Jesus’ Swim Team

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

September 2, 2026

Jesus’ Swim Team

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic, jumped into the water, and swam the one hundred yards to shore.

John 21:7 (Paraphrase) 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus appeared to Peter, and others, at least twice the first week after his resurrection. On Sunday evening Jesus came to the room where the disciples were hiding and imparted the Holy Spirit to them. Thomas was not present on that occasion, and Jesus returned a week later to encounter him. On neither occasion is there mention of any dialog between Jesus and Peter.

In John 21, Jesus encountered Peter and the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. On this occasion, there is an intense, deeply personal conversation between Jesus and Peter. However, before the conversation takes place Peter is with the others on the lake fishing. I suspect Peter’s thoughts were consumed with guilt and condemnation as he remembered his conversation in Caiaphas’ courtyard: “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not” (John 18:17). Even so, Peter knew Jesus’ heart, and that knowledge led Peter, when he saw Jesus on the shore, to plunge into the water and swim to Jesus.

Recall that God knows the motives of our hearts. Consider the words of the psalmist, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24). What if you were to take seriously these words, and open yourself to see what God already knows? Would you, like Peter, run to Jesus? Or would you hide in shame? Do you know that the great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, is an affirmation of God’s love for you?

God’s love for you is patient and kind. God’s love for you is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. God’s love for you does not demand its own way. God’s love for you is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. God’s love for you does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. God’s love for you never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. God’s love for you will last forever!

I Corinthians 13:4-7,8b My paraphrase)

My Takeaway: Have you noticed that the number of people who stay away from the church because we are too loving, too forgiving is negligible? The number of people who stay away because we are too unforgiving, however, is incalculable. Maybe today is a good day for you to purpose in your heart to join Peter on Jesus’ swim team.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Pleasures for Evermore

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

September 1, 2026

Pleasures for Evermore

“In your presence there is fullness of joy;

in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.”

Psalm 16:11 NRSV

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter faced a daunting challenge. Together with the other one hundred-nineteen disciples, Peter had been in hiding since the crucifixion of Jesus. When the promised Holy Spirit came upon Peter and the others, it was kairos, God’s Time, to come out of hiding and proclaim the resurrection of Jesus to all people, everywhere. Where do you start; how do you explain the resurrection? Peter began with Psalm 16.

Peter preached that the psalmist David’s claim that God would not allow His holy one to rot in the grave was fulfilled in Jesus’ resurrection (Psalm 16: 8-11 & Acts 2:25-32). The Apostle Paul also relied on Psalm 16 when he preached Jesus’ resurrection to the people in Antioch (Acts 13:35-37).

While David’s psalm is an Old Testament prophecy of Jesus, the Messiah, it also held great comfort and power for David. We too, can feed upon the truth of God in David’s great psalm of hope. In this psalm, David affirms his faith in God who shall preserve him, in God’s goodness, in God’s presence before him, giving him hope, and in God’s victory over death as the Giver of life. Because of these truths of God, we, like David, can experience in our present circumstances the peace of God that passes all understanding. (See Philippians 4:7) Because Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, the Apostle Paul proclaimed that we could rest in the sure hope of our eternal life in Jesus. (See Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 6:14 and 2 Corinthians 4:14)

My Takeaway: What else is there for the psalmist, and us, to say but,

“In your presence there is fullness of joy;

in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.”

Psalm 16:11 NRSV

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Please God, Not People

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 31, 2026

Please God, Not People

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

Sarah Young in her devotion, Jesus Calling, encourages us to pause before responding to people or situations, thus giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to lead us. This is perhaps the greatest spiritual discipline: the art of pausing and listening for the still small voice of God. It is this spiritual discipline that allows us to bridge the gap between the holiness of our heart and the holiness we seek in our life. Holiness of heart is the reality of the very presence of Christ within us. Holiness of life is the goal of those seeking to make the life in Christ their way of life. It is the living out in the world the truth that “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28a).

