IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL 21 JUNE 2024 BY DR. CHARLES STANLEY, THURSDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: The Gospel of God’s Grace
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Acts 20:16-24
16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.
18 And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,
19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;
20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.
24 “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The apostle Paul had a ministry to fulfill and a message to deliver— about faith that saves. His words in today’s passage from Acts 20 help us understand the foundational concept involved in our salvation. Paul called it “the gospel of God’s grace” (v. 24).
We’re saved simply because God is gracious. We could never do enough righteous works to bridge the gap between our sin and His holiness. That’s why you’ll never hear of “the gospel of the Law of God.” Can you imagine singing, “Amazing law, how strict the sound that saved a wretch like me”? We could never fulfill the requirements, especially when you consider how Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount expanded the law’s meaning (Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29). But grace is totally different. It has nothing to do with our worthiness or performance but is based solely on God’s favor and love.
What’s most remarkable is that the avenue for our salvation is through faith alone. The grace God extends is His gift—not anything we can add to with our works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Praise God for His wonderful plan. Christ paid our sin debt with His death, and all we have to do is believe it. Even after salvation, God’s grace keeps flowing. We never have to worry that we aren’t good enough and will fall out of favor. His grace is forever.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalms 55-59
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Eternal love and security belong to all who believe Jesus died and rose again.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.