Category Archives: Grace

Bible, Scripture, Grace, Gifts, Justified, Disgraceful

THE GIFT OF JUSTIFICATION

ROMANS 3:24

“being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,”

Who doesn’t like to receive gifts, right? I am at the age now that I had rather give them than receive them. I really don’t need anything. I appreciate any gift I receive, but I really just don’t need another thing in my closet or in my house. However, there is one gift I received in 1977 that has lasted me every day since then. I received that gift of justification mentioned in today’s verse. It has never gone out of style, got worn out or been outgrown.

Paul calls our justification “a gift by His grace.” That’s pretty awesome, don’t you think? The Greek literally says, “being justified freely by the grace of Him.” This justification is freely given without any expectation of payment, without a reason or obligation. (Topical Lexicon) Isn’t that the kind of gift you want? We have all probably received gifts that were given with ulterior motives. Payment was expected. A gift was expected. Loyalty was expected. That’s not the kind of gift we get from God.

APPLICATION

In Matthew 10:8, Jesus uses this word. It reads, “‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.’” Just as we have received this grace gift of justification freely, we should give out grace freely to others. Jesus was giving His disciples instructions here, but His words apply to us as well.

We are even told in Revelation that we will receive water from the spring of the water of life, and we are to drink freely (Revelation 21:6; 22:17). We are promised this by the great Promise Keeper. We will be able to drink freely and deeply. I can’t wait. How about you?

Give thanks to Him today for the free gift you have received through Him. God does not dangle this just out of your reach. He gives it to us freely and without a hidden agenda. Aren’t you glad He has done this? It makes no matter where you are. He loves you and wants to bless you with this gift. Will you accept it? Will you praise Him for it?

Father God, words cannot express my gratitude.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Freedom, Grace, Law, Lawlessness, Scripture

LAW LESS

ROMANS 2:12

“For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;”

There are some laws on the books in the U.S. that are just plain stupid. For instance, it’s against the law in Tennessee to tie yourself to a moving car (duh!). You also cannot lasso a fish in Tennessee. And my favorite – it is against the law in Memphis, TN to carry ice cream in your back pocket. Laws are meant to keep us safe and orderly, but some laws are just plain relics of the past.

To Paul, who knew the law well, it was a hopeless endeavor. All the laws “on the books” in Jewish life could not bring salvation. If you didn’t keep the law, you were doomed. If you tried to keep it but broke even one of them, you were doomed. It’s no wonder that Paul taught grace so much. He knew the old way was not working and never would.

APPLICATION

Either way you slice it, without obedience we are doomed. Those without any knowledge of God’s law are still held accountable for their sins. We see all through Scripture that God shows Himself in all of creation. The Gentiles Paul is addressing will be judged and damned based on their false god worship and blatant disregard for God’s commands and His Son.

The Jews will also be held accountable for rejecting the Messiah Who came to fulfill their law. Paul’s heart is still aching for them to come to Jesus, but he knows their attempts to please God in the law will fall short of salvation. Paul tried and failed as a Pharisee to keep the entire law. Perhaps that is why he reacted so violently against the early believers who followed Jesus. Maybe he was jealous of the freedom they achieved through Christ.

Are you ready? Are you holding to God’s commandments which are fulfilled through Jesus? He is the only way. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” Stop trying to please God by “doing” things. Just “be” in Christ. He will give you all the power you need to please the Father in your obedient walk with Him.

Lord, I thank You for making me “Law less” in Your eyes. The law does not hold me anymore.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Favoritism, Grace, Love, Mercy, Scripture, Sin

NO FAVORITES

ROMANS 2:11

“For there is no partiality with God.”

I have two children and five (soon to be six) grandchildren. My wife and I promise we do not have any favorites. We love each and every one of them. Now, some may be a little harder to love at times but aren’t we all? There have been times when one or more of them felt we were playing favorites, but they could not see our hearts. Loving them all has been such a joy for us.

God doesn’t play favorites either. Paul says it very curtly, “For there is no partiality with God.” You can’t get much clearer than that. The Greek word for “partiality” is a doozy. It’s

Prosópolémpsia. Told you! It means favortism, respect of persons (Strong’s). In the New Testament, it occurs here, in Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25 and also in James 2:1, which we will look at. Paul’s point is our God is fair and impartial in His judgment of mankind.

