Grace Biscuit: Looking to Mercy

Sometimes people will say things like "he has great faith!" or "I wish my faith was stronger!" Why measure faith at all? Whether it's weak or strong, faith is just a channel or conduit for an immeasurable amount of grace to flow through in our time of need. Did you hear me?  IMMEASURABLE grace. The problem is not how much faith we possess (sometimes the problem is that we just don't believe). The bible is clear, if we have but faith of a mustard seed, we can trust completely in the grace revealed in and through Jesus. 

Look to Him, not faith. We have nothing unless He gives it. The Lord longs to widen the "pipeline" of our growing faith through His everflowing grace and mercy. Circumstances give plenty opportunity for this - just abide and trust. The power and the victory and the strength doesn't reside in our faith, but in Christ who is our LIFE and supplies our need!    

Are you looking at the pipeline or the mercy?

Grace Biscuit: Jesus, Our Armor

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil..." ~ Ephesians 6:10-11

Are we living in the daring confidence of God's grace?  Because if we belong to Christ, we have the full armor of God.  Jesus Himself is the Armor:

Jesus is Truth (John 14:6)
He is our Righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30, Jeremiah 23:5-6)
He is the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 2:13-18)
He is the Author and Finisher of Faith (Hebrews 12:2)
He is our Salvation (Colossians 1:13-14, Acts 4:12)

We don't need Jesus, plus something else! In Him we can stand firm because of who He is for us: "Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:10-11, 14-17, NASB).

We are in Him, and He is in us. Stand firm.

Grace Biscuit: No More Hypochondria

Some people develop a deepseated fear of germs. That's all they think about. Their phobia becomes so debilitating it interferes with everyday activities. Others realize that good handwashing technique is a reasonable defense against illness, so they wash their hands and go about their business.

Now, I can be naturally introspective. In nursing school, I had to learn not to freak out over stapholococcus aureus, or else I'd never be able to take care of my patients. Funny how we can become so introspective that we're constantly fixated on our spiritual health, too. Some try to make a life of repenting over and over again, then checking and double-checking their "flesh."  This is not life; this is full blown spiritual hypochondria. As the saying goes, no rest for the weary.

I think chronic introspection turns into hypochondria because of spiritual insecurity. But our spiritual health questions and issues are settled in Christ! That's not to say we don't need a check-up now and then, but the Holy Spirit is perfectly able to convict with love and grace whenever He needs to, without any assistance from us. This frees us to rest in the Lord, worship, and receive from Him!

Grace Biscuit: Check Your Source

Whether we've had many positive experiences with few rejections in our lifetime, or many rejections and traumas, God may have to take us through a breaking process if we're trusting self to cope. 

The perfectionistic, driven, and competent person, capable of leading others well is no better off than an addict who tries to get her needs met through alcohol - if she's operating out of sheer need for approval or drivenness to 'git it done.' Whether our flesh is a little like the Pharisee or more like the woman at the well, getting our needs met apart from trusting in Christ is a dead-end.   

We hinder the expression of His life in us when we live and move and have our being anywhere else. It's not our behavior, though, it's the source. Where are we placing our trust? Self-life or His life?  Self will exhaust personal resources eventually. But grace supplies supernaturally all things needed...through Christ's indwelling life. We receive spiritual renewal in His Word. Out of this renewal His Spirit enables us to make healthy choices, turn from self, and flow in the motivation of His strength and power. 

Grace Biscuit: Trusting His Life Not My Flesh

We can stop worrying and feeling condemned over our flesh when we realize that God doesn't intend to "fix" it. God puts no hope in the flesh, neither should we!  My flesh is lazy, jealous, impatient, and prideful. But His life in me is loving, kind, humble, patient, and longsuffering. Why waste any more time feeling guilty or constantly trying to fix myself? It's exhausting. What I do now is fix my hope completely on Jesus Christ and His grace. The more I rest in Him, the more the fruit of His Spirit is produced in me.

My flesh will never change, but His life, working in and through me, can be trusted. So, instead ordering another Christian self-help book on Amazon.com, let's remember that Christ's life in us will accomplish all that He purposes for us as we rely on Him. After all, He redeemed us from our old life (flesh can never fix flesh) to give us His! The power of His Holy Spirit enables us to stop all this preoccupation with "what's wrong with me" as we walk by faith, not by sight. Love you all!

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." ~ Psalm 73:26 

Grace Biscuit: Guilt-free Living

When a baby is born, we're happy and rejoice! When my three children were born, I certainly cooed over them lovingly, thanking God for such precious life. I didn't look at them and say, "Hmm...I wonder what awful sinful past this baby had?

If we belong to God, He isn't saying that either.

Yet many of us, after being born into Christ, still kick ourselves and drag around a heap of guilt and shame. We worry we haven't pleaded enough for forgiveness, served God enough, disciplined ourselves enough, or think ourselves unworthy because of shame. Listen, none of us were worthy before He saved us! And religious works won't ever cleanse our conscience! But because God loves us, He provided a means for healthy guilt-free living; we just need to receive His provision. Only then will we serve Him with joy and out of this amazing grace in which we now stand.   

"For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:13-14, NASB, my emphasis).

God knew we'd get hung up with guilt, but One sacrifice provided the remedy. Isaiah 40:1-2 says that our iniquity was removed! We received double for all our sins!...not punishment, but cleansing; not condemnation, but acceptance, love, and joy!

Hey, that's some jelly for your biscuit today!

Grace Biscuit: Our Ability or His?

"If you wanna be blessed," the sweet little church lady told me, "you have to remember the ifs and thens of the bible." She loaded me up with preaching tapes on obedience, reminding me that if I did this, then God would surely do that. I was grateful.  I mean, who doesn't want to be blessed?  But in my naivete, I embraced old covenant teachings that kept me in bondage. I struggled for years to meet God's requirements in order to receive His promises. If everything depended on me, then I was breaking under the burden of it all.  

What I didn't know is this: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 1:20, emphasis mine).

Jesus Himself is the "yea and amen"... He fulfilled ALL the "ifs" and "thens." Resting in Him is the key, not our performance. Somehow I missed this truth and focused on spiritual rule-keeping. The grief, fatigue, and confusion eventually taught me that something was wrong. Even though I was very committed, I failed to see how abiding in His grace enables obedience. I was trusting in the cart to pull the horse. 

What are we trusting?  Our ability or His? 

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God ~ that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Grace Biscuit: Touching Scars

Kirsten grew up in a Christian family and knew lots of doctrine; Jill did not. Kirsten judged others by performance and outward appearance. Jill came to the Lord from a painful past and emotional instability. Kirsten promoted spiritual disciplines and taught really good bible studies. Jill devoured the Scriptures, hungry to know God.

Kirsten continues to exercise her gift of "exhortation" often.

Jill touches people's scars with the love she's found in Jesus.

** Post update** 10/27/09: Great discussion in the comments section. Thank you for adding your thoughts and insights.