#35: Adding Context

On episode 35, Tim adds context to important and key biblical terms we speak about often.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome into episode thirty five of Bringing Heaven Down. My
name is Tim and I'm the host of this daily
devotional podcast that shows up in your feed Monday through Friday.
Wherever you are listening to this show, make sure you
hit that follow button so this podcast will show up
in your feed. And if you're willing to rate and
review the show, so we can bring Jesus into more

(00:23):
people's lives. If you rate and review the show, the
podcast will get more exposure, people will be able to
find it easier, and it will show up on more
people's feeds, recommendations, things like that. So if you can
rate and review the show. Today, I want to talk
about a topic and we want to define a word
that is so often thrown around the church, and it's

(00:49):
an important word. It's one of the most important words
in the Bible, and it's one of the most talked
about words and we throw it around the pastor's thrown around.
So we're gonna talk about it today. So grab your
favorite drink or a cup of coffee, and let's bring
Heaven a little closer together. Maybe at this point you're

(01:19):
wondering what this word could be. Maybe you've had guesses
maybe it's prayer, maybe it's song hymns. And the word
I'm describing today is the word grace, because grace is
a huge word in the faith. Ephesians chapter two, verses

(01:43):
eight says, for by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not your own doing, it is the
gift of God. Sometimes I wonder when we use the
word grace if we fully understand the context of what
it means. We are saved by grace. God's grace be

(02:04):
with you, extend grace towards others around you. God's grace
is so powerful. But I think we need to define
what grace is because there is a difference between God's
grace and God's mercy. Those are two different words. Mercy

(02:29):
withholds punishment that we deserve. Mercy withholds punishment we deserve.
The punishment that everybody deserves is eternity and hell because
we have fallen short from the moment we were born.

(02:50):
So mercy is withholding a punishment we deserve. Grace gives
a blessing we don't deserve, So the blessing of heaven
is a blessing we don't deserve. But because we have

(03:10):
the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because of Jesus'
bloodshed for us on the cross. That is grace. Grace
is a blessing we don't deserve. We do not deserve heaven.

(03:32):
We do not deserve it by our own works, because
we are not good enough by ourselves to enter the
Kingdom of heaven. That's why we need Jesus. Grace is
God giving the greatest treasure to the least deserving, which

(03:55):
is every one of us. And what is so interesting
about that? And I think this can really be an encouragement.
I might have said this before, but I want to
say it again because I think it's really important. Because
we don't deserve heaven. There's no thing we can do

(04:16):
to deserve heaven. There's not a good work that we
could do to erase our sin or make us good
enough to get into heaven. We are not saved by
works alone. We are saved through faith. And because of
our faith, our works should look different. But because we
can't enter the gates of heaven through our works, we

(04:39):
can't not enter the gates of heaven through our works.
And what I mean by that is, if there's nothing
we can do to become righteous enough to enter Heaven
by our own works. Well, then there's nothing we can't

(05:00):
to be so bad we can't receive God's grace. Does
that make sense? So think about your life. If there's
something that you feel really guilty for or shameful of,
and you're thinking that I'm not good enough, well one,
You're right. We need God's grace. None of us are

(05:22):
good enough. Even the most perfect person that you can
think of in your life outside of Jesus, outside of God,
is not perfect enough. We all need God's grace. None
of us are righteous. So what that also means is
that there is nothing in your past that can stop

(05:46):
you from receiving Jesus's grace. Because Jesus's grace extends to everybody.
Jesus's kindness extends to everyone in his favor, his blessing.
We cannot run so far away from God that we
cannot receive God's grace anymore. God's grace is for everybody

(06:10):
that is willing to submit to His authority. So I
want you to be encouraged by that. Today your sin
is not so devastating that you cannot enter the Kingdom
of God. So I want you to think about that.
You do not have to feel guilty or feel shameful

(06:31):
for something that you've done in your past. Jesus's grace
is right there, offering you an opportunity and a blessing
that we don't deserve. I don't deserve Jesus's grace. I
don't deserve Jesus's blessings. So I thank God that it

(06:54):
is not by my own works that have received that.
It's through my faith, and as a result of my faith,
my work should look different, there should be an evidence there.
But I thank God that my own works are not
the sole reason why my eternal destination is heaven, because

(07:21):
if it was, I would fall way short of the
Kingdom of Heaven. But it is by God's grace that
we can one day entered the Kingdom of heaven. And
it is God's mercy that withholds the punishment of hell,

(07:43):
which we deserve. So I hope this podcast was encouraging
to you. I hope this podcast put definitions to the
words that we so often throw around that are important words,
but I think sometimes lack context of what it actually means.
So thank you for joining the show today. Thank thank
you for choosing Jesus and I pray that you learn

(08:03):
something new about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today
everyone have a great day.