APPLICATION

This idea of God’s impartiality was not limited to the New Testament. In Deuteronomy 10:17 we read, “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.” Proverbs 24:23 says, “These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.” All through Scripture this attribute of God’s character and His direction to us is clear. We are all equal in His eyes.

James 2:1-9 gives a great example of this teaching. In James 2:1 we see, “My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” Then in verse 9 James uses the verb form of this word. “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.” Wow! That’s harsh!

Today practice God’s impartiality towards others. Just love them as He would. That does not mean you condone any sinful behavior, but it does mean to look past the sin and see the sinner who is in need of grace and mercy.

Father God, thank You for not seeing me as unworthy and of no value to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Forgiveness, Grace, Judgment, Mercy, Payment, Repayment, Repentance, Scripture, Works

REPAYMENT PLAN

ROMANS 2:6

“who WILL REPAY EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:” 

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Payback is H..LL.” Right? I don’t want to sound crude, but some people take this seriously. If you hurt them, they will hurt you back. If you damage them in any way, they will make you pay. Gang wars are based on this. That’s why these fights never end. Our flesh thinks we have the right to retaliate. Paul addresses today the only One who has the right to repay someone for their actions.

In verse 6, Paul references a couple of verses, according to most scholars. His words here are not the literal words of these verses but more the idea behind them. God is holy and will not allow mankind to escape judgment. Albert Barnes says this, “It is not true that God will treat people according to their external conduct: but the whole language of the Bible implies that he will judge people according to the whole of their conduct, including their thoughts, and principles, and motives; that is, as they deserve.”

APPLICATION

One of the verses in Paul’s thoughts is Psalm 62:12 which says, “And faithfulness is Yours, Lord, for You reward a person according to his work.” The first “work” is our decision to follow Jesus. Did we give Him our all? I was reading an article this morning about the Discipleship Gospel. It said (and I agree) it is, “about both salvation and discipleship. All who respond to salvation are freely saved and, at the same time, called to discipleship by faith, no exceptions, no excuses (Mark 8:34–38; 1 Cor. 15:1–8). It is about kingdom life then and there (when we die), but also here and now (in this life). It is about surrendering to the risen and saving King to have our sins forgiven and our lives changed, so that we learn to die to ourselves and live for him (Galatians 2:20).” (What is the Discipleship Gospel? by Bobby Harrington and Curt Erskine)

Another possible verse on Paul’s mind in verse 6 is Proverbs 24:12. “If you say, ‘See, we did not know this,’ does He who weighs the hearts not consider it? And does He who watches over your soul not know it? And will He not repay a person according to his work?”

Jesus makes mention of this repayment in Matthew 16:27. “‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.’” What is your response? I want to be repaid by God for my deeds – my good deeds, my allegiance to Him, my acts of kindness and mercy, my obedience to Him. Surrender your self-will for His will today. Then you can rest in the repayment plan issued by God Himself.

Father God, I know I will be judged by You for my works. Let every action I take reflect Your glory.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Appreciation, Bible, Grace, Scripture, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving

THANK GOD FOR YOU

ROMANS 1:8

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world.”

“God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. By His hands we all are fed. Thank You, Lord, for daily bread. Amen.” How many times did you say that blessing at the table as a child? I know I said it a lot. My mama’s cooking was awesome, and I was thankful. Looking back, though, I was not grateful enough. I was truly blessed by the Lord. My childhood wasn’t perfect, but I was safe, loved and cared for. What else did I need? I’m truly thankful.

Paul thanks the Lord for his fellow believers in today’s verse. The Greek word he uses is euxaristéō. HELPS Word studies defines euxaristéō this way. “(from eú, ‘good’ and xaris, ‘grace’) – properly, acknowledging that ‘God’s grace works well,’ i.e. for our eternal gain and His glory; to give thanks – literally, ‘thankful for God’s good grace.’” It truly is God’s grace that should make us thankful for all things, not just mealtime.

APPLICATION

In Mark 14:23 we see euxaristéō used again, this time to describe the Lord’s giving of thanks at the Last Supper. “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.” Jesus truly knew to Whom all thanks should be directed. God is our source. He is the One Who blesses us and meets our every need.

I am raising support currently for a trip to the Dominican Republic to lead a conference for our ministry, Every Man A Warrior. I have asked several of my friends to pray about giving towards this. Even as I ask, though, I am aware that God is the provider. He is the One Who burdens their hearts to give or not. It is not up to me to raise support. My job is to make the need known and leave the rest up to Him.

