#BibleStudy Expressions of Faith. Acts 21. Third Party Grace

⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. . .

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Acts 21: 4, 10-14

At this point in his missionary career, Paul is determined to go to Jerusalem.

Twice in Chapter 21, disciples—good, strong Christian folk—receive direction from the Holy Spirit.

In v4, they urge Paul not to go. 

• They are sincere.
• We have no reason to doubt their direction.
• Paul dismisses their urgings.

Agabus, a prophet who correctly prophesied a famine in Acts 11, makes it clear that Paul is heading for trouble if he goes to Jerusalem.

• Paul dismisses the warning with his willingness to die for Jesus' sake if necessary.
• The disciples urging Paul to change plans include Luke who writes,

… we gave up … v14

To whom did the Holy Spirit speak?

The Holy Spirit spoke only to each person involved.

What?

You and God are a pair—two parties. Another person and God are a different pair. That other person is a “third party” in your life situation as you are in theirs.

Dr. Ray Doane, one of my pastors, used the phrase Third Party Grace often in his sermons.

His rationale is simple.

Everyone gets GRACE from God, but everyone does not get the same Grace. God grants the grace a person needs to each person. If you’re not that person, you don’t need that grace, and you get the grace you need.

When people say, “I don’t know how you do it,” to someone in a traumatic situation in life, it’s because they don’t have the GRACE the person in the situation has… because they don’t need it.

If you're not glad you have a Savior that customizes your life through Him . . . 

. . . ask God to open your heart and fill it with the GRACE He has for you!

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