God brings it all to you

Romans 12:3 (The Message)

I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

This was a very good morning devotional by Charles Spurgeon. I thought it wonderful to follow a Sunday with. In the bible verse above I love the Message translation for sometimes we can get caught up in, "Hey God, look what I did for you today!" A lot of times it followes with, "Hey God, what about those guys? They are just sitting there!" Then my eyes go to the last part of the sentence in that wonderful verse "not by what we are and what we do for him." It is all about what God is and what He does for us!

As I was reading Mr. Spurgeon's devotional it brought me also to that same conclusion as in Romans 12:3. See someone might be looking at my faith walk and be saying, "Why is he acting so Holy? Why don't I act that way?" Before you read the devotional let me first say for me, "It is not an act, it is God in me!"

“Babes in Christ.”
- 1Corinthians 3:1 My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned.

[Are you mourning, believer, because you are so weak in the divine life: because your faith is so little, your love so feeble? Cheer up, for you have cause for gratitude. Remember that in some things you are equal to the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as much bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted child of God as any other believer. An infant is as truly a child of its parents as is the full-grown man. You are as completely justified, for your justification is not a thing of degrees: your little faith has made you clean every whit. You have as much right to the precious things of the covenant as the most advanced believers, for your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself; and your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token of your inheritance in him.]

Sometimes in my spiritual walk with Christ I am asking Him, "Lord, why don't all the believers have this fire in them as I do for you?" Jesus answer is always the same, "What makes you think they don't?" As you read the last part of the devotional please re-read what I have bold-faced to stand out.

[You are as rich as the richest, if not in enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star that gleams is set in heaven; the faintest ray of light has affinity with the great orb of day. In the family register of glory the small and the great are written with the same pen. You are as dear to your Father’s heart as the greatest in the family. Jesus is very tender over you. You are like the smoking flax; a rougher spirit would say, “put out that smoking flax, it fills the room with an offensive odour!” but the smoking flax he will not quench. You are like a bruised reed; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Musician would tread upon you or throw you away, but he will never break the bruised reed. Instead of being downcast by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. Am I but little in Israel? Yet in Christ I am made to sit in heavenly places. Am I poor in faith? Still in Jesus I am heir of all things. Though “less than nothing I can boast, and vanity confess.” yet, if the root of the matter be in me I will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my salvation.]

In Romans 12:3 above it says it so well for each of us in Christ, "Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace!"

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott