Other Types
Hagar:- the bondwoman who so exemplifies Israel and the covenant of LAW – fleshly Hagar and the law – which was set aside for spiritual Israel and grace. Sarah:- the free-woman so exemplifying spiritual Israel and the covenant of GRACE – chosen Sarah; the barren wife who was set aside and buried by her husband.
Job is a story that demonstrates the mercy and love and grace of God..
there were times when I wept with joy at the grace that God shows towards us – and there were also when I wept with pain as I realised how much we must have hurt the heart of God. I pray others will find blessings in looking deeper into the pages of Job..
Grace and Glory
It staggers the mind that we who were once at enmity with God should-be so honoured. We who have received the riches of His grace are also to receive the riches of His glory..
Extravagant Grace
Let us marvel at the enormity of our inheritance in Christ and our glorious future.
Let us ponder on the extravagant grace that God shows to all who trust in Jesus.
But a believer with a new life in Christ is to live his life by grace and not by works of the Law.
But increasingly in John’s gospel, we find the suffocating regulations of the perfect Law, starkly contrasted with willing, gentile acceptance, of Christ’s grace and truth.
Life and Light
Yet in Him was life and in Him was light to all men – and in Him was grace and truth.
Self-righteous Pride
Nicodemus, a pious Jewish leader, struggled with the idea of grace rather than human merit to gain God’s acceptance. Self-righteous pride may be the most difficult obstacle to overcome when free grace is offered, for one relies on the merits of man while the other rests on the grace of God. The constant strivings of the religious man to become acceptable to God by works is a far cry from the submitted heart of a broken sinner, who is thirsting for salvation.
so that the glory of God’s grace is hid from view. But the heart reaching out to God’s grace by faith is rewarded with joys from above.
This is one of the most fundamental grace truths and when this is seen and fully understood there will be no desire to hold on to the Law as a means to Christian conduct.
A Heart Matter
Works of the law are unacceptable to God and unreachable to man, but the logic of legalism persists in trying to obscure God’s gift of grace. But trusting in God is not a matter of the intellect but a matter of the heart.. for with the heart man believesth unto righteousness.
Advent of Christ
It took 4000 years for God to prepare a fallen world for the advent of the Messiah, and the slowly unfolding plan of this never-ending love-story discovered righteousness and justices kissing love and grace as the eternal Creator Himself entered the universe that He made – to redeem the fallen race of man, who were in active rebellion against Him.
Secrets of the Lord
For the secrets of the Lord are with those that fear Him, and He will reveal to His favoured one, His covenant of love. Remember, God’s creation is seen by all. God’s act of grace is received by those that believe in His name, but God’s thoughts are only revealed to His friends.
Law and Grace
The work through Israel was through the works of the Law – which failed. The work for the Church must be carried out in Christ – which cannot fail.
Gospel of Truth
We must rightly divide the GOSPEL of truth – the good news from God:- the gospel of the kingdom points to both a heavenly and earthly rule.. the gospel of the grace of God points to Christ’s perfect sacrifice.. the gospel of the glory of Christ points to His coming Kingdom – the everlasting gospel points to grace before judgment, justice, and mercy.
So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:7
Principle of Consecrated
The principle of consecration is that God might use that one as a sign –‘His sign.’ Not only as a sign of His immeasurable grace in the ages to come, but here and now, in the corner of the field where He has planted you. And every consecrated saint points in one-way or another to Jesus Christ.
As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” John 17:18,19 The Lord wants us to be signs to the world – signs that His grace is sufficient. He desires His own to go the way of the cross – and to suffer and die. Maybe in the physical, but predominantly and principally in the spiritual..
Flesh Versus Spirit
The stark contrast between the Law- in which he trusted, and Grace- his only hope, started to register in the mind of Nicodemus – for the law, has its roots in the flesh.
Impossible Standard
The reality that the Law, in which Nicodemus trusted was related to the flesh, must have been shattering to this religious-minded Pharisee – this esteemed teacher. Though the Law was God’s benchmark for the man that is born of the flesh it was an impossible standard to keep – but the new life in Christ, which is a gift of God’s grace to the one that believes, is a new work of God in man – a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Spiritual Life
Man must be born of the Holy Spirit – if he is to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual life of which Christ spoke is something entirely separate from the Law. The spiritual life is rooted in grace and truth, which comes to us from Jesus Christ.
Law Verses Grace
The lessons that Nicodemus learnt on this night visit were of immense proportions. He had a glimpse into the heavenlies, yet did not even understand earthly truths. He discovered Christ was to be lifted up, like the serpent in the wilderness, so that all who look to Him will be saved and that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. He discovered that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Learning Obedience
Like Christ, they also had to learn obedience through all they would suffer, and they were to learn that Christ’s grace would be all-sufficient for them – they would need to imitate their Master and say, 'Thy will not mine be done'.
Gospel of Grace
And Paul was the vehicle, who opened their understanding of the gospel of grace.
Instead of experiencing eternal death and separation from God we are given eternal life, which can never be lost, left, forfeited or removed – and it is all by His grace and power, and for His greater glory.
Indeed to understand God’s plan for our live, we need to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the Word, for we live in a world which is no friend to Jesus, the enemy of God and antagonistic towards His children – but His grace is sufficient.
We have been saved by grace and should live by grace.
Without His saving grace, we would remain dead in trespasses and sin – but thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory over sin and death – in Christ.
No Condemnation – in Christ
We are sinners saved by grace and there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Grace of God
Transgressions big and small must be confessed daily to maintain sweet fellowship:- that thoughtless word; that selfish thought; that mean streak; that proud attitude; that faithless action.
But we are sinners saved by grace and there is no condemnation – there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus the Lord.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were taught, and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.Romans 6:17-18
Slaves of Righteousness
But Paul reminds the Christians in Rome that although they used to be slaves of sin and serve the sin-nature they were born with, they believed the gospel of grace, trusted Christ and obeyed from the heart.
Law or Grace
The believer has only two ways to function – either as a slave to sin or as a servant of Christ.
He has two ways to live his Christian life – either under law or under grace.
They know not that the life of grace is always and only a life of faith, and that in the relationship to the Lord Jesus the one daily and unceasing duty of the disciple is to believe, because believing is the one channel through which Divine grace and strength can flow into the heart of man.
Gracious Riches
God revealed to all His children the above-all abundance and riches of His grace.
Paul prayed that we’d realise God’s above-all abundance and His gracious riches, and we are to appropriate the riches of His grace and His above-all abundance.
But God promises to provide all our needs according to the His riches of His grace – and He will wait for us to realise that He alone is our above-all abundant God.
Word of Truth
Can we not trust our Saviour’s word, Who died an ignominious death for love of us? Can we not believe that the above-all abundance and riches of His grace is true?
Faith in GOD
It is not more faith that taps into the above-all abundance and riches of His grace.
Far More Abundantly
Let us take God at His word. Let us believe in the rich resources of our reliable Father. Let us trust Him to supply us with the above-all abundance and riches of His grace, for in Ephesians 3:20-21 we read: Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us to Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever AMEN and AMEN.
He preordained that those chosen would be conformed into the likeness of His Son.. and God took the responsibility to save us body, soul, and spirit by grace – through faith. God Himself decided He would save us totally – for we could not save ourselves. And every promise of God is yours by grace, simply because you trusted His Word.
God’s Grace
He redeemed and enlightened us and opened up to us the mystery of His will. He took upon Himself the responsibility to change us to be just like Christ. He even adopts us as His own children and has scheduled a date for our adoption.
Christ’s Righteousness
The Father could not have lavished more grace on the undeserving children of men.
Every step of salvation is planned, performed, and finished by God – by His grace.
Every expression of salvation is secured in Christ’s righteousness – by His grace.
Christ’s Sufficiency
Past, present, and future salvation is planned, performed, and finished – by grace.
We have nothing to contribute and no merit belongs to us. It is all by His grace.
His purpose in Christ is devoid of any spiritual want or need – and it is ALL grace.
All that He has is to be ours, and it is all grace.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
God Is Satisfied
There is only one basis of acceptance by God, and that is accepted in the Beloved.
This is not the acceptance of the sinner saved by grace.
The soul has to go on until it finds that there is nothing to rest on except the abstract goodness and grace of God; and then… 'If God be for us, who can be against us?'” Romans 8:31?
While Ephesians 1:5-6 tells us that: Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Bestowed Grace
William R Newell puts it this way: There being no cause in the creature why grace should be shown, the creature must be brought off from trying to give cause to God for His care. He has been accepted in Christ, who is his standing! He is not on probation. As to his life past, it does not exist before God – he died at the cross, and Christ is his Life. Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn.. for God knew all the human exigencies beforehand.
– for we have no standing before God, in ourselves. 9) The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief, not from failure of devotion. 10) To preach devotion first, and blessing second, is reverse God’s order – it is to preach law, not grace. The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion.
Grace confers undeserved, unconditional blessing: Our devotion may follow, but does not always do so — in proper measure.
You are accepted in the Beloved. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, Who has loved us and given [us] everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. For you are accepted in the Beloved.
It is to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, in which HE has made us accepted in the Beloved.Ephesians 1:6
God has made all believers accepted in the Beloved.
and it is to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
Faith in His person, pledges, and revelation is the only response that God expects. And God Himself has told us in His Word that we are accepted. Now believe it… 'for it is to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, that we have been made accepted in the Beloved'.
Instead of being elated by our own improvement, or depressed because we cannot effect it, we are to be occupied with the grace and beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which we are thus made to share.
They have thereby learned the grace and sympathy of the Lord Jesus, and they have been the subjects of so much tender interest and consideration flowing from the spiritual affections of His saints, that they have been conscious of infinite gain and enrichment.
Spiritual Blessings
Should not I who am a child of God, chosen before the foundation of the world.. should not I, as one of His chosen ones, lift up the Lord Jesus? Should not I who will demonstrate His grace to heavenly powers in eternity.. should not I thus lift up the name of Jesus? Should not I similarly sing forth His praises through my voice and my pen?
Growing In Grace - STUDY
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.1 John 5:13
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.Ephesians 2:8-10
Threefold Promise
Salvation is 100% God’s by grace through faith.
A believer who trusts God’s word in this matter will live his life the grace-promise-faith way.
The grace-promise-faith way is God’s way, but the law-works-merit way is the way of the flesh.
The one who doesn’t live grace-promise-faith way doesn’t negate his eternal security in Christ, but will live a defeated Christian life, for eternal security “kicks-in” immediately at rebirth, and each person of the Godhead guarantee their eternal security.
All-Embracing Guarantee
God’s guarantee of eternal and life is for all believers, whether they choose to live the grace-promise-faith way or ignore God’s word and live the law-works-merit way.
With regards to the Christian walk (sanctification) a believer either lives the grace-promise-faith way or the law-works-merit way.
And let us seek to live by faith and not by sight and to live the grace-promise-faith way rather than the law-works-merit way.
Gift of Grace
Prayer is a gift of God’s wonderful grace to His children, which is open access to Him. Access to the throne of God is a free gift of grace to all who trust in Jesus Christ.
One Great Saint
In the words of one great saint of God, he explains “in the spirit” like this:- It is through God’s dealings and God’s merciful grace that He combines our chastening and our prayer with His dealings in our human spirit, which is progressively and increasingly becoming more and more in union with the Holy Spirit and which is strengthened by the Holy Spirit, as He, (ie the Holy Spirit), utters through us – that which is according to the will of God – for we know not what we should pray for as we ought… but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans.8:26
Growing In Grace - STUDY
My grace is sufficient..2 Corinthians 12:9
Exercising Faith
‘My grace is sufficient”, is the truth of the Scripture, given to all believers.
“My grace is sufficient”, may be accepted intellectually or rejected in reality.
If scripture is not trusted as God’s word, His grace will not be sufficient, for God requires us to trust Him, and to just take Him at His work: for by grace you are saved, by means of exercising faith.
Authored by God
Grace for salvation; grace for sufficiency and the grace of Scripture is perfect.
Infinite God is perfect in holiness; wisdom; mercy; justice; truth; love and grace.
God’s Sufficiency
God’s grace is sufficient and it’s a truth of the Scripture given to all believers.
But the sufficiency of His grace, though accepted intellectually, is rejected in reality.
If scripture is not trusted as God’s Word, then His grace will not be sufficient.
to take Him at His Word: for by grace you are saved – by means of exercising faith In Jesus..
by means of exercising that same faith in Him, and Jesus told us through Paul:-My grace is sufficient.
Let us trust Him at His word and prove in our lives that His grace truly is sufficient.
And God IS able to make all Grace abound towards you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.2 Corinthians 9:8
GRACE – which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.2Timothy 1:9
Did you not cry out to Him:- 'Give me grace?' Did you never seek Him for a deeper faith? If this is what you truly desire, should you not consider how the jewels of grace are cut and polished? Should you not contemplate how the gold of faith is refined and purified?
His Refining Fire
Are these nothing but unconscious cries, to be tried in His refining fire..? An inner longing to be honed to His perfection, under the great Craftsman’s ‘tool’? Is not GRACE discovered through the crushings of life’s journey? Is not FAITH exercised as the storms of life assault our very foundations? Does not Faith flourish and Grace grow, through the Master’s sanctifying trials?
Growing Grace – Flourishing Faith
Grace when the sun is shining Lord,Grace when the sky is black.Grace when I get the unkind word,Grace then to answer back,Grace when I’m pushed into a nook,Grace when I get my turn.Grace when the dinner will not cook,Grace when I let it burn.
Grace when my duties all go wrong,Grace when they seem alright.Grace when it’s praise and grace through song,Grace when I have to fight.Grace when my dress is fresh and new,Grace when it’s worn and old.Grace when my purse is empty too,Grace if it’s full of gold!
Grace when the saved ones don’t act saved-And lay the blame on me.Grace when the grace I’ve asked and cravedSeems not to come from Thee.Grace thru the darkest hours – so long,Grace when the morn is nigh.Grace when I’m healthy, well and strong,Grace when I come to die.
Easter Reflections - STUDY
A Never-ending Story
God’s amazing grace began in eternity past and will continue into eternity future, and for a few brief seasons, His grace is poured out over the entire human race.
Six thousand years of amazing grace..
and His grace continually draws you and me: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus – that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church, to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.
A Never-ending Gift
The death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus demonstrates God’s amazing grace.
It demonstrates God’s gift of SAVING, SANCTIFYING and GLORIFYING Grace.
It shows what He has done, (by paying the price for sin and breaking the power of sin and death) And so, I want to I want share one more example of this Amazing Grace..
a demonstration of God’s amazing grace, working through one of His children..
A Never-ending Testimony
She writes, “Amazing Grace: This hymn is one of my favourites because it speaks of Father God’s amazing grace.
I wanted to share with you what the truths written in this hymn means to me and how it reflects the Amazing Grace that has never failed to abound in my life.
How wonderful is Father God’s Grace.
It is music to my ears, there is no greater or sweeter sound than the assurance of Father God’s grace and the evidence of His grace in my life and the lives of others:-
Amazing Grace … how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
How precious is His Saving Grace, He saved me, I am born again.
Yet Father God’s grace was sufficient for me, it covered all my past, my sins, my hurts – and assured me of a sure, and certain hope for my future.
And I now see the hand of Father God in my life, from creation, through Jesus’ coming and resurrection to His saving grace.
when we don’t trust Father God in our lives and situations and when we don’t allow His grace to abound in our lives .
In allowing fear to ‘seize your troubled mind’ we allow it to seize our hearts, our faith, our lives, The wonderful part of Amazing Grace is the promise that Father God’s grace can relieve your fears, if you cast your cares upon Him – and if leave your worries and fears at the foot of the cross.
and yet I’m still learning to rely on His Amazing Grace to abound in my life and my trials.
Through many dangers toils and snares I have already come! ‘Tis Grace that brought me here thus far And Grace will lead me on
Battle-Scarred and Weary
I was born with my ‘dukes up’ fighting for my life and with Father God’s grace I won that battle – the first of many to come.
It’s only by maturing in my faith and by looking back on my life, and seeing Father God’s hand on my life and the evidence of His grace abounding in me and my life, that I come to a place of peace, pain-free and in the perfect state of grace.
For only by His Grace can I write these words.
Only by His Grace am I here to tell this story.
Only by His Grace have I come ‘thus far’ and I can only carry on by His Grace – only by His Amazing Grace
Crucified For Me
I believe that when our Lord Jesus Christ walked amongst us knowing full well what His fate would be that He also had to draw on his Father’s Grace, when for instance He was tempted by Satan in the dessert..
The clearest evidence I see of Father God’s Grace abounding in Jesus’ life is in the run-up to His death on the cross, in particular when He said ‘Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do’! Not only was He willing to die that horrible death on the cross for their sins and ours, but by His Father’s Grace, He was also able to forgive them, then and there – as He was crucified.
Forgiven and Free
No greater love,No greater forgivenessNo greater grace.
The truth of Father God’s Amazing Grace!
Amazing Grace – Amazing Love
… a story that continues to be lived out through His AMAZING GRACE…I encourage you to take time today… to read it through and to marvel at
His very actions and attitude were filled with grace and truth. He would not destroy a bruised reed nor snuff out a flickering candle, and He humbled Himself before God and man as an example for us to follow.
It is firmly grounded in a secure confidence in God’s grace to supply all our needs.
Trusting Humility
A godly life rests in God’s sovereign grace and eternal power to perform all He says. It is rooted in obedience to God’s will and is founded on a spirit of trusting humility.
And we have the omniscient, omnipotent, eternal God indwelling our bodies… What amazing grace that God should live in me and that He should dwell in you.
He shivered with cold, having insufficient clothing to keep him warm – and yet He discovered that in all things God’s grace is made perfect in his weakness.
God desires to take up full residence in all those that believe in His name – the name of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth.
Faith and Faithfulness
Remember, it all depends on faith and faithfulness. Do not fall short of the grace of God by refusing to listen to Him. Take heed of Israel’s shortcomings and loss – and be warned. Remember – He will change your heart if you just change your mind. But you must first be prepared to change your mind, and if you are… just let Him know.
Luke 19:14. And throughout the gospel, there are little glimpses where Jesus was seen preparing and training His disciples for the dispensation of Grace – the Church-Age.
These six things were dealt with, so that we need no longer be in bondage through fear and that we may come boldly to the throne of grace. - Have we given a hearty assent to these things which the Lord Jesus did for us?
It is necessary that the truth conferred by grace should be known as a possession and the virtue of it apprehended, before there can be any walk in keeping with it.
To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.Ephesians.1:6
I know this is quite likely to meet with words like, I just don’t understand … but appropriating our birthright and position in Christ is really very simple. It’s a move from a murmuring mentality for what you want – to grateful thanks for all the riches of God’s grace – you already have, in Christ. Murmuring and complaints are always linked with loss of fellowship and unbelief. Thanksgiving and confession is always linked with fellowship and trust in God.
It has not dawned upon them that at the heart of these very circumstances they are to find the Lord Jesus, find His grace sufficient, find the life more abundant. -L.E.M.
Accepted Time
How important in these closing days of the dispensation of grace, that we earnestly desire to become peacemaking, children of God. Now is the time we should be applying this grace to our lives with all diligence. Now is the time we should be peacemakers in a world of beauty marred by strife. Now is the accepted time – for tomorrow could be too late.
Purpose of Suffering
The process of sorrow and pain and disappointments and grievings, effects the sanctifying, sweetening, ennobling grace upon grace upon grace.
Grace that transforms us body, soul, and spirit into His likeness: That you may be wholly sanctified. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
If you desire to be fruitful... to bestow on others His gentleness and grace; His compassion and mercy; His long-suffering and goodness; His love - you must learn through tribulation and trial.
Purifying Process
But one by one through the purifying process of His sanctifying grace; day by day through the grinding mill-stone of His love; little by little the rough-edged rock is smoothed.
2 Opposing Natures
The more we feed one of these two bitterly opposing natures, the more it grows and develops – and the stronger it becomes the greater its capacity for good or for evil. The new life in Christ, we received at salvation, is the very life of Jesus Christ, that was breathed into us by God’s Spirit, so we could grow in grace and spiritually mature.
New Life in Christ
The new life in Christ should be nurtured, while the old sin nature must be subdued, and though all Christians are positionally sanctified, (set apart unto God), we must also grow in our Christian life to be practically sanctified – and it’s all by grace. Whether we are talking about our sanctified position or the sanctifying process that continues throughout life – our spiritual growth, our growing in grace, our maturing in the faith and the good works that God has prepared for us to do, are ALL by grace.
Lord of Glory
Behold the Lord of glory revealed by Man to men. Yet, His glory is shrouded, and He has no form or majesty that we should look at Him. Behold, He has no beauty that we should desire Him. His exceeding loveliness is veiled before His human brethren. His grace and glory is tempered before human gaze. No man has seen God in His pure essence at any time, except the only begotten Son of His love, Who has unfolded to man… the brightness of God’s glory and Who has demonstrated to us the exact expression of His nature and love.
Witnesses and Watchmen
We are to stand as a witness, to bear witness of the Light. We are to proclaim the Word Who was made flesh, and dwelt among us. We are to point to Jesus the Saviour, Who was full of grace and truth.
The heavenly gate of grace is open wide to whosoever will trust in the name of the only begotten Son of God, for He is the Light of the world and grace has come thru Him.
Light of Christ
The light of Christ has been given to every single man who has entered the world. Not one member of the human race has ever been excluded from God’s gracious gift. Though now crowned with glory and great honour, Jesus tasted death for everyone. By God’s grace alone every man and woman has an opportunity to receive eternal life.
A Free-Will
God in His gracious kindness has endowed every person with volition – a free-will. All can accept God’s grace – but not all members of the human race choose to do so.
Bridge of Faith
In a world, (or in a man), that does not know the Lord Jesus Christ – He cannot reign as king, nor can He impart righteousness to those who do not believe in His name. Condemnation is removed from ALL those that trust in the Lord Jesus Christ – BUT ALL who reject God’s free gift of grace are already condemned – because of unbelief. There is a great divide between the two which can only be bridged by faith.
Chasm of Unbelief
Eternal life is one of many gifts that’s bestowed on all who believe in God’s Son, BUT ALL who reject the gift of grace are eternally separated from God – due to unbelief. There is a huge chasm between the two – which can only be crossed by faith.
No-one is condemned because of their sin, because Christ died for the sins of ALL. Those who don’t trust in Christ’s work on the cross have chosen to exclude themselves from the free gift of grace, that has been offered to them by their Creator God.
Eternal Life
This is eternal life that they might know Thee – the only true God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent. It is that simple, and yet how many reject God’s grace. The shocking reason that men turn their back on God’s free and gracious gift of salvation is wrapped up in the notion that man can produce his own righteousness.
Christ’s righteousness comes from GRACE and is the ministration of LIFE.
Eternal life is the gift of God to all who believe – and grace upon grace is our portion.
Although Christ died for the sin of the whole world, not every member of the human race partakes of the amazing grace of God... simply because they do not believe in Him.
Grace and Truth
Grace and truth came to the world, for Christ died for the sin of the whole world, so that every man has been forgiven of their sins.
Clear Gospel
The Lord has made the gospel of grace effortless, very easy, and very accessible.
God made His gospel simple and clear – believe on the Lord Jesus OR remain condemned. The redemption message is clear – salvation is of grace… through Christ Jesus..
Grace of God
Let us carefully consider the immensity of the grace of God towards all who believe. Let us never take for granted the enormity of the life we have received – by grace.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
John and Romans
The two books of the Bible considered as the clearest and best explanation on how to be saved, are to be found in the gospel of John – and in Paul’s epistle the Romans. Both men, in their own unique writing style and language, explain that God’s gift of saving grace for all men, is simply by believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. John says that grace came through Christ and whoever believes on Him will be saved. Paul reminds us that salvation comes through faith alone – that it might be of grace. But one issue confuses and confounds many people – the issue of repentance.
By Believing
John wrote his gospel so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – and that by believing we might have life, but he NEVER uses the word ‘repentance’. Paul in his letter to the Romans gives step-by-step instructions on how we are justified, sanctified and glorified by grace, through faith – but only uses the word ‘repentance’ a couple of times..
Integral Not Additional
If John and Paul clearly teach that salvation is the gift of God’s grace alone, by faith in Christ how can we reconcile the issue of repentance.
Grace Thru Faith
John and Paul taught that salvation is by God’s grace alone – through faith alone.
a change of attitude – a change of heart. An integral part of scriptural repentance must include believing on the Lord Jesus… salvation – a gift of God – by grace alone – through faith alone.
Work of Christ
If we don’t repent or change our mind – we remain dead in our trespasses and sins. When we do repent or change our mind about God’s free gift of grace, that is offered to all sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins we are born again.. and the Holy Spirit places us in Christ as part of God’s family – FOREVER. Let us never add to the amazing work of Christ on the cross when by His blood alone He paid the price for your sins and mine. But rather let us simply accept God’s free gift of grace – by faith alone.
Humility of Heart
In Hebrews the words ‘chastening’ and ‘child-training’ have deep roots.. ‘Chastening’ and ‘child-training’ have roots – deep in HUMILITY. Humility of heart is the Grace that graces all graces when chastening is concerned.
Humility is born from the Supreme Good – LOVE. Humility is the Garment of Grace. Humility is the Adornment of the Heart. Humility requires us to submit to the Spirit to search out our Secret Sins.
Humility knows it is dependent upon grace for all knowing and believing.
Non-Meritus
Salvation is the gifts of God’s grace to man and is accessed by believing His Word.
Faith has no room for human worthiness – but is based on Christ’s righteousness. It is not faith that merits salvation – but faith that gains access to God’s gift of grace.
By His grace and mercy, our will becomes the Father's will when we choose the Saviour.
On the human side, man is conscious of doing only what he actually does: he chooses as an act of his own volition to receive the grace God offers in Christ Jesus.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.Galatians 3:26
These people believed the gospel of grace for their salvation and then returned to the old way of legalism.
Now this truth from God is a simple fact of our Christian life, but sadly many Christian revert to the old ways of the law – saved by grace through faith but living under law.
Justified by grace through faith but trying to be sanctified under the law.
Never forget the privileges of son-ship only come the “grace-faith-promise” way and cannot be acquired the “law-works-merit” way.
May we continue to build and be built, until we all come to unity in the faith. May we be fitly framed together – speaking the truth in love as we grow in grace. May we walk in humility and gentleness, patience and love.
Together we help the other parts grow, and edify the saints of God ,that are His – so that the whole body is healthy, maturing in grace and growing in His love.
Inflated egos that exchanged Christ garments of humility and grace – with hypocrisy.
Unity of the Spirit
We have the indwelling Spirit of wisdom and grace – the Spirit of power and love.
We have the fruitful Spirit of goodness and grace – of truth, of power, and of UNITY.
It is thus that we learn that the Spirit who has renewed our spirit must also sustain our new life; that we depend entirely on divine grace and strength, not merely to bring us to the Lord Jesus, but to keep us abiding in Him where He is.” -A.M.
Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. (John 1:16)
We only come there by the way of discipline - discipline which takes the form of bringing us to an utter dependence, but which is yet not an emptying and a breaking down as an end in itself, but one which is accompanied by that grace of God - that graciousness of God - which, when we are empty, makes His fullness to abound.
The Church
God wanted to show forth His glory and grace to the world – through His chosen people, but Israel failed and was set aside for a time – for God must continue all He planned, and the Church has now been raised up to demonstrate the grace and glory of God.
Israel Restored
Israel was called and chosen and sadly they failed – but in His love and grace, Israel will be restored to her earthly calling as God’s people.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
in this world we will have tribulations but be of good cheer, He says, I have overcome the world.John 16:33
Salvation by grace through faith is certainly the most wonderful news that any sinner can be told but the Christian life is not an easy path to tread and all too frequently suffering and pain comes in its wake.
When suffering is a consequence of our own sin – we should go immediately, boldly and yet humbly to the throne of grace and confess our faults, knowing that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, to cleanse us of our unrighteousness and to return us into fellowship with Himself.
Reflecting Christ
And the more we gaze on His beauty and grace, the more our lives reflect Him.
The more we rest in His love, the more we discover His grace is sufficient.
Everything we need to live a Christocentric life is found exclusively in Christ, and we have been given the heavenly riches of God’s grace for we are in Christ.
When we abide in Christ, we have simply appropriated the riches of God’s grace – and the end result is a simple, beautiful, purposeful life that keeps Jesus central.
Both have been given the heavenly riches of God’s grace, for BOTH are in Christ.
It is the Father Who anointed us with grace upon grace and blessings upon blessing.
God’s Justice
God in His justice purposed that sin must be punished and the wages of sin is death. But God in His grace so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, to die... so that Christ would identify with man and become the propitiation for our sins – so that all Who believed on His name would not perish but have everlasting life.
God’s Grace
And so God, in Himself, knew before time.. the choice every man would make.
God in His grace chose us and in His grace sought us and in His grace He saved us. And God in His grace placed us IN CHRIST, that we should be holy for He is holy,
One With Christ
God in His grace has united us together as one – with Christ Jesus.
He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin. 1Corinthians 1:30 God in His grace chose us to be in union with Christ and in fellowship with Himself – not because of our own merit but by His amazing and eternal grace, and God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him – in love.
Eternal Redeemer
What grace that God should send His only begotten Son to become our Redeemer. What grace that the eternal Son of God should set aside His deity to be born as man and clothe Himself in human flesh..
High Priest
And there is even MORE- Jesus had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of His people. What grace that God should send His only begotten Son to be our kinsman-redeemer. What grace that the eternal Son of God should set aside His deity to be born as man and clothe Himself in human flesh – so that we could be redeemed by His blood.
Gift of Grace
We don’t deserve His forgiveness or salvation, but it is His gift of grace to us..
The legalism of the Jews was placed alongside Paul’s pure gospel of God’s grace and as a result, many were being sucked back into slavery under legalistic demands.
Microscope of Grace
Let us allow the truth of God to deal with our whole spirit, soul, as day by day we replace ourselves under His microscopic gaze of grace.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDYProduct of Saving Faith
Living by faith is a foundational fact of the Christian dispensation, and that means that we just believe what God has said in His Word, for we live by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 3:7 Accepting that we are 'accepted in the Beloved', is another fact of this Church age.
and we can rebel or we can submit. We can remain a babe in Christ – OR we can mature in the faith. We can get stuck feeding on the milk of the word – OR we can start to eat strong meat. We can grieve and quench the Spirit’s work in our lives – OR we can grow in grace. All these are vital principles of the Christian life – and all these truths are foundational gospel facts and Jesus is coming back very soon – are you ready?
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report.Hebrews 11:1-2
And you are complete in Him, and of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the grace of the Father – for it pleased Him that in Christ, all fullness should dwell. “Consider” the place of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the esteem of the Father.
“My Father and your Father – My God and your God.” And of such fullness, we are made partakers, by the infinite grace of God..
Forgiven by the Lord
The gentle handmaiden of the Lord is in equal need of His grace and forgiveness, but once forgiveness is bestowed, ALL condemnation is eternally removed, forever: for there is therefore now NO condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
How do we KNOW that she was humble of heart? Well, God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.
Biblical Truths
Christ died FOR us – He died as our substitute – He paid the full price for all our sins. We died WITH Christ – we are identified with Him – He broke the power of sin in us. Substitutionary truths are linked with our birth from above – we are saved by grace. Identification truths are linked with growth in the Christian life – we grow by grace.
Gift of God
When Christ died as our substitute – it was by grace.
All we had to do was believe. Our identification with Christ is also by grace – and all we have to do is believe it. God has so designed salvation that it had nothing to do with our merit or works.
We are saved by grace, which is the gift of God – and all we do is believe. Our Christian life is also designed such that our works can contribute nothing.
We are to live by grace, as a gift of God – and we simply believe it to be true.
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! May it never be! How shall we who died TO sin still live in sin?Romans 6:1-2
Liberty of the Cross
Paul wants the believer to discover the liberation that he found in the cross of Christ. He longs that Christians truly understand the glory and wonder of God’s grace. Paul was thrilled to explain that all aspects of sin and death are dealt with by the cross. The cross of Christ dealt with both the sins we commit and the sin nature inherited from Adam.
Gates of Grace
The first 7 verses of Romans chapter 6 spell out the significance of being crucified unto sin. This short passage gives a bird's-eye view of a believer’s identification with Christ.
This precious portion of Scripture unfolds the advantages of grace – in logical steps.
And in a series of rhetorical questions, Paul gently guides us through the gates of grace.
Grace Abounds
Paul builds up his case by showing that the Law’s perfection caused sins to increase. Men’s inability to keep the Law demonstrated the amazing grace of our justification, showing that where sin increased, the grace of God abounded all the more.
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound all the more?
Gift of Salvation
Having demonstrated God’s amazing gift of salvation by grace through trusting Christ, Paul paraphrases a question he knows must be lingering in the minds of his listeners, “Shall we keep on sinning so that God’s grace may abound more and more?” Imagine that! Shall we revel in sin so that the grace of God can increase even more!
shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be! How shall we who died TO sin still live in sin?
there are in abundance with all of us, His rich grace abounds over all, and actually takes occasion from our very mistakes to shine out all the more brightly - though, assuredly, the mistakes must produce their own painful and humiliating consequences.
Eternal Root
MERCY and TRUTH meet and are linked together in His eternal embrace. RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE are joined in God’s profound love and grace.
PEACE would rejoice in forgiveness and grace.
Redemptive Grace
The Redemptive Love of God in the Person of His Son has eternally united Judgment and Love – has bound together Mercy and Truth, forever – has enabled Righteousness and Peace to embrace in gracious union.
Law and grace is inevitably distorted, without dispensational understanding.
Character of God
Doctrinal breaches explode into estrangements in the body of Christ. Legalistic thinking is adopted, which causes a gross distortion of the grace of God, but worst of all God’s character is distorted and twisted perceptions of Him abound – even the word 'dispensation' has itself fragmented into various conflicting meanings.
It gives great insight into the panoramic unfolding of God’s grace towards humanity.
called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me (Gal. 1:15, 16).
“Christians in the main groan and strive and struggle largely on the basis of human effort where the grace of God, though acknowledged, is scarcely operative-only to come to grief.
Be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:7, ASV).
And we are in union with Christ – for we are saved by grace through faith in Him. We have entered a glorious state and are seated in heavenly places – in Christ, and the present work of the Spirit in us, is to conform us into the likeness of Christ.
Paul’s Teachings
Paul outlined in great detail these glorious positional truths to encourage our hearts. His desire was that we are united in love and understand the riches of God’s grace. He longed that we have complete assurance of the mystery of God – namely Christ: in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3 Paul’s epistles certainly are overflowing with much to rejoice our heart, but he also gives us some severe warnings, which encourage spiritual alertness.
Enemy’s Tactics
Our position is safe and secure – it is eternal and affords the riches of God’s grace, but we should not be complacent about the many dangers that stalk our path. We need to be aware of the many ways that the enemy desires to destabilise our faith. We should be aware that the enemy’s ploys to undermine the truth of our acceptance.
Spiritual Maturity
We are exhorted on many occasions to be maturely established in the faith. We are encouraged to press on to the high calling of Christ. We are entreated to gain spiritual perception and godly discernment. We are enjoined to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
His word is explicit as to how to spiritually mature and grow in grace.
Fruit of Christ
The natural life with its many preponderances must be laid underneath His grace. The self-life must die, so that our soul may be purged and sweetened in His... until its temperament, disposition and constitution is transformed into His likeness..
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
God’s Principle
Bring up a child in the way he should go…is God’s principle for His own children.
He knows that only as His children submit to His leading will they be truly content, for He knows that only as our 'Jehovah Jirah', will our needs be satiated – only as He is our soul Supplier – our sole Provider will we grow in grace.
It is only as we discover our need of His work – and will in us, will we grow. It is only then that we will grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, for without Christ we can do nothing John.15:5, but I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.
Early Life
In the first flush of the Christian journey, the saved saint rejoices in God his Saviour, and God’s grace is experienced as prayers are answered and love starts to bud. And the believer’s early path becomes a way of joyful expectation and euphoric bliss..
others are told of the gospel of grace and others find rest in the same God of our salvation.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.John 5:24
Scriptural Harmony
The harmony in Scripture on the issue of eternal security is truly beautiful to behold, but when salvation passages for the unbeliever are confused with those on growing in grace and spiritual maturity, confusion is inevitable.
Prejudices on this issue can be summed with words like legalism, a distortion of the gospel of grace, carnality, and ignorance of dispensationalism.
Second Man
Just as sin entered the world through the disobedience of one man, and death came through sin, causing condemnation and separation from God to be the inherited status of all people – so also redemption came to the world through the obedience of one Man, resulting in the forgiveness of sins for all humanity – and light and life and hope and peace and renewed fellowship with the Father – to ALL who would believe on His name. It was divine grace that provided a second Adam to redeem the fallen race of man.
God sets me in nearness to Himself in the Lord Jesus; and as I learn my nearness to Him, I am prepared for the exposure of my natural distance from Him, and I am, through grace, morally apart and sheltered from it (Rom. 8:9), at the very moment when I see it.
forever separated – separated from the love and grace of God. They became powerless Satan-enslaved, conscience-smitten..
through the manifold wisdom of God. Creation alone would never have brought out the nature and character of God. There was infinitely more than the power and the wisdom reflected in creation. There was LOVE, MERCY, PATIENCE, TENDERNESS and GENTLENESS. There was HOLINESS, GOODNESS, GRACE and LONG-SUFFERING.
Identified With Christ
God’s gracious heart of love gave His only begotten and dearly beloved Son for us. God’s bountiful gift of grace provides a way for us to be clothed in His righteousness.
Perfect Pardon
God’s holy character and generous grace have secured for us His perfect pardon.
If we have committed ourselves to God thoroughly and really meant with the Lord that we want His full will and we do not want our own, and by His grace we will go the way that He leads and shows, whatever it costs, if we have done that and then situations have arisen which look terribly complicated and seem to contradict the faithfulness of God, what am I to conclude?
Growing In Grace - STUDY
But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.job 23:10
Divine Purpose
Paul had to come to realise that behind intense suffering, was as a divine purpose and Paul led the way for us all to understand that, My grace is sufficient.
In His grace, God knew that suffering would develop and mature Paul’s faith, which is more precious than gold in God’s sight.
God desires each of us to mature in the faith for our sufferings and trials are but for a moment – and He gives us His all-sufficient grace for all our needs.
Faith is tested in the smelting fires of trials, as the temperature of the fires are heated seven times hotter, and yet it is God Who gives us the grace to stand fast in the day of trouble.
As grace is poured out upon grace, so faith increases as a believer grows in grace and matures in the faith.
For it is God Who provides the sufficient grace to meet the accumulated pressure of life – and when we have been tried and tested, we will come forth as pure gold if we do not give up.
And the epistles of Paul, Peter and John guide us through the labyrinth of life, reminding us that in all things we are more than conquerors through Christ, Who loves us and gives us His sufficient grace for every challenge we may meet.
Church-Age Truth
The mysteries of the Church as the body and bride of Jesus Christ came from Paul. The necessity of grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone were all from Paul’s pen. The task of unveiling many church-age mysteries were also entrusted to this apostle.
Scripture Truths
In Galatians 5:6 we read that: in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.. while in Romans 5:16 we read: therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace.
Faith the essential key – the key to unlock our hearts to His grace.
We are saved by grace..
God’s wonderful grace – but it is through faith.
Yes, faith is the key to unlock our hearts to growing in grace.
God’s Grace
Faith does not shrink back through a furtive imagination or unfounded worry.
believing is the key to unlock our hearts to His love and His grace.
Men and Women of Faith
Those that chose to trust Him and believe His word became men and women of faith and they, like Job, found His grace to be sufficient and His character to be true.
Job 1:15 – until like Paul we can say…His grace is sufficient for me.
Grace and Truth
How we love to see the best in others – to overlook their flaws and weaknesses. How we want to excuse their little foibles and disregard their faults and failings.
Throughout scripture we hear the same melodious tones of grace and mercy..
to live with Him in the eternal ages that are to follow: That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church (that is through you) to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Keys of Death
It is because He can say with authority and grace:- I am He that lives and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and hell.
Free Gift of Grace
God’s wrath and condemnation for the sin of the world was poured out on Christ. All that man has to do to receive this free gift of grace is to believe on Jesus Christ – simply believing puts us in union with Christ and places us into the family of God.
Access to God
From the moment of our rebirth, we have direct access to the Father’s throne of grace.
the cross dealt with forgiveness of sin – but confession restores communion. When we discover we are out of fellowship with God we need to confess our sins. When we realise we’ve sinned we need to go straight to the throne of grace and confess – and when we do we are restored into loving fellowship with our heavenly Father.
The grace, faithfulness and justice of God forgave all your sin at the cross.
The grace, faithfulness and justice of God cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Let us fly to the throne of grace the moment we find we have sinned against God – and find grace to restore and help us in time of need.
The Offer of Peace
Only a few short hours before, grace and truth flowed from His lips.
He had uttered some of the most astonishing words from the cross; His Precious Pardon, Forgive to His malicious persecutors; His Promise of Paradise – Today, to His penitent co-convict; His Amazing Love – Provision, to the woman who bore Him; His Anguished Outcry – MY GOD, as He was made sin for humanity; His Final Offer of Grace - I Thirst..
In His eternity, He planned that man would share eternal life on the basis of His grace.
Free Gift of Grace
God alone knows the end from the beginning for He alone is omniscient. Omniscience is beyond our understanding but omniscience is an attribute of God.
God foreknows the free-will choices that every man will ever make, and God will never coerce or override man’s volition regarding his choices. Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace to whosoever will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Until we can accept how terrible sin is and its shocking and deadly consequences we can’t begin to appreciate or comprehend God’s amazing redemptive grace.
Grace of God
When we see sin as it truly is we begin to understand what God’s grace is., for now, in union with the Christ Jesus, we who once were far away have been brought near, by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Every unbeliever has a choice – to accept or reject God’s free gift of deliverance, and all who reject salvation by grace through faith in Christ, are condemned.
Every believer made the right choice – to accept God’s free gift of deliverance, for only those that trust Christ for salvation, by grace through faith, are saved.
But by His grace, God created a perfect plan to satisfy His righteous justice.
Too few realize that their death on the Cross separated them from the entire principle of law, and that their resurrection united them to the Lord Jesus, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
The law was applied to the natural man, that he might produce; grace is given to the spiritual man, that He might produce.Almost every believer makes the same mistake as the Galatian Christians.
If we are born into the Lord Jesus by sheer grace, surely He can manifest Himself in us on the same principle.
