For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Rev. 2
What three things does Jesus tell the Ephesian Christians to do to repair their forsaken first love? God desires our obedience, yes. But what God desires most is our heart. In fact, no matter what else we do, if we do not fully give our heart to God, we are not fully obeying Him. John stated this repeatedly in his letters. “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 1:6). Also in 1 John – “This is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Obeying commands is not burdensome when the obedience is driven by love.
The Ephesian church was doing all the right things. However, when we do the right things for the wrong reasons it becomes religion rather than faith. Religion relies on our own efforts to reach and please God. Faith relies on God’s grace through Jesus’ work on the cross. When we understand and embrace the incomprehensible scope of that grace the love that fills us, which comes from God, is what moves us to do what we do. John also mentioned this in his letters. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10). It seems this is what the church at Ephesus had lost. They were striving in their own efforts rather than radiating the love and grace of God.
2 Chron. 33-34
When God spoke to Manasseh, he paid no attention. What did God do to get his attention? Manasseh experienced God’s grace. We know that his father, Hezekiah, was a Godly man. Thus, we know that Manasseh knew of God and how to serve Him his whole life prior to taking the throne. But knowing God isn’t enough. As we learned from the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2, we need to know God’s grace. Manasseh clearly did not, as he rejected God as God. There was nothing wholehearted or devoted about Manasseh’s life…until he experienced God’s grace.
In an effort to understand and know God’s grace better myself, I notice the following four things about it from Manasseh’s experience.
- Grace comes through suffering. This statement is true first and foremost because it is through Christ’s suffering that God made His grace available to us. It is also true because suffering – either our own or somebody else’s – is required for us to recognize our need for grace. God had to send Manasseh to a hard, low place for him to see his own need. And God gave us a whole book recounting the suffering and hardship people faced when they separated themselves from God.
- Grace is received with humility. If we don’t acknowledge our need for grace, we can’t receive it. God is faithful to give what is sincerely requested, but as long as pride resides in our hearts, we will never make that sincere request.
- Knowing and receiving God’s grace is the only way to truly know and love God. Note what it says after God restored Manasseh. “Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.” (2 Chron. 33:13b).
- God’s grace changes us. Once Manasseh recognized his need and humbled himself to receive God’s grace, he did a 180 in his life. He finally recognized that God alone is God and this knowledge motivated his actions for the rest of his life.
Ps. 85
Pray this prayer for restoration over yourself, your family, your church, your community. “You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.” (Ps. 85:1-3). Praise and thanks to God Almighty for His marvelous, incomprehensible grace!