it commonplace! We are not our own, but tied to the blood of men who long before us, looked ahead and persevered by faith and in serving God, knew they were serving us! Now we have this glory fulfilled, we are bound to the history of these forefathers in the Bible, we must choose what is right, we must serve God! "So we won't give up, no we won't give up, cause You don't give up on me.."
We must continually bring to remembrance the weightiness of such a holy and gracious calling; in our weakness the glory of God is fulfilled, oh! How gracious our God is!
1 Peter 1: 10-12
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look."
The prophets of old knew this. They, by faith, believed God for promises they knew they would never see fulfilled. They saw grace and salvation afar off and prophesied about this age. They realized their living and faithfulness, their searching and hoping would be fulfilled in another man's time. Our time.
They lived with shadows and died with reflections; knowing the day of Jesus would come and they would not take part. Yet, their lives bear witness to God's presence and wisdom, they were not vexed or discontent; they knew and they prepared for the time when Grace would come. They became the stones upon which we walk.
How dare we tread lightly? We can take part in the most glorious of dimensions - grace! We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, prophets who looked ahead and angels who look down and long to understand. We breathe this atmosphere of grace; we walk freely where angels can never go. This grace from the the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for us. We do not deserve it; how easy it becomes to treat it commonplace! We are not our own, but tied to the blood of men who long before us, looked ahead and persevered by faith and in serving God, knew they were serving us! Now we have this glory fulfilled, we are bound to the history of these forefathers in the Bible, we must choose what is right, we must serve God! "So we won't give up, no we won't give up, cause You don't give up on me.."
We must continually bring to remembrance the weightiness of such a holy and gracious calling; in our weakness the glory of God is fulfilled, oh! How gracious our God is!
1 Peter 1: 10-12
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look."
Hey thats really interesting, i never thought about it. Mom says that we're living in the most exciting time in history. While i can see how it may be the climax of history, the most important time in history, i cannot see the excitment. Its to scary. But Grace and Salvation have only been around for the past 2000 years. It makes you see that the prophets of old prophicied about their times, and circumstances, but htey also prophecied aout that special time, what they really looked for was during these past 2000 years.
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