The idea many have of grace is that their conversion and pardon are God's work, but that now, in gratitude to Him, it is their work to live as Christians.
For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace (Heb. 13:9).
Thorough and intelligent establishment in the principle of grace concerning one's justification (re-birth) is the necessary footing for reliance upon the same principle for one's sanctification (growth).
And thus alone will we really honor the grace of God. -W.R.N.
The elder brother in Luke 15 did not object to his brother being forgiven, but it was unwelcome to him to see the wonderful excess of grace bestowed on him by the Father.
No; for this there is indeed needed very special grace.
And the way in which the grace comes is again that of sacrifice and surrender.
When He has accepted them, and set His stamp upon them, we receive them back, to hold them as His property, to wait on Him for the grace to daily use them aright, and to have them act only under His influence. -A.M.
Natural Man
Natural man is incapable of any spiritual intercourse with the Spirit of God. This is a law that God dictated and God has His one way – His only Way; His only Truth; His only Life. Divine life imparted to a born-again soul is essential for communion with God. Divine life, (the free unmerited gift of grace from God) is the only uniting bridge.
if that unbridgeable gap is to be crossed – if the immeasurable gulf is to be spanned. But this first step to God is often halted a few steps down the path on the new-creation, and the spiritual newborn is halted in his spiritual life and spiritual growth. For just as the first requirement for the free unmerited gift of grace was by faith.. so too the ongoing wilderness walk through the plains and pains of this earthly life.
Grace of God
Pouring into the hearts of those that love Him - His own sweet spirit of gentleness and grace.
Image of God
This Lord Jesus Christ is the very image of the invisible, indivisible God. This Lord Jesus Christ is the effulgence of God’s glory and grace and love. This same Lord Jesus Christ searched me out to bestow on me the unimaginable. He lifted me up out of the miry clay and seated me with Himself in the heavenlies.
Supply of Grace
His primary provision is His grace in providing against the coming judgment, for the wages of sin is death – but God provided us with the gift of life – life to all who believe in Him.
And He called us as examples of His grace to the heavenly powers throughout eternity!
Gracious Benefaction
But God’s benefaction and His gracious provision to us covers more – so much more, for we are called by Him to be His children and to grow in grace, in Him.
It needs patient endurance, even when I feel I am a failure or unimportant and it needs an understanding that the gracious gifts of our heavenly Benefactor are not of this world. And though He will certainly supply all our needs here and now, according to the riches of His grace, God is working with eternity in view.
You pride yourself, that the depth of your faults exceeds the height of His grace.
Sufficient Grace
What of that noblest of all suffering?
You have a reward in time and in eternity. You will reign with Him in His kingdom in time (ruling with a rod of iron) but you will also be with Him for eternity (as an example in the ages to come of His astonishing grace.) Whatever the cause of your earthly sorrow – healing and peace comes from Him.
Spirit of purity and grace,Our weakness, pitying, see.O make our hearts Thy dwelling placeAnd worthier Thee.
It has often been said that inside the heart of every man is a God-shaped hole – a void that He in His grace secured within – a vacuum that He alone can fill..
O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,Whose robe is the light, Whose canopy space.His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
Study - GOD, All I Need
Multifaceted Grace
Faith is a multifaceted gift of grace – and each is given a measure of faith. God is both the Founder of my faith and the Finisher of my faith.
Virtuous Grace
Faith is simply trusting in God, by means of the faith that He has bestowed on me.
Pleasing Grace
In this world, physical senses hold so much sway, yet we must live by faith, not by sight.
Developing Grace
'But how do you exercise your faith', I hear you say.
A Maturing Grace
It is only as I am prepared to decrease and allow the Lord to increase in my life, that faith in self will be gradually replaced by faith in Christ – and the faith in which I live..
Study - GOD, All I Need
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession… for we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14
He gives clear views of God’s power, wisdom, and grace to relieve us and He stirs up that confidence in His truth which excludes all wavering.
A Precious Grace
How dearly must I hold fast to all such tokens of His love for me – especially during those times of difficulty, temptation, discouragement, and pain.
Eternal supply
Intimacy with our Saviour and Lord, is the most precious grace He has given us, for He is the well-spring of our life, both physical and spiritual.
The youngest Prime Minister of Great Britain retired at the age of 34 – but patience, is a grace that only develops through the gruelling school of life – and it’s only perfected as I become increasingly transformed into HIS likeness.
He will answer such pleas from all who desire to perfect this grace in themselves – and He knows just what to do.
Sin in all its ugly shades of black darkness, hangs shroud-like over humanity’s head – but thanks be to God, that in His grace, He has given the way to bring us back to Himself – through the blood of Christ – (incarnate God and perfect Man)
Grace is indeed a free gift, but at what tremendous cost.
Come unto me, ye weary,And I will give you rest.O blessed voice of Jesus,Which comes to hearts oppressed.It tells of benediction-Of pardon, grace, and peace,Of joy that hath no ending,Of love that cannot cease.
Yet in his wisdom, Paul admonishes us that:- bodily “exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things. 1 Timothy 4:8 And in the leading of the Spirit, he again reminds us – My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Run the straight race through God’s good grace,Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;Life with its way before us lies,Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.
The dictionary definition of ’tranquillity’ is quietness, peace, rest, ease and security – and how deeply the hurting heart desires this grace that God alone can provide.
Still Small Voice
Tranquility is a sister of Peace, and tranquility kisses the grace of gentleness.
you will lose your life (you will lose your soul) Luke.17:33 Should a believer choose the broad way, he would be eternally saved, for eternal salvation is the free gift of grace to all who trust in Jesus as Saviour… eternally saved but choosing to live your own self-life and not His Christ-life.
Eternal One
Mercy and Truth meet and are linked together in His eternal embrace. Righteousness and Peace are joined in God’s profound Love and Grace. Mercy is disposed to Clemency and Pardon. Truth is linked with Justice and Punishment.
Peace would rejoice in Forgiveness and Grace – all have their roots in the Love, Tenderness, and Intimacy of the Eternal One.
ow apply the truth in your heart, and the truth will set you free. Rid your long-developed, mistaken perception of a split-personality God. The Old being one of aggressive justice and fierce, ferocious judgment – the New being one of gentle grace that hardly knows how to say ‘boo’ to a goose. You misrepresent your God. You speak falsely of your Lord and Saviour. You do not understand the yearning father-heart of your Father in Heaven.
This hope in the coming of Christ cleanses the soul of the sinner saved by grace.
Godly Instructions
And in Romans 12, Paul tells us how to live:- we being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another – having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering.
to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the BelovedEphesians 1:6
His Very Own
His very own, His very own,Wonderful grace in His Word is made known,Chosen by the Father,Purchased by the Son,Sealed by the Spirit, I’m His very own.
Story of Grace
Oh!
the riches of His grace - the wonders of His grace - the glories of His grace. We are recipients of the wonderful story of grace conceived in the heart of the Father. We were foreknown to the Father before the world was created and man was made.
Adoption as Sons
Through His love He predestined us to adoption as sons, through Jesus Christ.. and He did this according to His kind intention and gracious will – and He did this to the ultimate praise of the glory of His grace. Oh!
the riches of His grace - the wonders of His grace - the glories of His grace.
Work of Christ
God’s grace is founded on the work of Christ, the Son of God Who is God the Son, for His plan has provided redemption and purchased us from the penalty of sin.
All this is to the praise of His gracious glory and His glorious grace.
So that in ages to come we might manifest the riches, wonder, and glory of His grace.
the riches of His grace - the wonders of His grace - the glories of His grace.
Grace Upon Grace
Our sins are forgiven and we’re made alive – quickened into new and abundant life, and the supernatural grace of sanctifying grace cascades into God’s glorifying grace.
The surpassing riches of His bountiful grace are free, forever and in union with Him.
At the core of our faith beats God’s heart of grace that showers grace upon more grace.
His Creative Hand
We are the workmanship of His creative hand, and His grace is our great enabler.
We are the creative and skilful product of His sweet and loving intention towards us and His grace enlightens our mind, strengthens the will, and rejoices our inner being.
Our triumphant testimony is to resound with praises to the glory of His grace.
We are recipients of the greatest love story of the universe – and it is all by grace.
Oh, the riches of His grace: the wonder of His grace: the glory of God’s grace.
Depth of His Grace
Oh, that we and all believers might grasp, understand the depth of His grace. Oh, that we and all who are His body and bride might live to His glory and praise..
Thankful Praise
We are the recipients of the wonderful story of grace conceived in the Father’s heart.
the riches of His grace - the wonders of His grace - the glories of His grace,
In union with Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sin, according to the riches of God’s grace.Ephesians 1:7
But we can have redemption thru His blood according to the riches of God’s grace.
Cost of Redemption
Sometimes we overlook the enormous significance of salvation and its cost to God. But redemption and the forgiveness of sins are according to the riches of His grace.
Full Salvation
But because of the riches of God’s grace, we have redemption in all its many facets.
Because of the riches of God’s grace, we have salvation of the spirit, soul, and body.
All the riches of redemptive grace are uniquely united with the forgiveness of sins – for a holy God can’t look at sin... but as forgiven sinners, we are united with His Son.
Vital Trigger
This is a mystery that is beyond the comprehension of our limited understanding, for forgiveness is the vital trigger from which explodes the riches of God’s grace.
Riches of God’s Grace
But why would God allow His dearly beloved Son to be treated so cruelly and suffer?
It was according to the riches of God’s grace – for we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our offences, according to the riches of God’s grace.
and yet, by God’s grace, we have been called according to His greater plan.. (and incidentally..
although in His grace He has included us in His greater purpose.
Jesus Christ is the centre of the eternal purposes of God, and in His grace, we have been called according to that incredible, infinite, eternal, glorious plan.
Yes and Amen
In the meantime, in His grace – let us rest on the precious promises of God knowing they are all ‘yes’, and ‘amen’ in Christ – knowing that all things work together for good to those that love God..
Law of Life
The idea of flesh born of flesh and spirit born of God’s Spirit was inconceivable! The old law of death was having to be set aside and replaced with the new law of life God’s perfect Law was to be superseded by His perfect grace – which came by Christ.
Biased Perceptions
His fatherhood is often debased by the experiences of an imperfect earthly father. His steadfastness is frequently disbelieved – by the betrayal of spouse or friend. His commands are repeatedly translated into the demands of an imperfect Church. His grace is often belittled; His love often spurned; His gift treated with contempt – all because..
Planned Redemption
He knew man would choose to violate the sacred position to which he was called – and yet in His grace, God still chose to make man in His own image and likeness.
Tasted Death for ALL
By God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for ALL – every member of the fallen race of man, And as part of God’s plan to bring many sons to glory – God made Jesus (Who was made perfect through what He suffered) the leader and pioneer of our salvation.
God’s Peace
Yet Peace with God is a free gift of grace that is freely available to all who will put their trust in Christ for Salvation.
Peace is found at the foot of the cross, for peace is in a Person – and that Person is Christ Jesus, our perfect Prince of Peace. The peace of God is also a gift of grace that is freely available to every believer who has learned to walk the pathway of peace – for the peace of God which passes understanding floods into the hearts of all God’s children, whose mind is stayed on Him.
Eternal Plan
At first, we were called out of darkness into His glorious light. We were called out from the bondage of sin and death into the freedom of God’s Son, and throughout this life, we are witnesses to the amazing grace of God – and throughout this life we are being trained to carry out our part in God’s eternal plan.
Kinsman-Redeemer
But holy angels were not in need of a Saviour for they had not sinned, and fallen angels were not the subject of God’s grace, for man alone was made in the image and likeness of God so that God, in the person of Christ could be made in the likeness of human flesh. Christ did not take on the nature of angels nor was He made in their image or likeness.
Great Salvation
The Salvation that is given as a free gift of grace to all Who trust in the name of God’s only begotten Son, is a great Salvation that was given to man by God; announced to the world by angelic beings; confirmed by all Who heard and received the glorious gospel of Christ and recorded for our learning – to guide us into all truth and to give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
And James reminds us that it is the righteous man that availeth much. But a servant can be under the blood, and a recipient of His mercy and grace but can have God oppose Him and frustrate His prayers, when in wrong standing.
God’s Grace
We think more bible-reading, prayer, financial giving or good works will gain us blessings, but somehow it seems to conflict with all that we understand about God’s grace.
Pursue Holiness
To try to sanctify ourselves ends up as ‘works of the flesh’ produced by our sin nature. It is by grace that we are sanctified, as we submit to the work of the Spirit within.
Rest in Christ
But how can striving towards godliness harmonise with the Spirit’s work in us? How can the diligent pursuit of sanctification be compatible with resting in Christ? How can striving towards holiness be rooted and grounded in the passivity of grace?
The earnest pursuit of holiness seems to be at odds with 'letting go and letting God'.. but unless our striving and pursuit of holiness is anchored in His grace, we will fail.
The pursuit of holiness is only achievable if secured by God’s transforming grace.
If love is not the stimulus for godly living, we will fall into the mindset of the world – for we love Him because He first loved us and saved us by His grace.
Riches of His Grace
When we begin to understand that grace is bigger than the total sum of our sins, the love of God will constrain us towards the diligent pursuit of sanctification.
When we start to realise that grace is vaster than the weight of our good works, the love of Christ will constrain us towards striving to a godly way of living.
When we comprehend that depth of the riches of His grace towards us, the love of Christ will constrain us towards the earnest pursuit of holiness... and so we will prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God..
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.John 1:17
Face of Christ
The Law was indeed given to Israel through Moses, but the unfailing love of God and His everlasting faithfulness is seen reflected in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. The beauty of grace and truth is contrasted with the stark reality of the Mosaic Law, for the Law was given by Moses – but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Sparkling Jewels
The sparkling glory of the combined elements of grace and truth shimmer like two precious jewels – in stark contradistinction, with the dark backcloth of the Law.
The Cross
But God in His love and mercy sent grace and truth through the incarnate Word.. so that all that believe in His name would not perish – but have everlasting life. The expression of God’s grace is seen in the gift of His Son and His work on the cross, so that by believing on the person of Jesus Christ we may have life in His name.
God’s Grace
Just as sin ruled over all people and brought them death – so the marvellous grace of God now rules instead, giving us right-standing with God and resulting in eternal life – through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Law requires works, which could never reach the perfection required of God.
but grace and truth has come to us all through the lovely Lord Jesus Christ, so that by simply trusting in the name of Christ Jesus we might be given life – through His name.
Christ’s Name
All that Christ is and all that Christ has done is reflected in the beauty of His name. All that’s of grace, that’s been given to man – is on account of the merit of Jesus – for the Law was given by Moses – but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Gaping Gulf
The contrast between the pre-eminence of the Son of God with Moses, the friend of God is as gaping a gulf as the supreme excellence of grace and truth over the Law.
The immeasurable disparity between the infinite Creator with His finite creature is a measure of the inestimable supremacy of grace and truth over the perfect Law of God.
Truth + Grace
The Law of Moses, though perfect was given to man through a fallen member of a sinful race. Grace and truth, was the gift of God to condemned sinners, thru Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace without truth – would have rendered the righteousness of God as void. Truth without grace – would have rendered the salvation of man as impossible.
Love of God
What manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that He should shower on sinful man the grace and favour that we do not deserve and cannot earn- but in His perfect life the Incarnate Word of God, in His sinless body on the tree, met all the righteous requirements of the Law – to free us from condemnation so that we might have LIFE. The law indeed was given to Israel through Moses, but the unfailing love of God and His everlasting and faithfulness - is only seen in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Grace Through Faith
For by grace are ye saved.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; – i.e.by means of exercising trust.
For by grace are ye saved, and that not of yourselves. For by grace are ye saved, it is the gift of God.Ephesians 2:8
Faith in What
I guess we are saved by grace.
For by grace are ye saved through faith in Him (trusting in Christ Jesus – with no add-ons) and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Grace Alone
Scripture was written nearly 2000 years ago.
Almost without exception, you will discover some little “add-on” to grace.
If there is the slightest addition to grace, it fails to be by grace alone.
“Add-Ons” To Grace
Some additions to grace are easily discernible: “you must believe and……x.y.z”.
Some adjuncts are clearly related to grace + works, which is not grace but law.
Distortion of Scripture
One problem with a wrong understanding of grace is a distortion of Scripture.
The word of God is from God, and His word is truth and life. God’s method of grace as written in Scripture is perfect, but grace is frequently distorted by man’s interpretation. God’s character as outlined in Scripture is perfect, but God’s character is frequently distorted by man’s interpretation.
Understanding of Grace
Our understanding of grace will influence the way that we live our lives and our perceptions of God’s character will determine our conduct. If our understanding of grace is incorrect, so will be how we perceive God.
If our perception of God’s character is wrong, so also how we understand grace. How vital that we take time to come to the correct understanding of grace.
We need to identify any false perceptions we may have built up in our thinking if we’re to get back to true biblical teaching on grace and God’s character.
Influence in Life
Our concept of God and the idea of grace will always influence how we live.
A believer living in worldly carnality hasn’t understood God’s grace.
For by grace are ye saved it’s the gift of God:.
Maybe he fears that God has a big stick to beat him. But by grace are ye saved, it is the gift of God. Our concept of God and idea of grace will always influence how we live.
Correct Concept
How important to have a correct concept of God, and His marvellous grace. The correct concept of God is clearly defined in scripture.
The correct concept of grace is clearly outlined in God’s holy word. Exegesis and explanation can range from the excellent to the abysmal, but all have their imperfections and the result is a plethora of denominations with their own pet doctrine and exposition.
Search the Scriptures
Almost without exception you will discover some little ‘add-on” to grace, deceiving many into a life of fear; works; legalism.
grace PLUS.
The consequence is generations of Christians that have a distorted view of God, but God’s grace and His character is clearly laid out in Scripture and we need to believe what Scripture says.
We need to search the Scriptures to really find what is said about grace.
The God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect (mature), establish, strengthen, settle you (1 Pet. 5:10).
But when we begin to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, we are able to face up to the awful facts concerning the old man and his condemnation at the Cross.
But He graciously leads us by a circuitous route, in order that our apprehension of His grace may keep pace with our growing self-knowledge. -C.H.M.
Showers of GraceGrace, grace and more grace is what is showered on all that believe in Jesus Christ. Grace for salvation, grace for this life, grace to mature, grace in the ages to come.
We should understand that all grace emanates from the infinite goodness of God.
We should appreciate that grace affects and influences every part of our lives.
Benefits of Grace
We should recognise that grace gives solidity, steadiness, strength, security, and safety.
We should know that it is God’s grace that imparts peace and hope and removes all fear.
We are been imparted with the fullness of God’s grace – in time and into eternity, for we have all received one gracious blessing after another: the fullness of His grace from His abundance. John 1:16
Saving Grace
Oh, it is natural and right that we glorify in the abundance of God’s saving grace.
It was grace that picked us up out of the world and by grace paid the awful debt we owe..
for by such grace you have been saved through faith, this does not come from you; it is the gift of God.
Continuing Grace
Too often we limit the grace of God to salvation from the penalty of sin – alone. We often forget that salvation was the start of our eternal journey and not the end, for grace is poured out throughout life and grace continues into the ages to come.
Freedom of Grace
We are saved from the penalty of sin, which is death – eternal separation from God. But we are also saved from the destructive and enslaving power of sin in our lives: for sin shall no longer be master over you and have dominion over you..
for ye are not under the restrictions of law, but under the freedom of grace.
Provision of Grace
God’s provision of grace is given in love and breaks the power of cancelled sin. Grace sets us free to live and move and have our being – living and working in Him.
Once we are saved into God’s family He bestows even more grace upon grace.
Sufficient GraceGrace and truth came through the Lord Jesus – as does love, joy, peace, and hope, and we have access to all the grace of Christ..
His grace is sufficient to deal with every situation and circumstance of life.
His grace is available for every eventuality that seeks to overwhelm us in life.
Accessing Grace
Paul found the key to accessing God’s grace in all the twists and turns of his life.
Paul tapped into the abundant supply of God’s sufficient grace, which is in Christ.
Paul discovered that in his labour for the Lord – his supply of grace was sufficient: It is by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace to me was not ineffective.
Instead, I worked harder than all the others—not I, of course, but God’s grace that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10
Grace Alone
Paul knew that it was only by God’s grace that he’d been regenerated and made new.
It was His grace alone that called, sanctified, justified, pardoned, and adopted him.
And he knew that his office as an apostle of Christ and minister of God was all by grace.
Eternal Grace
He knew his eternal abundance of life was not due to his own merit or hard toil..
it was by the free, undeserved favour and sovereign riches of God’s grace alone. And so it is with us, for it is all of grace – the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Riches of Grace
When we labour for Him in love, God’s grace is all we need – grace working within, for it is God that works in us to will and to do to His glory – God’s in-working grace.
It is God’s grace that saves; God’s grace that sustains; God’s grace that secures... for the immeasurable, inexhaustible riches of God’s grace extend throughout eternity.
Wonderful Grace
One day we will go to be with the Lord as joint-heirs with Christ – by His grace. One day we will be conformed into Christ’s image and see Him as He is – by grace. One day we will rule and reign with Him in His kingdom – by His wonderful grace.
Examples of Grace
One day we will be examples of God’s grace to the angels and heavenly powers. One day salvation will be complete but His grace will extend into the eternal ages – today we live by faith but then we will see Him as He is – and it is all by grace.
God’s Grace
And abounding and abundant grace has been showered over the heads of the Church. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her so that He might make her holy by cleansing her, washing her with water of the word Ephesians 5:25 – and it is all by grace – God’s grace upon grace.
Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law but under grace (Rom. 6:14).
Grace forsaken is freedom forfeited.
All harmony of truth is shattered when there is the slightest commingling of the principles of law and grace.
Grace alone now reigns through Christ to the glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
“By the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).
there are in abundance with all of us, the Lord's rich grace abounds over all, and actually takes occasion from our very mistakes to shine out all the more brightly - though, assuredly, the mistakes and failures must produce their own painful and humiliating results.
If we had only to learn what we are, we should surely be cast down, and sink into despondency; but His object in giving us a knowledge of ourselves and of His grace, is to give us an expected end.
The God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered awhile, make you mature, establish, strengthen, settle you (1 Pet. 5:10).
But as for the apostle, despite such a fall, God’s grace is never irrecoverable – for His tender kindness and loving-mercies toward us are new every morning.
Lukewarm Christianity
There are a great number attend churches and chapels, where blessings of grace should abound.. yet men are not fed, they are sent empty away.
He reveals His plans to us by His grace and His love, for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2Tim.3:16.
Grace of God
God in His grace has given us a little part in planting and watering the seed, but it is the Spirit of the Lord that draws all men unto Himself: so then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but it is God who gives the increase. 1Cor.3:7.
Words of Truth
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6. And in Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Many have been misled by thinking that by reading the Bible you become like Christ - transformed; but you will find diligent students of the Word, who may never say anything incorrect in doctrine, yet who never seem to grow in grace and walk in spiritual reality.
All blessings of this dispensation of grace are wrapped up in a Person, and, by means of the Word of God, we make spiritual progress as our hearts learn to find everything in Him - the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. -C.A.C.
to understand the gospel of the kingdom, and the gospel of the grace of God – to understand the old creations in Adam and Jacob and the new creation in Christ.
Hope in Christ
It was God’s purpose to redeem us through the blood of Jesus and to forgive our sins, and He purposed this heavenly blessing in accordance with the riches of His grace.
He brought us out of darkness into the glorious light of the great gospel of Christ, for we are God’s handiwork and are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God in His grace has prepared for us to do in advance.
Incarnate God
His love is measureless and scoops into its skirts boundless mercy and eternal grace. His immeasurable holiness acts in absolute righteousness and unquestionable justice. The fullness of God has been manifested in the self-revelation of Himself, in Christ. And in Him are hidden all the treasures of God’s eternal wisdom and knowledge.
If we are left here a little longer we shall need the grace, mercy, and forbearance of the Father in a thousand ways, but all that will be needed in the future to keep us from ourselves is small compared with the stupendous cost at which divine love forever secured us. -C.A.C.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Pleasing Faith
Without faith, it is impossible to please God, and He longs that we trust Him.
Precious Promise
Peter wrote: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness – through the knowledge of HIM that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these, ye might be partakers of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:2-4.
In the Reformation there was, through grace, a great deliverance.
In the present day (1867) the truth is lowered to the measure of man's need; hence if the need is met, which grace does, the convert makes little or no advance; he rests in the satisfaction of his need, instead of being directed to the scope of God's thought, which only begins with his need.
Deep Grace
What a depth of love the Lord had for all His own.
Wrath of God
John knew these children were sinners, both in practice and by nature. He knew the blessings of forgiveness and grace of God were freely open to all, but he also knew the only sacrifice for sin rested on the spilt blood of the Lord Jesus. John knew He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities – for the wrath of God was poured out on Christ to pay that price for all sin.
Riches of His Grace
Time and sense as we know it with all its constrictions and pressures will be changed. The years that the locusts have eaten, will be replaced with the riches of His grace.
Grace of God
It was only His tender-mercy and loving-kindness Who conceived the cross – the cross to which we can flee to as a city of refuge and a citadel of shelter.
Patience:- that gift of grace, you so earnestly desired.
Growing in Grace
If we could but recognise that problem, betrayals and needs are His mountains – strewn in our way to develop in us those prayed for graces and desired virtues – those that Christ Himself displayed in the uphill path that He chose to take.
His Joint-Heirs
We are His People according to the riches of His grace and His glory. We are His Body.. the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. We are His Building – in whom He is doing exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
Household of God
We were quickened by the grace of God. We were made one by the blood of the Son. We were given access by one Spirit.
God’s Building-Blocks
God’s building-blocks of grace and glory are erected in the amazing book of Ephesians. We move from one marvellous level of grace and glory to the next glorious peak. We are permitted to fine-tune the incredible truth of who we are in Christ. And it is all by God’s grace, through faith in Christ Jesus.
When God looks at you and me, He sees Christ’s righteousness – not our impurity – and the amazing thing is that it is all by GRACE.
And the astonishing thing is that is all and only by GRACE.
Position in Christ
We were no longer foreigners to God but were brought close to Him through Christ.. and you know what… it is by grace – by grace alone and only by God’s grace. And if ever this fails to knock us speechless, we need to look again at our position in Him.
it is ALL by God’s GRACE.
All By Grace
We became God’s child and centre of His household and His holy habitation. His children and His home; His sons and His temple; His heirs and His Bride. We have been apportioned an eternal inheritance and became one with the saints of God – and you know what….
it’s grace – all Grace – it’s all, and only God’s GRACE.
2-Way Identification
God’s grace united us with His death.. making His death full payment for our sins. Our faith identifies us with Him now.. making His sacrifice efficacious on our behalf. This is full identification with Him. This is a two-way identification… I in Him – and He in me. He identifies with me – a sinner worthy of eternal death.
God’s Answer
God in His great love for the world answered this universal longing and inner need. The incarnation of His only begotten Son was His precious answer to this inner ache. And though God in His grace sent His Son Who was the exact image of the invisible God to come and live and walk amongst us for 33 years – how few really understood.
Thus it will be a sharing of life, through which others will be born and will grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.2 Corinthians 13:14
Definitions of GraceGrace is often defined as God’s unmerited favour – but grace covers so much more, God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense is another truism – but it falls far short of the truth.
There are many such helpful acrostics that have sought to explain the grace of God:-
Acrostics of Grace
Genuinely Redeemed And Cleansed Eternally
Ditties of Grace
Some use little catchy ditties or rhymes to remind themselves of God’s grace: Given by God mercifully, Riches in Christ bestowed freely, Atonement sacrificially, Christ in us the hope of glory, Evermore undeservedly.
Letters of Grace
Often a sermon on salvation is beautifully woven into the initial letters of GRACE, G – Salvation is a Gift of God – a Good Gift that is Granted to allR – Salvation is Redemption – Received by faith, Reuniting us with GodA – Salvation is Accepted by God’s love, Available to All, Accessible through faithC – Salvation Comes thru Christ Crucified Who paid the Cost at the CrossE – Salvation Ends in Eternal life and is an Everlasting gift – and an Escape
Songs of Grace
Sonnets and songs have been written to rejoice in God wonderful saving grace. Talks and testimonies reminding us that it is all about God’s unmerited favour to us.
Familiar Concept
Grace is a familiar concept to believers but over time has lost some of its dynamic. The all-encompassing nature of grace eludes any genuine, all-inclusive definition.
Grace has its roots in the infinite nature of God and its fruit in His eternal attributes.
Grace is founded on the sovereignty of God and shows forth His unconditional love. Grace is God’s over-abounding provision, not only in the physical but in the spiritual. Grace not only restores what was lost in Eden but adds to it an unknown expanse.
Strombeck’s Definition
Grace was once defined by Strombeck as: “the unmerited abounding provision of the unrestrained operation of God’s infinite love through Christ Jesus on behalf of man – especially he who depends on Him.”
Common Grace
God’s common grace is extended to saved and unsaved alike – all humanity..
Special Grace
But there is a special grace for those that have accessed salvation by grace, through faith: Strombeck writes the following: Grace is God’s provision to bring into being, sustain and perfect His new creation in Christ.
As grace came by Jesus Christ – only those who receive Him as Saviour are ‘under grace’.
Riches of God’s Grace
Let us reflect on the riches of God’s grace towards us. Let us meditate on all that has been poured out on we, who are his children. Surely through time and eternity, we will be praising God for His indefinable grace.
Power from God
All things hold together by His grace and the strength of His mighty power alone:- including the foolish little actress, the misguided poet, and the atheistic philosopher.
We cannot grow in grace while feeding our ego with a false self-image – we must die to self if we are to live for God.
The perfect Law of God, bequeathed to Israel through the prophet Moses, is branded ‘a ministration of death’ – before this Light of men Who sheds grace and truth on all.
Galatians 4:19 But unlike Israel, his labour is for Christians – for fellow believers to grow in grace.
Grace Versus Law
The Galatians were labouring to cover themselves in their own righteous works, and Paul was labouring to explain the consequences of them living under the law.
Paul toiled to bring them to an understanding of the glory of grace versus works.
Paul toiled to show that sanctification as well as justification was gained by grace – but they were toiling to sanctify themselves by returning to the works of the law.
Grace not Works
But the grace is God is made of non-effect when WORKS are substituted for grace. The grace is God is made of non-effect when the LAW is substituted for grace. The grace of God is made void – for when we live under law we are not under grace.
Growing in Grace
The labouring of which Paul spoke was for Christians to develop and grow in grace.
Paul did not labour for himself. Paul laboured for the Church – for the church of God to grow in grace during this dispensation of the Church.
Paul toiled to tell the church to believe God’s word, for by grace you are saved.
Sanctified by Grace
Paul knew that we are not only justified by grace but also sanctified by grace. The Galatians had been saved by grace – but were trying to be sanctified by the Law.
Labouring Today
We too must grow in grace and the knowledge of God until Christ is formed in us, and then we too must labour for others – until Christ is formed in them.
For we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, and we are sanctified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, – and we will be glorified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone: for whom He predestined He also called, and whom He called he also justified, and whom He justified He also glorified. Romans 8:30
The fact is forgotten that He, while living under, keeping, and applying the Law of Moses, also taught the principles of His future earthly kingdom, and, at the end of His ministry and in relation to His Cross, He also anticipated the teachings of grace.
The Gospels are complex almost beyond any other portion of Scripture, since they are a composite of the teachings of the law, of grace, and of the coming kingdom. -L.S.C.
Power is in the Spirit; thus grace, not law, is the way of growth.
Sin shall not have dominion over you, because ye are not under law, but under grace.' -F.W.G.
They only establish the full, immutable authority of the law, who declare that the believer is under grace, and therefore cannot be cursed by its just and holy curse. -J.N.D.
God’s Way
Show us Thy way O Lord. Let us walk in Thy paths. Lead us into Thy truth and teach us Thy grace. All is well! God is doing wonderful things. But allow your eyes to be opened to see Him.
The Wrong Way
For 'Self' blocks the channel of grace, and Self attempts to take on the responsibilities that God alone can secure.
Grace is the Father's favor to man according to His own heart, and for His own glory.
If the need of man were the sole measure of His grace, then man only would be thought of, the work of the Lord Jesus would be simply for man, and the power of God expended merely in rescuing man and securing his relief.
When the advantages of grace do not call forth praise to the Father, when He is not prominently before the soul, as the source of everything possessed, then the gifts take the place of the Giver in the heart, and must soon lose their vigor and value like flowers cut away from their roots.
Throne of Grace
Christ’s death on the cross as the Sacrifice for sin tore down the unscalable wall of division that separated a holy God from a sinful race of men, and opened up, to all who would believe in His name, God’s eternal throne-room of grace: let us, therefore, approach God’s throne of grace with confidence and grateful hearts, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Spiritual Maturity
God also desires that we are faithful and diligent in our prayer-life for He knows that prayer is a beautiful channel of heavenly grace and spiritual maturity that is poured out in abundance upon those that sit at His feet, listen to His voice and trust in His word.
A prayerful man or woman will develop that spiritual boldness to plead for the lost; protect the vulnerable; petition God’s grace on behalf of all his children and to plead, Thy will not mine be done.
Let us come to the throne of grace and reverently bow before our redeemer God, in prayer.
Any aspect of life or conduct which is undertaken in dependence on the energy and ability of the flesh is, to that extent, purely legal in character, whether it be the whole revealed will of God, the actual written commandments, or the exhortations of grace.
Dependence on the arm of flesh is consistent with pure law; dependence on the power of God is demanded under pure grace. -L.S.C.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Beloved, you have been called unto liberty..Galatians 5:13
Liberty or Bondage
Paul was deeply concerned that false teachers were leading Christians back from the glorious freedom of the gospel of grace to the shackled bondage of the law.
Our liberty in Christ, that comes by grace through faith, dominates the pages of Galatians as point-by-point Paul warns of the serious consequences of legalism – of deserting the liberty of the gospel of grace for the shackles of a works-based ‘gospel’.
Grace 0r Law
The perfect Law of Moses was nothing more than a tutor teaching us that sinful man could never reach the perfect standard required by a thrice-holy God.
It demonstrates the futility of trying to achieve the perfection required by the Law, which would end in despair, were it not for the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, whereby Christ met all the demands of the Law on behalf of all who believed on His sacrificial death and His glorious resurrection.
The purpose of the Law is to lead us to Christ, but grace takes us from being children to mature sons.
It tells us we are of age because now we are under grace; now we are not under law; now we have unconditional union with Christ – now we are called “sons”.
Being under law keeps us as little children but grace takes us from being little children to maturing sons.
Under law we are children but under grace we are sons.
Under law our rights are limited but under grace, our position is one of having reached the age of majority.
Under grace, we have received unconditional union with Christ and we are called “sons”.
Christ has done all for our initial salvation by the “grace-promise-faith” way.
As sons and He does all for our ongoing salvation by the same “grace-promise-faith” way.
Life of Grace
Once we have been saved by grace, we are to be sanctified by grace; to grow in grace, and to mature in the faith – to live our lives “grace-promise-faith” way.
But if a believer chooses to revert to the “law-merit-works way” we regress to childhood and cannot grow in grace, because when we are under the terms of the law have removed ourselves from the terms of grace.
Infants or Sons
We were all made children of God through faith (justification – initial believing in Christ) and we should be living as sons of God through faith (sanctification – growing in grace).
Paul is telling the Galatians that they should be growing in the grace of Jesus Christ, but despite their position in Christ and union with Him – they reverted to infancy!
Faith or Self-Merit
Paul explains that because they didn’t continue in the “grace-promise-faith” way, they returned to the old ways rather than remaining in the new way.
They replaced the new “grace-promise-faith way” for the old “law-merit-works” way.
Once a man has been saved by grace, why return to the chains of the Law?
Legalism and seeking to merit God’s favour by producing good works in ones own flesh is an impossibility for God is only pleased with one thing – the finished work of Christ, and that is apprehended by believers who live the grace-faith-promise way.
And Paul’s epistles are full of warnings about not returning to this way of the Law – the “law-merit-works” way, and his letters are dripping with instructions on how to live by grace – how to live the “grace-faith-promise” way.
So having been saved by grace through faith, let us, therefore, live our lives by grace through faith.
He observed His glorious character His compassion and His grace.
God Incarnate
He did not know Him as the One that was revealed of the Father. He did not know Him as the Divine glory, full of grace and truth. He did not recognise the radiance and life that streamed from Him. He did not know that: this is My beloved Son in Whom I Am well pleased.
His Grace
His grace is poured over us in great abundance. His holy correction is administered to us with infinite tenderness, but we need to take time to get to know Him.
It is akin to a seed: the life of the Lord Jesus within must grow; and it would be against the laws of nature and grace alike if we expected from the babe in Christ the strength that can only be found in the young man, or the rich experience and stability of the fathers.
Even where in the new convert there is great singleness of heart and faith, with true love and devotion to the Saviour, time is needed for a deeper knowledge of the old man and sin, for a spiritual insight into what the Father's will and grace are. -A.M.
The more the believer abounds in the riches of the Father's grace, the more unsearchable and inexhaustible he finds them to be.
If ministers and teachers of God's Word would set saints free and establish them in the Gospel, let their preaching and teaching be based upon the sixth and seventh of Romans, the central theme of which is our union with the Lord Jesus in death and burial; and our resurrection and ascension with Him into newness of life; where not the law, but grace, reigneth; where not the letter but the Spirit, moveth the heart and life of the believer.
But living a life of righteousness can only be lived by faith – dependence on God, and of course, faith has no merit on our part, for it is ALL by God’s grace.
Godly Living
Godly living – a righteous life, is a life that demonstrates dependence on God – an unfailing dependence on the grace of God in every area of life and living.
A righteous life is one that has come to rest entirely on God’s sovereign grace.
Faith is trusting God in His infinite grace and wisdom to do what is best for you.
All through life, God has to show us our own utter sinfulness and need, before He is able to lead us on into realms of grace, in which we shall glimpse His glory.”
Coates describes it so well: “Many of us have probably known what it was to rejoice in the grace of God without having apprehended very much the true character of the flesh.
In such cases the grace of God is taken up in a self-confident way; there is very little self-distrust or a sense of weakness and dependence.
It is essential that we grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for three reasons: (1) that our Father may be glorified; (2) that the Lord Jesus might be manifested in us; (3) that the Holy Spirit might have a suitable instrument through which to win and establish others.
It is a marvelous grace that we should be conformed to the image of God's Son.
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9).
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Image and Likeness
The triune God created man in His own image with body, soul, and a spirit, and in His grace God gave fallen man a threefold life-experience with his Creator:- salvation, sanctification, and service, and it is all through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Divine Love
This love is not the frothy romance of novels – nor the passion of a paperback. It speaks of strength and stamina, pain and long-suffering patience. It speaks of heartache and endurance. It speaks of deep disappointment, and yet an abiding forgiveness. It speaks of love that never fails, despite the grossest betrayals. It speaks of tenderness, regardless of the most ruthless duplicity. It speaks of forbearance and grace, in spite of deception and disloyalty. It speaks of the deepest affection – a love that never gives up – that never ever fluctuates, no matter what. It speaks of His precepts and promises through poetry and prophecy.
My Father, in His grace, has come in and ended my history in the flesh, by the Cross, and now by the Spirit I am brought into association with His Son at His own right hand in heaven.
How strengthening it is, to know that He is at this moment feeling and exercising the same love and grace towards me as when He died upon the Cross for me. -J.N.D.
I have got away from grace if I have the slightest doubt about God's love for me.
If the consciousness of what we are in ourselves, has any other effect than, while it humbles us, to increase our adoration of what our Father is, we are off the ground of pure grace.
The immediate effect of such consciousness should be to make our hearts reach out to God and to His grace as abounding over all.
By Grace Thru Faith
By grace, God has given us a share in all the essential essence of Jesus Christ.
By grace, the Spirit placed us in a position of union with Christ that will never be broken. By grace, we are identified with His righteousness because He identified with our sin.
By grace ,we share in Christ’s righteousness, His son-ship, His heir-ship, His destiny – and nothing in heaven or earth can remove us from this position of grace, for we are eternally and forever secure in Him.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Spiritual Communion
The Apostle John delights to remind us that as children of God, who have entered into eternal union with Christ Jesus, we also have the right to enjoy intimate fellowship with the Father on a daily basis.
He observed his glorious character His compassion and His grace. Oh yes, Philip knew a lot about the Lord Jesus – but as yet he did not KNOW Him.
Eternal Grace
His divine love is close to each of us perpetually, His eternal grace is poured over us in great abundance, His holy correction is administered to us with infinite tenderness.
The only way for us to come into all that the Lord means not only into what we have seen but into all that He has purposed is to be desperate, to be men of violence; to be men who say, By God's grace, nothing and no one, however good, is going to stand in my way; I am going on with God.
It gladdens the heart to hear the new convert speak of the blessings he has received, and of his new-found joy in those blessings; but we can often see very distinctly that he is wrapping all these benefits of grace round himself, and we feel pretty sure that he will have to learn some lessons presently that will take the shine out of him.
Man’s Redemption
The beautiful chorus that rang through the night sky – that was being sung by the heavenly choirs of rejoicing angels, must have been a strange sight – for angelic beings are not the favoured recipients of God’s amazing grace.
Redemption, we read, was the gift of grace, that was offered to the human race – so that whoever will believe on the only begotten Son of God will never perish, but have everlasting life.
They believed that this infant truly was the promised Messiah, and they glorified God for His grace and mercy as they humbly returned to their duties..
Should not we worship and glorify God for His grace and mercy as we humbly set about our daily duties day by day – sharing the good news with others that we meet… by the way?
Many truly converted persons are more occupied with themselves, and in trying to improve their own condition, than in seeking to learn the grace of God.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
But Paul discovered: My grace is sufficient, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness.
Wisdom in God’s Word
While ever we live in this fallen world of sin and suffering we will face mounting pressures, but we have the written word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to guide our path and to guard our ways and Christ has promised that His grace is sufficient.
Never forget that God’s word is life and health and wisdom and truth and His grace is sufficient, for Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path – forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heave
Grow in Grace
We are saved by grace through faith but we are also to grow by grace through faith. The Spirit resides in the heart of all believers but as we grow, He dwells in our hearts.
And like initial salvation that is also through faith, Christian growth is also by faith – for every aspect of Salvation is God’s gift of grace, through faith.
Breadth of God Grace
The breadth of God's grace reaches to embrace all who are saved by grace through faith.
The breadth of His grace encompasses all the redeemed of Christ - the saints of God – Jew and Gentile; young and old; male and female; all people, climes, and tongue.