Giving thanks is truly a spiritual thing. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to do it. Do it daily. Part of my daily prayer time includes thanksgiving and praise. I want to acknowledge daily the sufficiency I have in Christ. He is the reason I give thanks. Without Christ living in and through me, I would be hopeless and helpless. But praise be to God, He is with me. And He will be with you, too.

Lord, I give You thanks for all You have done for me. I do not want to ever take that for granted.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Family, Farewells, Giving, Grace, Scripture

BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS

PHILIPPIANS 4:23

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

Well, here we are at the end of another book. Today marks the end of these blogs on Philippians. What a great epistle of the Apostle Paul. Don’t you agree? It’s been a fun journey. Paul ends this letter in the same way he began it – by wishing grace upon the readers. Look back at Philippians 1:2. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Why change the message if it’s filled with grace?

This was a typical farewell by Paul. We see it in Romans 16:20 and 24, Galatians 6:18 and Philemon 1:25. What did Paul mean by “grace be with you”? What did grace mean to the believers? To these Philippian believers, it meant freedom from sin and the promise of eternal life. Remember, grace is getting something you don’t deserve. Paul is reminding them they do deserve grace freely given by Jesus.

APPLICATION

To whom can you extend grace today? Maybe it’s that pesty neighbor who won’t keep his lawn mowed. Mow it for him. It could be the work colleague who seems to always get the last cup of coffee and doesn’t make a fresh pot. Take them a hot cup of coffee. We can extend grace is so many different ways, can’t we?

It is God’s Holy Spirit working with our spirit that enables us to extend that grace to others. Believe me, I can barely extend grace to myself, much less others. But if I yield my spirit to His Spirit, He will direct me to those who need it. Without our yielding, we may never see those around us who are in desperate need of grace.

Today, as you go to your place of worship, look around the room. I guarantee you that half of those present are dealing with some kind of crisis in their life that they are keeping to themselves or to immediate family. We, the family of God, need to be grace givers to other “family” members. If your church doesn’t have a prayer list of members’ requests, ask your pastor if you can start one. Prayer may be the greatest grace gift we can give. Give grace today.

Father, help me be a grace giver today to those around me in desperate need of it.

You can make an investment in our ministry at www.twr.org/carl-willis

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Bible, Blood, Cross, Enemies, Grace, Scripture

ENEMIES OF THE CROSS

PHILIPPIANS 3:18

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,”

I was watching the news yesterday about the riots in Los Angeles because of the deportation efforts being led by I.C.E. and other law enforcement groups. The word “enemies” entered my mind when I saw the burning of cars and tires in the middle of the streets. Whatever side of the immigration discussion you are on, you have to admit that violent protests do nothing but make each side more entrenched and become more volatile enemies of each other.

Paul knew what real enemies were like. He had faced them his whole ministry. From the very beginning when he had to flee Damascus due to a threat on his life to where he was when he wrote the letter to the Philippians, he had fought against these powers of darkness. The word “enemies” means someone who is hateful, hostile and aggressive. They are intentionally against you and will do whatever is necessary to try to stop you. Paul knew this far too well.

APPLICATION

I want you to take a look at what these people were enemies of, according to Paul. They were “enemies of the cross of Christ.” You see, these enemies were those who tried to diminish the sole sufficiency of the cross with the need to keep the Jewish law. Christ’s substitutionary death on that cross wasn’t enough to save you, according to these enemies. You needed more.

Paul will go on to further describe these enemies in the next verse, which we will see tomorrow. Needless to say, Paul didn’t mince words when it came to those who tried to negate the power of the cross. I am reminded of Galatians 2:21 in Paul’s confrontation with Peter on this very issue of adding to grace. “‘I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.’”

All we need is Jesus. Nothing else. If anyone tells you anything different, they are an enemy of the cross. They don’t believe in the power of the cross. They don’t believe in the power of the blood. The third verse of “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” says it all:

Nothing can my sin erase
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Naught of works, ’tis all of grace—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Thank You, Father, for the sufficiency of the Cross of Christ.

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Bible, Companions, Grace, Partakers, Partner, Scripture

PARTAKERS OF GRACE

PHILIPPIANS 1:7

“For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.” 