Why is this spiritual discipline of pausing to listen so vitally important? Because we all put on different faces and use different words depending on where we are and with whom we are in the presence. We all suffer a bit with split personalities. Part of our personality may be extremely passionate about our favorite sports team, or our political preferences, or a dozen other interests we hold dear. Our personalities are passionate about our family and passionate about our faith and our place of worship and service. The Apostle Paul knew that God examines the motives of our hearts; thus, he sought to live his life by the sole purpose of pleasing God, not people.

Can we authentically emulate Paul’s example in our lives today? I think so. I believe Jesus is OK with my joy supporting my favorite teams. Jesus likes it that I am passionate about world affairs and National politics. Jesus is pleased that I am head over heels in love with my wife. His desire for me is that his life would be made visible in my words and actions on all these fronts. Can I cheer on my team and honor God with my words? Can I express my passion about the world and honor God with my words? Can my wife see Christ in my words and actions toward her?

My Takeaway: I haven’t yet, in the words of John Wesley, gone on to perfection, so I join my voice with Saint Paul: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). This collect for purity helps me stay focused on my goal:

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Ghost, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy Holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Go and Do Likewise

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

August 28, 2026

Go and Do Likewise

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.

Romans 13:8a

Our churches today have almost as much contention as there are in the halls of Congress. When two people are contending, the issue is always the same: who has control or power. For the Christian, the issue of contending is a bit of a conundrum. The danger of contention in the church is that it causes disharmony, and the unity of the Body of Christ is breeched. Jesus told his followers, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). I believe the decline of the Christian church in America can be directly traced to the lack of respect, the lack of unity within churches, and among the various denominations and independent churches. Without love, we have no proof we are the disciples of Jesus; thus, the world ignores our witness.

If two people are contending over an issue, the fix is easy. Just one of them must stop contending. The conundrum is in knowing when to walk away. It has been my experience that the issues that internally divide churches, as well as those that divide denominations, are for the most part minuscule in comparison to our grand mission to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Yet the grand deceiver tempts us to make mountains out of the mole hills, and tragically, so many individuals, and churches, yield to this temptation.

John Wesley, the Methodist, was confronted by Simeon, a devoted Calvinist. Simeon believed he needed to break fellowship with Wesley, but first Simeon asked him a few questions.

“Pray, Sir, do you feel that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?” Wesley: “Yes, I do indeed.” “Do you look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?” Wesley: “Yes, solely through Christ.” Simeon: “But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?” Wesley: “No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.” Simeon: “What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?” Wesley: “Yes, altogether.” Simeon: “And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?” Wesley: “Yes, I have no hope but in Him.”

Simeon then affirmed that Wesley’s faith mirrored his own and said, “Instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree."

My Takeaway: “Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b).

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Spreading Scriptural Holiness

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

August 27, 2026

Spreading Scriptural Holiness

The LORD is in his holy temple;

         the LORD is on his heavenly throne.

Psalm 11:4a

In the ebb and flow of life, we are always in one of three places: we are about to enter a crisis; or we are in the midst of a crisis; or we are coming out of a crisis. When we encounter a crisis, our sense of order is upended. Sometimes the main consequence of the crisis is simply inconvenience, such as when our car breaks down. Other times, there are life altering consequences. Henry Blackby, in his book, Experiencing God, notes that these problem situations are always accompanied by a crisis of belief because, for the Christian, what you do next reveals what you truly believe about God.

In Psalm 11, David feels as though the very fabric, the foundation of his society had been torn asunder. David was in a crisis as he lived through a time when he was never sure who his friends were and who was a spy for those seeking to destroy him. I experienced a small taste of this when I was visiting churches in Cuba, as the government routinely sent spies into the congregations.

In Psalm 11, David responds to the apparent crumbling foundations of society by remembering that God’s throne is eternal in the heavens and will never crumble or decay. David trusted that God would come and judge the world, and the righteous would be vindicated. David believed such trust called forth a commitment to live for God; “For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.” (Psalm 11:7).

My Takeaway: If we take inspiration from David’s psalm, I believe a commitment to live out John Wesley’s mission statement is an appropriate response: “We have no other business than to save souls and spread scriptural holiness across the land.”

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

The Lord Is King Forever

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

 August 26, 2026

The Lord Is King Forever

The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

Psalm 10:16

In the Hebrew Bible, Psalms 9 and 10 are combined as one psalm. Thus, the foundation of praising God with “all my heart” continues. To praise and pray in this way is indicative of a lively, personal relationship with the LORD.