Length of God Grace
The length of God's grace extends from reaches of eternity past into the ages to come.
The length of God’s grace spans from the foundation of the world into eternity.
In love.. so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Depth of God Grace
The depth of God’s grace delivers whosoever will from the depravity and evil of sin.
The depth of God’s grace excludes none that call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for God’s love stoops to the pit of death to encompass all who trust in His only Son.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us – even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).
Height of God Grace
The height of God’s grace reaches into heavenly places where we are seated with Christ. The height of God’s grace is found in Christ Jesus our heavenly Lord and King.
has raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus – far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come – so that in the ages to come He might show forth the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Distorted Views
Some lay particular weight upon His love, but ignore His justice. Some lay particular emphasis upon His justice, while disregarding His love. Some go overboard with grace, and are drawn into licentious living. Others focus upon the law, pointing an accusing finger at so many other people. Some believe that God requires certain rituals or He cannot not accept us. Others believe they are under God’s wrath because of pre-christian indiscretions.
Since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.2 Peter 3:17-18
Sufficient Grace
I think not – important though it is to recognise the signs of the approaching “day”, we shouldn’t accept the inevitable by allowing it to submerge our witness and walk.
The greater the troubles of this age, the more manifest is His glorious, sufficient grace.
Grace upon Grace
As the mystery of lawlessness increases, so the mystery of godliness multiplies - grace; more grace; much grace – grace built upon more grace. 'For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.' John 1:16 'For where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, Romans 5:20 -pressed down; shaken together and running over.' Luke 6:38 We are to be lights in this darkest of age.
Grow in Grace
But – praise God this dear apostle, Peter, continues with the next verse. He explains in simple terms how this is achieved… 'but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:18 We grow in grace and mature in the faith when we fix our eyes on the Lord, and the mature believer is the one that will not be overwhelmed by life’s circumstances.
to prepare us for ultimate maturity and though we are accepted in Him, we need to be conformed into His likeliness. And so God has built His universe upon certain unchangeable principles and precepts -life principles -relational principles -business principles -national principles. As with the dispensation of Law, there are specific of principles for the age of grace… for we are not under the law, but under grace.
He wrote:- Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2Cor.12:10. Paul the apostle to the gentiles learned this important lesson, of our need of God, and He expresses it in the following words :- My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in your weakness.
Gift of Grace
God’s condition for salvation was to believe – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation was His free gift of grace to everyone, who would believe in His beloved Son. And one thing that happens to a believer is that he becomes a new creation in Christ.
The new heavenly order was not to be imposed on all humanity but given as a free and everlasting gift of grace to all who received God’s chosen, anointed federal-Head - for as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become… children of God – even to those who believe in His name.
the promised life of grace upon grace is a free gift to all who receive Christ Jesus, but He must be received.
He must be accepted for He is the minister of God’s grace.
We are to eliminate everything in our lives, and living, that grieves the Holy Spirit, recalling the riches of God’s grace – for we are sealed until the day of redemption.
If there were true apprehension of the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross - that He so bore the judgment on man that all the man who had offended against God has been judicially removed to His infinite satisfaction, and that He who saved us from death is now our Life - there would be a wonderful testimony to the grace of God.
The Reformers failed because they did not see that as faith alone could save, and place man outside himself in the Lord Jesus, he must not return to that which through grace has been crucified.
It is true that there is the hunger to be devoted, and to be like the Lord Jesus, long before one's acts and manner corroborate the hunger, and make it a fact; but the more the hungers which grace has generated in your heart are given a place, the sooner will they become experiential facts; and the more the Lord Jesus has His throne within you, the more you will rejoice in Him, and have no confidence in the flesh' (Phil. 3:3).
I know so little of the Lord Jesus,' one may say, and this may be true; but every grace that is in Him is in every saint, though not developed.
The unwearied care of our Father for us, His patient grace, His gentleness, His leading us on from the world nearer, in spirit, to Himself, indicate what should be the character of our love's activity towards one another.
Let us seek grace for any fiery furnace in the light of the explanation, that it is neither what is of Christ that is be interested in us, nor any good within ourselves, but that what is not Christ should disappear, that it should be Christ, only Christ.
We are about to come face to face with the riches of Christ’s amazing grace.
God’s GraceGrace was in the heart of the Creator when God set the ransom price for man’s sin. Grace was in mind of God when God laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Blessed be the God and Father – Who made Christ sin for our sake.
Gift of Grace
Nothing that is in ourselves could ever qualify to be the beneficiary of God’s grace. Reconciliation with the Father is the free gift of God’s grace to those who believe. Salvation and all the blessings that accompany it is only given to those who believe: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – and thou shalt be saved.
Our Saviour
And that free gift of grace to believers opens the floodgates of God’s rich blessings. All who trust God’s Word are blessed to call God’s Son – OUR Lord Jesus Christ.
Could it be possible that God would so love an individual as to give His only Son to die for him and still love him to the extent of following him with the pleadings and drawings of His grace until He has won that soul into His own family and created him anew by the impartation of His own divine nature, and then be careless as to what becomes of the one He has thus given His all to procure? -L.S.C.
God’s Grace
Nevertheless God causes His Son to shine on the evil as well as the good. He sends His rain on the just and the unjust alike for God is very, very good..
The ongoing outpouring of the riches of God’s amazing grace from that uniquely special occasion, on all believers, has been through the beautiful ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Spirit of God
He is the Spirit of truth and of love – He is it Who illuminates the word of God. He is the Spirit of power and peace – He it is Who convicts and converts the soul. He is the Spirit of grace and joy – and He is the Spirit of righteousness and hope.
Total Righteousness
And His gift to all who trust on His name is a justifying righteousness:- regeneration; sanctification; glorification; a new creation in Christ, and the grace of God and peace with God, and faith and hope and love and joy, and the indwelling Spirit and a heavenly inheritance – and eternal life: for He washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
The Second Man
Dominion over God’s beautiful earth was lost by the first man, to a rebel angel, Satan – but God in His grace and mercy pre-ordained that a second Man – the Man Christ Jesus would become the last Adam, Who would regain the crown and reestablish the riches and glories of the kingdom that was forfeited to the enemy of God, by the first Adam.
Power of Sin
And glory to God for the power of sin was also broken in our lives and we have been set free from the dominion and mastery that Satan holds over the race of human-kind, for we no longer live under the requirements of the law – but have gained the freedom of God’s grace.
Perhaps the most precious promise there, is that we are accepted in the Beloved. Nowhere in Scripture is His glorious grace more evident than in this little book – or we are like Mary highly favoured.
Grace of God
It was His grace that was given to the Lord’s human mother and it is the same grace – given to us who believe on His name – His body, His church, His darling, His beloved bride.
Not so much a distinctive character of the calling, the mystery, which is His body – but a special feature and fact of the overwhelming nature and purpose of grace - That we should be holy..
That we should be without blame before Him – in love – in grace.
Holiness and blamelessness is provided entirely by grace. Grace is conferred only through the work of the Saviour.
Amazing Grace
Just as the justified sinner is made righteous through God’s good grace, so the sanctified saint is made holy and righteous through God’s good grace. And it is all; All, ALL, ALL through God’s amazing GRACE.
Such a seeing, a grasping, an apprehending and being mastered by the Greatness of the One to Whom, by the grace of God, we have been united, called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ.
His obedience secured for all who believe, the manifold riches of God’s amazing grace.
Too often we regard obedience as rules and regulations limiting our freedom, but when filtered through the purity and grace of God, it delivers His life and light.
Spirit of Wisdom
Having revealed to Christ’s Church the eternal riches of God’s grace towards them, Paul begins to intercede for all the saints in His powerful prayer of prayers.
that they grasp, understand, believe and appropriate the many riches of His grace - that the Spirit of wisdom opens their heart to see their incomparable inheritance.
Riches of Grace
This potent prayer of Paul was inspired by the Spirit to teach and edify all the saints.
It is God Who wants all His children to know and understand the riches of His grace..
This is a prayer for you and me... that we know more fully the bounties of His grace - that we come to understand the staggering riches of God’s grace towards us all.
Unveiled Inheritance
We are to know more fully the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.. not only the actual inheritance that is held in trust, but its considerable GLORY - the riches of grace, peace, hope, and love, that are ours to live by in the present, and its full and final and unveiled inheritance, when we see Him as He is.
divine mysteries that are unlocked to our understanding – by grace through faith..
to know the surpassing power that is ours through the ministry of the Holy Spirit - to know the matchless riches of God’s grace and glory that are ours, by believing.
Spirit of Wisdom
Having revealed to Christ’s Church the eternal riches of God’s grace towards them, Paul begins to intercede for all the saints in His powerful prayer of prayers.
that they grasp; understand; believe and appropriate the many riches of His grace – that the Spirit of wisdom opens their heart to see their incomparable inheritance.
Riches of Grace
This potent prayer of Paul was inspired by the Spirit to teach and edify all the saints. This is not only a plea from Paul – but exposes the Father-heart of God Himself.
It is God Who wants all His children to know and understand the riches of His grace..
This is a prayer for you and me – that we know more fully the bounties of His grace – that we come to understand the staggering riches of God’s grace towards us all.
Unveiled Inheritance
We are to know more fully the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.. not only the actual inheritance that is held in trust, but its considerable GLORY.. the riches of grace, peace, hope, and love – that are ours to live by in the present, and its full and final and unveiled inheritance – when we see Him as He is.
divine mysteries that are unlocked to our understanding – by grace through faith..
to know the surpassing power that is ours through the ministry of the Holy Spirit – to know the matchless riches of God’s grace and glory that are ours, by believing.
He longed for God to open their understanding of the riches of His grace towards them.
and the more we love Him the deeper our love becomes – and we know Him better – and then we start to understand the abundant riches of God’s grace towards us.
The over-abundant riches of His grace towards us are eternally immeasurable.
Exceeding Grace
Amazing though these revelations through Paul to the church are – there is more! We are His body and He is the head, and Christ is the fullness of His body - the church.
There are insufficient superlative words to describe the riches of God’s grace to us.
He seems hardly to take a breath as he pours out God’s exceeding grace towards us.
Paul simply wants to teach us to know and to understand what these riches are - that we may KNOW the exceeding riches of God’s grace towards us, his children.
Paul yearns that we appropriate the multiplied riches of God’s grace in our life – today.
All-Sufficient Grace
Paul has shifted our perspective from hearing about God’s truth to experiencing it. It is moving from knowing we have peace with God – to receiving the peace of God. Oh!
I don’t mean basing faith on emotional feelings which can fluctuate to and fro – but a trust that God provides sufficient grace no matter what we are facing in life.
Paul concluded that in everything…commending ourselves as bond-servants of God. 2.Corinthians 6:4 After an all-inclusive address in 2 Corinthians 6 Paul finally reaches the end of himself too – as “three times” he called on the Lord and thrice begged Him to remove his thorn… and three times he heard:- My grace is sufficient… My grace is sufficient… My grace is sufficient for thee… for MY strength is perfected in YOUR weakness.
After the believer enters into life by faith, he wonders why it was so difficult for him to see that it was all of grace - the humble reception of a finished work.
What grace, that we should be picked up from the dirt and seated in heavenly places, and together all believers are being built-up into a spiritual Temple.
Spiritual Temple
What a privileged group of people we are – that we should be called God’s children. What showers of love has been bestowed on us, for we are united forever with Christ. What grace..
Grace to you and peace from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come.
Grace to you and peace from the seven Spirits Who are before His throne.
Grace to you and peace from Jesus Christ….Revelation 1:4
Christ’s Peace
He not only bestows on us peace WITH God as we nestle in His forgiveness, that glorious 'new-birth' peace with God the Father….and endows us with the peace OF God, which protects and guards our hearts and minds… but also by His grace, He lavishly supplies us with His OWN peace… the peace of God that surpasses understanding – the peace of Jesus.
One of the true tests of one's spiritual growth is in one's influence: affecting others that they not only begin the Christian life but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
We may often have a measure of the power of the Spirit, but if there is not a large measure of the Spirit as the Spirit of grace and love, the defect will be manifest in our work.
We are not according to our Father's pleasure, nor are we in simple restfulness as to our acceptance, if we do not enter by faith into the new position to which He in His grace has placed us.
Gift of God’s Grace
God could not expose His gift of grace more than what is captured in these pages. God could not shower His heart of love more abundantly over sinners saved by grace.
His Eternal Plan
God’s majesty, might, and matchless grace is displayed for all who will look and live. His eternal plans, which He purposed in Christ, is mapped out for all who have eyes.
His purpose and plan, grace and glory, might and majesty streams through its pages.
Covenant theology, which has molded the major theological conceptions for many generations, recognizes no distinctions as to ages, therefore can allow for no distinctions between law and grace.
At rebirth, we are babes in Christ and have to grow in grace and learn obedience.
We are positionally complete-in-Christ but conditionally we have to grow in grace.
Position is instantaneous. Condition is a process – and it is ALL by grace…
Since then you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God and let us grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ... for in Christ we all are “quickened,” “raised up,” and “made to sit” together with Christ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
They who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17).
Law and grace are separated by the infinite chasm of the Cross.
Grace gives heavenly position immediately, which ultimately produces right conduct.
Ye are not under the law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14).
He has been made to sit together with Christ in heavenly places in order that, having received an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, he might reign in life by one, even the Lord Jesus.
Every born-again believer is freely given salvation by God’s grace – through believing, and the consequences of this is everlasting life and eternal union with Christ.
But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other Man - Jesus Christ.
But even greater is God’s wonderful gift of grace and His gift of righteousness - for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
So as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death – now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21
Morning Prayer
As I open my eyes in the morning, I pray ‘Lord, open the eyes of my understanding. Thank You for this new day – may it be a day that I grow in grace and glorify You.
Daily Grace
I thank Him for my life, my home, and the grace that He showers on me daily and in troublesome times I shoot out an arrow of prayer into the throne-room of God.
The other, prayer as infinite grace of God, lifting us up into His fellowship and love, and then when He has thus brought us to Himself, bestowing upon us the blessing we need.
Battle of the Ages
This battle of the ages has been raging for multiplied thousands of years, and in God’s wisdom, the church are partners, with access to His throne of grace. Should we not with veiled face contemplate this unfathomable, entrusted privilege?
Heralding Trumpeters
Envision the astonishing arena – as trumpets are handed to 7 heralding trumpeters. The final instrument, which enfolds the seven bowls of the judgment of God’s wrath, on a Christ-spurned, God-hating world that has rejected His free gift of grace.
In His grace and wisdom, God anointed us as participating partners in His purpose.
Those who accept God’s free salvation, by grace through faith in Christ, are saved.
Grace Thru Faith
Predestination is based upon God’s grace, which is accessed by faith in Christ alone.
Predestination is based on grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone – period.
NEVER let it be said that God predestined unbelievers to the lake of fire, for that is a lie of the enemy. But those that refuse salvation by grace through faith choose their own destiny – and that is the truth of Scripture.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Grace Thru Faith- study [24]
Period of Preparation
There must be a long and deep period of preparation, in the man and woman of God, if that life is to shed abroad the attributes of the Lord Jesus in thought word and deed..
It’s All of Grace
God’s 'good work' in us is begun through failure.
This includes our strongest points, which continues on into His success – by His performance, and not ours. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. There is no question but that we all began in sheer grace.
There is no question that we must continue in sheer grace and there is no question that will arrive on the very same basis.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Believer’s Journey
Rebirth into the family of God is the first step on the journey of a lifetime that requires us to grow in grace and spiritual maturity.
Let us receive God’s Word and examine it with all eagerness, so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith.
The Apostle Paul said, Through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Even when we were dead in sins, God has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved)Ephesians 2:5
A combination of love, mercy, and grace has been showered on us in great abundance.
BUT... the minute we place our trust in Him the whole perspective of our universe changes. We are made alive by God’s grace – spiritually alive – simply because we believe.
Saved by Grace
Even when we were dead in trespasses and sins God quickened us; He made us alive; He gave us spiritual life together with Christ, and raised us up to heavenly places and gave us every spiritual blessing.
Never forget, you are saved by grace and all you did was trust Jesus as Saviour.
The more we understand His grace – the more we are filled with wonder love and praise.
Therefore we should not be in bondage to sin, for he that hath died (and that is everyone who is in the Lord Jesus) is justified (or released) from (the power of) sin' (Rom. 6:7); and we are now under grace, which does not demand righteousness of us, for the Lord Jesus was made unto us righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).
The Holy Spirit's leadings comes with a sense of peace and quiet, even if they point in a really difficult direction which only the grace of the Father can enable one to follow. -C.G.T.
Eternal Significance
God made peace with us by grace, through faith in the one perfect sacrifice for sin, and we are entrusted with a holy office – entreating the world to receive salvation.
Do we understand the shocking consequences of rejecting His eternal gift of grace?
Amazing Grace
What unparalleled condescension; what divine mercy; what astonishing wisdom.
What a thrilling privilege; what amazing grace; what incredible love; what a God!
Moment by moment we understand that His grace is all-embracing. God does not deal with man according to his sins, He does not reward us according to our iniquities. Psalm 103:10
The fruit of God’s Spirit is to mellow into gentleness, goodness, and grace.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace (2 Thess. 2:16).
God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always [not sometimes] having all sufficiency in all things, may abound unto every good work' (2 Cor. 9:8). -E.H.
There is no grace in delighting in the presence and favor of the Father when they are resting consciously and continuously upon us; for this rejoicing comes from sight and feelings.
But there is precious grace in that delight which is not dependent upon His favors, nor upon our enjoyment of them; but which is wholly dependent and has its source in the Father's explicit Word, and His eternal faithfulness. -C.H.M.
When circumstances seem impossible, when all signs of grace in you seem at their lowest ebb, when temptation is fiercest, when love and joy and hope seem well nigh extinguished in your heart, then rest, without feeling and without emotion, in the Father's faithfulness; abide in the fact that He loves you infinitely, and even now is working in you faithfully; and honor Him, and put the enemy to flight by taking to yourself the words of Job: Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.' I have prayed for thee' (says the One who ever lives to make intercession for us) that thy faith fail not.' -D.T.
Yet here too we see the wonderful grace of God.... It does seem that even Paul, surrounded though he was by all the other apostles, had to go a lonely way, because this revelation was to him something so personal.
Grace and Truth
It seems that just as God has set laws in the universe – like laws of motion or gravity. God has openly set in the scripture very specific ‘laws’ that relate to the believer.
ot the Law of Moses, for though perfect, the Law given to Moses kills. Perfection can never be reached by the efforts of sinful man, that Law points to Christ, for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
The Law is a teacher to point us to Christ – to show us the way and to point to truth. But many in that period of Law found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord.. for many in that period of Law BELIEVED the Word of the Lord. And many were made righteous in Christ, as recorded in Hebrews chapter 11.
Justification and Sanctification
It is also vital also to rightly divide between justification and sanctification. 1) Justification – the salvation of the spirit : born into the family of God. 2) Sanctification – the salvation of the soul... living as a child of God. 1) Justification – born again once and in eternal union with Christ forever. 2) Sanctification – growing in grace throughout life.
a passing of the baton from Peter to Paul.. change of God’s focus from Israel to a focus on the Church.. change from the dispensation of Law to the dispensation of the Church – a change from the gospel of the kingdom to the gospels of God’s grace and glory.
See Romans; Corinthians; Galatians – justification; sanctification; glorification – and we discover that the church is not under the Law but under grace.
and the gospel of grace is unlocked by Paul, for all who are His body, the Church.
as the gospel of the grace of Christ starts to be unfolded – and the gospel of the glory of Christ through Paul and others is also unfolded.
To go back to the Psalms for proper Christian experience is to lose the savor of grace and to breathe legalism; it is to climb down from heaven to earth.
No doubt I shall find lovely confidence in the Lord in respect of His government of this world, the comfort of forgiveness, the happy confidence of integrity of heart, and remarkable prophecies of Christ; but where shall I find heavenly hopes, or my union with the glorified Lord Jesus, or even the out-flowings of divine grace, as manifested in His person on earth, or the blessed affection which flows from hearts acquainted with these?
And never forget that our place before the Father is His gift, and a gift worthy of the Giver; not a gift according to the measure of our worth but a gift intended to display the exceeding riches of the grace of the Giver.
Chapter 3: all men are guilty before God and righteousness only comes by grace, through faith in Christ.
Chapter 5: the glories of trusting Christ, contrasting the old life under law with the new life under grace, and Chapter 6: as slaves of Christ we are no longer slaves to sin and death.
Mountain Top to Valley
And a crescendo of hope and excitement builds as we pass from the ministration of Law and death to the ministration of life, freedom and grace.
In chapter 2 we hear of His saving grace, but recognise our own evil and unrighteous heart.
In chapter 3 we discover God’s plan of salvation, which is grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone – and we are saved and praise God, worshiping Him with grateful thanks.
grace alone by faith in Christ alone, and in chapter 5 we discover His promises are yes, and amen in Christ.
He begins to see that behind all failure is a divine purpose; behind all problems is a heavenly objective; behind all sufferings; irritations; and trials there is a godly reason, which is to show us that: My grace is sufficient.
Indeed, God wants to teach us through our Romans 7 experience that behind every life experience is a divine purpose to demonstrate that: God’s grace is sufficient and that without Him we can do nothing – but I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the strength.
Waiting Patience
Like Christ, our race of life is marked out by God, and each day is scheduled by Him. Christians are to draw on His grace alone – to run with patience the race set before us: for those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall rise up with wings as eagles.
The Lord Jesus was not passive; the Apostle Paul was not passive; nor is the believer passive who seeks to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
The Lord keep you in the freshness of faith in Himself, going forth in His work, not undertaking more than He gives you grace for.
Under the Mosaic law-system, love for others was to be in the degree in which one loved himself; under grace it is to be in the degree in which the Lord Jesus has loved the believer and given His life for him (1 John 3:16). -L.S.C.
Often this is called growing in grace, maturing in our spiritual life – discipleship. Christian discipleship is misunderstood today but is closely linked to sanctification.
Justification
Many teachers consider discipleship as integral to the initial stage of salvation… making discipleship a requirement of salvation – an add on to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ..” But salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
It is a beautiful, free gift of grace, which is extended to all who trust on Christ Jesus. It is only the believer in Christ that can be sanctified and set apart unto the Lord – BUT not all Christians are prepared to progress along the path to spiritual maturity – not all Christians grow in grace, and many simply remain in spiritual infancy all their lives. Only believers can be set apart to God – but not all will identify with the cross of Christ. Only believers can grow in grace – but not all will take up their cross and follow Him. Only believers can become TRUE disciples of Jesus – but not all believers will become disciples.
God’s Gift
Salvation involves what God gives to us – His own life, not what we give to Him, for Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Grow in Grace
Throughout our Christian life, a process of progressive sanctification takes place.
Often this is called growing in grace – maturing in our spiritual life – discipleship. Let us be those that come after Christ and love not the things of this world. Let us be those who carry our own cross and come after Him. Let us be those that forsake all that we have – to become His disciple..
He shows us that salvation is all by God’s grace, which came through Jesus.
When anything is added to, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” it is not of grace.
Adding to Grace
When man is required to add something to the cross of Christ, it nullifies His work, but many, many ministries today are adding to the simple gospel message of GRACE. If we are told we are to believe AND do something – it is adding to Christ’s cross. John tells us that as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God – even to them that believe on His name… believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
By Grace – Thru Faith
To have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is to believe what God has said about Him.
‘Believing’ is all one has to do to be saved, and credited with Christ’s righteousness, but many, many ministries today are adding to the simple gospel message of GRACE.
Faith Choice
Believing is man’s one and only response to the grace that is a free gift of God - for by grace and grace alone are you saved.
Salvation is by grace.
Salvation is the free gift of grace that is given to all who believe on Christ. Paul tells us that believing is a faith choice – that is might be of grace. It means we choose to believe that God’s gift of grace is by believing on Christ. Righteousness is our portion because we trusted what God has said in His word. It isn’t believing on Christ for salvation PLUS doing something else.
But baptism is not required for salvation which is by grace alone. Water baptism may be a result of being saved – but not a condition of salvation.
Being born again is not believe and be baptised – but believe on the Lord Jesus. Paul tells us that if it is not by faith – then it is not of grace.
This complicates the simple message of salvation by grace alone – through faith in Christ.
Act of Consecration
This beautiful act of consecration may be a result – but is not a condition of salvation Paul tells us that if it is not by faith – then it is not of grace. A carnal believer will certainly suffer loss of rewards – but never his eternal salvation, which is always and only by grace – through faith – in Christ.
Some people add works of the flesh, works of the Law – self-imposed rules or Church regulations and a variety of ‘add-ons’ to the basic gospel of salvation by grace – through faith in Christ Jesus, while others insist on actions relating to eating or drinking – places of worship or times and seasons – spiritual fruit or gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Free Gift of Grace
It’s sad when believers are put under bondage, simply because the truth of the free gift of salvation – given to us by God’s grace, through believing on Christ has been misapplied.
This is the point – after a moment of saving grace follows a lifetime of sanctifying grace – before glorifying grace.
to grow in grace.
Transforming Grace
Sanctifying grace transforms a believer into the likeness of Christ.
Sanctifying grace uses every hardship, every disappointment, each pain and failure.
Maturing, sanctifying grace takes ugly scars from the cross of your life and beautifies them – but the measure of how you meet your trials, is the measure with which you will gain – and you can only meet them victoriously in Christ, as Christ lives in you.
You can only meet them by grace… through faith … in Christ.
Living By Faith
This is the sanctifying grace that we can choose to pursue..
Our hope for freedom from the power of sin is not Christ plus my efforts,' but Christ plus my receiving.' To receive victory from Him is to believe His Word that solely by grace He is, this moment, freeing us from the dominion of sin.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt (Rom. 4:4).
True Trust
Today there are multitudes that believe in Him for saving grace – and praise God, and hallelujah – many are born-again through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Words
Let us stand before His throne of grace and say with Paul.
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me. 1Corinthians 15:10.
Grace of God
Through the grace of God, we can be perfected in love and practical in our faith.
Through the grace of God, we can love and trust and do exploits for the Lord.
Through the grace of God, we can stand firm right up to the time of His return – for we must all guard against God’s agape love in our hearts wearing thin.
as I seek to discover the awful truth about my own faults and failings, I need to turn to the Spirit of grace and truth and cry out as did King David:- Search me and know me, cried the man after God’s own heart, cleanse me from my secret faults – my sin, know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts.” Psalm 19:12
There is a time when we must sweep our books aside, when we must shut ourselves up from the voices of men, when we must get quiet with the Lord and listen, and more, we must seek to cultivate, by the grace of God, the ear that is always open to the Lord even when all the other sounds are around us.
It is nowhere admitted in Scripture that a servant can be merely the herald of the light of God's grace; that is, that he should only have the joyful side of service.
We are to grow in grace. But how does sanctification take place, and in what way does sanctification happen? Well, being sanctified means that we are set apart unto God – growing spiritually.
Only our new life, has been made alive by the imputed life of the sinless Lord Jesus. His sinless, righteous life has been given, by grace, to ALL who believe on His name.
All By Grace
When we were positionally sanctified at salvation, it was all by God’s grace. We had no part to play in our positional sanctification – all we did was to believe.
And though we do have a part to play – it is by grace alone and not human merit.
Free-will Choice
All sanctification and spiritual growth in our lives is by God’s grace alone, and all we have to do is to submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But not all believers are being sanctified in a practical, progressive manner – for being “set apart unto God,” is a free-will choice – a decision of the will, we all have to make.
Seal of God
The seal of God whereby we were sealed of the Holy Spirit is the gracious act of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, at the point of saving grace..
God’s Grace
It was by God’s grace we are saved and by God’s grace we are sealed.
He sought us and saved us and sealed us by grace – through faith in Christ.
It all comes back to grace. It all comes back to Christ – for in Him is all grace.
Blood of Christ
The seal of God, whereby we were sealed of the Holy Spirit, is the gracious act of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, at the point of saving grace whereby God Himself marked or sealed every believer with the indwelling Holy Spirit, by giving every Christian the permanently, indwelling Spirit of God as the pre-payed earnest of our inheritance in Christ – and which confirms us as His own purchased possession – bought with the price of the blood of Christ.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Jesus – All in All
Jesus is the Source and Sound - the Wellspring and Completion of our faith.
The other carries in its wake discontentment, despite showers of blessings on our heads Remember that every day that passes is a gift of grace from God to you.
Every new day is complete with His new mercies, Where would we be without His mercy and grace?
You can read about it in My Story or just listen to a narration of 'Amazing Grace', and you will understand why she and I can both proclaim that …
Amazing Grace
Jesus is indeed our Source and Sound..
which is passed to all humanity, but God in His love and grace has provided a solution for the old sin nature, in Adam – and the solution is to be taken out of Adam and placed into Christ – by faith: for as by the one man’s disobedience (Adam) the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience (Christ) the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19,
Placed in Christ
When we were born again, we were placed in Christ – baptised into His body. When we were born again we were moved from being 'in Adam' to being 'in Christ.' When we were 'in Adam' we were imputed with Adam’s old sin nature, but when we were reborn 'into Christ' we were imputed with His righteousness. Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14
By Grace Through Faith
It is by grace that we have received forgiveness of our sins. It is by grace that we have been delivered from the power of sin . Remember:There are 2 fundamental SIN problems, but BOTH are dealt with at the cross of Christ. It is by grace through faith in Christ that we appropriate forgiveness – of SINS. It is by grace through faith in Christ that we appropriate deliverance – from SIN.
God begins by giving our hearts a sense of the blessedness of the grace in which He has called us, that we may be awakened and enhungered to pursue the knowledge of all this with purpose of heart and prayerful study. -C.A.C.
Our Father loves us too well to allow us to rest in anything or anyone short of Himself - not even Christian fellowship, or what people call the means of grace.' He wants to be so known by us that He becomes the deep eternal spring of satisfaction and joy for our hearts. -C.A.C.
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10 ESV)
If I am not going to give it up and leave, I must come to some spiritual enlargement; I have to know the Lord in a new way, to have more grace, love and patience.
You either grow in grace or you will backslide into carnality.
Christian Spirituality
And nearly a hundred years ago, Norman Harrison put it this way:- “It remains for the spiritual man to prove the reality and worth of his spirituality, by laying hold of all his resources in Christ.. by giving them practical expression in day-by-day living. And in a day when the Christian life claims but slight attention.. or even respect, from the world – what a call for spiritual stalwarts, fully-developed, determined by His grace, to demonstrate the beauty, power, and practicality of the Spirit-life – to an unbelieving, even scoffing social order.”
Stunted Growth
Growing in the faith and maturing spiritually has a number of associated terms, Sanctification - Salvation of the soul - spiritual maturity - growing in the faith - growing in grace.
Spiritual and Carnal
A spiritual Christian is the one that is growing in the faith – maturing. A carnal Christian is the one that is not growing in the faith – not maturing. A carnal Christian can also be called a fleshly believer... born again but not growing – born again, but not growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
Growing in Grace
Unless a child of God is “ready to grow” – he’ll never reach “spiritual maturity.” Growing in grace – maturing in Christ, is sometimes called “consecration”.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, and teaching, and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Not knowing one another after the flesh does not mean that all that realm will cease to exist for us, but it does mean that we shall look beyond that realm and we shall steadily seek grace and the help of the Holy Spirit to cultivate and develop a determination to look through what we are by nature to what there is of the Lord Jesus and of the Holy Spirit in one another, and keep our eyes upon that.
How important to reflect on His Word, knowing that His mercy is everlasting, His grace is new every morning and His truth endures from generation to generation.
God had only partially revealed Himself to Adam in the creation, but He had not as yet revealed the deep secrets of His nature; His character; His grace.
There was holiness, goodness, grace and long-suffering.
If we realized how privileged we are to have even a very small part in the things of God, and how it is all of His Grace, surely we should be very grateful that we could just have the remotest connection with Him.
STUDY in PRAYER
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.Hebrews.4:16
Throne of Grace
Unlike Israel, whose high priest alone could enter the holy of holies once each year, we have unlimited, continuous, and abiding access to the throne of grace, let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
That we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes – but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him Who is the Head, even Christ.Ephesians 4:15
Command to Grow
Peter exhorts us to grow in grace and: as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, 1 Peter 2:2 while Paul reminds us to: speak the truth in love, so we may grow up into Him in all things.
Ephesians 4:5 God wants us to become spiritually mature: so grow in grace, and grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18.
Fellowship God
However all the apostles of Christ beseech us to lay aside sin; to confess our sins; to grow in grace and to walk in the light, so that we can prevent our growth from becoming stunted and enjoy sweet fellowship with Father.
God’s Grace
Paul’s epistles give descriptive details of the riches of God’s grace towards believers. He details over and again our position in Christ – our privileges and our possession. He desires that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is firmly fixed on truth and not on the philosophies of man.
I can only remind you again of what a large place that has in the Word of God: be strong, be strong in the Lord in the strength of His might, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Remember, the same Spirit of grace that rested on Christ rests upon you and is in you - the Spirit of the LORD, the Spirit of wisdom; the Spirit of understanding; the Spirit of counsel; the Spirit of might; the Spirit of knowledge – the Spirit of the fear of the LORD.
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.2 Corinthians 12:9
God’s Grace
Like each and every gift of grace, His strength is ministered to each of us according to our need. We have no need of a bank deposit of $upply, No spiritual battery from which to draw our spiritual £trength. His supply is a continuous flow, received by faith as need requires. Life is divided into days – and day after day after day, He provides and supplies the strength. Down through the weeks which flow into months and years, He continues to provide ‘Strength for the day and bright hope for the morrow!’
Godly Suffering
Indeed, His grace multiplies when the burdens grow greater: for My grace is sufficient for thee.
Mysterious Privilege
All God’s children can participate in some incomprehensible way – through this unfathomable gift and mysterious privilege of – “All Prayer” Should we not fly to the open-access of the throne of God’s grace and plead... LORD teach me to PRAY.
Wise Words
C.A Cotes puts it this way:- “Many of us have probably known what it was to rejoice in the grace of God without having apprehended very much the true character of the flesh.
In such cases the grace of God is taken up in a self-confident way; there is very little self-distrust or sense of weakness and dependence upon Him.
All-Sufficient God
For God is able to make all grace abound to YOU, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9 God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus..
He needs no time, no heat, no light, no grace, no joy, no love – no life… God needs nothing.
Willing Submission
The astonishing thing is that God in His self-sufficient wisdom and grace, has chosen to condescendingly work in and through His servants.
a little faithful flock. Many are called to be sons of obedience but few choose to answer the call. Many Christians prefer a legalistic life to a life of spiritual faithfulness and grace. Many believers prefer a carnal life to a life of surrendered obedience and faith.
but when obedient faith is exercised in the spirit of humility and grace, God works through ANY-one.
But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.2 Peter 2:18
We are to grow in grace, which means being transformed into His likeness, by means of the Spirit.
to grow in grace.
But growth only takes place as we submit to the indwelling Spirit and He appeals to our God-given volition, to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18.
Under Grace
Paul reminds us that in this church dispensation: you are not under the law, but under grace, Romans 6:14 and warns us:- do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God..
to put all sin away, which is achieved by living, walking and growing in grace – by becoming more like Jesus.
Grace Alone
We are saved by God’s grace alone and not by human effort.
His grace is diametrically opposite to much man-made religious teaching.
And once saved by grace through faith, we are to live by grace, walk by grace and grow in grace – in spirit and truth.
All believers have a responsibility to grow in grace – as we are command in the Word.
Grow in Grace
We are to feed daily on the Word and like newborn babes, we are to desire the sincere milk of the Word.
And as we mature, and grow in grace we will progress to the strong meat of the Word.
May we who have ears to hear what the Spirit says in His Word, listen carefully to all that He says – and to apply it in our lives, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Both the forgiveness of sins and deliverance from sin are gifts of grace to all believers – and we appropriate both forgiveness and deliverance by faith in Christ's sacrifice.
He has saved us by grace and has promised to keep us throughout our life – by grace.
Depth of Grace
The dimensions and depths of His grace are incalculable.
Limited Perception
Yet so many limit His goodness to their own earthly experience. They choose to view His love and grace to the limits of their understanding – to view it to the extent to which they themselves understand love. And they refuse to recognise His love if it is not what they expect – if it is not proffered in the way that they want or imagine.
Compassionate Grace
Yet Jesus says, The smoking flax I will not quench.
His Grace
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, Who inhabits eternity and Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Principles
The principle of consecration – is that God might use that one as a sign.. a sign of His immeasurable grace in the ages to come – to principalities and power – a sign of His grace right now – in this corner of the field where He has planted you.
Legalism is a destructive enemy of the Christian life – in opposition to God’s grace.
Legalism is the antithesis of grace – placing you back under bondage and slavery.
Enemy of Grace
The voice of legalism is accusational and critical and tramples the gospel of grace.
It adds to God’s grace by charging us with its own brand of legalistic justification.
We are not under law but under grace.
Law, legalism, rules, and regulations are enemies of grace and need to be identified. Law is adding something – ANYTHING to salvation, for we are saved by grace alone.
For we are saved grace…(through faith) and not of yourself so you won’t boast.
Salvation is God’s grace…(by faith) and is not to do with our merit so we can’t brag.
God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus.... (2 Timothy 1:9 ESV)
Sufficient Grace
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,He sendeth more strength when the labours increase;To added afflictions He addeth His mercies –To multiplied trials, He multiplies peace.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure.His power no boundary known unto man;For out of His infinite riches in Jesus.He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
Those who accept the free gift of Salvation, which God freely gives to all who trust in His Son as saviour, (by grace through faith) revere Christ as God manifest in the flesh.
It is as our hearts are under the sway of that grace which is ministered to us through the Lord Jesus Christ, and as we are knit to Him in affection, that we touch and taste a new life, and are severed in heart from all that constituted the life of our old man.
To be weighed down by evil in a Christ-rejecting sin-sick world. To be able to stay and to stand in such a school of discipline - to be able with His grace, to say.. The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it - is this not faith at its highest success? Is this not faith at its crowning pinnacle?
Time of Training
David sought comfort in his Psalms - knowing God's promises are sure and Paul gloried in his thorn - knowing that His grace is sufficient. Present circumstances which press so hard and wound so deeply..if surrendered to the Lord..
Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God (Ps. 76:10; 2 Cor. 4:15).
Word of Grace
Fear not, were the first words of grace, spoken to that little band of shepherds – shepherds on a lonely hill in the little town of Bethlehem.
The teachings of grace are perfect and sufficient in themselves.
What an indignity religion puts on every Person of the Godhead alike, on the grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ, when it drags souls back to the dread distance of Judaism. -W.K.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain (Gal. 2:21).
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory – glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.John 1:14
Perfect Law
The perfect Law was engraved on stone but is unable to beat with a heart of pure love. The faultless Law cannot empathise with our weakness or understand our difficulties. The letter of the Law may be perfect, but is insufficient to reveal the Father’s love. The ministration of law came through Moses, but fullness of grace came via Jesus.
Enriching Grace
The elements of the Law placed men under bondage, for the letter of the law kills, but the personification of grace gives abundant life – a life that’s enriched by grace.
The glory of God’s grace is the glory of the only Son Who is begotten of the Father.
Glory of God’s Grace
The ministration of grace can never fail, for Jesus Christ is infinite, and He is perfect. He is perfect in His Being and Work; His Word and His Ways.
His grace can never fail. The glory of Christ is beautifully seen in the essential attributes of the living God. His glory is interwoven with His handiwork; His skill; His wisdom and His kindness.
Face of Jesus
The glory of God’s grace is a lantern that illumines the whole of Christ’s character. His Grace becomes a platform, upon which every perfection of Deity stands, and the fullness of the glory God’s grace, is reflected in the face of Jesus Christ.
It was grace in its fullness that caused the Godhead to look down the corridors of time and purpose an eternal plan that would redeem a sinful race of humanity from sin.
Fullness of Grace
It was the fullness of grace that conceived of the plan of salvation that purposed that He’d plead the hopeless cause of unregenerate man and undertake to pay its price. It was the person of Christ Who demonstrated the fullness of grace on Calvary’s cross and out of His fullness have we all received grace upon grace upon much more grace, for in Christ is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily – the fullness of all grace.
God’s Plan
Grace was not a modification of the original plan of God for man when He realised that the Law was a ministration of death.
The Law was designed to point people to Christ. God did not have to send the Lord Jesus Christ as the Word made flesh, to modify the original plan He had purposed for man… Grace was God’s plan from the beginning.
Grace and Truth
The fullness of God’s grace was in the heart of our gracious God when He purposed, before the foundation of the earth, that the WORD would become flesh and dwell among His people, so we could see the glory of God’s grace, reflected in the face of the lovely Lord Jesus – glory as of the only Son from the Father – full of grace and truth.
There has to be a very great deal of overlooking, a great deal of generosity, grace has got to triumph by reason of the exalted spiritual place: the elevation of our position in the heavenlies.
These cities must rule, grace must predominate in the heavenlies.
It looks as though grace will still be necessary to bear with things that go wrong.
Be clothed with humility - for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5
But how the Lord Jesus demonstrated this grace of humility through His earthly ministry - Even from His lowly stable birth; His status as a refugee in Egypt; His gracious attitude towards His earthly parents; His long years of hard toil in a common, little carpentry shop.
Lonely Road
Should not we, who seek to know Him more and more, follow in His path - HIS path of humility; HIS walk of suffering; HIS trail of rejections and pain? Should we not submit to the penetrating eye of the Holy Spirit in our life - asking Him to identify pride and self-interest, that so readily tracks our earthy walk? Should we not seek Him, where He is found – on the lonely Road of Humility? Should not we seek to cover ourselves with humility as Jesus did – covered with the cloak of humility; clothed with the garment of grace.
When did we become so unwilling to share the truth, and to receive it in love from dear friends, who desire our safety and benefit? Be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.
God’s Pleasure
If we do not discern certain states of grace, and choose them – in Him… if we do not nourish them in our hearts in the power of His Holy Spirit, they never become fastened in our nature or behaviour.For we must choose of our own freewill to do of His good pleasure – not our own. Every advance step in grace must be preceded by first apprehending it.
The eternal Son became the incarnate Word and the very body of our Lord Jesus Christ became the residence of God – the Temple of the Lord – and the apostle John tells us that they saw His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
There are none who are excluded by God from the good news of His gospel of grace.
This is the good news of the gospel of grace which centres on Christ’s finished work on the cross – and the fact that He rose from the dead to accomplish our full salvation.
