My Captain
Out of the light that dazzles me,
Bright as the sun from pole to pole,
I thank the God I know to be
For Christ the conqueror of my soul
Since His the sway of circumstances
I would not wince nor cry aloud.
Under the rule which men call chance
My head with joy is humbly bowed.
Beyond this place of sin and tears
That life with Him! And His the aid,
Despite the menace of the years,
Keeps, and shall keep me, unafraid.
I have no fear, though strait the gate,
He cleared from punishment the scroll.
Christ is the Master of my fate,
Christ is the Captain of my soul.
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Reading Charles Swindoll's book - "The Grace Awakening". It's Charles Swindoll's most famoucs book about grace and it has indeed been a blessing to me. The grace of God is summed up like this - "Grace is ours... Live it!" We can't deny or debate it. Debating it will only kill the meaning of grace because we can't reason grace...Grace can only be believed and received. When we do that, we gain a greater appreciation of God's gifts to us and others - The free gift of salvation...The gift of life...The gifts of laughter, of music, of beauty, of friendship, of forgiveness. Those who claim the freedom God offers (grace) gain an appreciation for the gifts that come with life......
...When we get a grasp on grace, we spend less time and energy bring critical of and concerned about others' choices. We become increasingly less petty and will allow others room to make their own decisions in life, even though you may choose otherwise....When we grasp the truth about grace, we become more tolerant and less judgemental. Externals do not mean so much to you...You begin to see people for who they are IN CHRIST! Not who they should be or try to be...The truth is, when we all stand at the foot of Jesus, we have all received the same salvation by grace no matter what we have done in our life. We are saved by God's grace and God's grace ALONE. "So that no one can boast"...No one can lay claim to the goodness in their life for no one could receive salvation apart from Jesus. So it's not about how good a Christian you are but whether you believe. And all you need to do is believe!
"Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."...Romans 5:1...In order to stand securely and be at peace before a holy and just God, that person must be righteous. Hence, our need for justificationn. But what is justification? It is...the sovereign act of God whereby He declares righteous the believing dinner while still in his sinning state. It doesn't mean that the believing sinner stops sinning. It doesn't even mean that the believing sinner is made righteous in the sense of suddenly becoming perpetually perfect. The sinner is declared righteous. God sovereignly gestows the gift of eternal life on the sinner at the moment he believes and thereby declares him righteous while the sinner still lives a life marked by periodic sinfulness. He hasn't joined a churh. He hasn't started paying tithes. He hasn't given up all to follow Christ. He hasn't been baptised. He has simply taken the gift of eternal life. He has changed his mind toward Christ and accepted the free gift of God apart from works. Period. Transaction completed. Nothing more you do can make you more saved or less from that very moment. By grace, through faith alone, God declares the sinner righteous, and from that moment on the justified sinner begins a process of growth toward maturity. Day by day, bit by bit, he learns what it means to live a life that honours Christ. But immediately? No way. It's a process...a journey.
...Lord, indeed, you are the Captain of my soul. Help me to look to you and continue to be hopeful and strengtened in your promise of love over my life day by day. To walk and faithfully allow this process of maturity to mould me and change me. Day by day, I will learn to wait on You and allow Your will to eventuate, by grace. Though there are many things that I do not understand or cannot see at the moment...I choose to trust and believe in you. I will keep on clinging on to you.
Simply to Thy Cross I cling."
Miss you guys...
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