Too many Christians live their lives as though the church is a memorial to Jesus Christ. They tend to live as though the church is a place to remember Jesus’ life and the things he did and spoke. Jesus wants more than just to be remembered; he wants a lively, personal relationship with each of his followers. In her devotion, Jesus Calling, Sarah Young encourages us to pause before responding to people or situations, thus giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to lead us. When we don’t wait upon the Lord, when we react with hasty words and actions, we are living as though we do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. An atheist does not believe in God and thus seeks to solve their problems out of their own wisdom, strength and resources. Some people truly believe in God, but they live as though they are totally responsible for the course of their life. They function as an atheist because they are not living as though they expect God to act in their life.

As Christians, we affirm God as personally present in our life, a living Spirit. With nothing between us and God, our faces shine with the brightness of His face. We are transfigured, much like the Messiah, and our lives gradually become brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him. (See 2 Corinthians 3: 16-18 The Message)

My Takeaway: If your heart resonates with that affirmation from Second Corinthians, you can appreciate the lament of the psalmist. He is surrounded by atheists; nevertheless, his hope is in the LORD.  Today is a good day to make a complete list of your struggles. What issues are you facing? How are your adversaries taking advantage of you? Now, with your list in hand, make up your mind to pray with the psalmist: “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Psalm 10:17).

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

My Life Does Not Belong to Me

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 25, 2026

My Life Does Not Belong to Me

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1-2 

Psalm 9, in its original form, was written in the acrostic poetic form with the first verse beginning with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each succeeding verse began with the next letter in the alphabet. Knowing this helps me appreciate both the poem and its author. This message was important to the author, and he carefully crafted his poem, in form and content, to communicate his message.

The foundation of Old Testament theology was based on a real experience of God’s presence and power, coupled with a belief that one day God was going to restore the entire world to its original created order. The people of Israel longed for the coming Day of the Lord, when God’s mercy and justice would freely flow and everything would be made right. Psalm 9 is an expression of this longing for justice. This longing was carried forth in the New Covenant where God’s people still pray for God’s Kingdom to come, God’s will to be done, on earth as in heaven.

Verse one sets the tone of the psalm and is helpful in showing us how to pray for the coming reign of Christ on earth:

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

   I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

My Takeaway: To pray with my whole heart is to recall that my life does not belong to me. My life belongs to God. By creation and redemption, my life, my heart, belong to God. And my life in God is not to be a secret. The reality of God’s love for me overflows from my heart, and I cannot help but tell of all the marvelous things the LORD has done.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

 

Practice the Presence

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

August 24, 2026

Practice the Presence 

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

I Kings 8:23 

A teacher was asked by his student why he was so devoted to the teachings of Saint Francis Assisi. “Because he allowed Jesus Christ to become transparent in his personality,” he replied. Francis brought about a religious revolution in thirteenth-century Europe, and his substantial influence on the followers of Christ reaches all the way to the twenty-first century. Why? Because as the teacher noted, Francis personified the Apostle Paul’s witness: “For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11 NRSV).

While we affirm that both Paul and Francis gave God first claim on their time, attention, love and interests, we also may shrink back a bit from their example. Both Paul and Francis spent weeks, and often months in prayer; how are we to follow their example? A mystery of prayer is that we do not have to retreat to our cave for time completely alone and far away from our culture’s countless ways to interrupt our time with God. Centering prayer is a way of conversing with God in the secret places of our heart while the world around us marches on.

We can learn to focus on Christ in the center of our being while we are driving, preparing a meal, sitting in a committee meeting, playing a round of golf or sets of tennis, and even while our team is driving for their winning touchdown. This centering on Jesus does not preclude our being fully present to others, or the other activities in which we are engaged, such as my writing of this meditation on a foggy mountain morning.

My Takeaway: Centering on Jesus in the secret place in our heart is an art, and a skill that we can learn. It takes practice and resolve not to give up. It can become our discipline, our habit, and we can learn to dwell in that special place Brother Lawrence, another mighty man of God, described as “the practice of the presence of God.” The first step toward this centering prayer is to begin pausing, several times each day and focusing your awareness of the reality of Christ’s presence in the secret places in your heart.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Holy Spirit Awareness

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 21, 2026

Holy Spirit Awareness

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

Acts 4:32

The verse quoted above is at the close of Acts 4 and is a summary of the lifestyle of the first Christian church in Jerusalem. Their life together is an example of the goal that Dietrich Bonhoeffer set for his disciples. Bonhoeffer noted that Satan’s goal is to disrupt the harmony and unity of the church. Satan’s desire for Christians is what Saint Augustine described as incurvatus in se, which basically translates as curved in on ourselves. When we live in ego-centric or self-centered ways, we are destructive in our Christian communities. When we live for ourselves, our lives are curved inward as opposed to the life God intended for us, which is life lived with an outward focus. This outward focus, a life of openness and willing self-sacrifice for the good of others, is a blessing to our communities and a pleasing aroma to God.

Augustine noted that incurvatus in se is the very essence of original sin. As such, we need to look to the Holy Spirit daily for discernment of the ways we are still curved in on ourselves. We also look to the Holy Spirit for the power to say yes when the Spirit motivates us to action, and to say no to our bent toward self-gratification.

My Takeaway: Our culture celebrates self-awareness, self-motivation and taking the initiative. God celebrates our Holy Spirit awareness, our Holy Spirit motivation and our willingness to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Be patient and allow God to develop your discerning heart, and He will teach you how to do what is right, how to love mercy, and how to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Christianoi

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

August 20, 2026

Christianoi

This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

 Galatians 2:4-5

We live in a hyphenated culture. Seldom is someone referred to by just one defining characteristic. People are referred to as African-Americans or Asian-Americans or Italian-Americans. We also divide ourselves into sub-groups based on schools and universities, states and regions. As seriously as some people take these divisions, they pale in comparison to how the Jews in the first century marked their identity as God’s people through male circumcision. This national, religious and cultural identity ran so deep that even the Jews who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah expected all the male followers of Jesus to be circumcised. This was a huge point of contention between the Apostle Paul and those leaders in the Christian movement who tried to require Gentile believers to comply with male circumcision and the Law of Moses. (These leaders were known as Judaizers.)

At one time, the followers of Jesus were known as Christianoi, People of Christ. Over the centuries, we have become Roman Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Pentecostals, and Anglicans etc. Why all the denominations and non-denominations and differing local churches?

It’s all about control. With churches, it is a way of trying to hold on to our past, and at the same time step into God’s Kingdom. This puts us in a dilemma. The way churches are organized creates a temptation to think we are right and others, not in our church, are wrong. This creates disunity in the Body of Christ. But our churches in their present form are all we have. This reality creates a huge temptation for us to think we can just bring our Christian faith alongside of our cultural beliefs and try to blend them together.

How can we respond to this dilemma? First, don’t take your denominational or non-denominational doctrine and structure too seriously. The most important thing is to keep your eyes on Jesus. Paul told the Corinthians “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17). He was more emphatic on what he told the Galatians. Not only is our old life gone, but our old identity is dead. We have a new identity as the People of Christ. (Galatians 2:20)

My Takeaway: The Jews set themselves apart from others through their mono-theistic faith in the Creator God, their male circumcision and their dietary laws. Today, the People of Christ are set apart by their belief in justification by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Any other form of identification for the followers of Christ is not of God.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

A Pleasing Aroma to God

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today 

August 19, 2026

A Pleasing Aroma to God

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Jesus reconciled two seemingly irreconcilable truths he experienced on the cross. By resting in the truth of God’s affirmation of him -- “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” -- Jesus was able to confront his negative emotions --“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” -- and return to resting in God’s love -- “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” As the followers of Christ, we too are called to reconcile two seemingly irreconcilable truths.

Our life, apart from the saving grace of Jesus, is totally repugnant to God. Even so, while we were completely lost in our sin, God loved us, and Christ died for us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NRSV). We have been saved by grace and we live by grace. We can never, ever do anything to earn our right standing with God. Even though God speaks those most precious of all words to us when we come to Him by faith, “This is my dearly loved (Child), who brings me great joy,” nevertheless, our works within our own strength are still repugnant to him because they are offered through our sin-broken flesh.