Isaiah 43:10-11. Israel was to tell of God’s saving grace and turn the gentile nations back to Him – for God desires that ALL people know and love Him as Creator, Saviour and Lord.
The Witness of the Church
The witness of Israel was to be replaced with the witness of the Church – for a time. The gospel of the kingdom was to be replaced with the gospel of grace – for a time. The promised kingdom was to be postponed – until the whole nation of Israel repents.
Church Dispensation
Israel’s gospel of the kingdom had to be postponed during the church dispensation – and the Church proclaiming the gospel of grace became God’s witness to the world. But the day is coming when Israel will once again be God’s witness to the nations. The day is fast approaching when the gospel of the kingdom will again be taught.
Gospel of Grace
Today we live in the church age when the gospel of grace is taught to the nations. Today God is continuing to do His work through the body of Christ – the Church..
Man often grasps at the grace, the I will bless of God, and fails to comply with the demand thereof - Get thee out.
The call of God to some fuller and higher acceptance of truth and ministry; of testimony and witness; of surrender and experience, will undoubtedly come by one or another of the Divine forms of visitation to such as the Lord wishes to lead in grace.
Christ’s Early Life
But God is not mocked by man nor angel and the Holy Child was born and for 12 years He grew and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was on Him.
Unique Person & Work
The two natures of Christ is a simple concept and yet it contains a profound reality. Without the two natures of Jesus Christ humanity has no Saviour and no Salvation, but by faith in the unique person and work of Jesus Christ – as Son of God and Son of Man we are given the free gift of life – eternal life – abundant life – by God’s grace.
But no matter how beautiful or expensive a gift may be, it will wax old and deteriorate, and it is all too likely to be replaced in time by something else that piques the interest. But Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians writes of the indescribable gift that God in His grace gave to humanity – a gift with eternal consequences, that will never age nor lose its value – a perfect gift of grace and beauty that can never be replaced.
It’s suitable for all occasions no matter what the time – and for all persons whether bond or free. God’s unutterable gift of His Son multiplies into a plethora of additional gifts, which explode into an astonishing display of God’s amazing grace and unconditional love. Spiritual death is removed and the new life of Christ is breathed into our dead spirit – we were dead in our sins, but made alive in Christ.
broken the power of sin in our life and will one day remove sin’s presence – forever. The curtain of separation has been torn from top to bottom granting access to the throne-room of grace and we’re covered from head to toe with the armour of God, for we are clothed with Christ and one with Him – His body, His church – His bride.
We are the temple of God with the permanently indwelling Spirit of God as God’s deposit of grace. We were foreknown of God and chosen by Him – sealed and adopted forever, Amen. We were showered with the riches of eternal life – endowed with God’s spiritual gifts. We were baptised into Christ – made peace with God and given the peace of God. He started a good work in us and prepared good works for us to do in His strength – and then in His grace rewards us for the work He carried out in our lives – what grace. Thanks be to God for His unimaginable gift!
Jesus, Who was made lower than the angels for a while, is now crowned with glory and honour for He suffered death, so that by God’s grace He tasted death for everyone. Thanks be to God for His inconceivable gift!
Peter orders us to know and grow in our knowledge of Him….and in grace, in 2 Peter 3, and Jesus instructs us that to know that God is life eternal, in John 17.
Manifold Wisdom
Oh yes, the church that is His body will be used to show His grace to angels: to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, to the glory of God… and to the praise of His Holy Name.
Unlimited Glory
But this does not increase the grace of God – for His grace is infinite to start with. It cannot add to the glory of His Name – for His Name is already infinitely glorious. All that is connected with this mortal life has gross and distressing limitations. The limits and boundaries that are forced on the human creature are frustrating. Limitations that flood in from without and limitations that well up from within.
And those that are in Him have been bequeathed the limitless riches of His grace.
Infinite Grace
Why has God designed this life to be one of hardship and sorrow? Is it not so that in learning obedience, He can bestow on us His infinite grace? Christ was the first to go through the process of a life of obedience: for the joy that was set before Him, (infinite joy), He endured the cross.
He demands nothing from this world, but in the life of the Lord Jesus he contributes to it, of the grace that nourishes and comforts him outside it. -J.B.S.
God’s Condemnation
The whole world came under the condemnation of God because of one man’s sin. Adam’s disobedience resulted in the human race being born under condemnation. It was sin that was the cause of man’s condemnation and the wages of sin is death. It was necessary for God to cover man’s sin with the blood-soaked fleece of a lamb, for in His heart God purposed to send a Saviour – Who could pay the price of sin. What grace was being shown to man when God purposed to save His fallen race.
God’s Grace
But grace was in God’s heart when He purposed to give His Son as a ransom for many, Christ was to come bringing with Him grace and truth for all condemned by the Law. His perfect life and sacrificial death was to break the power of sin, resting on man, His death on the cross was so that man could be released from ALL condemnation.
Abounding Grace
As time passed, mankind rebelled against their Creator God and so the Law was sent. Paul says the Law was given so that the offence might abound..
His ways are perfect and this was simply another demonstration of His grace. The greater mans’ sin became the more valuable and precious was the sacrifice for sin. The more sin abounded, the more grace would be poured over the head of humanity.
What grace the Father showed to man, that His Son was to die to save a fallen race.
Love, Justice, Grace
The Law condemned ALL - for none can keep the righteous requirements of the Law, yet grace set aside God’s Law – to break the power of condemnation on all men.
God’s grace dictated that He would give His only Son to pay the price for all sin.. and the ONLY requirement of man was to believe that Christ died for their sin – and the ONLY way to be free from condemnation was to believe on Jesus Christ.
What grace God showed to man, that Christ Jesus has paid the penalty for humanities sin.
Free Gift of Grace
But what of those that of their freewill have chosen not to believe in Christ Jesus?
Man is not condemned because he sinned, but because he did not believe… because he did not believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God. Jesus Christ warned the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees that they would all die in their sins, for though outwardly righteous, their hearts were riddled with unbelief. The Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem for in rejecting Him they rejected His grace, and in rejecting His grace they placed themselves under condemnation.
Today the work of the Spirit is to conform the saved Christian into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ – for we are not under the Law but under grace.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
This is love for God: to obey His commands – and His commands are not burdensome.John 5:3
God’s Time Periods
Why was Paul so insistent that believers did not return from grace to law?
And what is so important about the age of grace for Christians today?
Next was the era of Law, followed by Grace – with the Millennial period yet to come.
Age of the Church
The Greek word for “law” is “nomos” and also means ‘rule’ or ‘instructions’ and since Calvary, believers have been in a specific period of time called the Age of Grace.
Rules for the Church
Some Christians mistakenly adhere to Israel’s Law, but Paul argues that: we are not under law but under grace, Romans 6:14. and yet we are not exempt from a godly code of living, which Paul calls: the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus Romans 8:2. and which is seen in Romans 8.
Command of God
Only as we live by grace and allow the Spirit of Christ to live in us and through us..
God entrusted into our mortal frame His light and His love – by grace through faith..
He set ablaze in us, the candle of the Lord – by grace through faith in Him.
His Wonders
We can bear witness to Him in so many ways as the Spirit of Christ leads and guides. We can proclaim the wonders of His grace through the way we live and the way we act. We can tell out the glories of the Lord in thought and word and deed and song.
slow to anger and of great goodness; a God of grace and truth and abounding in great goodness; a God Whose mercy is everlasting; a God Whose love is eternal.
All who take time to study the disposition and character of Christ discover Him to display perfection throughout His lifetime and grace in all circumstances of His life.
Exemplary Grace
His grace towards those that were poor and despised was exemplary and His loving involvement with the debased of society became a reason for some increasing hostility. He was gentle as a dove, and wise as a serpent – yet always spoke the truth in love.
Grace and Truth
He knew when to act and when to ignore and could empathise without compromise. He knew when to speak and when to remain silent – when to act and when to ignore. He could combine graciousness with truth and He could integrate mercy with justice.
Right Relationship
All these people were in right relationship with the Lord and each of these characters displayed a characteristic that pleased the Lord – a godly disposition that was precious in His eyes – a quality that is dear to the heart of our God. God laid His hand on each of His people in a unique way and God took time in each life to develop in each one a peculiar and distinctive quality that was a dim reflection of His own perfect grace – one that would be seen in the face of Jesus Himself.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
He also reminds us of our future blessed hope and the expected return of our Lord – and it is all connected with the grace of our wonderful, loving, gracious God.
Titus is a man that understands that the grace of God touches every aspect of our lives – for it is the grace of God that offers us the gift of salvation, we so richly enjoy,
Expanse of Grace
It is God’s grace that warns of the dangers of unrighteous living and worldly lusts. It is the grace of God that trains us into righteous living and worthy, godly conduct. It is His grace that bestowed upon us our Blessed Hope and the riches of His glory, as we wait for the glorious appearance of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Many Faces of Grace
Too often we box God’s grace into saving grace and limit the expanse of its worth. It is grace that saves, sustains and sanctifies and it preserves, protects and perfects us. It is His grace that affects our growth in grace and teaches us to live godly in Christ. It’s grace that provides for all our needs and grace that may withhold our dear desires.
Riches of His Grace
It is grace that imparts understanding and grace that equips us with discernment. It is grace that instructs and guides us – and grace that teaches and trains. It is grace that corrects and reproves us and it is grace that chastens and chastises us.
It is grace that accepted us in the Beloved and crowned us with the riches of His grace – and it’s grace that has seated us together with Christ in heavenly places – in Him.
Examples of Grace
It is grace that called us to be His children and gave us an inheritance as sons. It is grace that made us heavenly ambassadors and has planned every step of our life. It is the grace that will make us examples of His grace in the ages that are to come. It is grace that ordained us to every good work and grace that equips to do it.
and one fundamental truth is that grace is the precursor of all that God is doing.
Grace is rooted and established in the tri-unity of the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit.
Grace is the sum and summation of the infinite attributes of the three-fold Godhead.
Grace of God
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
God uses all the facts and realities of life to humble us before His throne of grace, and through our self-analysis or introspection, we discover our efforts are in vain..
Gift of Grace
The mystery of our faith was a truth that emanated from the heart of God.
How gracious is God – for the people that walked in darkness were given the light, and those born dead in their sins can become sons of God, by grace through faith. Great is the mystery of godliness for the earth shall be filled with His glory as the waters cover the sea.
God the Father
God in His wisdom and grace designed the plan of salvation before the world began. God in His love and mercy purposed to save humanity before we were even created.
God the Father by His grace, loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
We discover God’s infinite love, justice, mercy and grace.
Righteousness of God
By God’s grace we saw the truth of His infinite love towards us, in that while we were still rebellious sinners and at enmity with our Creator – Christ died for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him..
May He give us grace to endure whatever the trial may be, along whatever line of metaphor, the wind, the blaze, supreme heat, or pressure of His hand, all of which is to get us into a place where we cannot be moved, where hell cannot shake us, where His power is made manifest as triumphant over all the power of the enemy.
Forgiveness – God First Act
These were the first words spoken by the Lord Jesus on the Cross. Forgiveness was the first thought on the mind of the crucified Saviour. Forgiveness was the first response of God to sins committed in the Eden. Forgiveness is an unfathomable grace that is deep in the heart of God.
Purchased, in Love
What awesome grace to be purchased, in love, by God and so become His child. What an honor to be brought into His kingdom from a life of slavery to sin and Satan.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus.Philippians 1:6
Grace and Wisdom
In His grace and wisdom, He will take the harrowed heart that questions Why, and He will answer it in His way – and in His time – to His glory – and to your benefit.
May it not be well to pause and consider whether God's mightiest and most fruitful works in nature and in grace are not done hiddenly, quietly, unobtrusively, and in many cases done before anyone knows about it?
Now may the Lord give us the grace to take our share in the sufferings as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, to be strengthened with the grace that is in Christ Jesus, to bear the testimony of the Lord.
Humility and Grace
It is such a heart that he dresses with humility and grace., not to shatter into despair, but to melt and remake into a heart like unto His heart.
Spirit of Brokenness
This is the heart that is healed by His touch and mended by His grace and mercy.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged1 Corinthians 11:31
God has set one singular requirement for spiritual growth, which is by grace through faith..
Interlinked Attributes
But sanctification, grace, growth, faith et al, are all interlinked, and a wrong course in one will inevitably influence all the rest.
Unchanging Truth
If we add or subtract from God’s gospel of grace, it influences fellowship and growth.
Christ’s sacrificial death opened up the way for all who believe on His name, to approach God’s throne of grace and enjoy sweet fellowship with the Father.
All we have to do is name our sins, and by His grace, He will forgive our sins and restore us back into fellowship with Himself.
License says you do as you please for the more we sin the more grace is displayed.
When we sin we need to confess our sins and then trust His word and accept His grace – for if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness – and to restore us back into fellowship.
Is the Letter to the Hebrews on any other ground than the ground of Grace?
But I am pointing this out, that this letter is written in the day of Grace; and it is a day which brings into view not some new Christian system, not the formation of a new Christian tradition, but a spiritual condition, without which everything else is as nothing.
Justifying Faith
And through faith, we understand that justifying faith is simply believing God – trusting in His saving grace.
Law and Grace
Under the Law, we read in Habakkuk that the just one was to live by his own faith.
Under grace we read in Galatians that the just shall live by faith: the faith of the Son of God, for the Spirit of Christ lives in us, as we yield to His child-training.
Consider His Grace
Consider His good temper, for He said: “suffer little children to come, and forbid them not, and then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put His hands on them, and prayed”.
Paul takes love – the grace of all graces and in three short verses, he passes it through the magnificent, crystal prism of God’s own light-refracting it into the blessed rainbowed-spectrum of His pure love.
Poverty of spirit and humility of heart is the first grace proclaimed in His sermon, and one by one humility bubbles and streams through each subsequent blessing – as beatitude by beatitude, you can trace this thread of Godly grace: “Blessed are they that mourn…” “Blessed are the meek …” “Blessed are pure in heart..” Blessed are they that mourn... “Blessed are those that hunger after His righteousness ..”
True Humility
Poverty of spirit and humility of heart is a key that opens the gate to God’s grace. Poverty of spirit and humility of heart is what God seeks in each of His own.
These three sparkling gems unite into the unique gift of God’s grace – SALVATION.
One Gift of Grace
Salvation is ONE and yet salvation is THREE – for we were saved at a single point in time:- (justified) We are being saved through the passage of time:- (sanctification) and at a point in time, known only to God, we will be finally fully saved:- (glorified). There are not 3 salvations, but ONE gift of grace that is accessed by faith, in Christ, God’s ONE gift of salvation has THREE elements – 1) justification, 2) sanctification, and 3)glorification.
eternal separation from God. Salvation in this verse is given the term justification – for we are justified by grace.
Sanctification – PRESENT
In 1 Timothy 4:16 Paul is seen reminding Timothy to persevere in the things of God – which will ensure SALVATION both for himself – and for all who hear him teach. Salvation in this verse is given the term sanctification – for we are sanctified by grace.
All His children are positionally sanctified – but not all are being practically sanctified. The final element of Salvation by grace is the glorification of our bodies, and when this third element of salvation is complete, we will be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.
Salvation here relates to glorification – and we are also glorified by grace. The apostle John gives a rare look at a verse glimpsing all 3 elements of salvation.
We’re justified by grace; sanctified by grace and glorified by grace – through faith in Christ, and these 3 sparkling gems unite into God’s unique gift of grace – SALVATION.
All By Grace
We come to the Lord Jesus – for salvation (which is all by grace. We live in the Lord Jesus – for sanctification (which is all by grace). We work for the Lord Jesus – in service (which is all by grace)
Every day will provide some opportunity for you to learn spiritual ascendancy; some occasion for you to bring in the value of your relationship with the Lord; to put to the test the resources which you have in Christ; to grow in grace; to know victories.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Grace-Promise-Faith
There are two paths believers can follow in their Christian life, either grace or law, either faith or works, either promise or merit, either God’s way or man’s way.
We are not only saved by grace we should live our lives by grace, for sanctification is by grace as well as justification.
The “grace-promise-faith” way is described in Scripture as a ministry of life: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Jam.2:10. Paul warns that living man’s way means that: the grace of Christ has become of no effect unto you: for whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Gal.5:4.
A Christian living the “works-merit-law” way, will find death, failure, and misery, while one living the “grace-promise-faith” way will have life more abundantly.
Normal Christian Life
There are God-given principles for the ‘normal’ Christian life in Scripture, which are all founded on grace and Paul sets out the grace-walk within his epistles.
Paul describes the serious consequences of living the “works-merit-law” way while outlining the tremendous advantages of living the “grace-promise-faith” way.
The “works-merit-law” route, as opposed to the “grace-promise-faith” route.
But sanctification by grace is founded on God’s grace alone.
Law is man’s work, founded on the man’s merit and accessed through law, while grace is God’s work, founded on the promises of God and accessed by faith.
Law is called a ministry of death and its source is the old sin nature, (the flesh), while grace is described as a ministry of life, and its source is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
A believer that chooses self-merit is a debtor to keep the whole law, while a believer that chooses God’s grace is free from the law of sin and death.
The believer who lives under the law is under condemnation, while the one who lives under grace is not under condemnation
Cleansing Confession
A believer who chooses to live under the law’s self-merit instead of God’s will is still a child of God, although for a time has fallen from grace.
Any believer who has strayed along the “works-merit–law” path and its ministry of death can be restored to the “grace-promise-faith” way and its ministry of life for, His mercies are new every morning – great is His faithfulness.
Pre-cross Israel lived their lives – ”under Law” Post-resurrection Church live their lives – “under Grace,” and the generation of believers that lived both sides of the cross are unique.
It is a history of the transition from Law to Grace – from Israel to the early Church.
Apostle to Gentiles
And God called Saul of Tarsus to be Paul – the apostle to the Gentiles: But when God, Who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles... I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
Just remember –
A man’s conduct is always determined by his view of God… and behind it all, is the Divine Purpose to show us that “My Grace Is Sufficient..”
God’s Commands
And He commands us: Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Live by faith and not by sight and don’t get embroiled in signs and wonders. We live under grace and not under the law.Be faithful in the place that God has put you. Be faithful to the point of death. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ' (Eph. 3:8).
Acts 17:10 God in His grace and love for us, permits His light to shine into our hearts. In two Peter chapter one ver nineteen, we read:- He gives us a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19
Light of God
The dawning of the light may be a gradual change or a sudden transformation, but all the unfolding of His truth in our hearts – is due to His mercy and grace.
Focus on Obedience
We are imputed with Christ’s righteousness, which directs our focus upon obedience. We are sanctified by grace and obedience is the root and fruit of sanctification.
True Satisfaction
Were florid path strewed with diamonds and gold and the finest of silken thread... were buildings constructed of the most delicately carved marble and oaken beams... were panniers of the most delicious fruit and sweetmeats to grace the richly plenished table... were brimming baskets-full of delicate blossoms to perfume the breezy air – the heart would remain deeply dissatisfied were God excluded from the scene.
Sufficient Grace
But Paul and Job both discovered, My grace is sufficient! My grace is sufficient! My grace is sufficient for thee… for my strength is perfected in your weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:10.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.Philippians 1:6
It Takes Time
There is no quick way to grow in grace and become spiritually mature.
Growing in grace requires failure as well as success, inactivity as well as service.
Remember…
There is no quick way to grow in grace and become spiritually mature.
Acts is an overlapping bridge-of-time during which evangelistic responsibility is being passed from the old dispensation of Israel to the Church – in the age of grace.
On and on we discover the Jews were the target-audience for the gospel message – not the gospel of grace which was given to Paul, but the gospel of the kingdom.
They continued proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom – not the gospel of grace.
Church Doctrine
It shows how the early focus of church evangelism – was exclusively to the Jews, but God in His grace raised up Paul the apostle to reveal His plans for the church. May our hearts and minds be open to the Spirit’s leading concerning the book of Acts. Without Acts, Christianity could have morphed into an unorthodox sect of Judaism – but the teachings and doctrines for the Church – were given to us – through Paul.
and a wonderful liberation floods the soul of those saved by God’s gift of grace..
Growing in Grace
He desires all His children to grow in grace and to walk in spirit and truth. God wants us to develop a spiritual walk, which grows into a closer walk with Him. But after the first flush of Christian joy, we can leave our first love and fall from grace.
We can't lose our salvation but we stray from a spiritual walk into a carnal walk. We can leave our first love of Christ and be enticed back to the ways of the world – or we can fall from grace, trying to please God through our own good works.
Walking the way of flesh, worldly living and legalistic good works all deny God’s grace. But He desires His children to grow in grace and to walk in spirit and truth.
All-Embracing Word
The word ‘salvation’ is one all-embracing word that unites a variety of concepts; redemption; rebirth; justification; security; sanctification; growth; maturity; foreknowledge; election; predestination; righteousness; glorification; grace; reconciliation; new-life-in-Christ; new creation; adoption; saved by grace; born-from-above; baptised into Christ; accepted-in Him; citizens of heaven - and more.
Together they sing a symphony of salvation, in praise of the riches of God’s grace.
Brands of Glory
Each aspect of salvation has its own particular brand of glory and magnificence, and each needs to be studied and understood for the riches and truth it contains. Yet together they combine to demonstrate the enormity of God’s grace towards us.
Detail of Truth
Each facet opens up one aspect of God’s grace..
Facets of Salvation
The crux of the matter is that every aspect of salvation is dependent on God’s grace.
Some limit God’s grace to the simple act of being saved – when it underpins ALL.
All facets of Salvation are by the power of God and because of the grace of God. All God does in redemption, rebirth, justification; and sanctification is by grace.
All His foreknowledge; election; predestination sealing and adoption is of grace.
All By Grace
All the security, growth, maturity, righteousness, and glorification is by grace.
and heavenly citizenship is grace.
The works we do and the fruit we produce as well as the gifts we receive are all by grace.
And our final glorification; reward in heaven and heir-ship with Christ is God’s grace.
Not Man’s Merit
Redeeming, reconciliation, sanctification, and maturing in the faith is ALL by grace.
Indeed, God will not accept any aspect of Salvation any other way than by GRACE.
God’s Standard
The saving of believers is all by grace and requires complete dependence on Christ. The sanctifying, maturing life can only be lived effectively when dependent upon Him. But too often instead of yielding to the power of God, we strive in our own strength.
Grace Alone By Faith
Better to swallow our pride and revisit Scripture, and find out God’s perfect plan..
for every facet of salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Each aspect of salvation embraces its own particular message of biblical truth - but from start to finish Salvation is God working in us – and it is all His grace.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, It trains us to renounce ungodly living and worldly lusts so that we might live sensible, honest, and godly lives in this present age-Titus 2:12
Our Teacher
The law of God is a schoolmaster to bring the unsaved man and woman to Christ, but once we are saved it is the grace of God that becomes our teacher and instructor.
Some are concerned that an over-emphasis on God’s grace provides a license to sin..
and yet the scripture teaches that grace trains us to turn our back on godless living.
Our Guide
Grace is a teacher that shows us the error of sinful pleasures, and worldly passions.
Godly Living
By GRACE we were saved – when we first trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour.
By GRACE we are to live... as we abide in Christ, rest in Him, and trust His Word...and it is GRACE that teaches us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.
It is grace that trains us and to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and passion.
It is grace that enables us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.
It is grace that lets us live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way, in the present age.
Children of Grace
All who have received a new life in Christ, BY grace, must be trained THROUGH grace. Grace brings to our understanding the great love and goodness of God towards us.
It is by grace we are forgiven; saved; sealed – clothed in Christ’s own righteousness.
It’s by grace we grow in grace and are accepted by God and seated in heavenly places.
It’s by grace we are made children of God and joint-heirs and inheritors with Christ.
Riches of God’s Grace
We have been given the riches of God’s grace and glory – and are complete in Christ.
Should we not acknowledge His amazing grace and unconditional love towards us?
– for when we do, grace will start to teach us and to train us in godly living.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, It trains us to renounce ungodly living and worldly lusts so that we might live sensible, honest, and godly lives in this present age.
However, with progress in grace we find them to be as clear and logical as the truth of justification.
The marvel of divine grace is that not only has everything according to the heart of God been secured for me through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, but that I, a child of Adam, should be, not only in peace with God where I was under His judgment, but that I am transferred from Adam to Christ, and I am to have Christ formed in me now.
I am born of God - of new and divine origin - a new creation to be here on earth now where I was a child of Adam, in the grace and beauty of Christ, led by His own power to stand for Him; daily more and more transformed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord' (2 Cor. 3:18).
Heavenly Home
And yet our feet are dusty – polluted with the sin and filth of this world, for we are ever yet journeying towards our heavenly home. The Father is there and seated on His throne of grace. At His right hand is seated the Son of His love – the Man; the perfect Man; the Man Christ Jesus - seated on the throne with the Father.
The family, redeemed out of every nation and clime, are gathering, as angels gaze on in wonder – as grace upon grace is realised.
Through grace, we are not in the flesh, but in Christ, yet the flesh is in us; but our part is to reckon it as having been, before God and to faith, judicially put to death in Christ crucified, thus setting us free to be so constantly occupied with the triumphant Son of God, as to find all our resources, all our strength, all our springs, in Him. -H.H.S.
The God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect [mature], establish, strengthen, settle you (1 Pet. 5:10).
One of the most damaging things in the realm of God's work, a thing which eventually leads to shame and confusion and much sorrow, is Natural Soul Force projected by strong-willed, determined, aggressive Christians who have not come to a spiritual state where they are able to discriminate between stubborn indomitableness, personal determination and resolution, and which is altogether another thing: spiritual grace in endurance, perseverance, and Divine in-strengthening.
Let Paul talk to you about the Lord's wonderful grace to continue.
The Father will not give you humility or patience or love as separate gifts of grace; He has given you the Lord Jesus, and if you simply trust Him to live out His life in you, He will be humble, patient, loving and everything else you need.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Oh foolish Galatians…after starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
Grace OR Works
Scripture contrasts two ‘ways’ a believer seeks to live the Christian life.
Paul outlines both options in his epistle to the Galatians: 1) the grace-promise-faith way and 2) the works-merit-law way.
The grace-promise-faith way is 100% achievable and done by God for man.
There is probably no more important message to the church today than this, for most believers having started their Christian life by grace through faith, revert from grace back to the law, by trying to live their life for God.
Blessings abound for those humble enough and courageous enough to seek to live their life the grace-promise-faith way.
Paul’s Challenge
Paul challenges those given initial salvation by grace through faith with these words: are ye so foolish, having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? He is saying, having begun ‘the grace-promise-faith way’ are ye now made perfect by ‘the works-merit-law way?’ Many believers aren’t properly schooled in these two contrasting ways of living the Christian life and fall into the works-merit–law trap.
God’s Way OR Man’s Way
The grace way is sanctification God’s way.
The grace-promise-faith way is the ‘spiritual’ route.
All believers are born-again the ‘grace-promise-faith’ way, for salvation is simply: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – by grace thru faith, which is a done deed.
Faith Not Works
Believers make a choice to either live God’s way, which is the ‘grace-promise-faith’ way, or man’s way, the ‘works-merit -law’ way.
To grow spiritually is the responsibility of each believer, but like justification can only be achieved the ‘grace-promise-faith’ way.
Living the ‘works-merit -law’ way is not living under grace, but rather falling from grace. It is living under a pot-pourri of legalism, carnality, and dead ‘fleshly’ works.
Grace-Promise-Faith
Grace abounds to those that are both humble and courageous enough to walk the grace-promise-faith route.
There is so much more to explore about living by grace in the book of Galatians, which step by step brings us from persistent failure and self-effort, into a victorious Christian life, which is only possible by God’s grace – through faith.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Questioning Heart
Have you ever looked back over your life and just wondered..
and the gospel of grace is shouted abroad – and others come to know your God.
We read in Ephesians 1:5-6 ‘Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved'.
Our Father would be free to favor us with far more of His riches in Christ Jesus if we would keep more in mind that grace is unmerited favor - so that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy (Rom. 9:23).
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Christian Desire
Many Christians desire union and communion (or fellowship) with our Lord Jesus, but feel they do not enjoy it as they desire.
The indwelling of the Spirit
Fellowship with the Lord should be the experience of all believers as we grow in grace and submit to the Spirit’s work in our lives, as He seeks to conform us into the likeness of Christ, but this is not always the case.
One nation was in view when the Law of Moses was in force on the earth; the individual is in view during this age of grace; and the whole social structure of mankind will be in view when the kingdom is established on earth.
The soul that turns back upon itself to learn God's judgment about it, and what His dealings with it are likely to be, is not leaning upon what the Father is - is not standing in grace.
Neither our joy nor our peace is dependent upon what we are to Him, but on what He is to us - and this is grace. -J.N.D.
How happy then to know that I belong to the place where He is; and that through grace I am made suited to Him in that new place; so that I set my mind and affections there, as the place where my deepest joys are to be realized. -J.B.S.
Growing In Grace - STUDYYou foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?Galatians 3:1
For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God…..
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothingGalatians 2:19-21
Rules of Grace Life
Living by grace is the antithesis to the way that man has learned to live in this world.
The life of grace can only be understood if one has learned how to live by faith, and then apply it.
They live the “law-works-merit” way – rather than the “grace-faith-promise” way.
A Liberating Truth
These Galatian Christian believed the gospel of grace and then returned to the old ways of the law.
Every believer has been saved by grace through faith and placed in union with Christ; baptised into Christ’s death and was identified with Him the moment they believed.
They had learned the liberating truth of grace but then reverted to a Christian life under the law.
A Teachable Spirit
To live our Christian lives by God’s “grace-faith-promise” rules, rather than the more logical “law-works-merit” rules requires us to live by faith and not by sight.
As we explore these scripture passages, may we exhibit a teachable spirit, so that we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
So that we walk the “grace-faith-promise” way (or fly the IFR way) rather than slipping into the “law-works-merit” way (the VFR way)
A Worthy Calling
Our initial salvation when we were born again is a gift of grace – received by faith. Our Christian walk as we grow in grace is also a gift of grace – received by faith. And as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, so we will reflect our Lord – and we will walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
STUDY in PRAYER
Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.Hebrews 4:16
This daily ‘nipto’ – maintains fellowship with God and access to His throne of grace.
Continuous Cleansing
Intercession begins on bended heart and yet it reaches to the throne of God, but intercessors need a cleansed, humble heart to come boldly to the throne of grace.
God’s Foreknowledge
In His omniscience, God knows in advance every person that will choose to believe. God’s grace is extended to everyone and all we have to do is to believe in Jesus. And God has plans for everyone, who freely chooses to trust in Christ as Saviour. God foreknew all who would drink of the waters of life and become His child, and before the world was made He had plans for all those – who would believe on Jesus.
Grace through Faith
Well, every part of salvation is a gift of God’s grace that is accessed by faith. God does it all and we contribute nothing – all we had to do was to freely believe. Once we believed that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God Who died to pay the price for our sins…..
We too are to live the sanctified life as He did if we are to grow in grace and mature.
Church Age Baptism
As church-age believers, we are baptised by the Spirit into Christ the moment we believe that Jesus is our Saviour and that He died for our sin and rose the third day. We are to grow in grace and become true followers – true disciples of the Lord and water baptism is a beautiful outward demonstration of a beautiful internal change.
God in His mercy, sought to manifest Himself fully in the last days, through Christ, God in His grace towards us, opened our understanding of Himself, through Jesus.
Paul discovered his great learning and stunning personality had its roots in evil self, and that he, of all men, needed God’s tremendous, wonderful, amazing grace.
Now that is grace… God’s tremendous, wonderful, amazing grace.
God has an eternal purpose in all of life’s trials and troubles – an unbroken, uninterrupted, unparalleled purpose from eternity to eternity - that in the ages to come God might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
He left His Father’s throne aboveSo free, so infinite His grace—Emptied Himself of all but love,And bled for Adam’s helpless race:’Tis mercy all, immense and free,For O my God, it found out me!
He knows that conformity into the image of the Lord Jesus is all we need, for in Him is all peace and patience; in Him is gentleness, humility, and grace.
Unique Visitation
Abel was accepted through a bloodied sacrifice – Peter by the shore of Galilee. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord – Paul found His grace was sufficient. The shepherds were led by a host of angels – the Wise Men followed a star. And on and on – each encounter different, distinct, dissimilar from the other.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Debtor to the Law
A Christian either lives under the Law, which means they have: fallen from grace, or they live under grace which means they are free from the bondage of the Law.
A Christian living under the Law is still saved, but fallen from grace, how sad.
Every born-again Christian has a choice: to live under the whole Law OR to live under grace, but they cant live under Law and grace at the same time.
Age of Grace
Romans, Galatians and much of the NT detail the error of this thinking.
Christ’s death, burial and resurrection ended the period called the age of law and introduced the age of grace – the Church dispensation.
It is called the law of Christ – the royal law – the law of liberty and yet today there is a lot of confusion about law and grace.
Living under grace is not a free-for-all license to do what you please.
The law was given by Moses: but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Let us search through the epistles of Paul to discover how to live our lives under grace – how to abide in Christ – how to submit our lives to the Spirit – how to live our lives in spirit and truth: until it is not I that lives but Christ that lives through me.
It is just the beginning of the process, in you, and so day by day, by the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, grow in grace; grow in understanding; grow in love and grow in wisdom..
Words of Christ
We read of the Lord Jesus that His speech and language was so very gracious. His words were filled with truth but they were also caring, kind and full of grace.
They should edify and encourage. 'Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.' Colossians 4:6
Worldly Words
And as children of God, we are all to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord.
Our words are to be wholesome; sensitive; truthful; thoughtful; wise – spiritual... 'let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear'.
Full of Grace
But we must not impede the Spirit work in another by the things that we say.
We should not speak the truth in contempt or anger or self-righteousness. We should speak the truth in love – words seasoned with salt and full of grace.
All this can be if we will go the way of this man, and say, es, this has gone on long enough and it has to end, and to end, so far as my giving diligence is concerned, at once, and I do most truly by the grace of God take a deliberate and definite faith attitude toward the Lord Jesus for my complete deliverance and the setting of me upon my feet for His glory, for His praise!I think there will be an issue, and I think it will be e, leaping up, stood upon his feet, praising and glorifying God.May it be so with every one of us.
witness to the Light – witness to Grace. Grace and truth came by Jesus, the light of the world, and John testified of Him. John was sent to witness of Christ – the light to men, Who was full of grace and truth.
Christ’s Witness
John, whose name means: God is gracious, bore witness of Jesus: God is salvation. John was to point to the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world. John was a witness to the grace of God – that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. John was sent as a moon to reflect the Son – the only true Light of the world.
Sacrifice for Sin
Though acknowledged by the Lord Jesus as the greatest of all men born of women. John was the one who testified that he must decrease – but Christ must increase. John was not the Light, but he witnessed about the true and only Light of God. John did not bring Grace, but he was to testify of the One Who was full of Grace. John could not forgive sins, but pointed to the Messiah, the only Sacrifice for sin.
Gospel of John
But the Baptist was not the only man called ‘John’ that witnessed of the grace of God.
The true Light that lights ALL men had come into the world – full of grace and truth.
The Saviour had arrived - the Light and Life of men… full of grace and truth.
Witness to Grace
The Baptist’s message in John had its focus on the fullness of the grace of God.
He is proclaiming the fullness of grace that alone comes through the person of Christ, For from His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.
The witness of grace, proclaimed by John, emanated from God’s infinite love and grace.
Embryonic Gospel
John’s witness of grace was more than restoration of life for the descendants of Adam.
He was presenting the embryonic gospel of grace, which was to be more fully revealed by the ministry of the apostle Paul – to include the Church as the Body of Christ in Union with Him – a new creation and joint-heirs of God’s Son – a heavenly citizenship and the indwelling Holy Spirit as a down-payment from God the Father – our Abba.
Repentance and Grace
Abraham was a highly esteemed prophet and honoured as the great father of faith. Moses was the great prophet – reverenced by the many religions of the world, but John the Baptist is the greatest of all the prophets that have been sent by God.
His witness was to both Jew and gentile – a double message of repentance and grace. The LAW of Moses was given to REVEAL sin... but GRACE through faith in Christ REMOVES sin.
to bear witness about Jesus:- the Son of – God; the Messiah of Israel; the Light of the world, Who was full of grace and truth, that ALL might believe – through Him.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18
They can live the grace-promise-faith way or they can live the works-merit-law way.
Right Choices
Remember, there are two paths a born-again believer can follow in their Christian walk: either the grace-promise-faith way or the works-merit-law way; either by grace or works of the law; either by promise or the works of the flesh; either by faith or by merit; either by living a spiritual life or living a carnal life; either by walking in the spirit or walking in the flesh; either by walking in newness of life in Christ or by walking by means of the old sin nature in Adam.
Let us seek to please our heavenly Father, by walking the grace-promise-faith way.
Is it not a deep unspeakable gratitude for the grace of God?
We only worship in the measure in which we appreciate the grace of God.... You remember that a favorite way to Paul of opening his letters was with three words: Grace, mercy, and peace, be unto you.
Wonderful grace, grace that could never be explained; boundless mercy; and peace with God.
It was the prayer of deep worship for the grace of God, and that must have a place in all true prayer.
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.2Corinthians 12:9
Sufficient Grace
Remember this principle as you face the fiery trials that beset you. Remember that sufficient grace and new power comes from the Lord through conflict. Remember Christ’s life was developed and honed and made perfect through suffering..
Finger of Grace
Those times when the days seemed dark, do not influence His acceptance of you.
He has the finger of His grace upon your life and has engraved you on His hands, but like a wise parent with a temperamental child, He waits and waits and waits.
It is possible, and very humiliating, to be awakened to the fact, though we have had a measure of zeal for the Lord, that we have barely known the things we should have known, nor the behavior that is becoming to us in this marvelous day of grace.
The latter is not easily learned; the former is the fruit of light; the latter is never acquired but as there is practical grace and love - the activity of the Lord Jesus' nature in me by the Spirit. -J.B.S.
There is nothing we can do that can earn our salvation or trigger His approval, other than being covered by the blood of the Lamb and clothed in the righteousness of Christ - which can only be ours by God's grace through faith in Christ.
It is only by grace through faith that we are being conformed into the likeness of God's beloved Son... and by His grace, we have been promised an immortal body and innumerable, additional spiritual blessings by simply trusting Him for our salvation - by believing in the sacrificial death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ.
Nor should we ever never forget that it is only by grace through faith in Christ that we are given a new opportunity; a new life; a new nature that reflects the perfect character of the Lord Jesus in His humanity, as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Him, we are also called to live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved us and gave His life for us.
A faith that believes God - a faith that trusts His Word - a faith that walks in spirit and truth - a faith that in grace and humility whispers: Not I, but Christ.
Paul reminded them that they were called to be holy and enriched by the grace of God, and he also reminds us that our God is a God of comfort, especially in those times of trials and difficulty.
God is always in control and His grace is always sufficient, no matter what trials or tribulations we may be called upon to face.
God is faithful, and not only has he already delivered us from the consequences of sin and eternal separation from Himself by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary's Cross, but He has also promised to deliver us from the evils of this world as we travel through this earthly life: Our hope is in Him, knowing that He Who has already delivered us, will deliver us again.
Though we were dead in our sins, at enmity with God and eternally separated from Him, in His grace and love He stooped down in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and rescued us from slavery to sin and the eternal death sentence under which we were all placed.
His words were not designed to exalt his person, position, or status, for his collective writings emphasise that our great salvation is only because of the amazing grace of God and His unfathomable mercy that saved us through faith in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These saints remained constant in their love and loyalty towards the Lord, and were those who were maturing in the faith, growing in grace, and aware of their privileged position in Him.
As Paul progressed through his letter, he laid out our most wonderful birth-right, which is ours as a free gift of God's grace.
In chapter 2, Paul tells us we have been saved by His grace, quickened and made alive by God, seated in heavenly places with Christ, and made nigh by the blood of the Lamb.
His prayer for his readers is that God's grace and peace would flood their hearts in the fullest measure.
He urged them to fix their hope completely on the grace they received when they first heard, believe the glorious gospel of grace, and understand their salvation was through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Peter was calling them, and us, to love others as Christ loved us - with a sacrificial love, that can only come from a heart that has been saved by grace through faith in Christ - a heart that is in fellowship with the Father, through a cleansed heart that is walking in spirit, and in obedience to the truth.
Is it possible that Jesus might have been ready to return and consummate all things... but that Stephen prayed - and his prayer caused the Lord to withhold His wrath for a season - to postpone Christ's return for a further two thousand years as the grace of God began to flood the Gentile world?
They placed a pagan 'Asherah pole' inside the holy Temple of God and even sacrificed their own children on the satanically inspired altar, to a blood-thirsty god, called Molech.God's offer of salvation, by grace through faith in Him, has lasted many thousands of years, but a day of deep darkness and righteous judgement is coming on the whole earth, when His wrath will be poured out on a God-despising, Christ-hating, sinful world.
Once we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are to grow and mature in our Christian walk.
We are not to simply remain with the initial joy in believing that we are a sinner for whom Christ died, but are to grow in grace so that our joy may become full.
We are to progress into a deeper relationship with the Lord, and to develop a more secure faith in Christ's sufficient grace, in every circumstance of life.
We are to grow from being a baby Christian, whose main focus is the importance of repenting of our pre-salvation sins and bathing in the joy of being saved, into becoming a mature believer, where we develop an abiding fellowship with the Father, by walking in the light of His glorious truth and being continuously cleansed through His sufficient grace - as we rest in our Saviour's love.
God has given us His sufficient grace so that we may live as Christ lived - in spirit and in truth, but we are to appropriate all that is ours in Him... by abiding in Him, submitting to the Holy Spirit's guidance, and trusting in His Word.
Instead, we discover him encouraging these believers (and us) to seek after the wisdom of God and the ways of the Lord, for in so doing we will grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Just as we who are saved by grace through faith, were crucified with Christ and identified with His death, so we who are saved by grace through faith are risen with Christ and identified with His resurrected life, for in Him we are born into newness of life.
Because He died, we are saved by grace through faith.
Because He lives, we too will live and receive His resurrected life as a free gift of grace through faith.
And Romans is a book that systematically and logically takes us into a fuller understanding of God's plans and purposes for salvation, redemption, sanctification, glorification, and all that accompanies the riches of God's grace towards us who were once dead in trespasses and sins, but have now been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
There is no excuse for unbelief, for now, as the prophets foretold through the command of the eternal God, His message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ is made known to all nations everywhere so that they too might believe and be saved.
The fields were white with harvest and as long as he had life in his body, Paul knew he could proclaim the good news of the gospel of grace to those who were dead in sin and preach the Word of truth to babes in Christ and mature men of God, and so we read his thoughts: I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.
People living at the time of the Cross experienced both pre-Cross and post-Cross teachings and had to go through the painful transition from Law to grace, as they moved from a dispensation based on the Mosaic Law to living in the post-Cross Church age.
But cults and creeds, religions and denomination near and far, minimise His atoning work, deny His eternal deity, accredit others as 'co-redeemers' with Him and replace the glorious gospel of grace with another 'gospel'.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
His grace is sufficient for every eventuality we may face.
His Resurrection from the dead imputes His resurrected life into those that are His; for His eternal life is a free gift of God's grace, through faith in Him.
As members of Christ's Body, it is by His grace we are saved, through faith in Him, and it is also by grace through faith in Him that we are to continue to live our lives.
But ungodly men who refuse to accept Christ's payment for their sin as a free gift of God's grace, will be punished and judged according to their works, which can never be good enough for a holy God: For there is none good, not even one.
A life with a passion for Christ gives rise to a life of victory, where the power of faith and the sufficiency of His grace, overcomes the difficulties of life and the sting of death.
He wrote to remind them of the hope of rewards at Christ's return.Paul's epistles are filled with wise instruction on how to live the sanctified life of a normal Christian, and often include the names of other brothers and sisters in the faith who laboured with him in spreading abroad the gospel of grace.
The whole of Psalm 50 is a song that shows forth the greatness of God, His never-ending righteousness, and His long-suffering grace, but it is also one that is a severe rebuke to His people, Israel, for their disinterested complacency and hypocritical attitude into which their external acts of sacrifices had fallen.
Without Christ, the deep darkness of man's inner soul remains blinded to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, which points to Jesus as the true Light Who alone lights the hearts and minds of all who believe on Him.Two thousand years ago, heavenly Light shone out of the darkness and by God's grace, the beauty of His Light and Life has shone into our hearts and given us the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.
His Word is a lamp to our feet and a guiding light along our pathway, for by grace through faith we have been made His children and are called to walk in the light of His love, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.May the light of His love so shine through each one of us, that men may see our godly deeds, hear the Word of truth, trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, and glorify our Father Who is in heaven.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful, yet simple, universal declarations of the good news of the gospel of grace, is found in the book of Joel: Whoever will call on the name of the Lord, will be delivered.
No matter how amazing the gospel of Christ may be, unless lost souls are told the truth about sin and salvation... and unless the good news of the gospel of grace is proclaimed universally, men and women, boys and girls, rich and poor, Jews and Gentiles alike, will remain dead in their trespasses and sins.
Not all of us may be called into the office of evangelist or preacher, but every one of God's children has a commission to be light in this darkened realm, salt in a putrefying world, God's witnesses to those that are lost in their sins, a testimony of God's grace to those who are dead in their trespasses, and a messenger of hope to those that are without hope in the world.
Let us pray that God would send out labourers into the harvest-fields of souls that need to be saved by grace through faith in Christ, and let us ask God to bring into our lives people, with whom we can share the good news that: Whoever will call on the name of the Lord, will be delivered - for how can they call on the Lord, in Whom they have not believed?
And what a comfort for Christians in this dispensation of grace, to know that the promises that God has made to the Church in connection with our own, heavenly inheritance are equally steadfast and sure.
Paul traces the great plan of redemption from the first man-Adam to the last Adam-Jesus; from the old creation in the flesh to the new creation in the spirit; from the old sin nature to the new life in Christ; from the curse of the Law to the freedom of grace, and points out that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone and not by personal merit or through works of the flesh.
Paul made it very clear that Israel plainly understood that the Lord required godly righteousness by grace through faith, and not man's fleshly righteousness by works of the Law, but they refused to receive their heavenly Kinsman Who was God's chosen sacrifice for the sin of Israel as well as the Redeemer of the whole world.
But Paul also goes on to rejoice that in His goodness and grace, God's offer of salvation continues to be extended to Israel and that His punishment for their sin will not remain forever.
Let us reflect on that pivotal point in history, where the love of our wonderful God and the grace of our beautiful Saviour was so perfectly demonstrated in the intertwining of this duel sacrifice for us - FIRST) a compulsory sacrifice for sin and SECOND) a voluntary burnt-offering out of love.
May the lives we live be a testimony of the riches of God’s grace towards us, and may we reflect the beauty of Jesus in the words that we say and the things that we do.
As Paul points out, Israel may have stumbled, but by God's grace, they did not fall and as a result of their terrible transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
We who were dead in trespasses and sin and without God in the world, have been brought near to God because of Israel's transgressions, and by grace through faith in Him, we have been made children of God, forgiven of our sins, made part of the Body of Christ, been in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit and received eternal life as a free gift of God's grace.
And so for a season (during the Church age, the current dispensation of grace), Israel has been set aside, but as a result of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
In his later years, the apostle John was often called 'the apostle of love', for this fiery son of thunder displayed such a gentle grace in his twilight years.
Whether the brothers and sisters to whom he was writing were new into the faith or well-weathered, seasoned saints, they were often referred to as 'little children', for all had been sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, all had their sins forgiven through His shed blood, and all had been given eternal life as God's free gift of grace.
All John's 'little children' were saved by grace for simply believing on the only begotten Son of God for the redemption of sin and life everlasting.
What glorious grace it is to know that the forgiveness of our sins does not have to rest on our own merit or good works, but is secured on Christ's finished work on the Cross: For His name's sake.
Too many Christians have not come to the glorious freedom offered in the Word of God by the God of grace, because they have a wrong perception of God Himself.
But too many Christians have not come into the glorious freedom offered in the Word of God by the God of grace, because they have a wrong perception of God Himself.
He is a God of incalculable grace, infinite wisdom, and amazing kindness.
Despite their failure in Eden, God in His goodness, grace, mercy, and kindness, made a covenant - the Adamic covenant.
By God's immeasurable mercy, inestimable grace, eternal wisdom, and unlimited kindness, their faith was credited to them as righteousness.
The man and the woman were saved by grace through faith in God's Word.
Let us never forget that like Adam and Eve, Noah and Abraham, Daniel and Peter - James and John, we have been saved by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God's unimaginable mercy, incalculable grace, infinite wisdom, and amazing kindness - not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast.
His desire was that he would be enabled to speak the mystery of Christ to lost sinners, and to tell forth the wonders of His glorious grace toward us.Paul was writing his letter to these believers from his prison cell in Rome.
Not only did it contain news of Paul's current circumstance, but he knew that this faithful servant of the Lord would edify the saints, encourage them to stand firm in the faith, and hold fast to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.He wrote to inform them of his current situation during his imprisonment in Rome, and to reassure them that he was Christ's ambassador in chains whose ongoing desire was to share the gospel as boldly as he could.
Despite the Corinthian Christians being saved by grace through faith in Christ, Paul had some serious concerns about their ungodly conduct, their spiritual immaturity, their argumentative behaviour, and their abuse of spiritual gifts.
Step by step, Paul guided these confused Christians through the gospel message of grace - that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, and that he was buried, and was raised from the dead, according to the Scripture.
If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then everything about the glorious gospel of grace, and our faith in the Lord Jesus would be false and worthless!!
All who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, have been promised that their earthly, perishable body will be raised a heavenly, imperishable body..
Immorality is to be judged and godliness is to be pursued, without inflicting any legalistic demands or promoting any liberal laxity that could bring the grace of God into disrepute.
those saved by grace through faith), and that on whomsoever that Stone shall fall, will be ground to powder. (i.e.
God in His wisdom and grace gave us this important picture of world domination, through a succession of evil empires dominated by Satan, to purify our hearts and strengthen our faith.
God in His grace has opened our understanding so that we will not fear what is coming on the earth, but trust in His unfailing love.
He will declare of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'It was in the first year of his reign that the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he sent a written proclamation throughout all his kingdom which said: Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.'Praise God that His Word will not return to Him void and that through the act of this pagan Gentile, God's plan of redemption was forwarded and king Cyrus declared that Jerusalem would be rebuilt and decreed that the Holy Temple of God must be restored.God in His grace also put it in the heart of king Cyrus to return the holy articles that had been plundered from the Temple of the Lord, for we read: Also king Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the Lord.
From start to finish, the book of Galatians outlines the deep concern that the apostle Paul showed for the Christians in Galatia who, having been saved by grace through faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, and having been born from above, chose to give up the glorious liberty they had in Christ (salvation, through the hearing of faith) for the meritorious work and legalistic bondage from which they had been set free.
They chose to turn from the law of grace back to the law of sin and death and to work for their salvation.
It seems incredible that they willingly returned to the shackles of sin and the bondage of the Law, from which they had been fully pardoned by grace.
If salvation is gained any way other than by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, then Christ died in vain!
It is incredible to think that this gross apostasy was taking place only a short time after Paul had taught them the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, and yet this situation was not unique to this church in Galatia, for this attitude and practice is increasingly popular in the churches of today.
These dear believers had come to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, but had turned from the truth of the gospel of grace to the beggarly elements of the Law by starting to add various rites and rituals into this fellowship of believers.
We are declared righteous by faith in the only begotten Son of God for the forgiveness of our sin, and we are to continue to live by grace through faith and not by works of the law.
Most people seem to know that the only way to be saved is by grace through faith in Christ, but we are also to live by faith and to grow in grace.
We are to live our lives by grace alone through faith alone in Christ ALONE.
But by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God delivered us from the domain of darkness: And transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
This would be the time the Lord would pour out His Spirit of grace upon His chosen nation.
He also tells us that, in His grace, the Lord has made provision for their sin to be forgiven, the nation to be restored, and their land to be cleansed.
Time is short, and every day is a day when the gospel of grace can be shared with Jew and Gentile alike.
May we be increasingly aware of the days in which we live and take every opportunity to tell others that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ before this terrible time of Tribulation.
They were a young Church, who were growing in grace, maturing in the faith and making steady progress in their Christian walk.
May we be diligent to tell others of the good news of the gospel of grace and rejoice with them in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we cast our crowns before HIS feet.
They did not understand that the Law of God, the Prophets of Israel, the Psalms, and the Feasts-days were all pointing to Christ, and that 'the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus' had set them free from 'the law of sin and death'.Today, as in those early days of Christianity, there is still much confusion about the 'gospel of God' and there are many attempts to add law to grace, and works to faith.
ALL believers, whether circumcised Jew or uncircumcised Gentiles, are one in Christ and lay claim to the same spiritual circumcision, a true circumcision of the heart because we are ALL saved by grace through faith in Christ.
For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but we are a new creation and may peace be on all (Gentiles) who will walk by this rule, and may MECRY be upon 'the Israel of God'.What grace that believing Gentiles, together with believing Jews, are designated by Paul as 'the True Circumcision' because of our faith.
We are not called to make the world a better place, but to share the good news of the gospel of grace, so that men, women, boys, and girls may be saved out of the world - by grace, through faith in Christ.
Having been justified by His grace and made children of God, we are to reflect the love and kindness of Christ to others... but we are not to seek out arguments or respond to argumentative or contentious people.
Grace demands that we do not assume someone to be a fractious man or a religious 'nit-picker' with their first quibbling comment.
And then we read: Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
But we discover that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Why was it that Noah alone found grace in the eyes of the Lord?
His eyes fell on Noah, because God in His grace searches the heart and He could see that Noah trusted Him; Noah believed in Him; Noah had faith in Him.
Without faith it is impossible to please God, but Noah's faith pleased God and so Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and His faith was credited to Him as righteousness.
Paul was certainly filled with joy knowing that there were many who were continuing his work and preaching Christ from a sincere love of the Lord and a desire to tell forth the glorious message of salvation by grace through faith in Him, but he also rejoiced over the ministry of those whose motive in preaching was rooted in envy and strife.
May we never allow wrong motives or fleshly attitudes to influence the calling that God has laid on each one of our lives, rather, let us rejoice that the good news of God is being proclaimed to lost souls who need to hear the glorious gospel of salvation, by grace through faith in Christ.
It is as he seeks the Lord that he starts to rehearse the many wonders, the power, grace, and glory that have been displayed in his own life and the lives of countless others who have trusted Him as Saviour and believed in His promises of grace.
Despite being in the midst of death because of sin, we have an assurance of great glory to follow, for we have been saved by grace through faith in Him.
He has promised an eternal home in which we will be housed, an everlasting and secure heavenly dwelling-place which is ours by God's grace through faith in Him.
Saved, yet as though by fire.May we take to heart the serious consequences of sin and remove every element of it in our life which may cause us to fall into sinfulness, and may we also be ready and willing to share the good news of the gospel of grace with those who remain dead in their sins, and warn them of the terrible consequences of hell and God's unquenchable fire which awaits all who have not trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
But we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, should recognise God's Word as the most precious tool in our Christian arsenal which provides all we need for life and godliness.
It gives guidelines on growing in grace and in maintaining godly intercourse with our fellow believers.
Nevertheless, we are promised Christ's sufficient grace because we are in union with Him, and His strength is perfected in us as we depend upon Him.
God's purpose in each of our lives is to educate, discipline, and train us in righteousness and the fiery trials that come upon us are used by Him to try us, as the furnace tries silver, to cut deep into our fleshly nature and polish off all the fleshly dross that contaminates our new-life in Christ so that by grace through faith we will not murmur, but humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, knowing that He has promised to exalt us in due time.
Jeremiah began his ministry knowing that no one would heed His message of grace, and he lived his life being ridiculed and persecuted by his own people.
These words of comfort were given to Israel after Isaiah's repeated warning of approaching punishment if they did not repent of their evil ways, nevertheless, the Lord is a God of comfort and grace.
He never goes back on His Word nor does He grow weary, and in His loving-kindness, He gives grace to the humble and renews the strength of those that wait upon Him, by faith.
And He has promised that His grace is sufficient for us, no matter how weary we may become, for His power is perfected in our weakness.
God's grace is sufficient for every circumstance of life.
His grace is enough for all who place their entire trust and confidence in His mighty strength.
His grace is enough for every eventuality in life, and His provision comes through faith in His beloved Son.
He will provide strength to those who can admit to their own disability, for His grace is sufficient in all situations of life.
During his incarceration in a Roman prison, Paul met with Onesimus who believed the gospel of the grace of God and was wonderfully saved.
No matter what our station in life, there are many lessons that each one of us can learn from this little letter to Philemon. What a joy to know that no-one is excluded from the good news of the gospel of grace, for anyone can be saved through faith in Christ.
Men were saved by grace through faith, just as they are today, BUT the people were required to work the works of God and the keep the entire Law, to earn God's blessing.
God in His grace, made provision for man's redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 7 systematically sets out the need for God's former administration through Israel, (the Dispensation of the Law), to be superseded with the next dispensation through the Church (the Dispensation of the Grace of God). For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness, for the Law made nothing perfect. With the advent of Christ, the Law was fulfilled on behalf of all who believe, bringing us a better hope and a better High Priest, through Whom we draw near to God.
But God, in His grace, prospered Jacob's work and protected him during his time in Laban's house, and the day came when the Lord needed to refine and hone His servant.
Jeremiah reminds the faithful remnant of believing Israel (and also those of us that are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord), of the wonderful fact that the Lord examines the heart and gives to each what they deserve, based on what they have done, by faith: I, the Lord search the heart.
Since he was about to become God's appointed ruler over His people Israel, Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge so that he would be enabled to rule with integrity and grace: For who can rule this great people of Yours? was Solomon thoughtful response.
And God in His grace sent Jesus to be the image of the invisible God, Who existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation.
God in His grace has shown us many things, through nature, through our inner conscience, and through His God-breathed Word, but there still remains many secret things that are hidden from us within the created universe, and there are many glorious truths that are hidden in the inerrant Word of God.
And in His grace God gave us an enquiring mind and the capacity to investigate, to learn, and to search out the truth so that we can make sound judgements and give wise counsel.
But in His grace He allows those that are prepared to search for Him with all their heart to discover a treasure trove of truth that is hidden beneath the surface of Scripture, and in some cases are concealed within the physical, created realm.
We will find out truth, grow in grace, and increase in wisdom as we search for Him with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength.
And we are instructed to search out the truth as we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the whole counsel of God so that we may grow in grace, mature in the faith, and discover the hidden things of God.
God continues to save us from the power of sin throughout our Christian life, and God is going to save us from the presence of sin when we stand before Him in glorified bodies, and it is all by grace.
We were not adopted into God's family due to any merit that comes from us, but because in eternity past He purposed to save us by grace.
God knew before time began who would trust in Christ as Saviour, and predestined them to become like His Son: And those He predestined He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified, by grace.
This is His will and purpose for all who are born from above, and it is ALL by grace.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was rescued through the judgement, until finally, God's multi-coloured-mercy came shining through the dark clouds of destruction, in the form of a beautiful, multi-hued rainbow.
It was sin and rebellion that caused the judgement of water, but it was mercy and grace that caused the Lord to set His bow in the clouds as a covenant between God and the earth that He would never again destroy the world with water.
The rainbow is a simple, visible sign of God's covenant of grace to His creation that is recorded in His written Word, and when we see a rainbow in the sky, it is certainly a cause of comfort.
Let us praise our covenant keeping God for all His loving-kindness and tender mercies to us and to all men, and let us live by faith in the Son of God Who loves us and gave Himself for us by taking upon Himself the judgement that we deserve so that His multi-coloured-grace can shine in our hearts throughout all eternity.
Whether Jew or Gentile, all men are guilty sinners and under God's eternal judgement UNLESS they are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Although the Lord chose the Jewish race to be His people through whom the Messiah would be born, their birthright did not provide any exemption from God's directive that salvation, which is a gift of grace, received by faith alone in Christ Jesus alone as detailed in Scripture.
Although Israel was identified as God's chosen nation through their covenant agreement with the Lord and the sign of circumcision given through Abraham - salvation for Jew and Gentile alike is given by God's grace - through faith in Christ Jesus.
God's faithfulness towards Israel had not become null and void because they rejected the good news of the gospel of grace and crucified their Messiah.
The testimony of David, which is quoted in Romans, establishes a truth we all need to understand - that God is justified in His dealings with sinful man, for we are all guilty creatures in need of His gift of grace for our salvation... and any presumptuous accusations that men may make against God's Word or His Character will simply condemn the sinner as a liar and justify the Lord in His righteousness.
And here, in his last known epistle, Paul writes to encourage Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and to serve Him faithfully... relying on God's sufficient grace alone, which only comes through union with the Lord as we abide in Him and He in us.
Paul not only wrote to strengthen and encourage young Timothy, but to spiritually hearten and motivate many others believers to hold fast to the truth of the gospel of grace and to faithfully preach the unchangeable Word of God, in season and out of season, convincing, rebuking, and encouraging others with never-failing patience, while teaching sound doctrine.
We are blessed to be children of God because Paul, Timothy, many witness, faithful men, and others have shared the good news of the gospel of grace, down through multiplied centuries of time.
Despite the many false Christs, false prophets, ravenous wolves, and relentless attacks by the enemy on the Christian Church, the pure gospel of grace has reached our ears - for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
There is one God Who gave one Saviour to the world and ordained one way to be saved; by grace through faith in Him.
Christ met this Samaritan woman on His long, three-year trek to the Cross, when His shed blood would become the means of grace and the hope of glory for her, as it is for all who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
It is not God's will that any should perish but that all should come to a faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary, and so God planned and purposed to give His one and only begotten Son to become the one and only Saviour to a world of lost sinners, and ordained that the one and only way to be saved was by grace through faith in Him.
Like Christians in the early Church, we also need to know that there is a resurrection unto life for the believer, and a resurrection unto death for those that have rejected God's gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
Let us seek to share the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ with those that are dead in their sins and without hope in the world, knowing that every day that passes is a day of grace when lost souls may come to a saving faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
We do not have to grovel for meager scraps at the bench of an unbelieving judge, for we have free and open access into the throne of grace and the riches of His love in Christ Jesus so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The amazing gospel of the grace and glory of Christ that removes condemnation from all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, is the same gospel of truth and righteousness which places all who have not believed in the only begotten Son of God under God's eternal condemnation and an everlasting separation from the Creator Who made them.
We are not called to walk the same ancient path to which Israel was called, but we are required to be faithful to our calling, to walk in spirit and truth as outlined in the Word of God, to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to mature in the faith that we have been taught.
Should not we who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, recognise the deep significance and consequences of the God-breathed content of His Word and take it to heart in these perilous days?
And although the written Scriptures, the Messiah, and God's plan of redemption was to come through the Jewish nation, God in His grace knew that for a time Israel would have to be set aside for a time, due to unbelief.
He tells of our redemption by grace through faith in Him, of reconciliation with our Heavenly Father, and of our glorious transfer from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Let us not be drunk with wine or controlled by any other substance or emotion that discredits our Heavenly Father, but let us go on being filled, day by day, with the Holy Spirit of God so that we may manifest the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in our lives, today and throughout the rest of our time on earth.
What a long-suffering and gracious God we have – for as He has dealt in grace toward His erring nation, so He will deal with Christians who have wandered far from His outstretched arms of love or when faith wears thin and life seems too much to bear.
His chastening rod may hurt or wound us, but His promise of grace will help and heal.
It was David who penned this psalm, and after he had laid out his petition to the Lord and requested His mercy and grace, he acknowledged God's sovereign power among the nations and spoke of the time when the nations will know that God is the Lord; a time when every eye will see Him, every tongue will proclaim Him as Lord, and every knee and will bow down before Him and honour His holy name.
He was ready to acknowledge his utter dependence upon His Maker and that God would answer the cry of His servant, not because of any righteousness act David may have carried out, but by God's grace alone: You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, was David's earnest profession: You are slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, was his honest declaration.
Titus was an uncircumcised Greek who heard Paul preaching about Jesus many years before and responded to the gospel of grace by faith.
Paul never wanted anyone to become complacent in their faith and always made a point of reminding others of the joy we have in Christ, and so his letter to this 'son in the faith began by reminding him of God's amazing goodness and grace, the privileged peace we have with God through our great salvation, and the perfect peace of God that can guard our heart when our mind is stayed on Him.
And so, early in his greeting to Titus, Paul writes the encouraging truth that has become the privilege of all God's children: Grace and peace to you, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Saviour.
It is by His grace through faith in Christ that we have peace with God, for we have been forgiven of our sins and received eternal life - through faith in Him.
It is also by God's grace that we have the peace of God in our hearts.
We have an assurance that His grace is sufficient for all our needs, for His strength is perfected in our weakness.
He is with us every moment of the day and we have His assurance that no matter what we have to face, we will be granted HIS sufficient strength and HIS supernatural grace to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Let us remember that no matter what we may have to face in the days that lie ahead, His over-abounding grace is sufficient for us, for we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and to guide for His supernatural power is perfected in our weakness.
But God in His grace has designed this 7-year Tribulation Period to be the tool that will bring His errant nation, Israel, back into the loving arms of Jesus, the King of the Jews and God of Israel.
Our faithful God is the one who fed the hungry multitude, provides comfort for the broken-hearted, gives succour to the weak, strength to the weary, hope to the afflicted, and salvation to all who trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins - for while we were yet sinners, God in His grace provided a Kinsman-Redeemer to save His people from their sins.
Surely with David we can proclaim, My cup of blessing runneth over, for His grace is limitless, His love is boundless, and His mercy endures from one generation to another.
We hear about two covenants: the Old Covenant of Law and the New Covenant of Grace.
Hagar symbolises the covenant of LAW while Sarah stands for the covenant of GRACE.
The slave-girl Hagar fits this biblical symbolism and is referred to as the earthly Jerusalem; Jerusalem below. However, the covenant of Grace, which was given through Christ at Calvary, resulted in freedom.
The historical record of Abraham is used to teach a fundamental truth which, if understood, would help to remove much of the legalistic confusion that surrounds Israel and the dispensation of Law which was pre-Cross, and the Church and the dispensation of grace which is connected with post-Cross teaching.
This historic happening not only helped to fuel an ongoing feud between the descendants of Ishmael and the Jewish nation, but represents a deep spiritual truth regarding those that are under law and those that are under grace.
Those connected with Isaac, Sarah, the New Covenant that was cut at Calvary, and the heavenly Jerusalem, represent those that are saved by grace through faith, and by God's grace their faith is credited as righteousness.
Before the Cross we were in bondage to the Law, but by grace through faith in Christ, we have been released from the deathly strangle-hold of the Old Covenant and its power over us has been severed.
We are now ministers of the New Covenant of grace and all who have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting are children of the free-woman; children of promise.
But in every respect, the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Law of God which was given to Israel through Moses, and He kept the statutes of the Lord in order to remove the curse of the Law from those who would believe on His name and trust in Him for salvation by grace through faith in His sacrificial work at Calvary.
The Son of Man Whom they now confessed as Son of God was full of grace and truth, and He was shortly to display a love so staggering that it baffles the minds of men.
By grace, through faith in Christ, we have access into the very presence of God.
In His goodness and grace, He causes the sun to rise on the evil, as well as those who have been declared righteous by faith.
We need to consider the rich promises that have been poured out on us so lavishly, and we need to reflect, with thanksgiving, on all that the covenant of grace - into which we have been brought, means - through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Abraham was told that the Lord would provide HIMSELF a Lamb and by God's grace, Israel took part in that first Passover meal four hundred years later, in preparation for its final fulfilment on God's final and perfect Passover - at Calvary's Cross.
While Israel were to bring people into the camp of God, Christians are called to go out into all the world preaching the good news of the gospel of grace, to unsaved Jews and Gentiles alike.Being taught to share the gospel by those early Christian teachers, was the hallmark of the early Church.
We are to grow in grace - to grow in godliness and Christlikeness.
The eternal Son became the perfect Man to demonstrate to sinners like you and me - who would be saved by grace through faith in Christ - just HOW we should live, as children of God.
Peter explained, in previous verses, that we who have been called by His own glory and grace, have escaped the corruption that is in the world - by faith.
The 27 chapters that follow, deal with redemption and comfort, forgiveness and grace, and joyfully terminate with a new heaven and a new earth, echoing the New Testament.
And so we trace a tiny scarlet thread of hope of heaven from of our merciful God, and the scattering of multiplied seeds of His grace amidst the greater theme of judgement, doom, and despair.
Indeed, the Lord God in His grace revealed Himself to David as the good Shepherd of Israel and promised that the coming Saviour would one day arise to shepherd His little flock in the strength of the Lord, and in the majesty of the name of Almighty God.
The Shepherd of God's people is fully and finally revealed in the face of Jesus Christ, and the 66 chapters of Isaiah seem to be a beautiful unfolding of this never-ending story of grace.
Her question was not one of doubt or unbelief, but one that was filled with awe and amazement at the mighty wisdom of God, one that recognised the amazing grace that had been extended to her that a humble maid such as she should be chosen to receive this high, heavenly honour.
The Lord Jesus is the perfect manifestation of the grace of God, and on one specific day in the synagogue at Nazareth, He stood up to proclaim His revolutionary mission: that He was the promised Messiah of Israel and that He had come from God to address the enormous humanitarian problems on earth.
But Israel rejected their King, and for 2000 years this age of grace has been an acceptable year of the Lord, the day of salvation, the dispensation of grace.
Having set out all the many advantages of being in Christ in the first two chapters of Colossians, and laying before us the glories of God's grace and the heavenly privileges of which we are all beneficiaries, Paul turns his attention to practical application in the final two chapters of his epistle.
And although love for our Lord and Saviour should be the only reason we need to work wholeheartedly, God in His grace gives us yet another blessing: You will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
The godly posture of this psalmist is a lowly heart on bended knee before the throne of God's grace, where he humbly pleads, Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a level path.
Like King David, this apostle was encompassed about by many enemies and had to experience some severe hardships, and yet he learned the secret of total dependence upon the Lord and had come to appreciate that the grace of the Lord Jesus is sufficient for every eventuality.
The inadequacy of the Old Covenant with its repeated sacrifices, offers a stark contrast with the adequacy of the New, where, by God's grace, Christ's single offering of Himself is sufficient payment for your sin and for mine.
He continues by giving advice to more established believers on how to grow in grace and exercise themselves circumspectly, in the liberty we enjoy in Christ.
Salvation, or entrance into the kingdom of God, is by grace through faith in Christ and has nothing to do with eating, drinking, or any other rites, rituals or observances.
True worship is an attitude that is conceived in the inner heart, which reflects Christ's beauty and grace.
This modern-day legalism causes Christians to fall from grace, and bind themselves back under the Law - which Paul warned against in his letter to the Galatians.
We are not under Law but under grace, so let us make sure that the motives that govern our thoughts and the actions that are carried out in lives that honour HIM.
Not only was the penalty for our sin paid in full, by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also its suffocating power has been broken.
He has provided all we need for life and godliness, by preparing good works for us to do which, when carried out by His sovereign power and sufficient grace, earn for us a glorious reward and eternal weight of glory.He who started a good work in each of us has promised to finish all that He began.
He not only caused us to become new creatures, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, but supplied us with good seed to sow into the lives of those who do not know His goodness and grace – and then to carry out His own good work in our lives, through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit.Paul rejoices that God is able to make all grace abound to us so that always having sufficiency in everything, we have an abundance for every good deed, and he reinforces this truth by quoting from the Psalmist: He scattered abroad.
He has promised to abundantly bless and liberally multiply the work of our hand which is carried out in spirit and truth so that by grace we will bring forth a fruitful harvest of righteousness which will enrich our lives and bring great glory to Him.
As believers in the gospel of grace, we were all baptised into the Body of Christ by the Spirit of God and are being built up into a holy habitation for the Lord.
We all acknowledge one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all, for by grace through faith in the eternal Son of His love, we have been redeemed and declared righteous in the eyes of God - and He has made us His children.
He is Father to all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Those who believe in the sacrificial work of the eternal Son of God are not under His condemnation, but have the right to approach His throne of grace and call Him Abba - Father.
Just as Abraham was justified by grace through trusting the Word of the Lord, so we too are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, the living, incarnate Word of God.
However, in this Church age, all those differences have been removed: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, our Lord. All who have trusted in Christ as Saviour are equal in the eyes of our Heavenly Father, saved by grace through faith in God's only begotten Son.
We have all received power from above and the riches of His grace.
In this world we will all be hated, despised, rejected, and persecuted for His sake, but we all have received His sufficient grace for everything that we may be called upon to face.
But in His amazing grace, He sent His Son to become sin for us so that by believing in Him, we might be forgiven and made the righteousness of God in Him.
Oh, man has been blessed beyond compare because of the gracious pardon that we have received and the eternal salvation that we have been given, by grace through faith in Him.
Paul's passion is to share the good news of justification by grace in simple steps, which gently leads to a conclusion.
He explains that having been eternally saved by grace, we should glory in the trials and tribulations of life which God uses to develop in us perseverance, a godly character, and an unshakable and eternal hope in the loving promises of God.
BUT GOD Who is loving, gracious, long-suffering, and faithful, pronounced His bitter rod of severe chastening due to their apostasy, which would also prove to be a blossoming staff of sweet comfort and peace, grace and mercy, love, and hope, and joy.
But God in His grace even used exiles, like Esther and Mordecai who chose not to return to their homeland at the end of the 70-year long exile, as instruments to save many Jewish lives from the evil plot of wicked men like Haman, and He graciously blessed many men of Israel on the day of Pentecost: Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans, and Arabs, for these people would have been descendants of Babylonian exiles who heard the gospel of Christ in their own language and tongue, and were saved.
We are justified by grace through faith, and we are also called to live a sanctified life by grace through faith.
Only in Him can we be declared righteous before God and only in Him can we grow in grace and become more and more like the Lord Jesus, as we die to self and live for Him.
Since 1948, having been absent from their land for 2000 years, God in His grace has allowed many of His scattered people to return to their homeland, but they have returned in unbelief.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, and God in His grace, He gave His eternally beloved Son to be born into the human race as Jesus - the Root and Stem of Jesse.
And the Light of the glorious gospel of grace shone into the hearts of many of His followers and the eyes of their hearts were illuminated eternally - and what joy must have flooded their souls when they received their spiritual sight.
In His loving-kindness, the Lord Jesus offers the light of His grace freely and abundantly to all who will turn to Him as their Son of righteousness.
Let us walk in the light as He is in the light and may the light of His presence within each of our hearts, shine through our lives to proclaim to all we meet, the light of the glorious gospel of grace that has been shed abroad in our hearts and lives.
His desire is that they grow in grace and mature in the faith, explaining that when the Word of God abides within their heart, they will overcome the evil one and mature in their faith as they advance in age.Paul reminds us that although physical fitness is good, we should not only strive after bodily discipline and physical health, but rather engage in our spiritual development by fixing our hope on the living God and trusting in His Word, by faith.May we all recognise the benefits of a grey head or sagging muscles, knowing that it is a crown of glory when found in the way of righteousness.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith, we can recognise in Solomon's wise request, the things in life that are important to the Lord and the nature of the prayers and intercessions that should be offered, in accordance with His will.
Knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus and His Word should be high-up on the priority list of the man or woman who is growing in grace and maturing in the faith... and we have been promised that if any of us lack wisdom we should ask it of the Lord, for He gives generously and without reproach... BUT there is a condition.
Grace and forgiveness was contrasted with law and accusations when the woman was caught in adultery.
The Bible tells us that all unsaved people are, by nature, children of wrath and disobedience, until the time when they trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation by grace through faith in Him.
The Holy Spirit enriches us by guiding us into all truth relative to sound doctrine, salvation, sanctification, glorification, and all that streams from the amazing grace of God.
Should not we, who have been accepted in the beloved and been made children of God, walk in the spirit of unity, one with the other, and show forth His grace within us to others?
Should not we, who have been enriched in every way in Him, in all utterance and knowledge, show forth the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in our lives from this day forward and henceforth for every more?
Let us remain confident in His superlative promises of grace, which are the heritage of the saints; for the tongues that rise up in accusation against the people of God will be silenced forever when they stand before His Great White throne of judgement: And they will know that I have loved you.
They were being guided by the truth of the gospel of grace and living in obedience to the command that had been received from the Father.
John is often referred to as the apostle of love while Paul is seen as the apostle of grace - but the truth of the gospel of Christ is rooted and grounded in love and grace - together with mercy and compassion, goodness and faithfulness, joy and peace in believing, patience and self-control.
May we, like the children in this Epistle, walk in the truth of God's Word and keep his commandment knowing that God, Who is rich in mercy and of great goodness, demonstrated the great love with which He loved us... in that although we were dead in our transgression and sin, He made us alive, together with Christ, and saved us by His grace.
The man or woman who is walking in truth is the one who is not only doctrinally sound... but who is humble of heart, growing in grace, standing fast on the Word, rejoicing in the Lord, and living in love and unity with their brothers in Christ.
Chapters 6 and 8 explain how to live the Christian life, how to grow in grace, how to progress in holiness, and mature in the faith.
The struggle of Romans 7 is the experience of most Christians who have been saved by grace through faith, but who thereafter try to live their Christian life in their own strength, by works of the law.
We are enabled to walk in newness of life, to walk in spirit and truth, and to come to an understanding that in our Christian life we are not under bondage to the law, but under grace.
Loyalty in friendship is a grace that becomes all the more precious when, despite intensifying hardships, a friend is there to comfort and help.
True and lasting friendship can never be built on deceitfulness of duplicity, and even through the truth may sting our pride, when the truth is spoke in love it should always be acted upon, for through it, the Spirit of God will teach a valuable lesson and further build our Christian character and grace.
Luke wrote of all that Jesus started to do from the beginning of His earthly ministry until He ascended into heaven from a mountain, close to the little town of Bethany, leaving His disciples to rejoice in hope while giving praise to God for all His goodness and grace to them.
He calls us to be of one mind, to have unity of spirit in the bond of peace, to hold fast together our faith in Christ Jesus and the gospel of grace, and to live in harmony one with the other.
In a selfish world that is becoming increasingly hostile towards the things of God, is this not what our Lord Jesus Christ expects from each one of us; to show pity to those who are lost and hurting, to render Christian courtesy and compassion on all with whom we come in contact, to be tender-hearted and to be full of grace and truth, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Three of His disciples glimpsed the brilliance of His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, when He was transfigured before their startled gaze.
As the redeemed of God and fellow-heirs with Christ, we are, by grace through faith, regarded as righteous in the eyes of God.
Before the foundation of the world, He knew each one that would believe on His Son and expressed His attitude of love and grace towards us, and showered upon us mercy and untold blessings.
We who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ should foster an inner attitude of grateful thanks, loving appreciation, joyous anticipation, and everlasting wonderment at all that He has done for us and His inexpressible love towards us: In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
It is beyond our comprehension that God could love us so dearly, that He gave His only begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sin, such that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but receive eternal life as a free gift of His grace.
We are blessed to know of His unconditional-grace through God the Son, our heavenly Mediator, and great High Priest.
While we, who are in Christ, are blessed with every spiritual blessing, God is His grace provides many temporal blessings to all humanity, for God causes His sun to rise on both the evil and on the good, sending rain on the just and on the unjust.
But we are charged to set our hearts on things above, for the spiritual blessings that are already ours, have been given in superlative-abundance and unconditional-grace to all who have trusted Christ for salvation.
God's Word promises that He will keep us, as we go through the difficulties and dangers because His grace is sufficient, His strength is perfected in our weaknesses.
The Lord in His grace, kept every one of those saints in Smyrna in the suffering and persecution - even to the point of death, and beyond.
Only God in His grace, can give a repentant sinner a new heart of flesh, and God the Father has determined that it is by grace through faith in Christ.Jesus came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel to establish His kingdom which was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.
They opposed the self-appointed Pharisees who despised the truth of the glorious gospel of grace by claiming to be God's chosen people when they were, in fact, a synagogue of Satan.
God, in His grace, chose to use our bodies as His permanent dwelling place during this dispensation of grace.
By grace, we are sealed by the Spirit and identified with Christ now, and by grace, we will be permanently identified with Him throughout eternity, for we will have His name inscribed upon us forever, for none can pluck us out of His nail-pierced hand - and no one can pluck us out of the hand of our Heavenly Father.
By grace we are identified with HIS death so that we can be identified with HIS resurrected life.
There are two life principles by which a believer can live - death or life, law or grace, the flesh or the spirit, bondage or freedom, carnality or spirituality, the old sin nature or the new life in Christ.
Salvation in the Old and New Testaments is always given to the unworthy sinner by God's grace, through faith in His Word.
Salvation is a free gift of God's grace, which comes through trusting in the incarnate Word of God Whose shed blood at Calvary paid the full and final penalty for sin: For without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
But God's wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness is so much better, for whosoever will may be forgiven of their sins, through one perfect Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And all who believe in Him and accept His free gift of grace will be saved.
But how different from God's design for His children, for it was through suffering that the Lord Jesus Himself learned willing obedience to the Father and it is through the same pathway that we too grow in grace and come into deeper knowledge of Him.
However, God in His grace used her lie to enable His people to escape capture in Jericho.
He caused an axe-head to float, bitter waters to be made pure, a cruise of oil that did not run dry, and the gospel of grace to spread throughout the world, despite severe persecution in the early Church.
Indeed, there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof watching Samson while he was entertaining them and God, in His grace, answered the prayer of his servant and he was filled with godly strength and brought the great building down, killing the whole company.
The story of Samson is a very sad tale that clearly shows the long-suffering grace and mercy of God towards his servants, as well as a warning that there may come a time when God's hand of blessing and protection is lifted for a season when sin crouches at the door.
This was a task that would help him grow in grace and mature in his walk with God.After three days, they saw the place of sacrifice and Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on the shoulders of Isaac, his precious son.
Christ was given by the Father as a sacrifice of pure love, and Jesus gave Him life willingly, for love of the Father.God in His grace provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac so that he might live.
And our Father in His grace provided Jesus in our place so that we might have life – and have it more abundantly.
We are saved by grace through faith in the sacrificial work and glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ - and this is non negotiable.
Only those that are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus can display these divine characteristics of our holy and loving God and Father.
May the love and grace of Christ so fill our hearts, that we manifest the divine love of God to others, in word and in deed, and become a beautiful reflection of Christ Jesus our Saviour and bring honour and glory to His holy name.
But God in His grace purposed before the foundation of the world that He would save all who would believe in Him.
The only way for sinful man to become a new creation in Christ is to be given a regenerated spirit, a sanctified soul, and an incorruptible body as a gift of God's grace.
But just as we, who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, were born in the image of the man of dust, so too we will also bear the image of the heavenly man; for He Who started a good work in us at salvation will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus.
In His grace and kindness, God intervened in the long-standing bitter enmity and deep-seated mistrust that existed between Jew and Gentile by making them into one new man in Christ.
God is Spirit and God is eternal, but God in His grace and love clothed Himself in human flesh so that He could become the incarnate Son of God and live a perfect life clothed in mortal flesh (yet without sin) in order to qualify Himself to become humanity's Kinsman-Redeemer.
God ordained that each sinner saved by grace is to be conformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus and each is to be fully justified, fully sanctified, and fully glorified.
We discover that the aging apostle Peter, who denied His Lord at the start of his Christian walk, came to an understanding that suffering precedes glory in the life of a believer, sadness comes before joy, and the darkest night of mourning will finally turn into the brightest noon-day sun: For after you have suffered for a little while, Peter informs his readers, After you have suffered... the God of all grace, Who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
Peter also came to understand more fully, that after we have experienced suffering for a little while, God in His grace will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us.
We rejoice with exultation, for after we have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, Who called us to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish us. HALLELUJAH what a Saviour!
Suffering with Christ is simply a portal which translates His blood-bought believers into His eternal joy, and as sinners saved by grace, we have peace with God for the forgiveness of sin and the peace of God in our heart.
Peter's prayer was that Christ's followers would be firmly established in both faith and duty, despite the difficulties that would inevitably arise in our lives, for Peter knew that all those called by God's kindness and grace will one day partake in His eternal glory and joy.
But he also knew that suffering has eternal benefits for it establishes, strengthens, perfects, and matures the believer, as he grows in grace and as he perseveres on his journey to his celestial home.
Unlike the majority of Israelite prophets who called the nation to repentance and proclaimed God's great love and faithfulness towards His chosen people, Jonah's message was a warning to pagan Gentiles to turn from their false gods and trust in the true God of heaven and earth Who demonstrates His great heart of compassion, mercy, and grace, for ALL people.
We discover later in the book, that Jonah objected to the Lord's demonstration of mercy and grace towards the Gentiles.
Although the story of Jonah is a peep into one prophet's commission which demonstrates God's grace and mercy towards all people, and that His sovereign purpose will always come to completion, it also contains many lessons for Christians today.
