Does God love us more when we deny ourselves chocolate? Or raspberry ice cream? Or long, delicious afternoons in the backyard hammock?
Ask some people of faith, and they’ll say “Yes”—and quote Jesus as the proof: “If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.”
But this is the same Jesus who went to weddings and banquets, laughed easily and often, spent afternoons playing with children, and frequently withdrew from the hectic pace of serving others to be renewed by peace and prayer and greenery.
What needs denying—every day, in every way—isn’t the rightful enjoyment of life in the body for which we were created. It’s the ultimately ungodly idea that we can save ourselves, redeem ourselves, or work our way back into God’s favor by things we do—or don’t. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).
Grace is all about deeper, joyful living. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:9). That fuller life awaits you. Claim it now.
And stay in grace. -Bill Knott
NET WORTH (July 08, 2022)
GRACE AWAKENINGS (July 01, 2022)
THE LIFE YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED (June 24, 2022)
THE LEDGER OF YOUR LIFE (June 17, 2022)
A HYMN TO GRACE (June 10, 2022)
IN QUIETNESS AND GRACE (June 03, 2022)
FEELING GUILTY, LEARNING GRACE (May 27, 2022)
WHY GRACE ENDURES (May 20, 2022)
BETTER THAN WE KNOW (May 13, 2022)
GRACE AND CHANGE (May 06, 2022)
GRACE AND LIGHT (April 29, 2022)
THE FOLLOWING WEEK (April 22, 2022)
CONSIDERING THE LILIES (April 15, 2022)
GROWING WEALTH (April 08, 2022)
HERO TO THE RESCUE (April 01, 2022)
AUDACIOUS GRACE (March 25, 2022)
THE JOY TO JOURNEY ON (March 18, 2022)
GOOD AND GRACIOUS (March 11, 2022)
BETTER THAN WINNING (March 04, 2022)
GOING OVERBOARD (February 25, 2022)
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