"Grace is at the center of the redemptive process, and its "divine influence upon the heart" is extremely important in understanding redemption. In the New Testament this aspect is strongly emphasized. In the Book of Acts we see that Stephen's martyrdom resulted in a scattering of the disciples out of Jerusalem. Some went to Antioch and preached to the Greeks, and "a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord" (Acts 11:21).
When the church at Jerusalem heard this, they had Barnabas investigate the matter since this was an early outreach to the Gentiles. There he saw "the grace of God" (v. 23); the grace of God produced a visible change in these Gentiles. Later Paul taught the Ephesian elders about "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (20:21). His goal was to "finish [his] course" and fulfill "the ministry, which [he had] received of the ! Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" in Jerusalem (v. 24).
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE....AND REMEMBER CHRISTMAS WITHOUT GRACE IS XMAS!!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
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