It is as he draws his letter to a close, that Paul offers his concluding exhortation, which is beneficial for ALL who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus and to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
Every action and every attitude, every word and every work, each thought of the heart, each decision of the mind and even the motives that influence the choices we make, need to be bathed in the purifying gaze of the Holy Spirit, washed in the fountain of God's divine love and covered with the unconditional grace of Christ, Who for love of His church went to the cross willingly - so that like Him, everything we do, may be done through HIM - in LOVE.
They proudly celebrated this truth for centuries, but rejected God's offer of the kingdom of heaven on earth at Christ's first advent, causing the Lord to postpone His kingdom programme with His chosen people until the whole nation was ready and willing to acknowledge that 'Jesus Is Lord'.In the meantime, God in His grace is taking from among the Gentiles, a people for His name through whom He is forwarding His plan of redemption.
Habakkuk believed the Word of the Lord and determined that no matter what terror, troubles, or trials befell him, he would maintain his trust in God - for the Sovereign Lord is our strength and has promised that His grace is sufficient.
How we grieve, as did Jeremiah, when we recognise so many cultish practices, new age spirituality, legalistic dogma, and twisted truths replacing the glorious gospel of grace in the pulpits of our nations.
They had to transfer from living under the rigidity of the dispensation of Law to the freedom of the dispensation of Grace, and they had to realise that the Messiah of Israel is also the Saviour of the whole world.
The disciples had to shift from the narrow lens of Judaism and the gospel of the kingdom, to the all-embracing truth of the glorious gospel of grace, the good news of the glory of Christ.
Sinners are saved from the penalty of sin by God's grace, once and for all, through trusting in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation, but believers must mature in the faith and continue the process of ongoing salvation.
And we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and learn of Christ, by depending upon the light of His life within, obeying His commands to love as He loved us, and by keeping His Word so that His love might be perfected in us.
And only then, in His power and strength, we may learn to walk in the light, to grow in grace, to mature in the faith, to love as Christ loved, and to enjoy unbroken fellowship with our Father in heaven.
Having thoroughly and systematically presented every aspect of the glorious gospel of salvation, and the eternal foundation of God's amazing grace upon which these everlasting truths rest, Paul earnestly urges believers in Christ to practically apply all that he has taught in this weighty epistle to the Romans, by presenting our bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice.
As fallen sinners, the grace and mercy we have received from God is without comparison, and in the light of God's amazing love towards each one of us, we are encouraged to offer our bodies, our lives, ourselves, our very being as a living, breathing, holy sacrifice to the Lord.
We are saved entirely because of God's wonderful grace.
This is not a command, for God wants our love and service to be rendered freely and willingly, but in light of the inestimable riches of God's free grace which He has poured out in great measure on fallen sinners simply because we trusted in Christ as our Saviour, surely it should be our joy and delight to present our bodies, day by day, in spiritual worship as a living sacrifice - holy and pleasing to the Lord.
The more we learn of God’s Word and come to an understanding of Who God is, what He is doing, and all that He has planned for those that love Him, the more we see an unveiling of His glory upon glory and the more we recognise God's grace upon grace that is daily being showered upon all His blood-bought children.
For Christ has promised to save us from the power of sin, the guilt of sin, the nature of sin, and the punishment of sin, but also to sanctify to the uttermost, body, soul, and spirit as day by day His Holy Spirit is conforming us into the image and likeness of Christ Jesus our Lord.His saving grace is not only for the eternal ages to come but will be carried through to its ultimate completion, for He will never abandon any that have trusted in His name as Saviour and who have come to Him for pardon and peace.
The more we see an unveiling of His glory upon glory, the more we recognise God's grace upon grace that is daily being showered upon all His blood-bought children.
The grace of God spills over the pages of Peter's epistles like so many sparkling jewels, and in the final words of his letter, we are encouraged to grow in the grace of God that has been so freely bestowed on all who believe in His free gift of salvation.
We are to dig our roots down deep into the depths of His Word, and we are to reach out into the farthest extremities of His grace, which are higher than the heavens above and deeper than the ocean depths.
But the apostle Peter also makes it clear that our spiritual growth and our progress in the Christian life must be a continuous maturing in grace and an ever-increasing knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Growing in God's grace is not the accumulation of facts and information about the Lord Jesus, but a day by day transformation of our life, as we become increasingly like Him in disposition and character.
This only happens to the one that is walking in spirit and truth and is submitted to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who by grace is conforming us into His likeness, as we die to self and live for Christ.
As more grace is added to the grace we have already received, the more we mature in the faith and change into the beautiful image and likeness of the Lord Jesus.
As we walk in spirit and truth and submit to the Spirit's leading, we discover that we will grow in every facet of grace and virtue, faith and love, holiness and understanding, wisdom and obedience.
We are also to: Grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This must be the pinnacle of God's grace, that we increase in our knowing HIM.
Access to the same grace of God and intimate knowledge of Christ is also what Peter, in the closing days of his life, is urging all who have a saving faith in Christ to strive for earnestly.
How fitting that this is the closing verse of his second epistle: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We cannot grow in grace apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, for without Him we will remain spiritually stunted in our Christian life.
However, we are promised that we can do ALL things through Christ Who gives us the strength, for He is able and His grace is sufficient.
Should we not delight to worship Him in this world and rejoice that in the world to come we will show forth the immeasurable riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
May we ALL grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for by grace we are saved through faith, by grace we are to live our lives through faith, and one day by God's grace, we will pass into His wonderful presence, when we shall see Him as He is, and we will be like Him and live with Him into the eternities of eternity.
This has become part of that never-ending hymn of praise that is sung by all who have been saved by grace, through faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.
While the disciples would, indeed, be leaders in Christ's new administration (in the dispensation of grace) they were not to be like the Gentiles and rule by means of position, status, power, and prosperity.
He sounds as if he were advancing in years, because John refers to Him as 'Gaius, the Elder' and yet it is likely that this elderly gentleman was brought to faith in Christ through the ministry of John himself, for in addressing him, the apostle writes: I have no greater joy than this – to hear of my children walking in the truth.John makes no secret of his love and respect for this man, whom he admits to love in truth, for it appears that his whole life was dedicated to the Lord, and Gaius must have been a wonderful testimony of a godly man who walked in grace and love, for we read that his soul prospered.
There is no one that is excluded from His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ... and there are none that are given extra-special treatment based on their status, skills, colour, parentage, gender, intellectual capacity, political leanings, business acumen, or charismatic personality.
We are all saved by grace through faith in Christ... and as God's blood-bought children we should never forget that we also have a Master in heaven - Christ Jesus our Lord.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we should all seek to apply the principles of godly living in every area of our lives, no matter where we are or in what situation we find ourselves.
In consideration of the amazing grace that God has bestowed on each one of us by the redemption of our lives through the shed blood of Jesus Christ - should we not seek to honour God no matter what our status, skills, parentage, or gender?
Before we were saved we were separated from Christ by sin, but after having been saved by grace through faith, we were forgiven of our sin, joined to Christ, and positioned in Him
Only those that are positioned in Christ by grace through faith can bear fruit to the glory of God.
But in between those two mountain peaks, nestles the dispensation of the grace of God, which includes both the Church age in which we live (which was hidden from the prophets in time past), and a time of great judgement (the time of Jacob's Trouble; the coming Tribulation Period) about which the prophets of old wrote.
And we should live in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ so that His grace and peace may be multiplied to all who are called by His name.
It is only by God's abundant mercy that we have come to this living hope in Christ and, by God's grace, have been endowed with an inheritance that is incorruptible and will never fade away.
But God, in His grace made a way for us to return to fellowship with him: If we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God, in His grace, makes it so clear to us Who He is, the Creator of the universe, Redeemer of the world Who formed us in our mother's womb, the one true, living God, the only one worthy of our praise and worship.
The faithfulness, mercy, goodness, and grace of God, are no less true today than during that time when David discovered the Lord was his Shepherd Who gently leads him beside the still waters, faithfully guides him into the way of peace, guards him in the valley of the shadow of death, and prepares a plentiful table of good things in the midst of all his enemies.
It is only as we remain in Christ, rest in His love, and walk in the path He has planned for us, that we will discover all His paths are strewn with goodness and grace.
The path we take may be covered with difficulties and dangers, but His grace is sufficient for every eventuality we may encounter.
His way will lead us deeper into fellowship with Himself and enable us to mature in the faith, grow in grace, and gain a deeper knowledge of the holy, for He desires us to enjoy a satisfying and unbroken communion with Himself.
Such men would draw others away from the pure gospel of grace which Paul himself had received by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus.
Often, it was teachers of the Law or Jewish converts who were the culprits, because they insisted on integrating legalistic practices and Old Testament teachings into the New Testament gospel of grace.
Whether by adding some unscriptural dogma, subtracting or changing the truth of the gospel of Christ, or introducing some new and unfamiliar teaching, these false teachings can too often cause confusion or discouragement and prevent believers from growing in grace and maturing in the faith.
The glorious gospel of salvation, by grace through faith in the sacrificial death and wonderful Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, should delight the worst of sinners.
Before the New Testament had even been penned, Galatia was a hotbed of apostate teaching, filled with Judaisers who opposed the legitimate, God-ordained ministry of Paul and the liberating gospel of grace.
At that point, a new dispensation began - the gospel of the grace of God was taught by the Church - which is the Body of Christ.
How important it is, to study the Word of God and not to deviate from the gospel of grace so that we are approved unto God and not ashamed when we stand before Him.
he bewailed, Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.However, God in His grace gave this young man comfort and encouragement for the daunting task that lay ahead: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, were the Lord’s reassuring words to this young man, and before you were born I consecrated you.Jeremiah had been born into a 'priestly' family, from the tribe of Benjamin... but it was not his parentage, his lineage, or the dictates of a board of directors that secured his prophetic ministry; nor was he a self-proclaimed mouthpiece for the Lord, as so often happened in Bible times, and still happens today!He was called and chosen by the Lord... and those that are called and chosen by God for a specific task, are always sufficiently equipped by the Spirit of God, to complete the task before them.Do not say, 'I am only a youth,' Jeremiah was told by the Lord, because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak.He was not to worry about being too young or inarticulate, or because of any speech impediment.
The Lord in His grace, stretched out His hand and touched the timid Jeremiah on the mouth and told him, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.Jeremiah, like all those that are called, chosen, selected, or sent, was not to worry about the message he was to carry, because the words would be given from above – at the right time.
When the call of God is on a life, it does not matter about one's lineage, heritage, qualifications, suitability, skill, or education – God will equip each one for the task He has called them to do.May we be prepared to go in the strength of the Lord, no matter where He leads, knowing that His grace is sufficient for His power is made perfect in weak and obedient vessels that trust in Him.
And we, who have been saved by grace though faith in Christ, have within us the life of Christ which can become abundantly fruitful, when our lives resemble His likeness.
May we set our faces as a flint towards the goal of our calling so that we may mirror the attitude of the Lord Jesus, as we die to self and live for Christ - so that by God's grace, we may become a fruitful branch of our heavenly Vine.
Just as Moses was God's chosen servant to administer His will to Israel during the dispensation of the Law, so Paul was God's chosen servant to administer His will during this dispensation of grace.
He laboured tirelessly and strove unswervingly to spread abroad the gospel of grace that he received directly from the glorified Jesus Christ, knowing that the life of the living and resurrected Lord had been imputed to him and was working mightily in him, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and conforming his new-life-in-Christ into the likeness of his Lord and Saviour.
And Paul's passion was to establish the Church in sound doctrine, and to bring to spiritual maturity those that were saved by grace through faith in Him.
But Paul's God-appointed ministry and passionate mission was to labour unceasingly to preach the truth of the glorious gospel of grace to Jew and Gentile alike.
He worked unceasingly to bring to spiritual maturity, as many as would hear and receive the astonishing mysteries that were given to him on our account; the unsearchable riches in Christ and the surpassing treasures of God's grace and kindness toward us, in Jesus our Saviour.
The incredible Christ for whom Paul suffered, the glorious gospel of grace that he proclaimed, and the maturing of the saints in Christ, was the purpose and passion for which Paul strove.
For when I am weak then I am strong, enabling the Lord to carry out His plans and purposes in my life through His mighty strength for His grace is sufficient.
We are not required to worship on a specific day nor are we commanded to keep certain feast days, special festivals, or the many ordinances imposed by man; for as believers in the age of grace we are free from the bondage of law.
We are to be careful that our freedom in this age of grace does not cause a brother or sister in Christ to be upset or offended.
As he shares the gospel of grace, Paul outlines the importance of not judging the behaviours of our Christian brethren, and specifically mentions what we eat and drink, what we wear, and how we worship, reminding us that Christ died and rose again to free us from the bondage of laws, codes, rituals, and ceremonies.
In this age or grace, we are to be sensitive to the fact that actions which we know to be permissible before God, may become a stumbling-block to a Christian brother or sister whose conscience dictates otherwise, causing them to falter in their faith.
Let us therefore in love and grace be sensitive to the needs of others, neither compromising the gospel of Christ nor causing our liberty in Christ to be a stumbling block to other brothers and sisters in Christ: Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
He longed that his readers would grow in grace and be securely established in Christ, but he also warned of a growing apostasy and a serious decline in moral values, due to licentious living which is often rooted in ungodly teachings and doctrines of demons.
Those who are saved by grace, are to resist temptation and to walk in the unity of the Spirit.
Paul's priority was to teach the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ so that men and women everywhere would be saved by grace through faith in Christ for the remission of their sins - to explain it in such a way that whoever he was teaching would hear and believe.
The doctrine of Christ and the gospel of grace is non-negotiable and must never be tweaked to accommodate carnality or compromise, religiosity, or some pet deviation from the truth.
May we be ready and willing to forgo some of our developed biases and adopt Paul's attitude of becoming all things to all men so that the gospel of grace and Christ's sacrificial offering of Himself on the Cross for the sin of the world, may be shared to as many people as possible - so that by all means, some may be saved for the glory of God.
Jesus is the rightful King over all the earth, for His redeeming blood paid the purchase price for lost humanity, and in His goodness and grace, He has appointed all who believe in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, to rule and reign with Him in His coming kingdom.
But God in His grace had formulated a plan of redemption before Adam's destructive decision to disobey his God, which not only returned man into fellowship with his Creator by faith, but also would one day pour its healing balm over the rest of God's groaning creation.
Just as we who are saved by grace through faith and have been made a new creation in Christ, await the full the final consummation of our new birth (when our mortal bodies put on immortality and corruption is replaced with incorruption), so too the creation itself awaits in eager expectation for that day when God's curse on creation will be finally lifted.
Although as Christians we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ and made part of the new creation, we continue to live in a fallen, 'earthy' body of flesh and blood and await that day when we will be fully and finally 'adopted' as glorified sons of God with a new body of flesh and bone, made like unto Christ's resurrection body.
He had been chosen to be the missionary to the Gentiles who were formerly alienated from God, hopelessly dead in sins, and engaged in evil deeds, but by God's grace, many were reconciled to Him through faith in Christ for their salvation.
Nevertheless, God in His wisdom caused the many imprisonments Paul endured, and the multiplied attacks that were made on the truth of the glorious gospel of grace to be used for our good, for by it we have a large portion of the New Testament, written by Paul, that give us clear teaching on our position in Christ and how to live our life in this Church dispensation.
But though he instructs young men to be subject to those that are older in years and spiritual maturity, he calls ALL believers to clothe themselves with humility towards one another, explaining that God resists those that are proud but gives grace to those that are humble in action and attitude.
But Peter had also come to terms with the need for humility of heart and meekness of spirit, and so he calls both elders and young men to cloth themselves with humility towards one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
And although Paul's heart cry throughout his life was: That I may know Him MORE, he proved in every circumstance of life that God's grace was sufficient to meet all his needs, according to His riches in glory, and so Paul was able to confess: I know Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
The scornful scoffers and deriding mockers that belie the fast approaching Day of the Lord, are unaware that every passing moment is not slackness or disinterest on God's part, nor is God's acceptance or indifference towards man's sin, but just another expression of His long-suffering grace and His unwillingness that any should perish, but that all should turn from their sin to Jesus as the substitute offering for their sins and their glorious Saviour.
Every day that passes is one more example of God's long-suffering grace towards the children of men.
May we avoid being swept into a mind-set that accuses God of inactivity, and glory in His amazing grace towards each one of us.
Paul applies this principle to a believer's connection with the Law, by linking it to the previous chapter, which states, you are not under the Law but under grace. He then expands his train of thought.
But the moment I am saved by grace through faith, I receive a new nature - the nature of Christ!
At salvation, they had all received the free gift of God's grace, but they were trying to replace that gift of grace which they had received by faith in Christ, with their own works of the law.
They were trying to grow in grace by their own effort rather than God's way, which is by grace through faith.
These Christians had, of course, been saved by grace through faith in Christ, but instead of living their lives by grace through faith in Christ they had reverted back to a system whereby God's free gift of grace had been replaced with their own meritorious works of the law!
The Galatian Christians who should have been growing spiritually and maturing in the faith, had adopted legalistic practices which prevented them from growing in grace and reaching spiritual maturity.
It is sad when spiritual development is halted, reversed, or twisted through legalistic practices as demonstrated by these Galatian Christians, or by using God's free gift of grace as a license to sin as exhibited by the Corinthian Christians. May we take our own spiritual growth and that of our brothers and sisters in Christ seriously so that Christ may be formed in us, to His praise and glory.
Paul, in like manner, was the God-ordained servant who was entrusted with the administration of God's Word to the Church, which is currently in effect during this dispensation of grace.
The dispensation of the Law was for pre-Cross Israel, while the dispensation of the grace of God is for post-Cross Christians and is made up of both Jews and Gentiles.
However, that which was given to Paul for us in 'the dispensation of the grace of God' gives us a perspective on salvation that was kept hidden in earlier times, but how we praise God for the ministry of Paul who became a minister to the Church to make God's message fully known: Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
From that devastating fall of man in the idyllic garden of Eden to the final chapters of holy Scripture, we discover details of the wide-ranging repercussions of man's damning sin, and the tremendous grace that our offended God has extended towards the human race who was made in God's own image and likeness.
Satan's questioning of God's Word was the catalyst that incited the fall of man and yet, God in His grace used this catastrophic fall of mankind to be the very trigger whereby His amazing plan for the redemption of humanity in particular, and the redemption of creation in general, was called into action.
But those who have trusted in the Word of God for salvation, by grace through faith in the shed blood of our Kinsman-Redeemer, have the inner witness of God's Holy Spirit within.
If he delays there is a reason, and any delay pours an additional stream of grace into a Christ-rejecting sinful world, enabling sinners to turn to Christ for salvation, allowing the prodigal son to return to the Father's embrace, permitting the saint to grow in grace and a knowledge of his lovely Lord Jesus, for everything that God does is VERY GOOD.
Every day, by God's grace, many are trusting in Christ for salvation, prodigals are returning, and saints are growing in grace.
And just as Sarah honoured her own husband's sovereign, leadership position in the home, so we, as members of Christ’s mystic Body, should live in humble submission to His righteous authority – for He truly is our Lord and Saviour.Sarah was one of many holy women who, in former times, hoped in God, believed His Word, and adorned herself with a submissive spirit and a humble heart – to the honour and glory of God.All these holy women of God, radiate a richness of beauty and grace that surpasses the superficial allurement gained by any outward adornments or surface level charm.May we, who are members of His Body, adopt the same submissive spirit and hope in the Lord, and may we honour God's Word by applying His divine order and rule in our own lives and homes.
This famous prophesy had a partial fulfilment on that special day of Pentecost, when the Church was born, but it will meet its full and final consummation at the end of the seven-year Tribulation period, where we read elsewhere that by God's grace: All Israel shall be saved.
Praise God that in His grace, ALL who call on the name of the Lord in the dispensation of grace will be saved.
May we who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus always acknowledge that He is the one and only true God, and that His eternal Son was born into the human race to live a perfect life and to die a sacrificial death so that whosever believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
Christ alone is the life-giving spiritual manna from heaven that lasts through time and into eternity, and it is given as a free gift of His grace by faith to ALL who will trust in Him.
Because Abraham demonstrated His utter trust in the Lord through the actions he took and the inner resolve of his heart, God, in His grace, prevented Abraham from slaying Isaac by providing an alternative sacrifice.
I don't think there is a more meaningful greeting or significant salutation given to man, than this duet of grace and peace found in all Paul's letters.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The grace of God, which brings peace with God, is the most important element in the whole of Scripture, for it is only through the grace of God that all His other characteristics can be manifested.
Only by grace through faith can we receive the love of God which passes our understanding.
Only by grace through faith can we experience the beautiful fruit of the Spirit in our hearts - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
It is only by God's grace, through faith, that man is redeemed from the slave-market of sin.
It is only through the grace of God that He formulated His plan of Salvation.
It is only by His gift of grace that we are forgiven of our sin and declared righteous before God, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
By His grace we are being sanctified through the Spirit, day by day, and by grace we are being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ.
By grace, a day is coming when we will receive a new, resurrected body and be glorified, as we stand in His glorious presence and see Him as He truly is.
It is by the amazing grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ that we are not eternally condemned and bound for the lake of fire.
It is by grace that we enjoy fellowship with God, and through grace that we have a Heavenly Mediator because by grace, we were rescued from Satan's clutches, adopted into the family of God and have become a joint heir with Christ.
By grace, we have the indwelling Spirit of God, to lead and guide, to help and comfort.
By grace we have an inheritance kept for us in heaven, and through His gift of grace, we have God's multifaceted peace - peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of God to guard our heart.
It is significant that whenever Paul writes this meaningful salutation in His epistles, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, it is always Grace that is the leading blessing, while Peace is the privilege that follows in its wake.
GRACE is the highest expression of God's loving-kindness and benevolent blessings to man which is translated into God's unconditional, unmerited favour and showers super-abundant blessings on all who trust in His name.
It is only by grace that the sin barrier between man and God can be broken down, through faith, and we can receive peace with God.
The peace that flows from the grace of God embraces a multiplicity of meanings including peace with God, as a free gift of salvation to all that believe, as well as the peace of God which imparts a tranquillity of soul, which is beautifully bestowed through His Spirit of peace, into the heart of a believer who is walking in spirit and truth.
Both peace WITH God and the peace OF God are impossible without grace - the unconditional, unmerited gracious favour of God our Father and the gracious love and tender mercy, that was poured out for us on Calvary's cross.
We live in an increasingly ungracious environment in an increasingly unlovely and hostile world-in-conflict, but as God's children, we are to absorb this duet of complementary characteristics, Grace and Peace, into the warp and weft of our beings.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, has become a familiar and well-loved greeting, through the letters of Paul, but I doubt that in time or in eternity we will gain a full depth of understanding of what the all-embracing grace of God and the supernatural peace of God truly means.
But in the words of the apostle Peter, May grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.
Trusting the goodness and grace of the Lord with reverence and awe, ensures safety from all that would seek to harm or destroy us.
Indeed, the Lord Jesus Himself told us that in this world we would have trials and tribulation, but He has overcome the world and we have also been promised that His grace is sufficient and that He will be with us in every problem and pain we may face in life.
But it is also God who instils a deep hunger in the heart of the Christian and so, like Paul, they reach a point in their lives when they too cry out: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. And the one who has been saved by grace through faith begins to learn that salvation is not only that exciting point of rebirth into the family of God, but is also a long and often difficult journey through life, where faith is tried and tested and God is proved to be faithful once again.
Both the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul were acutely aware of the delight, the strength, the grace, and the peace, that flows from this blessed communion with our Saviour, when we rest and abide in Christ and He in us.
How vital to maintain ongoing communion with the Father, by acknowledging our sins, confessing our spiritual poverty, and admitting our need of His guidance and grace.
But God in His grace, purposed in His heart to redeem His fallen creation (through the Person of Jesus Christ), to breathe His eternal life back into His New Creation in Christ (through faith in His sacrificial work on Calvary and glorious Resurrection), to reinstate His own image and likeness into the heart of man (reflecting the glory of the Lord by being transformed into His image, from glory to glory).
Similarly, refraining from eating such meat due to one's conscience did not cause someone to fall from grace, nor did it mean the person who abstained gained God's favour!
There is no question, as one follows this man's unfolding train of thought, that he had his priorities right, and the private place of his heart contained the personal treasure that is found in Scripture, as he cries out to the Father, Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. This is the grateful cry of a sinner, saved by grace, whose dear desire is to love the Lord and honour Him with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength.
Therefore, my son, is Paul’s compelling command to this younger pastor, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Be empowered, in the sufficient grace and strength that is our birth-right in Christ, is Paul's pressing directive.
The courage and strength that Timothy, and every child of God, is exhorted to draw upon, is the divine strength that comes from God alone – as a gift of His grace.
God has promised to supply sufficient strength for the tasks we are to undertake, not because of anything that we have done to deserve it, but through the unmerited and unconditional grace that has become our portion in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Not only is Timothy exhorted to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, but also to provide spiritual strength for those in His care – for in the following verse we read: And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
May we be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and empowered to help and encourage others whom God has placed in our lives – and may we all grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, for His greater glory and eternal praise.
Such an attitude is unbiblical, and such an interpretation not only contradicts the gospel of grace but is inconsistent with the correct interpretation and context of this passage on prayer.
It was God's grace that sent Christ into the world to be the acceptable sacrifice for your sin and mine.
By His grace, we too will behold a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth will pass away.
And in the ages that are to come, by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice at Calvary, we who are His children, will show forth the immeasurable riches of God's grace in kindness toward us, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
May we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God so that we too may be comforted and encouraged: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Legalism boasts in oneself to keep rules and regulations, but grace boasts only in the Lord.
However, the gospel of grace nurtures humility, for it admits one's own inabilities and insufficiencies and depends completely on God and His abilities and sufficiency: For we are not competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence and sufficiency comes from God.
Self-importance, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-esteem, and a self-inflated ego are what the world sees as important, but in truth, our life should be one of God-importance, God-sufficiency, God-reliance, God-esteem, and a gentle spirit of humility and grace.
The sovereign power of His kingdom is a royal throne of glory, a regal throne of grace, a kingly throne of government, and an excellent throne of glory that displays His Majesty throughout the heavens.
But those that are His chosen Bride, by faith in Christ, will be seated with Him on the throne of the Lamb, showing forth His excellent grace to principalities and powers in the ages to come.
Praise him for his grace and favourto his people in distress.Praise him, still the same as ever,slow to chide, and swift to bless.Alleluia, alleluia!Glorious in his faithfulness!
Angels, help us to adore him;you behold him face to face.Sun and moon, bow down before him,dwellers all in time and space.Alleluia, alleluia!Praise with us the God of grace!
These church elders were to clothe themselves with humility toward one another, for God is against the proud but gives grace to the humble.
God is a generous Giver of all that is good and perfect in this life - and in the world to come, His gifts of grace are eternal and His generosity is never-ending and beyond our comprehension.
It strives to maintain an uncompromised gospel and to expose the various heresies that were infiltrating the early Church and Jude strongly denounces those that use God's grace as a license to sin.
All of us are sinners, and children also have a sin nature and are in equal need of redemption, but little children are a wonderful example of a heart that is ready to hear the good news of salvation and a mind that is ready and willing to receive the good news of the gospel of grace.
Children are the best example to show us how to get into the kingdom of God, for all must come with an open heart, a willing mind, and a positive response to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.
He was raised from the dead into newness of life so that we could also receive His eternal, resurrected life, as a gift of God's grace.
Yes, it is through faith in His sacrificial crucifixion and glorious Resurrection from the dead that we have been justified; it is by God's grace through faith that we are been justified, just as Abraham was justified by grace through faith in Him.
Once justified we must recognise that the old life in Adam is past and must remain nailed to the Cross, while the new, born-again life in Christ is to mature in the faith, to grow in grace, and to walk in spirit and truth.
And starting in chapter 6, Paul guides the justified believer, step by step, through the many benefits that have already become ours in Christ by faith, and which are accessed by grace through faith in the glorious gospel of God.
God in His grace gave His only begotten Son to die a cruel death as the purchase price for the sin of the world, and that alone is the criteria for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
It was GRACE that caused God to send His only begotten Son to be the sin-sacrifice for you and for me, but it is the BLOOD of CHRIST that cleanses us from all sin, through faith in Him.
It was GRACE that caused the Lord Jesus to stretch out His hands and be pierced for our transgressions, and it is only through His shed BLOOD that we have been brought near to the Father and have been given peace with God.
It was GRACE that caused the eternal Son of God to set aside His glory and be made in the likeness of sinful man (yet without sin).
It was GRACE that caused God to reach down to a fallen race of sinners and formulate His redeeming plan of salvation.
Paul cared for all the churches where he taught the glorious gospel of the grace of God, desiring that they would hold fast to the truth and stand firm in the teachings passed on to them by Paul himself.
Paul's desire for their ongoing sanctification and maturity in the faith was so strong that He prayed often and continuously that the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father (Who loved us and gave us eternal encouragement by His grace), would encourage their hearts and strengthen their souls in every good work and word.
It is the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father Who have given us eternal comfort by grace through faith.
And it is the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father Who have given us a good hope by His grace, and in the world to come, life everlasting.
In the early days of the Church, the gospel of grace was spread by word of mouth because the canon of Scripture had yet to be written.
Paul explained in Romans that an important reason for the dramatic numbers of spiritual gifts and grace given to Gentile believers in the early Church, was to provoke Israel to jealousy.
However, the words we speak and the messages from our lips should also be spoken in spirit, in truth, in grace, and in love.
For just as a gentle, controlled, thoughtful, or caring word can calm the troubled breast, bring hope to the hopeless, healing to the injured, or grace to an offender, so a harsh, hateful, cruel, or careless comment, can as easily be used to wound or discourage, hurt or hinder, harm or handicap, or speedily stir up strife and anger.
What a difference the Church would make in the world, if the simple message that: A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words incites anger, were applied in lives of all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
It should be a joy for every Christian to rejoice together in the simple message of salvation, by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.It was the uncomplicated message of redemption that Jude planned to share with fellow believers in Christ, when he started to pen his epistle.
The men of the city even lusted after the two angels who entered the city to save Lot and his family from the judgement which was about to fall.When a person, nation, or faction of society becomes so degenerate, God not only gives them over to their evil pursuits, but finally destroys them by the breath of His righteous judgement.Jude used Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities around them as a warning to all who choose to turn the grace of our God into lewdness, by denying the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sin.
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, stand as an example of the punishment of eternal fire that awaits those corrupt individuals who indulge in ungodly perversions and reject the Lord of glory.The destruction of these cities was an example of the fate of all unbelievers who willingly turn away from God, deny His grace, refuse the truth, and ignore His warnings of the judgement to come.Jude's warning of heresy, apostasy, and the subtle infiltration of the Church by false teachers who deceptively creep into churches, deny the Lord Who bought them, and peddle a false, watered-down, feel-good, unbiblical gospel, has morphed into an apology for what is termed 'Christendom' today.The serious warning that Jude shared in his little epistle, should be taken to heart by everyone that is sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus our Lord.The best way to recognise a false teaching is to know the truth.
Christ tasted death for EVERYONE so that by God's grace, all who believe on Him are saved and are removed from the curse of sin, death, and hell forever.
Those who reject His message of salvation and remain proud, unrepentant, and self-righteous, forgo the eternal benefits of the glorious gospel of grace, and remain dead in their trespasses and sins.
Their salvation is by grace through faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross, and forgiveness of sins and eternal life are two of many heavenly benefits that every sinner receives by grace through faith in the only begotten Son of God.
Being saved by grace through faith in Christ, unlocks the door to a myriad of blessings for each believer.
Sometimes we are unaware of the abundant blessings that have become ours at the point of our salvation and sometimes it takes time to become aware of all the gifts of grace that have been bountifully bestowed upon us, in Christ Jesus.
One of the many important free gifts of God's grace to all believers is that we are justified, we are made right with God, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul is a teacher who builds up the theme of his teaching in a logical progression which has its ultimate focus on the face of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of grace.
Having reiterated the principal that God is the source of all wisdom and believers are the privileged recipients of His illumination, we are reminded that no teacher of the good news should have pretentious claims to personal wisdom, for all are all are servants of God, all are equally equipped from above, and all should be wholly united in humbly proclaiming the wonderful wisdom of God, by grace through faith in Christ, to all who believe.
But it also lays the groundwork of understanding God's love for us and His grace towards us: That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Loving the Lord with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, is a progressive love that builds and develops in our Christian walk, for as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, so we grow in love for the Lord our God and are enabled to have that love translated into the good works that God has prepared for us to do.
Only as our thoughts and desires are focussed on HIM will we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
These Corinthians should have been growing in grace, maturing in the faith, receiving the strong meat of God's Word, and equipped to support one another, but their fleshly behaviour and prideful attitudes caused them to regress into spiritual infancy.
Instead of delighting in the Lord and the glories of His grace, these carnal believers engaged in squabbles about the merit of their favourite preacher.
But their hatred of us can be translated into prayers of intercession for them that God, in His grace, would meet them at their point of need and convict them of the need of a Saviour and the salvation that He offers freely and without charge.
But following His pronouncement of wrath against these sin-ridden nations, the Lord proclaims His justified punishment on Judah and Israel - for His own people had broken His covenant, and His chosen inheritance had spurned God's goodness and grace.
As a nation, they had collectively violated His Word and rejected His offer of salvation by grace - through faith in Jesus Christ, their Messiah and King.
But God is a God of loving-kindness, great-goodness, and generous grace.
So in His grace and mercy we rejoice to read: I, even I, am the One who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins... anymore.
God in His grace invites us to live a life that is free from worry and devoid of anxieties by seeking first the kingdom of God and the righteousness with which we are clothed, when we trust in Him for salvation.
The apostle knew these spiritual qualities can only be exhibited in a life that is persevering in the faith, walking in spirit and truth, and working the works of God through the sufficient grace and supernatural power which He supplies.
The more we know of God's goodness and grace towards us, the more we are prompted to labour in love for the Lord.
There are no coincidences in God's economy, for in His grace God works ALL things together for good - even terrible and evil things - even those problems and disappointments that we do not understand.
Little did the young widow know the enormous grace and favour the Lord had prepared to bestow on her, when she wept over the death of her husband, was faced with a devastating famine and had to decide which way to go and which God to trust.
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.There is only one way to be saved, and God Himself proclaimed this to the nations: I have sworn by Myself, was His sovereign challenge, the Word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back – that to Me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance.God in His grace, extended His hand of salvation to the Gentiles, if they would turn away from their idols of wood and stone, and trust in the Lord for the forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation.That same gracious hand of reconciliation continues to be extended today, to whosoever will hear, answer, and believe in the One Who paid the price for the sin of the world – the shed blood of a perfect sacrifice – Jesus Christ the righteous.In the light of New Testament revelation, we know: At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.The message of salvation is one of hope and blessing to those that believe, and one of condemnation and eternal separation from God for those that refuse to confess His name.May we be ready and willing to go into the world, whether at home or abroad, and tell the good news of salvation to the lost – to Jew and Gentile alike: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
As we read through the New Testament epistles whose target audience are Christians in this dispensation of grace, we find numerous warnings against placing our confidence in the flesh.
We should be maturing in the faith, growing in grace, progressing in the sanctification process, and becoming increasingly like the Lord Jesus Himself as we keep Him as the focus of our heart - for He is the Head of the Church and we are His Body.
Salvation for pre-Cross believers who lived in the dispensation of the Law and post-Cross believers who live in the dispensation of the grace-of-God, is given and received in the same way; for salvation is by God's grace through man's faith in the God's Word.
In this Church age, salvation is ours by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He had proved Himself so many times to be faithful and true, and yet the nature of man is always to be independent of God, despite the testimony of His never-failing grace in our lives.
But He is also our life, for we have been made a new creation in Christ and have the additional privilege of being positioned in Him by grace through faith, and are seated together with Him in heavenly places.
The eyes of the Lord are still searching out men or women whose heart is completely His so that by grace through faith, Christ may be formed in us.
We who are saved by grace through faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus, have no right to consider ourselves superior to unsaved humanity, for our heinous sin put Christ on the Cross, and the inestimable price of our sin was paid for at Calvary.
Let us seek to share the good news of the gospel of grace with many who remain dead in their sins and under God's righteous condemnation.
Indeed, since these dear believers heard the gospel and truly understood the grace of God, the natural result was that they were bearing fruit and shedding the gospel abroad.
And in these last days, may the blessed hope that is stored up for us in heaven overflow in our loves so that we will tell all we meet the glorious gospel of grace.
The more we know Him the more we trust Him; and the more we trust Him, the more His love flows into our heart so that we become a channel of Christ's love and grace, flowing out to all the saints of God.
Chapter 9 reminds us of Israel's past history, their tremendous privileges, and precious promises, while chapter 11 rejoices in their election by grace, their future hope, and eventual salvation.
Many in Israel would remain in darkness until the dispensation of the grace of God was completed.
God, in His grace, decided to use Mordecai and Esther to forward his redemptive plan for His people and set their hearts to once again call out to their God.
As we journey through life we should earnestly seek to develop these behaviours and attitudes, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
Often the plans we make are deficient and nearsighted, but God in His grace often brings us to our desired destination in a very different way.
Many of these early Jewish Christians had lived under the pre-Cross dispensation of Law before moving into the post-Resurrection dispensation of Grace, and they had to come to terms with the inevitable change from the Old, Mosaic Covenant to the New Covenant that had been cut through the shed blood of Christ on the Cross.
None of the warnings threaten believers with loss of salvation, as some people teach, because we are saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial offering of Himself on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection; we can do nothing to receive salvation and we can do nothing to keep our salvation.
We are made a new creation in Christ and given life-eternal when we are born from above - and it is given once, for all, by grace through faith in Him.
ANY believer who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice on the Cross who decides to adopt legalistic practices in their religion, is endangering themselves.
May we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the instructive and informative teachings in Hebrews and take special heed of those passages that war us against insulting our God and Saviour Who died for our sin and rose again so that through faith in Him we might be born from above, declared righteous, and receive the riches of His goodness and grace freely and without cost.
But God in His grace drew a beautiful comparison between Moses, who was faithful to his calling, and the Lord Jesus Christ - for like Christ Moses was also faithful in all his house.
In this dispensation of the age of grace, those that do not trust in the only begotten Son of God, whether Jew or Gentile, are not considered by God as the spiritual seed of Abraham.
But in this dispensation of the grace of God, all believers, Jew and Gentile alike, are children of faith and members of the Body of Christ.
It details the glorious plan of salvation and the enormous sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, whereby fallen man is not only released from slavery to sin, delivered from eternal condemnation, and reconciled back to God, but also saved by grace through faith in Him, made a new creation in Christ, made a citizen of heaven and a joint-heir with the Son of God, bestowed with the riches of God's grace, in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, eternally secure in His gracious love, and so much more.
They are beyond tracing out, for they come from the sovereign choice of God's divine righteousness and His everlasting grace.
The Lord is indeed rich in goodness and grace, mercy and love, wisdom and knowledge and power, and in Christ, we too have been made rich in everything, for He has bestowed on us the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus our Saviour and, by faith, we have a rich reward that is kept for us in heaven.
Who can know the mind of God, and yet He has made His ways known to the children of men through the Person and work of His dearly beloved Son, and by His grace we have the mind of Christ.
We are the called of God, the chosen of God, the elect of God, and enriched by God's grace simply because we believe God's Word and trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation.
It was God Who planned the redemption of mankind before the foundation of the world, and by the grace of God, through faith in Christ, we have become the children of God and joint heirs with the beloved Son of His love.
We who trust in His redeeming blood for salvation have been promised eternal life, a heavenly home, and joy for evermore according to the riches of His grace.
So many of the sacred words that have been penned by Israel's shepherd-king are prayers that have been rehearsed on the lips of many saints over centuries of time, who have found comfort and grace in his pleadings to the Lord.
A heart that meditates on the glory of the Lord and lifts up the person of the Lord Jesus, is the one that exhibits an inner grace and beauty, for such a one is willingly being transformed into the likeness of the Christ, for out of the mouth come thoughts that are conceived in the heart.
And because we have peace with the Father we have gained access, by that faith, into the grace into which we have been established.
This enables us to grow in grace, mature in our Christian life, and rejoice in the established hope we have in Jesus.
Not only do the glories of our justification result in peace with God, a firm standing in God's grace, and a rejoicing hope in Him, but we can allow His peace to reign in our hearts so that we can even exult in our tribulations, knowing the trials of life and the difficulties we endure bring about perseverance which develops strength of character and a solid hope in the Lord.
Man's natural desire in life is to live in ease and to avoid life's problems and pain, but Scripture reminds us that only those who face the distresses of life through His sufficient grace, develop the patient endurance and proven character that is so acceptable to the Lord, which in turn results in a mature faith and a hope that is firmly established in Him.
The former is a comprehensive discourse on the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith, rooted in the gospel of the grace of God.
It was sent to the Church in Rome and teaches salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ, which has set us free from slavery to sin through the fleshly works of the Law.
While the Corinthians grew careless and became carnal in their Christian walk, the Galatians turned from the truth of grace to a different gospel.
They fell from grace and severed the freedom they had in Christ.
It causes them to fall from grace and places them back under the law of sin and death, rather than living in the freedom of 'the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus'.
His gospel was recognised and endorsed by the other apostles, for the gospel of grace was the good news that was turning the world upside down.
Legalism is a creeping paralysis and when the gospel of grace is abandoned for this teaching, it places a believer back under the Law instead of promoting the freedoms we have in Christ.
But in His grace, He works ALL things together for the good of those that love Him and are fitting into His plan.
The fear that Job expressed, his regret of being born, his desire to die, the accusations he received from his friends and his assumption that the nature of God had changed, show that this man and his friends had a significant lack of understanding about God's character, His goodness, His grace, His sovereign authority, and the fallen state of the world in which we live.
This is UNBIBLICAL and casts a great slur on the goodness and grace of God for He blesses ALL people both the good and the bad.
It encourages the unbiblical attitude of salvation, or blessing through works - but salvation and God's blessings are a demonstration of God's grace - not of works.
Job was a righteous man, which means he was a sinner - saved by grace.
They teach that to be saved one must take two specific steps 1st) believe the gospel of grace in the heart and 2nd) confess Jesus as Lord, with their mouth, before other people: Otherwise, they argue, you are not properly saved.
They will seek to destroy and discourage us, but we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and are not appointed to wrath.
Although we know the identity of the Lamb: our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the identity of the 'man of sin' will remain unidentified until the Church is removed from the earth, at the end of this dispensation of grace.
