THE GOSPEL OF GRACE BRINGS JOY IN TRIBULATION

Today’s New Covenant devotion is from Acts 20:22-24

‘And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.’

The gospel of grace brings joy in tribulation and hardship…

Paul the apostle knew by the Spirit that hardship, tribulation and chains awaited him, however he said that he would finish his race in JOY as a testimony and as evidence of the gospel of grace. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. New Covenant joy does not eliminate hardship, it gives us the power and the ability to endure unavoidable hardship.

As Jesus was establishing the New Covenant of grace and the gospel of grace on the cross of Calvary, JOY was set before Him. That anointing of joy infused supernatural ability into Jesus which enabled Him to endure and to pay the price for our redemption. Now, the same New Covenant joy is infused into us as we bring the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world. 

We will face persecution, hardship, and possibly chains as we bring this gospel of grace to the world. The word is getting more secularized each and every day. Society is becoming more intolerant towards Christianity each and every day. Preaching, witnessing, public prayer and other Christian practices are already outlawed in many parts of the world and there are uprisings and movements to outlaw Christianity in some of the most ‘Christian’ regions in the world.

Things are going back to the way that they were in the time of the book of Acts where a secular Roman empire imprisoned believers, tortured believers, set them on fire, dipped them in boiling oil and beheaded them. Yet in the midst of this believers were known for their ecstatic joy… the even counted it as joy that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Lord’s sake. This supernatural joy was imparted to them through the gospel of grace. 

As you proclaim the gospel of grace, expect to be filled with the same New Covenant joy that Jesus, Paul and the early church walked in. New Covenant grace will impart endurance, power, peace and you will have supernatural ability to go through the fire and to come out on the side not even smelling like smoke! - Selah