Devotional - week of September 21, 2008

FREE FROM LONELINESS THROUGH GRACE

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:11
… and [present] your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:13c
 

Most people who live by grace have experienced or will experience a period of loneliness. This usually comes in the early days of their new walk in life. Many of their friends will not understand why a person believes in the life of grace and will not accept the biblical truths of how one does so. This response of friends to his new walk in life can leave one with a sense of isolation and loneliness. There are, though, many other circumstances that have the same effect.

However, two of the statements of guidance for living by grace indicate how a person experiencing grace will be free of a life of isolation and loneliness—whatever the cause.

The first statement is in Romans 6:11. This passage says that we should reckon or believe that we are dead to sin and alive to God. We are to believe we are alive to God because we are taught in Ephesians 2:6 that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.

This thought is truly astounding. When we experience our union with Christ, we are brought into fellowship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. A person cannot have an experience like this and continue to experience loneliness.

The second statement that frees a person from loneliness is that we are to give the parts of our bodies to God for Him to do His works of righteousness through them (Romans 6:13c).

When a person does this, God brings Him into contact with many people in need of his ministry. The joy of serving and having fellowship with those one serves breaks any sense of isolation and loneliness.

Living out the grace life can free even shut-ins from loneliness. Experiencing fellowship with God is available to all. Even service to others is available to some. One man who had a stroke kept a list of people who needed encouragement by his side. He said, “When I begin to feel discouraged, I call these people to encourage them.”

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