Christ also removed the spiritual barrier between Jew and Gentile so that by grace through faith in Him, those that were afar off were brought near.
Christ further removed the legal wall of partition, for He fulfilled the unattainable Law on behalf of all who would believe on His name so that we are no longer under law but under grace.
Through time and into eternity, we must never forget the grace of God that has been extended to all who trust in Christ for salvation, for by His blood he reconciled both Jew and Gentile into one Body, which is the Church.
While God shows no favouritism between rich and poor, because salvation is a free gift of grace to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, James does seem to imply that God extends special favour towards those that are poor, in respect of the riches of this world: Listen, my beloved brothers, he writes, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
Poor, poverty-stricken people more ready to respond to the gospel of grace with an open heart, ready acceptance, and trusting faith, than prosperous persons who too often find difficulty in casting all their cares on Christ - preferring to centre their hope on cryptocurrencies, commodity markets, and their capital assets.
Most of those who put their faith in Jesus and trusted Him for salvation, were simple folk with few earthy possessions - and yet the testimony they leave behind is a wealth of faith in Christ because they loved Him and discovered His grace to be sufficient and His strength to be made perfect, as He lived in them and they abode in Him.
Indeed, multiple passages teaches that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and there can be no deviation from God's declared way of salvation.
Hearing of a corrupted gospel from an apostate teacher who shares a warped salvation message through a counterfeit Christ with a twisted truth, is hardly likely to endear someone to the glorious gospel of grace.
They were to testify of the goodness and grace of the Lord to those who were dead in their sin.
But in His grace, God rehearsed His promises to His people Israel through the lips of Isaiah the prophet, and His Word is unbreakable: You are My witnesses.
However, it was during the final few weeks before His crucifixion that Jesus started preparing His disciples for His death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Day of Pentecost together with the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell the Church during a new dispensation - the dispensation of the Grace of God.
May we so grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus that we die to ourselves and live for Christ.
Prayer is the tool that encourages our continuous appeal to His Father-heart of love, for through it we find grace to find help in time of need.
We have confidence through His Word, that He hears and answers our cry in accordance with His perfect will for our lives, and He has promised that even before we bring our prayers and petitions before His throne of grace, He hears and answers the faintest cry of His blood-bought children.
He also longed for others to grow in grace, mature in the faith, and develop their own close intercourse with the Lord Jesus – and so we discover many heartfelt prayers for the maturing of the saints throughout His writings.
He wanted to rejoice in the great salvation which we have in Jesus, and rehearse the beautiful gospel of grace in the ears of his hearers.
The mission of these ungodly men was to turn the grace of God and the glorious gospel of Christ into licentiousness and promiscuous wantonness, through their uncontrollable lust.
Their object in infiltrating the Church of God was to pervert the grace of our God into an excuse for immorality, greed, fame, and fortune; the consequence of which was to disown the Lord Jesus Christ as their sovereign Saviour and eternal Lord.
These men by nature are ungodly men who reject God's offer of salvation, wilfully distort the grace of God, and choose to deny the deity of the Lord Jesus.
Not only were the apostles among the many eye-witnesses of the resurrected Christ during those 40 days between His Resurrection and Ascension, but the crowds in Jerusalem who were listening to the blistering truth from Peter's discourse that day, had themselves been spectators to all that had transpired on that momentous Feast of Passover, only fifty days before when the sky turned black for three hours and the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom, giving all who will believe on Him forgiveness of sin, life everlasting, and access to the heavenly throne of grace.
The crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ freed us from the righteous demands of the law by nailing them to the Cross, permanently erasing the un-payable certificate of debt that we owe so that all who believe in Him are no longer under law but under grace.
May we who are positionally sanctified in Christ, so submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we may also be practically sanctified as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and come to know the Lord Jesus more and more with each passing day.
It is by grace we are saved, not because of our merit but because of His mercy and love so that by His propitiatory death and Resurrection we too might be made alive together with Him.
And it is by virtue of His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection that we too have been imputed with His resurrected life and clothed in the righteousness of Christ forever: It is by grace we are saved not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The inexhaustible wisdom and love of God is reflected in these blessed words: God has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved).
From the terrible curse of the Law and the irreversible state of sin and death, which is the fixed and final state of all mankind, the divine nature of our merciful God has reached down to man, in a providential display of His abundant supply, through His unconditional covenant of grace.
Those of us who were spiritually dead and eternally separated from our heavenly Creator have been quickened from the dead and made alive in Christ, by grace through faith.
There is not one thing we can ever do to repay God; for it is by grace alone that we have been saved.
Today we are being sanctified by grace alone and one day we will be in His presence and be glorified by grace alone.
Praise God for His goodness and grace towards the children of men.
May we never become so familiar with the truth that when we were dead in our sins, God quickened us together with Christ, and saved us by God's grace.
He left His Father’s throne above,So free, so infinite His grace;Emptied Himself of all but love,And bled for Adam’s helpless race:’Tis mercy all, immense and free;For, O my God, it found out me.’Tis mercy all, immense and free;For, O my God, it found out me.
God in His grace has reconciled those who believe in the Lord Jesus to Himself, and through Christ, we have been given this important ministry of reconciliation, so that the world may know that God is the Lord and Saviour of mankind.
Christ came to earth to reveal God's goodness and grace, and His death on the cross opened the way for fallen man to find peace with God - to be reconciled back to Him through faith in His Son.
During Christ's absence from the earth, those who believe on His name have been entrusted with a life-work that proclaims the gospel of grace to a lost world, so that men, who are dead in their sin and estranged from God, may know the truth, be saved by grace through faith in Christ and find peace with God.
Man seeks after empty happiness and longs for peace in a world at war, but the child of God who has been saved by grace through the sacrificial work of Christ on Calvary's cross, gains more than happiness.
We are to be witnesses to the truth of the gospel and preach the truth to every creature - that peace with God IS possible by His grace, through faith in Christ.
It is through faith in His redemptive work that we are given a new life, a deathless life, an eternal life, which begins the moment we are saved by grace through faith in Christ - and that life reaches into the eternal ages that are to come.
Mary was beautifully saved by grace through believing that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel and she was rewarded at the empty tomb early on that first day of the week, when He appeared to her first, lovingly addressing her by name, and giving her the highly honourable job of telling His disciples that He had risen from the dead!
Multiple passages tell us that salvation is by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, but here we read that He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey.
For over three years He had been their Teacher and Protector, and His wisdom and grace was acknowledged by all, yet there was so much more that they needed to learn from Him.
Evil, pain, disasters, and death are the result of sin, and God in His grace set out to conquer sin, death, and hell by sending His only begotten Son to become the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world.
For God in His grace chose to conquer sin, death, and hell, by sending His only begotten Son to become the propitiation for our sins.
To pray earnestly that they may grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To praise God for the deep faith, generous love, and patient endurance that is exhibited by those who hope in the Lord, and to pray impassionedly for evangelistic doors to be opened so that the gospel of grace may be proclaimed far and wide, to those who do not yet know Him.
Paul is an example of a man that prayed often and earnestly for the saints, making mention of them always in His prayers and always giving thanks to God for the grace that had been bestowed on fellow believers.
Let us seek to follow the example of Paul who prayed earnestly and continuously for all his fellow believers, thanking God for their lives and praying that they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
As His children we are already at peace with God because He forgave us our sins by grace through faith.
But now that we have been saved by grace through faith in Him, we are to strive to live in peace with all people and to pursue godly consecration and holiness of heart without which, we are told, no one will ever see the Lord.
The fruit of the Spirit is an inner grace that is produced in a believer who is submitted to the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that the life lived becomes a lovely reflection of Christ's singular nature and godly character.
The triplet of love, joy, and peace, demonstrates an inner quality that permeates the entire disposition of the one that is producing this fruit of the Spirit, as they grow in grace and are being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ, through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
It is only as we grow in grace, become mature in the faith, and keep a short rein of sin in our lives, that we will produce the spiritual fruit that exemplifies the spirit-filled believer.
Sadly, due to disobedience and sin, the God-ordained authority that man had been given over the earth was transferred to Satan, who is the 'god of this age'... for a season... but the Lord in His omniscience knew that man would sin and in His goodness and grace formulated His amazing redemption plan that would span 7000 years of human history.
We, who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, are one part of that precious plan of salvation.
We live in 'the dispensation of the grace of God', we are members of the Body of Christ, and we are positioned in Him.
Today, by grace, we are 'living stones' being built up into the Body of Christ: Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
We are all growing in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour: Into the maturity of manhood and to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, for which we give grateful thanks and praise His glorious name.
No matter what problems we meet and no matter what situations we may have to face, whether it be political, philosophical, religious, legalistic, economical, mystical, or any other perversion of the truth, Paul's letter was to remind these believers that His grace is sufficient.
How important it is to be orderly and steadfast in our faith, such that nothing can shake our trust in the Lord Who provides us with the sufficient grace and strength to face all eventualities.
And He witnesses within our inner being that we are children of God and that we have received eternal life, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Our dependence upon His person and His provision is what He is seeking from all His children, if we are to grow in grace and produce good fruit to His praise and glory.
Should we not praise His wonderful name for all His overflowing blessings of love and the immeasurable depths of grace he has poured up upon us?
The end, the epilogue, and the entirety of a life that is saved by grace and secured in Christ, is a victorious life, an overwhelmingly victorious life in spite of all the tears, troubles, and trials that stalk our pathway.
This is a godly principle of faith – that when we abide in Christ during the inevitable disasters that flood our lives, faith increases, trust is amplified, hope is expanded, and our love of Jesus reaches even greater heights, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.Oh, such life victory has nothing to do with our own great strength, intellectual ability, or healthy bank balance, for of ourselves we would be overwhelmed by all these things rather than becoming a conqueror through Christ.
Once we have believed in God's saving grace through faith in Christ, we are also to believe that, He rewards those that seek Him, as stated in Scripture.
Too often we forget that those who diligently seek Him, are rewarded with His sufficient grace to face life's problems.
Those who diligently seek Him, produce the beautiful fruit of the Spirit, so that they grow in grace and mature in the faith, which pleases our Heavenly Father.
The more a Christian trusts God's Word, believes all He says, has faith in His promises, believes He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek to know Him, the more they will grow in grace, mature in the faith, walk in spirit and truth and please Him - for to the one that has much, even more will be given.
God did not have to explain Himself to one of His created beings, nor do any of us have a right to question God's perfect plan or know the reason WHY He permits bad things to happen to good people.Although this incredible soliloquy from the Lord, provides humanity with many insights into areas such as science, geology, cosmology, geography, oceanology, and anthropology, none of Job's questions were answered, and yet it brought that man into a deeper understanding of the very God in Whom he trusted.God alone was there when the foundation of the earth was laid, and however much man likes to speculate on the creation of the heaven and earth, God alone was present and, in His grace, has recorded it in the Scriptures for our learning – but how few trust His Word?
And Paul further teaches believers how to live godly lives as is fitting for those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection.
We are to clothe ourselves with virtue and grace.
Our desire and delight should be to share the good news of the gospel of grace with all who cross our path, but it should be done with clarity and simplicity.
For all who believe on Him by grace through faith, would be reconciled to God, become eternally saved, and forever forgiven by means of the astonishing atoning sacrifice that Christ made on that singular day.
How shocking that the vast majority of humanity have refused to hear and receive the glorious gospel of grace.
The promises of God to His children are 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ, and God has promised that we who are saved by grace through faith in Him, have a glorious inheritance that is being reserved for us in heaven.
Not only are we justified by faith and sanctified by faith, but one day we will also be glorified by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice at Calvary.
The righteous man is the one who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
The Lord is intimately connected with each of His own, for all who are saved by grace through faith are united with Him forever and His Holy Spirit is both with us and in us, BUT evil men are condemned.
For those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, these prophecies from Isaiah and Malachi have already been fulfilled and our life is now hid with Christ in God and we are part of the New Creation in Christ.
Jacob had to be brought to a point of personal desperation before he understood that without God he could do nothing but that His grace is sufficient to cope with every situation in life.
Jacob had to face his own trial and testing, and admit his own imperfections and limitation when He met God face to face, and Jacob was brought to an end of himself until he acknowledged his own weakness and was willing to admit that all honour, glory, might, majesty, dominion, power, blessing, and authority comes from our Heavenly Father - by grace.
His blessings are not dependent on our schemes or planning but of God's amazing grace.
Jacob is one of many biblical characters whom God used to bring to fruition His perfect plan of redemption and who was used to teach us an important lesson - that there is nothing we can do to gain God's blessing or become His child - that it is not by wit or wisdom, schemes or cleverness, power or might that we are saved and brought in to an everlasting relationship with our Heavenly Father, but by His grace alone - through faith alone in Christ alone.
Tensions between the two groups increased so significantly that the religious, Jewish leaders who rejected their Messiah, took steps to suppress the testimony of God's grace by exterminating everyone who professed faith in Jesus of Nazareth - the King of the Jews.
The Jewish Sanhedrin became desperate to halt the spread of the gospel of grace - that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, according to their Jewish Scriptures - to save His people from their sins, by faith in Him.
As members of the Church in this dispensation of grace, we can rejoice that nothing will prevent God's plans, purposes, and promises from being fulfilled - for both the people of Israel and for the Christian Church.
In these end times in which we live, God in His grace sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sin so that all who believe in Him might be made new creatures in Christ and become part of a new creation.
God in His grace saved us by His own free will.
All believers from Adam onwards are saved by grace through faith in God's Word, and all believers in this Church dispensation are considered to be a kind of first-fruit in God's eyes.
And there is a further meaning which is connected with the resurrection of the dead, whereby all who have believed by grace through faith are considered to be the first-fruit (for we all belong to the Lord and will all one day be resurrected from the dead), but as Scripture states, this will happen to each person in the proper order.
And one day, we will be exactly like Him, for we shall see Him as He is; in His glorified body, full of grace and truth.
He desires that individually and collectively the Church of God, which is His Body, demonstrates the glory of the indwelling Spirit of Christ by means of an outward demonstration of a holy character and a godly life, full of grace and truth.
How important to read to the end of the sentence: BUT the GIFT of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. God loved His creation so dearly that in His grace, He gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race so that He could become man's Saviour, through paying the price for humanities sin through the shedding of His lifeblood - through the sacrifice of His perfect, sinless life.
The forgiveness of sin (salvation of the soul and eternal life, which is part of the package of forgiveness) is a gift - a free gift - a free gift from God - an unconditional gift from God which demonstrates His amazing grace and unconditional love, and it is available to every-man, every sinner.
And by His grace and goodness we discover ourselves to be His beloved children, by faith in Christ.
Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that He took the initiative and loved us first, by sending His only begotten Son into the world to die for sinful man so that whosoever believes on Him would not be condemned, but be given abundant and eternal life, by grace through faith.
There is a dignity and grace that accompanies a godly man into his old age, and one of the joys of being in one's twilight years is to have grandchildren.
He should instruct his sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, in the things of the Lord so they come to a saving faith in Christ, mature in the faith, and grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 118 is a very important Messianic psalm that points directly to God, Whose goodness and grace lasts forever, and it identifies JESUS as Israel's Messiah, Who has become their strength and stay.
The man who falls on the Stone will be broken to pieces (saved by grace through faith) BUT on whosoever that Stone falls, (the unbeliever) will be scattered like dust.
This will be a day of great rejoicing and much joy, a day of blessing and grace, of health and happiness, of righteousness and justice, of prosperity, peace and pardon.
Titus was to appoint godly elders who were equipped to maintain doctrinal purity and support those in their care.We discover that wherever Paul founded a Christian Church, false teachers quickly infiltrated the congregation and false doctrines were rapidly introduced, to undermine the true gospel of the grace of God.Titus was chosen by Paul and assigned oversight of the church congregations in Crete.
They were a New Creation in Christ and were equal members of His Body.The little letter to Titus gives important information on the appointing of godly elders in the congregation, establishing sound teaching, correcting doctrinal error, setting out appropriate Christian behaviour for men and women alike, and encouraging all believers in their faith during our brief sojourn on earth.Although we don't know when the Church in Crete was founded, this comprehensive letter to Titus gives clear instruction on the important issues of governance and guidance within the Body of Christ.By God's grace, we all have the Word of God as our plum-line for truth.
It reiterates much of the content in first Timothy and lays important emphasis on the doctrine of grace and its necessary relationship to godliness and good works.
Paul was the ambassador Christ chose to spread abroad the gospel of the grace of God to His elect.
Paul was commissioned by God to evangelise lost sinners and to further the faith of those that had been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
But it also reminds us that the joy of the Lord often comes through much suffering and pain, but we who are united to Christ by faith in Him, have the assurance that His grace is sufficient, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Religious men often seek to worship God through symbolic acts, man-made rituals, fleshly works, or emotional outbursts, but God desires a worshipful heart that is clean before Him, dependent upon Him, submissive to Him, and full of humility and grace.
God in His grace had slowly and beautifully unveiled Himself to His creation as our Father and Lord, our Provider and Peace, and He revealed Himself as our Healer and Helper, our Shepherd and Shield.
For the rest of our lives, we are being progressively sanctified as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and submit to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit within our lives.
But the glorious truth is, His grace and glory is revealed in those who have been endowed with the indwelling Spirit of Christ and the multitude of blessings that emanate from Him.
We have drunk deeply of the fountain of grace that floods into our hearts and flows out into a hurting world.
He has covered us with the robe of His righteousness and adopted us into His holy and eternal family, and the glory of His supernatural life and His self-sacrificing love that is being formed in all those that are His, is the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth, shining through the lives of all His children, for we are one with Him.
Let us be conduits for Him, reflecting His love, grace, and glory to those around.
How blessed we are to know that the same Spirit Who brought all things into existence according to His mighty power, is the same Holy Spirit Who endows each of God's children with spiritual gifts - apportioning to each of us the gifts and grace of His choosing.
He was one to whom the hidden mysteries of the Church and the dispensation of grace were to be revealed, at a later date.
God was to use Paul to bring the good news of the gospel of grace to lost sinners, whose minds are blinded by the god of this world and whose eyes are closed to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ: To turn them from the dominion of Satan to God and tell them that through faith in the Lord Jesus they would receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ.
It is only by grace through faith in Christ, that we are brought into the light.
It is only by grace through faith, that we are transferred from the dominion of Satan into the family of God.
It is only by His grace, that we have received forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Him.
May we live as sons of Light and let our light so shine before men in this dark world of sin, that the eyes of the blind may be opened to the truth of the gospel of grace.
This much loved story of the woman at the well has become a favourite with many Christians who recognise the beautiful way that God in His goodness and grace has approached each one of us, and has slowly and gently brought us to a deep and saving understanding of Who He truly is.
God in His grace was fashioning the world into a perfect paradise for His final act of creation, and man would be formed from the dust of the earth and made in His own image and likeness.
Let us glorify God with our bodies and submit our lives to the leading of the Spirit, for we have been delivered from the dominion of evil as willing slaves to sin have been reunited with our precious Saviour, by grace through faith.
Let us from this day forward be willing servants of Christ's righteousness so that we may grow in grace and increasingly gain greater knowledge of our Lord and Saviour - Jesus Christ.
The Age of Israel ended at the cross when they were set aside for a season, and the Age of the Grace (or the Church Age) began. The Church was born at Pentecost, so that the good news of the gospel of Christ would continue to be shared through a new group of people - the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
They were saved by grace but they were overthrown in the wilderness because they did not live by faith.
God loves His chosen people Israel, and by His grace, is not through with them yet.
For us in this age of grace, may we learn from the mistakes Israel made and be careful to live as God would have us live.
May we grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, live in humble dependence on God, and be faithful servants unto our life's end, for His greater praise and glory.
Instead of the Church proclaiming the gospel of the grace of God to a lost world, 144 thousand Jewish evangelists will start to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom – and then Christ will return as their anointed King.Although this is a time of Great Tribulation, it is not God's will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance through faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin.
And it is during this 'Time of Jacobs Trouble' (the 70th week of Daniel) that we discover a great multitude without number who will be saved by God’s grace, through faith in the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.We read in Revelation 7, that after the sealing of the 144 thousand Jews who come from every tribe of Israel, a great multitude which no one could number, will come to faith in Christ.
They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.Having rejected salvation during the Church dispensation, they are not members of Christ's Body but, like the Church, will participate in the Millennial Kingdom – and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.Unlike the Church who are destined to be kings and priest of God who will rule and reign with Christ on His throne, this multitude of saints will serve the Lord as priests in the Temple of the Lord, day and night.Today, we in the Church teach the gospel of the grace of God, but in the Tribulation, Israel will declare the gospel of the coming kingdom of Christ... and in the Millennial Kingdom, Old Testament saints, Church-age saints, and Tribulation saints will unite their voices in praise and thanksgiving for Christ – the Lamb of God and King of Israel Who takes away the sin of the world.
And as members of Christ's Body in the post-Cross dispensation of grace, we too should follow the example of this faithful little remnant in Israel who, despite the terrible sufferings they experienced both individually and as a nation, were men and women of faith who continued to trust in the Lord with all their heart and did not lean on their own understanding.
We discover that His is a love that is beyond human comprehension, and a love that is rooted and grounded in His eternal righteousness, justice, long-suffering, and grace.
And the love of God is perfected in all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for we are saved by grace alone - through faith alone - in Christ alone.
Should not we who have been saved by grace alone - through faith alone- in Christ alone, give testimony of God's great love for mankind by giving up ourselves to His service until we can say as He did: Father Thy will be done in my life, to Your praise and glory.
As we trace the history of Israel through the pages of Scripture and witness His gracious guidance, the strength of His arm, His protective power, and mighty works, we must always remember that this is the same God Who reassures us that His grace is sufficient in every life-situation that we may meet, no matter how difficult and problematic it may appear - for His Word stands fast for all His people: For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you.
But we are to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, by putting on Christ and standing firm by abiding in Him, knowing that His grace is sufficient for the greatest challenges we may meet, and being fully assured God is the one Who is going with us, for He has promised, I will never leave You nor forsake You, even to the consummation of the age.
A Christian should be more concerned with the development of personal character, growing in grace, maturing in the faith, and the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, than engaging in a ministry of activities, however valuable it may seem to us or to others.
Just as we can never fulfil Christ's new commandment to love others as He loved us without His sufficient grace flowing through us in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, so we are incapable of walking before God in a worthy manner without the enabling of His Spirit, through His sufficient strength.
It is only as we confess we can do nothing in our own strength that we receive the sufficient grace to walk worthily before Him.
We who were once living in the kingdom of darkness, enslaved to sin, and steeped in shame, have been forever transported into His kingdom of light and received life, grace, glory, forgiveness, and hope.
May our personal character and conduct give honour to His holy name, for in His grace He has called us out of the kingdom of darkness into His own heavenly kingdom and glory.
What amazing love that through faith in Him, sinners such as you and I, might be saved by grace and raised into newness of life.
His wonderful grace and inexorable love is correspondingly commensurate with the eternal death and shocking damnation, which the fallen race of sinful humanity so justly deserves.
It is only by faith in Him that we have become a member of His mystical Body, are indwelled by the Spirit of God and are given the sufficient grace to live in newness of life.
Paul encourages Timothy to flee from evil lusts and to preach the whole council of Christ... and he further expresses his grief over certain men who were distorting the pure gospel of grace and destroying the faith of some by teaching that there was no Resurrection!
They will want to have their ears tickled, with a watered-down and compromised gospel, he continues, and they will accumulate for themselves teachers, who say the things they want to hear, by preaching a feel-good credo instead of teaching the plain truth of the gospel of grace, about sin and salvation and about Jesus Christ as the one and only way to be justified by God.
Many like to focus on social changes in the community while denigrating the gospel of Christ, the salvation of the lost, and spiritual maturity, while others continue to teach an equally concerning works-based religion, rather that a grace-based faith which too often promotes the unbiblical teaching called 'replacement theology' - which incorrectly teaches that the Church has replaced Israel.
Having been saved by grace through faith, he wanted them to grow in grace and reach spiritual maturity so that they may finally reach the fullest knowledge of the open secret, which is Jesus Christ Himself.
And God has recorded this incredible gift of grace to us who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, in His Word.
No one has seen the invisible God at any time, and yet God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to live in and work through all those who have chosen to trust in God the Son for salvation, by grace through faith.
In this passage, Paul reminds all of us how to walk in a way that pleases the Lord, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God. Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
The believers in Thessalonica were growing in their faith, but Paul wanted them to abound in grace more and more with every passing day - and this should be our desire too.
He wanted them to grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, mature in the faith, love as Christ loved, live in unity with one another, and rejoice in the Lord always.
Once we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, any good works that we undertake are to be done through the new, Christ-given nature which we receive at salvation, and not the old, sin nature which was imputed to us due to our membership of the first creation in Adam.
We too need to stand fast in the Word of life and to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Jesus, as we press toward the mark for the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus.
And so God in His grace clothed Himself in human flesh so that He could live a sinless life and fulfil all the righteous requirements of the Law on our behalf and die in our place.
And so for your sake and for mine, the Lord Jesus Christ was led like a lamb to be slaughtered, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, Jesus did not open His mouth so that all who believe on Him by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection would not perish but have everlasting life.
But the man that trusts in God is clothed in confidence and strengthened in his faith, which glorifies the Father.Oh what peace and power, excellence and grace there is in trusting the Lord.
We are under the freedom of grace and have the liberty to choose how to conduct ourselves in a whole host of circumstances.
We should recognise that the freedom we have to favour one day over another is a simple matter of individual preference and a choice each believer is permitted to make for themselves by grace, without fear of criticism or condemnation from others, or from oneself.
In this world where many are falling from grace and straying far from sound, biblical doctrine by chasing after false teachers that tickle their ears, it is easy to see how apostates have crept into church fellowships are having a field day in Christendom.
Paul, on the other hand, quietly taught in various Gentile communities and set up Christian churches throughout the wider Asia-minor region.Although the apostles at Jerusalem recognised that Paul had been divinely commissioned to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, there was little interaction or overlap between these two Christian ministries for many years.It was after Peter's angelic vision at Joppa and his experience with the salvation of Cornelius the Gentile centurion, that he came to understand that Gentiles and Jews were equal in the sight of God, and both were saved by grace through faith alone.
Indeed, the Jerusalem council was formally set up to clarify the fundamentals of the Christian faith.They agreed that Gentile believers could not be expected to adhere to Jewish rules, rites, and regulations, but too often, Jewish converts to Christianity clung fast to their former rituals, even though they knew that it was not the Law that justifies them before God, but faith in Christ.Although these early Jewish believers understood that salvation was by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, many of them, including some of the apostles, continued to cling to the Jewish Sabbath, Jewish sacrifices, the Temple worship, feasts days, and other Jewish observances.Time passed since Paul's first, brief visit to Jerusalem where he had met with Peter and a few Church leaders.
This Psalm is a beautiful testimony of salvation - by grace through faith in the Lord.
It begins with an explosion of praise and thanksgiving where David proclaims God's goodness and grace... and calls on each one of us to extol His holy name and trust in His everlasting mercy.
He admitted that he was not even worthy to be called an apostle because he had ruthlessly persecuted the Church of God, and yet he was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given to him by Christ Himself, according to the working of the Spirit's mighty power.
We too have been made ministers of this beautiful gospel of Christ as a gift of God's amazing grace, and He has given each one of us all that we need for life and godliness in this world in which we live, and in the world to come, life everlasting.
We need to believe that the wrath of God was poured out in full measure upon Christ Himself on our behalf so that we might be forgiven of our sins, clothed in His perfect righteousness, and receive eternal life as a free gift of God's grace, by faith.
Our very life has been redeemed from the pit of the dead, for not only are we forgiven of our sins and the beneficiaries of eternal life, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but part of that free gift of grace was to redeem us from that pit of destruction that was prepared for the devil and his angels, and eternal separation from our heavenly King.
The doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Christ is the crux upon which our Christian faith rests.
It was only by His grace through faith in His promised Word, that Abram was reckoned to be righteous and the same is true of all who believe that God's Word is true and His promises are sure.
But He takes and uses all our failings to develop and deepen our faith in Him until, like Abraham, we eventually realise that He alone can supply all our needs, according to His grace and not our feeble works.
We have been lifted up out of a world of deep darkness into the light of the glorious gospel of God's grace.
Our life-walk should be a reflection of His goodness and grace, His righteousness and integrity, His kindness and gentleness, His truth and His sincerity.
Having been saved by grace, we are living in the light of the Lord and the fruit of His light is discovered in all that is good and righteous and godly and true.
Our union with Christ has brought us into the light of His grace and truth, and the fruit of the Spirit should be manifest in all we say and do.
Let us live our lives as children of the light so that the light of the glorious gospel of grace may become a witness to the world that we are children of God and partakers of His divine nature.
May we walk as children of light and shine the light of the love of God's goodness and grace into the lives of all we meet, knowing that we who were once lost in darkness, and estranged from the light of God's eternal love because of the inner darkness of our fallen nature, have, by His grace been made light in the Lord.
The carnal behaviour of some and the bitter wrangling of others, had necessitated Paul's strong rebuke, and yet his dear desire for this group of believers was that they grow in grace, mature in the faith, and live as shining lights with a good conscience before the Lord.
When a redeemed person has fallen from grace into legalism or carnality and is challenged about their sinfulness and unrighteous behaviour, when a believer is brought to deep sorrow for their wrongdoings and grieved about their sinful behaviour, when a Christian is broken before the Lord because of their sin, or when a justified man feels the chastening rod of God on their back and turns from their wicked way, they are brought to godly repentance with NO regrets.
May we be ready and willing to be challenged for our wrongdoing and quick to respond so we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, for His praise and glory.
and it was the Triune Godhead Who continued to ask, and who will go for Us? It was the awesome vision of Divinity's glory, in that holiest of all places that met Isaiah's startled eyes, for when he saw the Lord, high and lifted up, in His lofty, heavenly place and seated upon His magnificent throne of grace, Isaiah recognised his own sinfulness and realised he was not worthy to stand in the presence of such holiness.
Yet Isaiah's heavenly vision of the Lord is the most beautiful picture of God's grace, because the foul mouth of this sinful man was cleansed and beautified by glowing coal, that had been taken from the heavenly altar, and placed on his lips.
But too often, those that have been saved by grace through faith in Christ are glaringly ignorant of the incalculably, privileged position we hold.
He wanted to be confident that his joy in seeing them would be reflected in the delight they felt towards him.Paul made up his mind that he would not make another painful visit to these believers without repairing any damage first – and so he wrote his letter to make sure that any ongoing feelings of resentment, offence, or pain towards him, were gone:I wrote as I did, he explained, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice, - because of bickering, ungodly behaviour, or worldly carnality.Paul's earlier letter of correction was to halt their carnality and their fall from grace, and re-establish their spiritual development in the Lord.
And may we also be ready and willing to accept any corrective advice from other believers without allowing it to destroy our fellowship, but use it as a means to re-establish our spiritual growth in grace.
As we reflect on Israel's fractured history, their rebellious past, and God's long-suffering grace, we are brought face to face with the truth that our words and deeds are recorded in God's book.
By God's grace, may we seek to live our lives according to His Word and for His greater praise and glory as we reflect on His tender mercies and gracious patience - for He is our heavenly Shepherd, and He is our eternal King Who has promised to guide us in the way of righteousness and to uphold us with His gracious hand.
This meant that men of Israel from around the world would hear the wonderful works of God in their own language and be saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, their promised Messiah and almighty God.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith, we look to that time when, with Christ, we will rule and reign with Him for 1000 years before His eternal kingdom extends into the eternal ages to come, when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
And like Israel, we who have already been saved by grace through faith in the Messiah rejoice today, for we too have been dressed in His heavenly mantle of salvation and we too have been draped in His royal robe of righteousness.
Indeed, Paul suffered much criticism and persecution from these legalists for holding fast to the pure gospel of grace.
These legalists, however, berated Paul, insisting that circumcision was also necessary for salvation, which is diametrically opposite to the gospel of grace, for we are not justified by any works of the Law (circumcision) but by faith in Christ.
When legalism is adopted as a requirement for righteousness, the glorious gospel of Christ Who is our righteousness, is abandoned. When circumcision is insisted upon as necessary for salvation, the gospel of grace is nullified, for works of the Law have been added to Christ's finished work of Grace on the Cross.
He insisted that the gospel of grace has freed us from the curse of the Law, which he labelled a yoke of slavery.
First, they persecuted Paul for teaching the true gospel of grace and then pretended he had changed his doctrine to entice the gullible believers into accepting a false gospel, which added circumcision to faith in Christ as a requirement for salvation.
Paul knew that it was God's will that he would go to Rome to declare the gospel of Christ before Ceasar and we discover that many souls in Ceasar's own household were saved, by God's grace, through his ministry in Rome.
It is here in the early verses of chapter 4, that Paul makes an appeal for Christian harmony and the fellowship of all believers, as well as outlining the primary elements of unity in the Sprit which underpins the Christian faith in this 'dispensation of the grace of God'.
Just as we have been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, we have also been called into one hope of that calling - which is founded on the ONE Lord - Jesus Christ.
God in His goodness and grace gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race so that by living a sinless life, He could die as the substitute for the sin of the whole world.
And it is by believing on HIM that salvation is given as a free gift of God's grace.
Paul had explained that both Jew and Gentile are equally sinners, equally in need of salvation, and equally given the opportunity to be saved by God's grace through faith in Christ's redeeming work.
And in God's grace, this testimony is also displayed in our own lives by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for He gives to each one according to His own perfect will and wisdom.
It is steadfast and sure, and stands secure on the unchangeable and trustworthy character of God Who in His grace has warned us not to neglect our salvation.
He testified to the truth of His Word both by signs and wonders and by various miracles, which He used to provoke His chosen people to jealousy, but also by the many gifts of the Holy Spirit which God in His grace bestows on all His blood-bought children, according to the purpose of His own will.
The psalms so often call upon us to bless the Lord with our whole being and never to forget all the multiplied benefits of His grace and goodness that are poured down on us in such abundance, day by day.
As Christians, we are not under the Law but under grace.
We are encouraged to be generous in our gifts and giving, not as a legal requirement or because a percentage of our income is required to meet the demands of a church body or the dictums of a denomination, but simply because cheerful giving and wise generosity is something that delights the heart of the Lord Who has saved us by His grace and has given us all things to richly enjoy, due to His over-abundant kindness.
As sinners saved by grace, we understand that the lavish liberality of the grace of God has been poured out on all those that trust in His name, for though we were dead in our trespasses and sins with no hope in the world, God sent His Son to die for us on the Cross and gave us a gift at enormous cost to Himself; a free gift of grace to all who believe, a gift which has eternal consequences.
It should be a deliberate choice and not an action performed for the praise of men, but rather to glorify our Father Who is in heaven, for God loves a cheerful giver: And He is able to make every grace overflow to you so that in every way, always having everything you need so that you may excel in every good work.
John had to understand that the period of God's grace during the Church dispensation must at some point arrive at a point in God's plan of redemption, where judgement must fall on those who rejected His offer of salvation.
Holy is the one and only Holy Father, Holy is the unique Holy Son of His love, and Holy is the singular Holy Spirit of purity and grace.
Who could have grasped that this sleeping babe, wrapped in that tiny bundle of swathing bands, was God incarnate, the personification of God's love and grace and truth and desire?
When we consider the price Christ Jesus paid to come into this world and save us from our sin, when we reflect on the stain that sin has left on our heart and realise the forgiveness we have received by God's grace, through faith, surely we can do nothing other than conclude with Paul that of all sinners, I am the worse sinner of all. He saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of His great and wonderful mercy.
He saved us so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, with the hope of eternal life.
We have been saved by grace through faith - but this is not a license to sin.
Having been saved by grace through faith, we have been given all we need for life and godliness.
Having been saved by grace through faith, we are called to become a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable unto the Lord.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, we have been fully equipped, by the Holy Spirit, to walk in newness of life - and become men and women with a heart for the Lord and a desire to obey His Word.
Let us live our life as unto the Lord and grow in grace and in a knowledge of Christ..
Because of His sinless life, death could not hold Him and His own perfect life was restored to Him when He was resurrected from the dead - and that perfect, sinless resurrected life of Christ is the free gift of God's grace to all who trust on His name for salvation.
Christ died once for all on the Cross; therefore let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, which streams forth from a grateful heart that has been washed clean by the redeeming blood of Christ and is shown forth through the fruit of our lips when we give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and grace, and sing praises to the God of our salvation.
There are many marvellous mysteries of godliness that are too deep for our limited mortal minds and so He revealed what we need to know through His eternal Word Who was made flesh and dwelt among us so that by grace through faith, we could be made the righteous of Christ and dwell with Him forever by simply believing on Him.
When the historical facts of Scripture, the immutable character of God, the great crowd of witnesses who lived a life of faith that was pleasing to the Lord, and our own experiences of God's grace are all combined, then we too should be able to confidently say, The Lord is my helper, what can man do to me?
Yet by God's grace, their stumbling has brought salvation to the Gentiles.
Despite having rejected the God Who created them, and having refused His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, man has continued on his foolish quest to establish his own form of peace into this world at war.
It is believing the Word of God to be factual, as we stand fast on the gospel of grace, even when the evidence in the natural world is denied by our logic.
The former grouping refers to unbelievers while the latter clearly identifies saved individuals. 'THEY' are people who have not trusted Christ as their Saviour while 'WE' are those that have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
But Paul realised that it was only by God's amazing grace that he had been saved in order to reveal God's Son in him so that by his witness, many would be saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Not only was Paul set aside from his mother's womb and called by God's grace on that road to Damascus, but God was pleased to reveal His Son in Paul so that he might preach Christ among the Gentiles.
Christ's ministry to Israel was before the Cross, but after the Cross, salvation was open to Jew and Gentile alike and it was by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation was made available to all;both Jew and Gentile in one Body and, by God's grace, Paul was called to be the main apostle for this ministry.
How we praise God that Paul was set apart for God, even from his mother's womb and that God was pleased to reveal His Son in and through Paul's ministry so that Jew and Gentile alike may be saved by grace through faith and together become part of the one new man in Christ, to His praise and glory.
The Bible is a record of God's wonderful plan of man's redemption, and the amazing grace that caused God to send His only begotten Son to die on the Cross to pay the price for our sin will be brought to its final conclusion when God makes a new heaven and a new earth: For the first heaven and the first earth will pass away.
They will all perish and wear out like a garment, but God has promised to make a new heavens and a new earth so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in His kindness toward you, me, and all who are in Christ Jesus, all who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
In the opening chapters of the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul gives a wonderful overview of our position in Christ and the riches of God's grace that have been poured out on all who are in Christ Jesus.
Firstly, we are not to fear for the Lord has promised to strengthen all that are His, and Jesus amplifies this truth to the apostle Paul when He tells him: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
YES – Christ is our righteousness, Christ is our ever-present help in time of trouble, and it is Christ Whose grace is always sufficient for all our needs for Christ is our covering.
In the light of the staggering truth of this magnificent verse of Scripture, we should never doubt God's depth of love towards us and the enormous gift of grace He has bestowed on all who trust in the Son of His Love: He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
Amazing grace!
There is no limit to His amazing grace, no end to His unfailing love, and no boundary to His everlasting mercy, which is new every morning.
The enormity and expanse of God's abiding grace towards this race of mankind is without comparison.
Never should we become casual about the power and great glory that is encased within the gospel of grace, which brought us out of a terrible pit and set our feet on the Rock of our salvation.
In the light of this staggering truth, should we not praise and thank Him ceaselessly, knowing this was the first step in the journey of His everlasting grace and the first chapter in God's never-ending love story for us: Who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all.
His reaction and response during this encounter, demonstrates that Abraham was well aware that this was the Lord, for he said, My Lord, if now I have found grace and favour in your eyes, do not leave me.
But He is the same Lord, yesterday, today and forever, and like Abraham, we can trust His Word and we must obey His will, and by faith in Him, we also have found grace and favour in His sight, and have been given His promises that He will never fail us.
And this mingling of the angelic with the human, was Satan's attempt to corrupt the DNA of humanity and eliminate the Seed of the woman Who was prophesied to destroy the works of the evil one.Although the vile influence of these fallen angels certainly aggravated the degenerate, pre-flood conditions, it was the unrelenting wickedness in the human heart and man's obsessive preoccupation with evil which was identified in this verse and demanded the destruction of mankind, through the flood of Noah.The sin nature that so corrupted the human race at the time of the flood, is the same evil disposition that is inherited from our fathers and imputed into the heart of every man who has descended from Adam – for the natural man is a sinner who is born under sin and is at enmity with God.The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually... and yet God, in His grace, purposed to redeem mankind and to destroy the works of the evil one.Although God's judgement rained down on the antediluvian world, and will do so once again during the Great Tribulation, it was at Calvary where complete victory was gained against mankind's unrelenting enemy.It was at the Cross, when Christ's blood was shed to pay the price for sin, that our Saviour triumphed over the evil enemy of our soul, and Satan's defeat will be fully realised when he is finally thrown into the fiery lake of God's everlasting judgement, after which, God will make a new heaven and a new earth.
They sang a special song - a different song - they sang a new song which should rejoice the heart of ALL who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ: Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed US to God by Thy blood.
The wrath of God was poured out in fullest measure on Christ so that your sin and mine could be forgiven by grace through faith in Him.
We are saved by grace through faith and not destined for wrath, because we believe on Christ.
The only alternative is to refuse to believe on the only begotten son of God, in which case those who refuse God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Him will suffer the full force of God's anger, wrath, and condemnation because they did not believe on the only begotten Son of God.
That future time of wrath is very near, and we need to recognise that it is by grace that we have been saved and not of works, lest any man should boast, but one of the hundreds of benefits that is given to all who believe on Christ is that we are NOT appointed to wrath.
Yet by grace through faith in Him our sins have been washed as white as snow and we have been forever forgiven of our sin, adopted into God's family, placed into the Body of Christ, and reconciled to the Father.
By grace through faith in Him, we have been redeemed by our Kinsman-Redeemer and received our new life in-Christ.
Following a series of sober warnings and solemn admonitions against legalistic practices which distort the gospel of grace, the writer to the Hebrews ends this section with an inspiring exhortation for all believers.
Oh, our eternal salvation is secure in Christ, for God will never renege on His promise that all who trust in Christ as Saviour will inherit eternal life as His free gift of grace, but we are also to walk worthy of Him in our Christian life, resulting in wonderful rewards.
And although being born into the nation of Israel afforded the Jews many benefits, Paul left us in no doubt that they too need to be saved by God's grace through faith – and not by keeping the Law.Paul quotes many verses from the Hebrew Scriptures to verify the condemnation of everyone, including the people of Israel, for this verse is particularly aimed at them because they were the chosen, covenanted people of God.