However, Jesus shows us how to reconcile our life in grace with the works of our hands. Jesus “loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). The Philippians grasped this truth when they sent an offering to Paul while he was in jail. Paul wrote to them that their offering was “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18c). When the love of Christ for us moves us to express his love for others, especially when we give sacrificially of ourselves and our resources, our offering becomes a pleasing aroma to God.

My Takeaway: As you seek to make your life a pleasing aroma to God, never forget that it is God working in you to transform your life into a sweet-smelling sacrifice. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).

May God, “equip (us) with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:21).

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

How Foolish Can You Be?

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 18, 2026

How Foolish Can You Be?

Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

Galatians 3:3

Our culture differs greatly from that of the Galatians. Most of the people in our culture do not believe in any gods, much less in the Christian God. Many Christians, while affirming their faith in God, see their faith as a means to a better quality of life, not a means to be in a right relationship with the God of the universe. I believe it is in the DNA of Americans to be proud, rebellious and self-reliant. When I visited the Museum of Western Expansion in St. Louis, I saw this character trait embodied in a quote from the journal of someone who was a part of a wagon train heading west:

‘We had preceded only a few days travel, when the American character was fully exhibited. All appeared to be determined to govern, but not to be governed.”

However, it was vitally important to the people in the Galatian congregations to be in a right relationship with God. This was not optional to them. It is not hyperbole to say it was a matter of life and death to them. You can sense Paul’s frustration. Paul had proclaimed the Gospel to them, and the Galatian Christians had experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They had entered a right relationship with God by grace, through faith in Jesus. Now the church leaders were backing up and forcing their congregations to keep rules and laws in a desperate attempt to stay in a right relationship with God. Do you remember the third chapter of 2 Corinthians where Paul talked about the veil being removed? The Galatians were putting the veil back up, and Paul was doing his best to get them to remove the veil and live by grace, not works.

Seeking the life in Christ is hard work! On one hand, we rejoice that God loves us, unconditionally, just as we are. On the other hand, we know this marvelous grace of God does not give us a license to keep on sinning. We are called to crucify our flesh with its sinful desires. We want to glorify God and live in a manner that others can see Christ in our mortal flesh. However, the witness of Christ within us comes by grace, not an accumulation of good works. (See 2 Corinthians 4)

My Takeaway: It has been my experience that reaching a balance where our good works are evidence of God’s grace at work in our lives is more of an art than it is a process to be learned. As we seek to release the graceful artist within us, we’ll do well to remember Paul’s admonishment to the Galatians, “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When the Angels Are Absent

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

August 17, 2026

When the Angels Are Absent

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17 

Because Jesus is fully divine, the Word made flesh, he can forgive our sins.  Because Jesus is fully human, the author of Hebrews could proclaim, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). I am comforted to know that Jesus experienced the same self-doubts that I do.

There were times when Jesus must have wondered if it really was the Holy Spirit who led him to the River Jordan to be baptized and then led him into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. I suspect there were times when he got tired of the hostility heaped onto him by the Pharisees, and when he grew weary of his disciples who just couldn’t connect the dots of his ministry. Even so, we don’t have to wonder how he handled those times of doubt: “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16).

During those times of prayer, I believe Jesus’ Heavenly Father was gracious to speak again those most comforting of all words, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” I believe there were other times when, as in his wilderness temptation experience, that God’s “angels came and took care of Jesus” (Matthew 4:11). I also believe there were times when heaven was silent and the angels were absent.

It was during these silent and absent times that Jesus’ faith was forged into unbreakable iron. This is the faith that allowed Jesus to reconcile two seemingly irreconcilable truths he experienced on the cross.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

During those silent times in the wilderness, Jesus may not have heard again the voice of God, but he never forgot what he did hear that day in the River Jordan, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

My Takeaway: By the way, a voice from heaven said the same words (Matthew 3:17) to you when you were baptized. In your moments of weakness, recall those words and remember you are God’s beloved daughter or son, and allow the Holy Spirit to forge strong your faith.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.