15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea.
Do you remember the first time you really heard the good news of God's free gift of grace? Do you remember how overwhelmed you were by God's mercy and compassion and how willing you were to turn around and extend that same mercy and compassion to others? The tide of God's love washed over you. You were bathed in his goodness and mercy. Grace abounded in you and grace abounded from you.
God desires for the high tide of His love to wash over you yet again. God wants to bath you yet once more in the knowledge of all His mercies and blessings. God wants you to have "a second experience of grace".
Consider again God's love, God's provision, God's mercy and forgiveness. Know again God's grace. Receive it once more. Receive and give it.
John Claypool, one of my childhood pastors, used to conclude every service with the same benediction: "By the goodness of God you were born into this world. By the grace of God you have been kept even unto this very hour. And by the love of God, fully revealed in the face of Christ Jesus, you are being redeemed." It was good for us to be reminded Sunday by Sunday so that we could experience it all again and again.
Come Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
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