I have several “companions” in ministry. I am closer to some than others. Do you know how we got closer? We spent time together. Some of these brothers I have known for 20 or more years. Some are recent acquaintances. Time spent together makes all the difference. We have experienced things together. We have cried, laughed and prayed together. We have truly experienced grace together.

Paul had a lot of companions in ministry. I love that he calls the Philippians his “partakers of grace.” The Greek word for “partakers” is sugkoinónos.  It comes “from sun and koinonos; a co-participant — companion, partake(-r, -r with).” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) Remember, that little preposition sun is that inseparable “with” used in the Greek. Paul had been bound together with these brothers through the grace they shared in Jesus.

APPLICATION

This word sugkoinónos may look a little familiar. Part of it, koinonos, comes from a word we looked at earlier, koinonia, which means fellowship, communion. It is always good to do a deep dive word study on these compound words like sugkoinónos to see where they come from. This word is only used three other times in the New Testament. Let’s look at them.

In Romans 11:17, Paul uses this word when he writes, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,” God has grafted the Gentiles into the promises He made to Israel.

Paul uses this word again in 1 Corinthians 9:23. “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” Paul was joined to the Gospel. His passion was to deliver it to everyone he met. But he also lived it every day. The Gospel of Jesus had grabbed him on that Damascus road and never let go.

Lastly, we see sugkoinónos used by John in Revelation 1:9 as he begins to share about his vision at Patmos. “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Being a partner isn’t always pleasant, especially if it means persecution.

Are you a partner with others today in grace? Do you share their passion to spread the Gospel? Are you willing to suffer along with others for the cause of Christ? Be a partaker of grace today.

Father God, You have bestowed on me the privilege to partake of Your grace and share it with others.

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Bible, Grace, Joy, Prayer, Scripture

PRAY WITH JOY

PHILIPPIANS 1:4

“always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,” 

I love to pray for others. I’ve been doing that for a long time. But I must be honest. I don’t always pray with joy. Sometimes I pray for people I am really struggling to get along with. However, God doesn’t let me get away with flippant prayers I make just to say I prayed. So, this verse really hit me hard.

Paul had fond memories of the Philippians. Joy was expressed in his prayers for them. Paul uses the Greek word deesis to describe his prayers. “In the New Testament, deesis is used to describe prayers that are specific and fervent, often in the context of seeking divine intervention or assistance.” (Strong’s Lexicon)

APPLICATION

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul uses this word again where it is translated as “request.” “With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints,”

These specific requests made by Paul were in joy. That word “joy” is tied directly back to the Greek word for grace. As Paul extended grace to these people he can pray with joy for them. Who in your life can you say that about? How can you extend grace to those for whom you pray?

As you pray today, pray with joy. Let a smile come across your face as you lift each name heavenward. As you smile, I’m sure God is smiling also.

Father, give me joy today as I pray for others.

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Bible, Father, Grace, Greetings, Jesus, Peace, Scripture

FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON

PHILIPPIANS 1:2

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I often begin emails to people by saying, “I pray this email finds you doing well.” I don’t use that every time, but I usually use some type of greeting. I don’t just start with my main message. It’s kind of like breaking the ice with someone. They say it is always good to praise, then correct and then praise again. That’s called the “sandwich” method. That makes me hungry, lol.

The Benson Commentary says this about this greeting from Paul, which he used in just about every letter he wrote. “From God our Father — The original source of all our blessings, who is now become our reconciled Father, having adopted us into his family, and regenerated us by his grace; and the Lord Jesus Christ — The one Mediator between God and man, through whose sacrifice and intercession we receive all the blessings of providence and grace.” That’s a clear description of Paul’s greeting, don’t you think?

APPLICATION

Look at what Paul is actually greeting them with – grace and peace. Shouldn’t we want to extend the same thing to others? We should wish them grace, first of all. Grace is central to the Christian faith. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.” Paul desires for the Philippians to know this grace fully. All they needed was God’s grace. Works were not required.

Then Paul wishes them peace. You have probably heard it said, “You can’t have peace with others until you have peace with God. And you can’t have peace with God until you have the peace of God.” It is really that simple. Jesus told us, “Peace I leave with you.” When people come to Christ, they often describe it as experiencing real peace for the first time in their life.

I wish for you today grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my desire to see each of you who read this devotional thought experience all that God has for you through His Son Jesus. There is no other greeting I could give you that can last for eternity. Now, you do the same for others.

Lord, give me a true appreciation for Your grace and peace that I can extend to others.

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