Grace enables men to see things in better manner
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| — | Jonathan Edwards |
Jesus closest disciples endured torture by grace, and with the first-hand knowledge that they had seen their Master alive
1) James the son of Zebedee
Beheaded in A.D. 44. –Clemens Alexandrius[1]
2) Matthew the tax collector
Nailed to the ground with short spears, then beheaded in A.D. 66.[2]
3) Simon the Zealot
Painfully tortured and crucified by the governor of Syria in A.D. 68.[i]
4) Matthias
Stoned at Jerusalem, then beheaded.[ii]
5) Mark
Tradition says that he was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria when he spoke out against a solemn ceremony for their idol Serapis.
6) Jude
Martyred in A.D. 72 by crucifixion at Edessa.[iii]
7) Thomas
Tortured by angry pagans in Calamina, India. He was run through with spears, and thrown into the flames of an oven.[iv]
8) Bartholomew
Beat cruelly by pagans, then crucified.[v]
King Astyages of Armenia (modern day Turkey) ordered him to be “beat with rods, suspended upside down on a cross, and skinned alive.” After all this, he was still conscious and continued to exhort the people to believe in Jesus and worship the true God. He was finally beheaded to quiet him.[vi]
9) Andrew
Martyred in Edessa by being crucified on an X-shaped cross.[vii]
As Andrew was brought near to the cross to which he would be fastened, and instead of the fear that might have been expected, fervent love for Jesus rose up in his heart.
He cried out, “O cross, most welcome and long looked for! With a willing mind, I joyfully come to you, being the disciple of Him who hung on you.”
He hung alive on the cross for three days, preaching the Gospel.[viii]
10) Peter
Peter went back to the city of Rome, knowing that he faced death. After being captured and taken away to his place of martyrdom at the hands of Nero, he requested that he be crucified in an upside down position because he did not consider himself worthy to be crucified in the same position as his Lord.[ix]
-Hegesippus
[1] Foxe, John. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. 5.
[2] Jesus Freaks, 219.
[i] Ibid, 220.
[ii] Foxe, John. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. 6.
[iii] Ibid, 8.
[iv] Jesus Freaks, 8.
[v] Ibid, 8.
[vi] Jesus Freaks, 206.
[vii] Foxe, John, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. 7.
[viii] Jesus Freaks, 150.
[ix] Ibid, 7.
After the fall, any positive act of God toward human beings can be considered gracious
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| — | Michael Horton |
Christianese…
grace |grās|
noun
1 (theology) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.
2 (christianese explained) when God in His reckless and bizarre compassion effectively turns you back from the destructive course you keep choosing, and opens your eyes to the pleasure of His infinite worth, without which you would be enticed by something else.
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” -James 4:6
With God, the opposite of us being opposed by Him is not to then ‘be exalted’, but to be given grace.
How hard is it to get into heaven?
Mark 10:24-27
With people, it is impossible.
With God, it is possible.
Grace = God saving people who cannot lift a finger to save themselves.
The grace of God is unparalleled in it’s worth to rebels.
Don’t be excited that demons were cast out in the Name of Jesus, be excited that you were not. [Luke 10:20]
The Sermon on the Mount is our doctor’s medical advice, not our employer’s job description.
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| — | John Piper |
