SERVICES: SATURDAY 6PM | SUNDAY 9AM & 10:45AM. 

We Livestream at www.FaithFellowshipWeb.com/livestream, through the FFC App, and YouTube.

Speaking of Grace

Speaking of Grace

Words of Faith 1-13-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

To unsubscribe follow the directions at the end of this devotion.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

                 

    1 Peter 1

         [10] Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, [11] trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. [12] It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

 

         Can you imagine what it was like to be a prophet in the Old Testament?  These men of vision were caught in the crowd of history, but somehow their eyes were lifted to see what was ahead.  In some of the most grievous times, as kings did despicable things and the betrayal of God led to terrible consequences, these visionaries pronounced judgment and hope at the same time. They could see the destruction that was coming but also the Messiah that was to follow.  They could even predict the redemptive suffering of Jesus that was to come.  These are the ones who spoke of grace that was to come.

        The Prophets lived for something beyond themselves.  They pointed to a Christ they would never see in mortal life.  Yet it was the Spirit of Christ in them that gave vision and faith!  They were not serving themselves. They searched intently with the greatest care for the grace that was to come.  In comparison, I realize how shortsighted I can sometimes be.

        We are so very blessed that we live in times that celebrate the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  We have even more reason to trust in the sovereign work of God.  The same Spirit of Christ in us also points toward the future. Yet sometimes we act as if we are not sure that God is at work anymore. 

        The Prophets didn't have our perspective, yet they trusted.  They might have enjoyed living in just a fraction of the knowledge of Christ that is common among us and to have only a ray of the grace that we take for granted.  Peter tells us that even angels long to look into such things as we have seen come to pass and celebrate in the coming of Jesus.

        The Spirit of Christ in us draws us forward toward a future as well, one that is built upon the work of grace in Jesus.  The question is, Are we listening?  Are we looking?  Are we moving toward that leading of the Spirit? 

        Our legacy is not to point toward the first coming of Jesus but the second.  Our task is not too long for the grace that is to come but to celebrate the outpouring of grace accomplished.  Our part in the plan is to pass on with joy that God has done in Jesus.  These things have now been told to us by those who preach the Gospel by the Holy Spirit.  It is our privilege to pass on this Gospel.

        The working of God's grace in us is something that even angels long to gaze into.  Listen today for the longing of the Spirit of Christ in you that draws you toward a future.

 

            Lord, give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to respond.  In Jesus' name.

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an E-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an E-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org.  Or you can call the church office at 321-259-7200 x1.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -     

The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, and our website, and our church app, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.  

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><