Curriculum of Grace

Continuing from yesterday on the five key subjects in God's curriculum of grace (The Compelling Prospect of Grace, Captured by Grace, David Jeremiah).

3. Graces Teaches Us to Respect Others

"Paul also says that the grace of God teaches us to live "righteously." This has to do with how we treat other people. ... The number of church splits and fights through the centuries don't argue well for our appropriation of the grace of God to live righteously. The way we treat others is a mirror of how we treat Christ. ... "

4. Grace Teaches Us to Reverence God

"Reverencing God means nothing more than living godly lives, to manifest God-like qualities and characteristics. We can agree on that. What is harder to define is how to become godly. Fortunately, the Bible gives us the answer to that question. If you are a Christian, you have everything you need, beginning with the Bible.

a. The lessons on godliness are available in God's Word (2 Peter 1: 3-4).

Peter says, "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." Not most of the things but all of the things. And how do we get these "things?" "Through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which we have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature."

We become godly by clinging to the great and precious promises in God's Word. ...

b. The life of godliness is attained through hard work (1 Timothy 4: 7-8).

Don't get the mistaken idea that because godliness comes by grace that we don't have to work. The Bible doesn't teach that we're saved by good works, but that we're saved for good works (Ephesians 2: 10). To become godly, we have to practice the disciplines of the spiritual life.

Paul wrote to his young protege, Timothy, to "exercise yourself towards godliness."