Trained by Grace - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 24

PLUS...11 Ways to Protect Your Marriage from Adultery  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ &zwnj [Crosswalk.com Logo]( The Crosswalk Devotional  [Devotionals](        [Newsletters](        [e-Cards](      [The Crosswalk Devotional]( Trained By Grace By Emily Rose Massey “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing [salvation]( for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…” ([Titus 2:11-12]( ESV). I grew up in a religious denomination that kept me further bound to my perfectionist tendencies and rule-following nature. Sadly, I saw God as vengeful and angry who would smite me down if I was not perfect. I spent many years striving to earn God’s love, viewing Him more like a dog trainer than a loving father; It was very exhausting. The Lord rescued me and regenerated my heart in my early 20s, but because it was difficult for me to shake my religious upbringing. My understanding of the gift of grace was distorted for many years, even after becoming a Christ follower. Tragic, considering the Bible speaks of God’s grace, charis, over 150 times in the New Testament. Imagine what life for believers would look like if we had ultimate clarity regarding the beautiful gift of grace that could fill their life and be shared with others! Let’s take a moment to define grace: God's free, spontaneous, absolute lovingkindness towards humanity. Grace (charis) is the grand, overarching gift of God from which all other blessings flow. Charis contrasts with law-keeping, duty, debt, works, and sin. The same grace that saves us is the same grace that will change us. There are different dimensions to grace for the believer: salvific grace and sustaining grace. Salvific grace means we are justified by God’s grace as a gift of righteousness through [redemption]( in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by Christ’s blood ([Romans 3:24](. This is the sole working of God. Sustaining grace, on the other hand, is a partnership with God as we work out our salvation with Him ([Philippians 2:12]( and see our lives transformed in righteousness (sanctification). We see this depth of grace spoken of in [Titus 2](  [CONTINUE READING →](            You May Also Like:        [11 Ways to Protect Your Marriage from Adultery](  Chara Donahue It is always wise to learn how to protect your marriage from actions that can destroy it. Faithful marriages are a thing of beauty, but it is easy to get off course. The devil and our flesh war against us, but the Spirit is stronger if he is submitted to.  [CONTINUE READING →](       [3 Beautiful Things Jesus Teaches Us About Life Balance](  Emma Danzey There are times in our weeks when we have to put aside our schedules to focus on the needs of others. We do this in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in our own strength. Jesus was never lazy, but He was also never a workaholic. We can learn from Him in the way that He cared for the needs of others.  [CONTINUE READING →](            [81-Year-Old Stuns Nursing Home With 'Unchained Melody' Performance](  GodTube.com You have to check out this video of an 81-year-old who stuns the members of a nursing home with his incredible performance of ‘Unchained Melody’ by The Righteous Brothers.  [WATCH NOW →](        [15 of the Most Influential Quotes from Charles Stanley](  Meg Bucher As Charles Stanley rests peacefully in the arms of his Savior, we remember some of the iconic and inspired words of one of the greatest Christian leaders of our time.  [CONTINUE READING →](                            Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                           What happened when Peter was talking to the people who had gathered at the house of Cornelius? A. an angel appeared B. the house shook C. Peter had a vision D. the Holy Spirit came to those who heard the message [ANSWER THE QUESTION →](     [Crosswalk.com Logo](  [Read about Salem Web Network](  |  [Unsubscribe](   [Email Preference Center](  |  [View in Browser](   © 2023 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk. Â