Time with Jesus - Thursday, 20
September 2012
Hi all,
I’m informed that the Greeks used a word which the
Christians adopted and we translate as the word “grace”. It’s the word
“charis”. Back then we would raise our wine-glass to each other and say
“charis”. Something like saying “cheers” or, “here’s mud in your eye”.
Christians don’t do that anymore, do they? (Don’t answer) Today’s meditation
looks at the “charis”. I really trust it isn’t mud in your eye!
Blessings
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Thursday, 20 September 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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THE
“CHARIS”
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I know a little Greek. He’s about 5ft 2ins and owns
the delicatessens on the corner. As for the Greek language, I’ve come across
a couple of words over the past 50 years. One of them is the word “Charis”. I
understand it was something given to you for the very opposite of what you’ve
done. For example, if tomorrow is my birthday, (it isn’t) and you decide to
give me R1 000 000, that’s great. You may think, “Jim is a funny
old bloke, but he’s been something of a friend, so let’s give him a
R1 000 000”. (If you feel that way, don’t let me dissuade you!).
Now suppose you went out one evening and left your family at home in your
house. Then I break in, kill your children, rape your wife and leave her half
dead then set fire to your house so that it burns down in ten minutes. What
would you think then? How would you feel about the R1 000 000? If I
were you in that situation, you would only get the money from me when hell
freezes over! But if in spite of all this, you still give me the R1 000 000,
you have given me the “charis”. This is one of the best illustrations of the
meaning of God’s grace that anyone will describe. It’s receiving the very
opposite of what I deserve. As a sinner, I have earned and deserve to get at
least a million eternities in the lowest pit of hell. Fortunately, God isn’t
like me! He is grossly unfair. (Fairness is a human term) He decides to give
me His “Charis”, His Grace. Note that I deserve His judgement. Instead He
decides to forgive me and adopt me as a son because Jesus paid the penalty in
full!
Remember, two men could have gone to Calvary that
day. They were both ‘”son of the father”. Bar Abbas means “son of the
Father”. Jesus claimed to be (and was) the Son of His Heavenly Father. The
people were offered a choice by Pilate. Which “son of the father” do you want
me to release? We know the outcome. In a sense, Jesus was Barabbas’
substitute. He is my substitute. Grossly unfair. But it was His idea. He
gives me His righteousness in exchange for all my junk. How will I ever be
able to thank Him? None of us can even begin to imagine what it was like for
Him to carry all the sin that is, was or ever will be committed on that cross
at Calvary. All the accumulated sickness, disease, death and wickedness that
this creation has ever known and ever will know. He took it all. Nothing was
overlooked or missing. Suddenly we get a glimpse of what was meant by the
David in Psalm 22 when he wrote, 1 My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why
are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? Psalms 22:1 NIV The absolute desolation of this
soul-piercing cry is overwhelming. Theologically we know that His Father
turned away from Him when He was made to be sin for us. Paul put it as follows;
21 God made him who had no sin to
be sin for us, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor.
5:21 TNIV We may know it theologically. But my head can’t catch up
with the theology! Something within me cries out “Unjust! Unfair! Impossible!
It’s then I’m reminded that He makes the rules. All I have to do is say,
“Thank You Lord!” It’s not my place to sit in judgement on what He has done.
The fairness and justice is His to decide anyway. I don’t make the rules. Our
part (you and me) is to keep them! The fact is no other way was possible!
Jim &
Phyllida Strickland
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10 Our
hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor,
but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we
have everything.
2 Corinthians 6:10 NLT
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was
rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might
become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace
upon grace.
John 1:16 NASB
19 My God will meet all
your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches that come
to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NIrV
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you
will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with
others.
2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT
5 Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God
operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the
kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is
promised to anyone who loves God.
James 2:5 MSG
26 Take
a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the
best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society
families. 27 Isn't it obvious
that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and
exploits and abuses, 28 chose these "nobodies" to
expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"?
1 Corinthians 1:26-28 MSG
7 Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure
of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure
belongs to God and doesn't come from us.
2 Corinthians 4:7 GW
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The
Lord gave us His “charis”. To us, the word is “Grace”,
Not because of what we’ve done, or anything we face.
In
fact it is a concept, we just don’t understand.
This world is geared for earning. It’s how our lives are planned.
We
get rewards for working. We earn our daily bread.
It doesn’t come for nothing. “Work hard” until you’re dead.
You
have a sort of contract, whereby you get your pay.
Your part is to turn up for work on every working day.
If
you forget to do it, your boss will not be pleased.
Unless a Doctor’s “sick note” states you are diseased.
Sometimes
the boss is generous. A bonus comes along.
But you will only get it, if you’ve done nothing wrong.
You’re
legally entitled to what the contract says.
And if you are not satisfied, you both go separate ways.
We
understand this system; it’s how it’s always been.
We talk about it being “fair” and know just what we mean.
But
God is never like that; and God is never “fair”!
The rules the Father uses, we don’t find anywhere.
The
fact is I’m a sinner. I’ve worked hard for my wage.
I really do deserve them. My sins run off the page!
This
means, I am entitled to go direct to hell.
And be like all the sinners, who’ll end up there as well!
It
seems God has a problem. At least that’s how it looks.
The people He created, are wiped out of His books.
In
fact there’s not a person who isn’t stained by sin.
And if we all go off to hell, how can He ever win?
But
God knew all about it. It didn’t have Him fazed.
He had the perfect answer. Oh let His name be praised!
He
said, I’ll take their punishment and lay it on My Son.
He’ll die and pay the penalty for all that they have done.
And
then they will change places. They’ll have His righteousness.
And He will bear the total cost of all their sinfulness.
It
isn’t a “fair” system. Why should He die for me?
He gives me what I don’t deserve. In fact, I get it free!
Of
course I’m not complaining. But I must not forget,
I never could deserve it. I couldn’t pay that debt.
Instead,
I get His “charis”; His grace that’s underserved.
Instead it’s just the opposite; it’s sin that I have served.
His
“charis” I can never earn; but Jesus bled and died.
His love has made the difference; and He was crucified,
So
I can live forever as God’s adopted son.
The converse of what I deserve, for all that I have done.
Jim Strickland – Written 20th September
2012
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