As the day of Christ's return draws ever closer, there are still multiplied millions of souls who face a lost eternity... unless they hear and believe the gospel of grace - that Christ died for their sins, according to the Scriptures, that He was buried and rose again, according to the Scriptures - such that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
The Father's offer of salvation is open to whosoever will come as a free gift of grace.
Many are called to come unto Him and find rest for their soul, and many respond and are saved by grace through faith, but only a few are chosen to follow in the difficult and painful path of discipleship.
Redemption requires us to believe on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and by grace through faith in Him we are born from above, but that is only the starting point.
Christ is the full expression of the Almighty God and has become God's true Representative to man, and yet He is also the perfect Mediator Who, by grace through faith in Him, represents man to God.
Because of His life, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light for He is the light that lights every man that comes into the world, and the life that He bestows on all who believe on Him, disperses the cruel darkness that has entrapped the children of men and blinded their eyes to the wonderful gospel of God's grace.
But at the appointed time, God in His grace sent His only begotten Son - the pre-incarnate Word in Whom is life-eternal - and that life of Christ was the light of truth that enlightens everyone coming into the world.
The Lord Jesus is not only the Source and Sustainer of our physical life - the old, fallen, biological life we inherited from Adam, but He is also the Author and Finisher of our new, spiritual, eternal life, which we received by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Show her honour as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
We all enjoy the same gift of grace through faith and all are forgiven of our sins and have received eternal life.
When a Christian man honours his wife as a fellow heir of grace, he will manifest godly love and will show understanding, patience, kindness, and honour to his spouse.
The pagan deities that the Athenians worshipped, needed human beings to build their temples and bring them things, whereas the great God of the universe needs nothing from men – since He Himself gives life and breath to all people and all things.There is no correct way to introduce the gospel of grace to unbelievers, but there does need to be willingness to tell others about Jesus and bring God's message of salvation to the lost – and many missionaries have found that a good starting point is to give others a correct understanding of the God of creation Who made heaven and earth and everything in it, and of man whom God created in His own image, but who sinned and needs to be redeemed from sin and death and hell.May we, who have been saved by grace through faith, make ourselves available to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit so that lost sinners may be given the opportunity to hear the gospel and believe, through our ministry – for how shall they hear if no one is willing to tell them?
The Lord was long-suffering with the antediluvian population of the earth, but the wickedness of pre-flood people became so intense that the Lord finally poured out His judgement on a God-hating, evil world - but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and He protected Noah and his family with a godly jealousy.
At that time, they repented of their ungodly ways and for 100 years the grace of God was shown within the gates of this pagan city.
The Galatian Christians had come to faith in Christ by grace through faith.
Having heard the truth of the gospel, Paul was disturbed to discover many false teachers trying to cut these believers off from the truth of the glorious gospel of grace and the wonderful freedom they had found in Christ.
The Law is the tool that God used to show fallen man that they are lost sinners in need of salvation, but the Law can never correct sin which only comes by grace through faith in Christ.
He was sent to empower us with His life, for having been saved by grace through faith, Paul was teaching these Christians how to live by grace through faith so that in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, they would grow in grace.
Sadly, believers become enslaved to rules and regulations instead of being free to live their lives in the liberty we have in Christ, by grace through faith.
Although in context the target audience for this amazing passage is the nation of Israel, all who have been saved by grace through faith in Him in this Church age are blessed by this passage.
God's gracious gift of salvation by grace through faith in the shed blood of Christ for the remission of sin, has been made available to all.
We should not be ashamed of the glorious gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, and yet the majority of mankind reject His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith and pour scorn on the irrefutable, undeniable, incontrovertible evidences of His divine majesty.
The Lord Jesus had laid aside His eternal glory and set apart His life for this hour, and in humility and grace, He took a basin of water and washed His disciples' feet.
If Christ washed our feet, we ought also to wash one another's feet in love, in truth, in humility, and in grace.
It was the most graphic illustration of humility, a lesson in meekness and grace, a willingness to take up the meanest office and give preference to others before ourselves.
All believers that would grow in grace by dying to self and living to Christ and those who would imitate the conduct of Christ, would have the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit become manifest within their life.
The same One Who made us from the dust of the earth, designed a plan to restore the joy of our salvation, and He did this as a gift of His grace and a demonstration of His mercy.
Despite our faults, He never fails us nor forsakes us, and readily bestows on us the gifts of His goodness and grace: For every good gift and every perfect gift come to us from the Father of lights.
He is our Heavenly Father Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and Whose goodness and grace towards the children of men never changes.
It is because of His grace that we receive what we do not deserve, and it is through His mercy that we do not recieve what we do deserve!
But although the enemy of our soul may afflict us with temptations and trials, God is good, and in His grace He will use those trials to test our faith and develop in us spiritual endurance that brings us into a maturing faith in Him.
He is our God Who will never renege on His promises nor will He default on His goodness and grace, for there is no trace of turning with Him.
May we be ready and willing to live and die for our Saviour, to boldly proclaim the gospel of grace, and conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, and may we stand firm in one spirit with our brothers and sisters in Christ, for His greater praise and glory.
Christians who harbour hatred in their heart for other believers, are seriously impaired in their Christian walk.This serious matter is not just limited to those that outwardly detest or criticise other Christians, but those who put on a show of Christian piety and civility while nursing a heart that is blackened by hatred towards their brethren – which equates to murder in the eyes of the Lord.What a shocking state of affairs that believers can be so filled with dislike for another child of God, that they are described as being in darkness, walking in the darkness, and not knowing where they are going because their hatred has caused this darkness which has blinded their eyes.The direct contrast between light and darkness, love and hatred in this passage, is staggering when we realise that this is referring to a Christian – for although saved by grace through faith… their life and witness is being wasted away in their cancerous attitude.Christians are ambassadors of Christ in this world, and everything that we say and do reflects positively or negatively on the Lord Jesus, Himself.
A mind of goodness, grace, and forgiveness.
A mind that loves others as Christ loved us.In His strength and sufficient grace, we are instructed to develop a mind that is patient and kind.
For three glorious chapters, Paul has been outlining the riches of God's grace towards His people, explaining our privileged position in Christ and reminding us of the love of God which passes all human understanding, before he implores us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called, to the praise and glory of God the Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
He has been expounding the length and breadth and depth and height of the good news of God's grace towards us, and the over-abounding riches we already have in Christ, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection.
And Paul's heart-desire and earnest prayer is that we understand the riches of His grace towards us and that we stand firm in the faith, grow in grace, trust in the Lord with all our heart, and become rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.
And so Paul draws this inspiring and exhilarating section of His letter to the Ephesians to a climatic close with a doxology of praise proclaiming God's goodness and grace.
Jesus was not only the almighty, omniscient God Who planned and purposed that salvation would be available to all by grace through faith in the Messiah of Israel, but prophets of old wrote that He would be born of the Seed of the woman Who would come through the nation of Israel, of the line of Judah, and the house of David.
This dear Gentile woman had a partial but limited understanding of the truth of God, the worship of God, and of God's great plan of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us worship the God who ordained from the beginning His glorious plan of man's salvation by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
So often as Paul draws his epistles to a close, he gives a list of wise instructions on godly living with the view to developing a Christ-like nature, where the man or woman of God may learn to grow in grace and mature in the faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our devotion will be a willingness to carry out the will of the Father in all we say and do, and our delight will be to know more and more of our Heavenly Father so that we may become a vessel through whom He pours out His love and grace to all those we meet.
The God and Father of Jesus Christ is deserving of our thankful praise and eternal worship for His overflowing grace and His abundant mercy.
Our praises stream back to the cruel cross and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and our hallelujahs fly forwards to the glories set before us and our eternal home, for we are redeemed by His blood, born anew by grace through faith, and resurrected with new life in Him.
We do not have access to our Heavenly Father by works of the law, or through our own righteous deeds, good works, or merit, but by God's grace, we have access, by faith in the precious blood of Christ on Calvary's Cross.
The Lord has heard my vows, and in His grace, has given us the heritage of those that fear Him, to those that reverence His holy name, the Lord has promised an inheritance.
We have legitimate access to the throne of grace through Christ so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
He spoke of the Light that came into the world to give light to the children of men and he testified that Jesus was the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
God in His grace used the many compromises of Esther and Mordicai to forward His plans and purposes, and through them, God prevented His people from being annihilated.
God in His grace used ungodly men, the plots of evil people and even the compromised principles of Esther and Mordicai to bring great things to pass.
Perhaps our focus should be on God's great goodness and amazing grace in using sinners such as Esther, as a channel of His blessing.
God's message of grace and comfort towards His people, weaves its way throughout the Scriptures like a golden thread.
BUT although Israel broke covenant with God, the silken thread of His goodness, grace, and comfort continued to be woven into the history of Israel – which would finally produce an amazing tapestry of salvation for every human life who would trust His Word.God in His grace, sent His only begotten Son to pay the enormous price for their sin and the sin of the whole world, and in Isaiah chapter 40, this great prophet of Israel begins to write his beautiful, prophetic words of comfort to God's people which would eventually be manifested in the birth, life, and sacrifice of the incarnate Word of God.
For in His grace, God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.
In His grace, He has seated us together with Christ in heavenly places to be His ambassadors on earth as we proclaim the good news of the glorious gospel of grace.
Having led us step by step to the realisation that we are all unrighteous sinners in need of a Saviour, and having made it crystal clear that we are saved as a gift of God's grace through faith in the unchangeable Word of truth, Paul guides us through the meaning of justification (which means being declared righteous by God through faith in Christ), and he outlines reasons why we can only be proclaimed righteous by faith in Christ alone, and not because of our own merit or any good works that we do.
He explains that it is through Christ that we have peace with God, and it is by grace through faith in Him that we have access to this free gift of salvation.
This is indeed a cause for rejoicing, for by faith we have been declared righteous and brought into the family of God, and it is by grace through faith that we have been made a joint-heir with Christ and given a share in His glory, when in fact we merited nothing more than eternal damnation.
His death was the means that declared us righteous in the sight of God, and His life guarantees that our life in Him is eternal, and it is all by grace through faith in Christ.
But herein is God's LOVE (as well as His righteousness, holiness, goodness, and grace), not that we loved God (for we were dead in our sins and at enmity with Him), but that He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins so that all who believe on Him, would not perish but have everlasting life.
Once again, the nation of Israel was being called on to repent nationally, turn from sin, follow their Messiah, and fulfil their original calling to tell the world of God's love, and grace, and His plan of salvation.
The calling of God is trustworthy and true, and the nation that God called to be His chosen people, will one day fulfil their calling to tell the world of God's love, and grace, and His plan of salvation.
He paid the price for sin on our account, freely and without cost, and He broke the power of sin in our life so that He could live in us, carry out His righteous work through us, and produce in us the fruit of righteousness as a living testimony of His goodness and grace.
One blessing of salvation is the immediate and permanent indwelling Holy Spirit Who develops in us the precious fruit of His righteousness through many acts of faith, as we grow in grace.
God speaks lovingly and truthfully to His people, and in Isaiah 55, He desires that they come to Him and be restored back into His grace and favour.
He wants them to eat of the good things He has prepared, and to let their souls delight in the abundance of His grace.
A day is coming when this age of grace will be consummated and the Day of God's wrath will be poured out on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, Anti-Semitic rebellious world.
The light of God is always presented in the Bible as the antithesis of evil, and the significance of light being the very first thing that was spoken into being on that first days of creation, points us back to God, for light symbolises His holiness, His presence, His favour, and His grace.
But it also points us forward to Jesus the light of the world and the light of life, for we read in the Bible that the fruit of the light results in all goodness, grace, righteousness, and truth
Praise God that by grace through faith in Christ we are not only children of the light, but God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Sin caused fallen man to be separated from his holy Creator, and yet God in His grace, wisdom, justice, and mercy, chose to reveal Himself and His glorious plan of salvation through His Word.
Throughout Scripture, we discover verse after verse that reminds us that the love of God caused Him to send His only begotten Son to die on the Cross for our redemption, and it was by the grace of God that His free gift of eternal life is given to whosoever will believe on Jesus Christ as Saviour.
God's love prompted Him to save the fallen race of man, and by God's grace, He chose to redeem us at no cost to you or me, but at the inestimable cost to Himself; the life of His only begotten Son.
The Lord Jesus is our promised rest, and to live a victorious life in the daily challenges we face, is to appropriate what is already ours - by faith - for His grace is sufficient.
He hears our cry for help and gives us the grace to stand fast in this evil day.
It is in Him alone that we can live a victorious life and claim a better resurrection in our own spiritual battle, and it is all done by grace through faith in Christ alone.
In like manner, instead of pressing on, growing in grace, maturing in the faith, trusting His Word, acting upon it, and resting in Him, we too can remain in spiritual infancy.
Like Israel, we have a choice to live our entire Christian life in spiritual infancy; wandering in a wilderness, frightened of the 'giants in the land', living defeated and disobedient lives OR we can trust His Word, hold fast to His promises, and live a victorious life as we abide in Him, grow in grace, mature in the faith, fellowship with the Father and do not lose faith when challenged by life's circumstances.
But whether it is my joy, our joy, your joy, or John's personal joy in the Lord, the joy of knowing that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, brings with it a boundless and unfathomable spirit of joy.
As we continue on the journey of life in the strength of Christ, may we resist the devil and stand firm in the faith, knowing that our brethren in other parts of the world are passing through the same sort of difficult experiences - and that both they and us have been promised God's sufficient grace in every situation.
What marvellous words of encouragement are couched throughout Scripture, and here we discover God's sufficient grace is available to all His children in the midst of the various trials and temptations that we all have to face during our earthly sojourn.
They know that His grace is sufficient for all eventualities, and His sufficient grace will expand and multiply to encompass all the temptations, trials, and tribulations that we may be called upon to endure in this life.
Israel was saved out of Egypt's oppression by grace through faith in God's Word.
Like Israel, we too have been saved by grace through faith in God's Word and cleansed by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, and Who triumphed over death for all who trust in Him.
And let us never forget that God is faithful and has promised that He will not allow the temptation to be more than we can bear, but in His grace will provide a way out of it so that we can endure it.
God has always worked through a little remnant, and the apostle Paul was one of a small group of believing Jews who first trusted Christ as Saviour, and through whom the grace of God was made manifest to a world of lost sinners, to the praise of His holy name.
When Christ was rejected by the leaders of Israel and condemned to die at the hands of their cruel Roman overlords, it was through this tiny company of godly Jews that the glorious gospel of the grace of God was first delivered to a world that was dead in trespasses and sins.
The Wonderful, Eternal, Almighty God of Peace, the second Person of the Triune Godhead, set aside His glory to take on the form of a man and be BORN into the race that He created, the Son of Man. He was GIVEN by the Father as the Son of God, a gift of grace from God to a lost world so that all who believe on His name would be saved.
We are individual members of Christ's Body and collectively are being used by Him to testify of the truth of the gospel of grace, as ministers of His new and better Covenant.
And we were set apart by grace through faith in Christ our Saviour, before the foundation of the world.
We have been called to share forth the good news of the glorious gospel of grace to a lost and dying world, for God in His omniscience, knew who would accept His gracious offer of salvation, by faith.
Our character and conduct should reflect the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, for by His grace and through faith in Him, we have been given access into the throne-room of God.
And now we can proclaim, to all with whom we come in contact, the excellences of our Heavenly Father and the grace of Kinsman Redeemer Who loved us so much that He was prepared to go to the Cross for our sake, so that our sins could be forgiven and we could exhibit the glories of His grace, not only in this world but also in the ages to come.
When we are eternally saved by grace through faith in Christ, forgiven of our sin, declared righteous before God, positioned in Christ, indwelt by the Spirit, and made one with Him, nothing and no-one should be placed alongside Him; for there is nothing to compare with Christ's sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary for you and for me.
If anything in our life has been placed above the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, let us remove it immediately and elevate Christ to His rightful position in our heart.
They would not accept that we are saved by God's grace, through faith in His only begotten Son, and for this reason, Paul used illustrations from the Old Testament to validate his line of reasoning.
The same blessing is available to for ALL who are justified by grace through faith in Him.
Jesus did not excuse this woman's adultery by finding fault with God's law, for later He challenged her to face her wrong-doing and to go and sin no more. And by His atoning death, she too was forgiven by grace through faith.
And how we praise and thank Him that by grace He took our punishment upon Himself, and through faith in Christ, we are forgiven of all our sins through His atoning death.
May we never forget that we are not to become judge or jury for the sin of our fellow man, for we are all sinners, and only by God's grace have we been forgiven of our sin.
Oh, we can judge the false teaching through knowledge of Scripture, and we should judge ourselves, to see if we are walking in spirit and truth, but we are all sinners, saved by grace and for that, we praise and thank our heavenly Father.
God's wisdom is not available to unbelievers and is also hidden from the angelic rulers of this age, for had they understood the incredible saving power of the Cross to redeem humanity - by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory!
Jeremiah mocked these false gods, likening them to scarecrows in a cucumber patch, and poured bitter scorn on the stupid ignorant goldsmiths and shameless artisans who crafted idols of wood and statues of stone, contrasting them with the Lord Who, by grace, had brought them out of the land of Egypt and had promised to be their portion forever.
Despite the apparent anomaly that the wicked seemed to prosper while the godly were unjustly persecuted, Asaph came to an understanding that these evil men were on the slippery slope to eternal destruction while by God's grace, he was on the straight path to eternal joy and bliss.
Now as then, the plans, privileges, prosperity, and pride of the wicked will one day evaporate like the morning mist, while those that trust in the Lord will be held steady by the strong arm of our God, guided by His counsel, protected by His grace, and at last received into glory.
But rather, let us declare the wonderful works of Him Who has saved us by grace through faith in Christ, adopted us into His own family, and covered us in Christ's royal robe of righteousness.
God knew that man would sin in the garden and become eternally estranged from his Heavenly Father, but in His grace and justice, God determined that His only begotten Son would become His sacrificial Lamb Who alone could be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
That single act of the Father should stagger us to the core of our being, that God sent Christ as a gift of His grace to be made a curse for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him.
This divine revelation is as relevant today as it was centuries ago, for we must all come to an understanding that the Lord Himself will carry out His plans, which He alone has purposed: not by might nor by power, but by the grace of God's Spirit alone.
It is not because of our merit that we are granted this incredible privilege into the throne room of the Almighty and given the right to come boldly to the throne of grace, for mercy to find help in time of need.
His never changing character, His all-sufficient wisdom, and His free gift of grace to all who trust in Christ, gives stability to the soul and rest to the heart.
The unchangeable nature of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, is an all-embracing assurance that His Word is faithful, and His promises are true, His saving grace is free to all who trust in Him for salvation, and none of the many precious promises contained in the Word of God can ever fail.
His love is unconditional, His grace is everlasting, and His truth endures from one generation to another.
The conduct He calls for can only be achievable by drawing on the supernatural power of the indwelling Spirit of God in a life that is saved by grace through faith, a consecrated heart that is dedicated to serving our blessed Redeemer in spirit and in truth.
It has relevance to those of us who have already crowned Him as king of our heart in this age of grace.
And although God in His grace brought many Israelites back to their homeland, Israel as a nation remained under the jurisdiction of the cruel Roman empire, because of their unbelief.
Finally, the appointed time for Israel's deliverance arrived and God, in His grace, raised up a horn of salvation for His people - Jesus, the Christ.
It lays out the best approach when praying to our Heavenly Father and gives us a beautiful pattern to follow when we come before the throne of grace for mercy to find help in time of need.
We are justified by God and forgiven of our sin by grace through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
However, Jesus was not teaching here that we earn the right to God's judicial forgiveness by forgiving other people as this would be contrary to the Bible's teaching that the forgiveness of sin is an expression of God's grace and mercy because of our faith in Christ.
May we, who have been forgiven of our sin by faith in Christ, be quick to forgive others their trespasses, shortcomings, and debts - in the same way that we have been so graciously forgiven by our Father in heaven so that we may maintain sweet fellowship with Him and show forth His goodness and grace in our lives.
However, Paul makes a big distinction between those that saved by grace and the unsaved natural man - those that are born again and those that are dead in their sins.
The new nature is to grow in grace while the old sin nature is to remain nailed to the Cross, in the place of death.
Those that are saved also have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God Who is there to teach and train our new, born-again nature to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ.
Rather, we should walk in spirit and truth so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In His divine omnipotence, the triune God knew that His plan for the perfect Man to rule and reign in His eternal kingdom, would have to be postponed so that the glory of His redemptive grace could be realised.
And so God in His wisdom and grace, meticulously started to spell out Christ's earthly descendancy from the first Adam (the first man who was made in the image and likeness of God), and then through his son Seth (who was a man made in the image and likeness of the first, fallen Adam; sinful in nature and in need of redemption).
And so, although there was a point in time when, having heard the gospel of grace, we trusted Jesus as Saviour and were born again into His new life, God foreknew that we would one day make that freewill choice.
Since we have been raised to a new life in Christ and since, by God's grace, we have been clothed in Christ's righteousness, given the free gift of eternal life, been showered with every spiritual blessing, received a heavenly inheritance, and been seated with Christ in heavenly places, we are called to set our hearts and minds on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God's right hand.
Turn your eyes upon JesusLook full in his wonderful faceAnd the things of earth will grow strangely dimIn the light of his glory and grace
There is probably no higher pinnacle of praise to the glorious grace of God than the first few chapters of Ephesians, and there is possibly no more staggering truth for believers than to be accepted in the Beloved: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
We have redemption through the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
God has not given us these things because we are worthy creatures, but to the praise of the glory of His grace.
It is because we are accepted in His Beloved that when God looks at you He sees you as being placed in Christ and identified with His righteousness.Some Christians suggest that God's freely bestowed grace is reserved for 'good' Christians or 'spiritual' believers, but this distorts the character of God for it implies that you have to do something to stay saved or to remain accepted in the Beloved.
If you have been born from above, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, these precious verses are written for your edification.
Some Christians say that our great salvation and God's gracious acceptance of us is too easy, and encourages believers into licentious living and a careless attitude, but I suggest to you that as a believer grows and matures in the faith and starts to see the incredible, glorious grace of God and the staggering truth that is outlined in the first few chapters of Ephesians, it will open your eyes to that amazing love of the Father and compel you to glorify His holy name.
And we should rejoice: To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
The reverence Abel offered to the Lord through the blood-sacrifice, signifies the first step in a believer's walk of faith, that salvation is by grace through by faith in God's Word.
And it is as we walk in close communion and intimate fellowship with our Heavenly Father, by grace through faith in His Word, that we too become pleasing to Him.
But this we do know: God in His mercy has continued to pour out 2000 years of grace upon grace since that day, on a world that deserves His righteous punishment.
They had shared the good news of the gospel of grace and brought them out of darkness into Christ's glorious light.
Paul had taught them the truth of the gospel of grace and by faith in Jesus, they had been born again, forgiven of their sin, transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son, and received the gift of eternal life.
We live in a fallen world, and there are many challenges that face the believer who has not only trusted Christ for salvation, but is also ready and willing to deny self, take up his cross, follow Christ’s example, and say without compromise – Thy will, not mine, be done.The newborn baby Christian has to grow in grace and mature in the faith over an unspecified period of time, to reach this level of maturity in his faith, while other who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ may slip in and out of carnality and worldliness for many years, stunting their growth and even regressing in their faith back to spiritual infancy.Many, if not all believers, are called to become mature in the faith by walking in spirit and truth and living godly, Christ-centred lives, but few are willing to exchange the cosy blessings of early Christian infancy, for the difficulties that inevitably follow the mature believer.
Few choose to leave behind the elementary teaching about Christ, and press on into maturity.Sadly many believers, although saved by grace through faith in Christ, refuse to move past the elementary principles of the Christian life.
But we have also been supplied with many precious promises which reassure us that His grace is sufficient, His strength is perfected in our weakness, that suffering for Christ's sake is a privilege for the child of God, and that no amount of trials, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or the sword, is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.May we grasp this truth in His strength, and remember that in this world we will have tribulation… but that if we fellowship in the suffering of Christ, we will also be glorified with Him Who loved us so much that He died for us, that we might live for Him – forever.
True believers who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, stand in stark contrast with those that are unsaved and yet profess with their lips to be Christians.
True believers are described by John as victors who hold fast to the truth of God's Word and are not swayed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but the main contrast that John draws is that God is our Father, while Satan is the father of those that distort the glorious gospel of grace.
Paul had been entrusted with the good news of the gospel of grace and the hidden mystery of the Church, which is His Body, and had been commissioned by God and Lord Jesus Christ to share these glad tidings of great joy to Jew and Gentile alike.
Because of their attitude and actions, he feared that they were being enticed away from the glorious gospel of grace to another, false gospel.
Let us search the Scriptures daily so that we will not be led astray from the simplicity of the gospel of grace and from purity of devotion to Christ Jesus our Lord.
But God in His grace had planned a new creation, a second MAN - the last ADAM so that through Christ, humanity could be redeemed from his sin, renewed in righteousness after the image of God, and restored into his rightful, sovereign position.
In God's grace, the Lord Jesus Christ was sent to earth to redeem this lost race of sinners and be reinstated as God’s representative MAN of earth, for all who believe in Him.
Paul begins this chapter appealing to the Thessalonian believers to continue to walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, to grow in grace and to walk in spirit and truth: Finally then, brethren, he writes, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction, as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), and that you excel still more.
Zephaniah's serious warning should also admonish all who know the truth of the gospel of grace, not to be indecisive but to turn from their sin, seek the Lord while He may be found, and not delay their decision.
Salvation is a free gift of God's grace to guilty sinners through faith in Christ.
Eternal life and inheriting the kingdom is a human impossibility, but with God, it is not only possible, but a free gift of God's grace, which is generously bestowed on all who believe in Christ's finished work on Calvary's cross.
Vows are strongly discouraged in Scripture, and the story of Jephthah illustrates the foolishness of making vows to the Lord, which is why we are discouraged from making oaths – for none of us know whether or not we will be able to fulfil them.However, God in His grace did listen to Hannah and granted her request, and she brought forth a beautiful son called Samuel – whom she gave back to the Lord.
If we are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are bound to go through various difficulties and dangers, trials and tribulations.
When the man of God prays to the Lord in faith, he is stable in his ways and God's grace will sustain him through all the trials and difficulties he may have to face.
Many feel it is unfair that we have to inherit the sin nature from our forefathers, because of their sin, but this is failure to recognise God's incredible grace in His simple plan for man's redemption.
Many Christians take this verse and use it to accuse their brothers or sisters in Christ of not being saved because they can see no outward sign of good works, but that is distorting the gospel of grace and twisting what James is saying into a form of accusatory legalism.
She needed to drink of the living water of life that only comes by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who alone paid the price for her sin, and ours.
The first chapter of Ephesians is weighed down and running over with countless spiritual blessings in heavenly places, which God our Father has freely given to us by grace through faith in His only begotten Son.
He redeemed us from slavery to sin and forgave us all our sins, and He also revealed to us who have been made His children, by grace through faith, the glorious mystery of His will.
God knows all things, past, present, and future, and in His eternal wisdom He knows all who will choose to trust in the Son of His love, by grace through faith.
Solomon realised that when life is confined to the boundary of this present world system it is futile, for this world is passing away - it is fading fast, while the one who does the will of God will be fulfilled in this life (for His grace is sufficient) and will live forever in the eternal ages to come.
Death has no more dominion over Christ, and He is the firstborn from the dead, paving the way for the bodily resurrection and everlasting life for all who believe in Him by grace through faith.
May we recognise that the time is short and do all that we can to tell a lost world that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, Who faced the wrath of God for us when He died on the Cross.
All Scripture has been written for our learning, but the New Testament epistles give specific guidance and instruction on living the Christian life in this Church dispensation.God has given us all we need for life and godliness, and we have been given the holy Scriptures which provide clear teaching on how to walk in spirit and truth and why we should abide in Christ and He in us.We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead us in the way we should go, Who has promised to lead and guide in all things... and we have Christ's assurance that His grace is sufficient for every eventuality we may face – for when we are weak in our own abilities, we have His precious promise that His strength will enable us to stand fast in the evil day.The instructions earlier in the epistle of James, cover a wide range of topics that enable the believer to live a life that is honouring to the Lord.
It warns of the futility of doubting God's Word and reminds us of the beautiful fruit that comes from a spirit of patience and grace.He warns against conceiving sin in our heart and the devastation that can be caused by an unguarded tongue.
And James also teaches about the effects of true and false wisdom – the cause of covetousness and its righteous cure.And here in this verse, the apostle simply explains to his readers the consequences of knowing what is godly and honourable in the sight of the Lord, and yet refusing to carry it out... therefore, he warns, to the one who knows the right thing to do yet does not do it, to him it is sin.The man or woman who has become a child of God by faith, may not be under the law of Moses, but we are most certainly under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and James teaches that to know what is good but to do what is evil – whether in thought, word, or deed, dishonours the Lord Who bought us with His precious blood and blemishes our testimony for Christ.As children of God, our motive and attitude should be to live for Christ every moment of the day – to present our lives as a living sacrifice to Him, to trust His Word and walk in utter dependence on Him, moment by moment, and for His greater glory.Living the Christian life as God intended and instructed, should be the main aim of the Christian, and failure to do so is identified by James as a sin which should be confessed to the Lord and addressed in our life if we are to remain in holy fellowship with the Father and grow in grace, to His honour and glory.
The next on the list is simply called 'prayer' which may refer to general prayers or be a reminder of the incredible privilege believers have - in that we have the right to approach the throne of grace and enjoy fellowship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ - our Lord and Saviour.
Let us boldly approach the throne of grace and make supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all men - to the glory of God.
One of the most dangerous aspects of religiosity and legalism is that the truth of the glorious gospel of grace is hidden underneath a black cloud of unbelief.
Christ is indeed the self-existent one Who, like the Father, has life in Himself, but sadly due to religiosity and legalism, the truth of the glorious gospel of grace was hidden from these religious leaders underneath a black cloud of unbelief.
Whether we are faced with fleshly temptations that rise up from our old sin nature or testing trials that come from above, we know that God takes all things and weaves them beautifully together for good, to those that love God and are called by grace through faith in Christ, according to His good purpose.
If we meet endurance with a godly attitude of complete dependence upon God and trust in His unfailing Word, we discover that the end result of that testing trial will be the perfecting of our faith as we grow in grace and draw closer to our Heavenly Father, in love.
Paul discovered the wonderful truth that God's grace is sufficient to meet all the difficulties and dangers that we may encounter in life.
The greater the trial, the wider the arms of God's sufficient grace are extended to lift us up, carry us through, and draw us into a depth of intimacy with Himself that we would otherwise have missed: Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Grace and truth came through Him and for three years, He spoke only those things that He heard from the Father.
This is one who will grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the man or woman who chooses to take God at His Word and live their Christian life trusting all He says, no matter how much their emotions, feelings, or circumstances seem to scream the opposite, is the man or woman that will be taught by the Spirit of God and come to a deeper understanding, as He gently guides them into all truth.
God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts, but it demonstrates His divine wisdom - for Christ's suffering fulfilled the righteous requirements of God’s justice and exemplifies the superabundance of His goodness, His grace, His love, and His merciful-kindness.Only the shed blood of a perfect Man was sufficient to satisfy God's wrath against sin.
But his opening hymn of rejoicing quickly turned to a pleading prayer and heartfelt petition for more of God's grace and mercy.
He admitted that it is out of love and grace that God's chastens and disciplines His erring children: He disciplines those He loves, just as He did when He allowed His people to be sent into Babylonian exile.
The psalmist made it clear in his prayer that he would listen obediently to the Lord's instructions, knowing that God, in His grace, would speak peace to His people.
The psalmist is confident that Israel will be delivered by God's grace, and that the Lord will speak peace to His elect.
He was quick to acknowledge the superabundant goodness and grace of God toward himself and his people, and was ready and willing to acknowledge that many perils lurk in the dark shadows of sin.
It denounces justification by works of the law, insists that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, and like the epistles to the Romans and Hebrews, it quotes the singular, most noteworthy verse from Habakkuk that prompted the great 16th century reformation: The just shall live by faith.
It stresses that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
It reminds us that salvation is for the glory of God alone, and that our salvation is the primary evidence of the outpouring of His undeserved grace and favour on all who believe.
I am shocked that you are so quickly turning away from Him, Who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. The apostle makes no attempt to hide his deep frustration and justified anger, and pronounces a curse on anyone, including himself or even an angelic being, if they promote a different gospel from the one he, himself had taught them.
Paul then gave a detailed description of how he had persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, to demonstrate God's amazing grace towards him.
Paul's testimony was the most glorious example that salvation is by God's grace and not by man's merit or works of the Law.
Paul's intense hatred of legalism was because he himself had been entrapped in its web of deception, and it pained him to see these dear folk in Galatia being so brutally deceived by this legalist teaching that places men back under the curse of the Law after having been liberated by God's grace through faith.
His desire was to bring glory to God alone Who picked Paul up out of his own legalistic religiosity, and brought him out of darkness of the Law, into His glorious light of the gospel of grace.
Paul was praising God for saving his soul from damnation and setting his feet on the pathway to peace with God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and he did not want the Galatian believers to put themselves back under the Law, as these Judaisers were teaching.
Paul considered himself as the least-worthy of sinners and certainly not deserving of salvation, yet it was by grace that God looked down at this legalistic man who was ravaging the Church, entering house after house and dragging off men and women, putting them in prison, and mercilessly persecuting the Body of Christ... and decided to use him as His apostle to the Gentiles!
Surely the people in Galatia should see that his own conversion was by God's grace and not because of Paul's good works!!!
No wonder Paul said that anyone who teaches a different gospel other than salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, is to be cursed.
May we be willing to stand up for the gospel of Grace, when legalistic teachers tell us that salvation requires something in addition to faith.
May we live lives that point others to Christ and not to ourselves so that others may see that our salvation is by God's grace and not our own merit, and glorify our Father in heaven.
Some have lost their grip on the things of God and foolishly turned back into fleshly carnality, which inevitably causes much grief and heartache, and severs fellowship with our Heavenly Father.These warnings in the Bible about the love of money and desire for wealth should be heeded, but we should also be careful that we do not distort God's Word, by taking a verse out of context or allowing Biblical truth to be distorted by a worldly interpretation, for it is the love of money that is a root of many kinds of evil.As children of God, we have His assurance that He will provide for all of our needs, according to His goodness and the riches of His grace.
God in His grace gives Israel and the nations, the opportunity to be saved from His righteous wrath by calling on the name of the Lord... for we read that Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered.
As Christians, we live in the dispensation of grace and although all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus during this Church Age are saved by grace through faith in Him - this particular prophecy specifically relates to Israel and the coming Great Tribulation period when all who call on the name of Jesus will be saved from God's terrible wrath.
There is no better place for the believer to be than abiding in Christ, and no more secure situation that being covered by the unfailing and abundant love of God for His own, for when all else fails, God is enough; His grace is sufficient.
May the Lord in His grace guide us in all that we say and direct us into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
Following his introductory greeting to the saints at Corinth, where the amazing grace and abundant peace of Almighty God is the heavenly blessing that Paul bestows in great measure on all the congregation there, He turns his rapt attention and deep affection upon our great God and Father in heaven: Blessed be GOD the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; Blessed be the GOD and Father of all mercies and Blessed be our Father in heaven Who is the God of all comforts.
As the God and Father of mercies, we worship before His throne of grace, acknowledging that without the spilt blood of Christ alone we would be eternally separated from our God and Saviour.
But God in His mercy and love looked down in pity on a rebellious race of prideful men, and purposed in His heart that by His grace and mercy, through faith in Christ, He would redeem this lost and dying race.
But to those of us who have been saved through faith, walking in truth and love, and growing in grace through the process of sanctification, it is the power of God.
This much-loved verse of Scripture outlines the glorious gospel of grace clearly and simply.
God hates sin, and God hates this evil, corrupted, Satanic world-system, which is blinding the perishing to the glorious gospel of grace and leading many more into a lost eternity.
But in His goodness, grace, mercy, and love, He gave His beloved Son to live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death so that all who believe in Him will not be condemned, but live eternally.
Everyone who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ will be victors who will inherit these things, and thirsty souls will be refreshed and renewed.
He is the Anchor of our soul, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, and He is the One who gives the water of eternal life to whosoever thirsts, for He is the One Who has provided salvation, by grace through faith in Him.
Peace is one of many beautiful characteristics that are manifested as fruit of the Spirit in the life of a believer who is growing in grace and being conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.
The truth of the gospel of grace is a mystery to those that are lost in their sin, and so the hatred and contempt they have for the Lord is transferred into hatred and contempt for His children.
But what did Paul mean when he said, in order that I might attain to the resurrection of the dead? Paul was already saved by grace through faith!
He knew that the good works that we do to the glory of God have no effect on our salvation - for salvation is exclusively by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice.
And so we find Paul striving to grow in grace and to know Christ more.
God's Sabbath rest was rudely interrupted by sin, but God in His grace knew before the foundation of the world that man would disobey Him and His work of redemption would have to begin at a point in time.
Paul's desire for all Christians is that we study to show ourselves approved unto God so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
As children of God, we are called to be strong in the LORD and in the power of HIS might as we clothe ourselves in HIS righteousness and HIS peace, HIS truth and HIS grace.
May we be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might so that like Christ, we too may learn obedience by the things that we suffer and patiently endure in this evil day with joy, knowing that His grace is sufficient, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
He hears every intercessor who pleads the blood of Christ in his prayer closet and every little prayer arrow that is quickly shot into the throne-room of grace.
Let us approach the throne of grace in humility of heart, for He is faithful to hear and answer the prayers of His children.
What godly lives we would live if it were not for the foibles of others!But this life is fraught with disappointments and disturbances and we are warned that murmuring is the consequence of unbelief, while disputing is the product of a discontented heart which brings in its wake grievances, disease, envy, and sin, as exemplified in Israel’s forty-year long wilderness wanderings when the people murmured against God's wisdom and complained about His gracious provision.God, in His wisdom, knows that patient-endurance, humility of heart, and a soul that trusts in the Lord, does not spring forth from a stress-free life but is the out-working of a man or woman who has received God’s sufficient grace to face any temptation or trial which may happen along the way.Paul knew that a Christ-like character is not birthed from a bed of ease and that blameless integrity and spiritual maturity takes many long years, if not a lifetime, to fully develop as one is tried like silver or honed in a millstone of suffering. God uses the storms, sadness, disappointments, and dangers of everyday life, as well as the difficult people that cross our path, to conform us into the likeness of Christ.Let us, therefore, resist the temptation to enter into murmurings and disputes with one another and let us trust the Lord in all things so that our lives will be a living sacrifice that becomes, to Him, a sweet fragrance and we will become blameless and pure children of God, without fault in this warped and crooked generation.
Prayer is the privilege of people who are saved by grace thorough faith in Christ, for by His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, He tore down the dividing wall between God and man and gave us access to His throne of grace, for mercy to find help in time of need.
There is nothing too great and nothing too small that cannot be given to the Lord, and there is no area in our life or the lives of others, about which we cannot come boldly to the throne of grace.
It is to God that our prayers and petitions are made and through our Saviour that our prayers are presented, because we have been saved by grace through faith in Him.
May we maintain a heart of grateful thanksgiving and praise for all His goodness and grace to us, and may we be anxious about nothing, but in everything through our grateful prayers and entreaties make our requests known to Him, and we will discover His peace that passes understanding, guarding our heart and mind, as we abide in Christ and He is us.
By grace through faith we are one with Him, and in the power of the Spirit have been imputed with the righteousness of God and have the sinless life of Christ dwelling within.
The word, 'favoured' is closely related to the noun, 'grace'.
Mary found favour with God - she found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
She was a particular recipient of God's amazing grace.
Let us be careful not to make false and unbiblical claims about this young woman who gained grace in the eyes of the Lord - but was not 'full of grace' as is sometimes taught.
But those same words ring true for every born-again child of God, for by His grace the Lord is with us and we also are highly favoured, indeed.
He will save Abraham's physical descendants (the Jews) at the end of the Great Tribulation and He saves Abraham's spiritual descendants (the Church) during this post-Cross dispensation of grace.
What amazing grace that God should send His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners: For assuredly, He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.
In order to do so we need to be like the Berean believers who searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things they were being taught in their churches and assemblies were true to Scripture, or if there was a distortion of biblical truth or a watering down of God's Word of grace.
John knows that we are fallen men and fallen women with a sinful nature who have been saved by grace, redeemed by the blood of Christ, identified with His righteousness, and forgiven of our sin through faith in Him.
Indeed, He ever lives to make intercession for us at the throne of grace by pleading our case so that sin can be forgiven and fellowship restored.
Sometimes pride is the sin that comes between God and His child, and sometimes unforgiveness may bar the way to the throne of grace.
For the time being, all in this age of grace who have recognised the Lord Jesus as our God and Saviour, both Jew and Gentile alike, are part of Christ's mystic Body (the Church).
By grace we have been saved from the wrath to come and we rejoice in our salvation from Christ’s finished work on Calvary.
They will pay the penalty for their rejection of God's grace, in the lake of fire.
May we be ready and willing to share the good news of the gospel of grace with all who are dead in trespasses and sins and under God's eternal condemnation.
Christ has made known to us the Father... and the Father has unveiled to us the Son in the person of Jesus Christ - for in Him dwells all the might, majesty, dominion, power, and fullness of the Godhead bodily... and by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord we have been saved and made one - with Him.
And Nicodemus knew that in His grace and justice, God answered Moses' intercession on behalf of his people, Israel, and instructed Moses to lift up a brass serpent on a pole in the wilderness as a substitute for their sin.
And so it was that by grace through faith, all who looked on the brass serpent of judgement, lived.
It was not the killing of the fiery serpents that would save the souls of the stricken Israelites in the wilderness nor pretending that the snake-bite did not exist, but looking by grace through faith at the substitute that God had placed in the midst of their camp.
It is only by looking at God's perfect Sacrifice for sin, Jesus Christ, our sin-Substitute Who was lifted up on the Cross so that all who would look on Him by grace through faith would live.
Let us exult His name together, and let us lift up the beautiful name of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world that has been bitten by sin so that they too may look and live, by grace through faith in Him.
While we rejoice in our great salvation, may we go forward in the strength of the Lord our God, and make mention of His goodness, His grace, and His eternal righteousness.
May we continue to grow in grace. May we press on to the high call of God in Christ Jesus. May we be ready to declare the awesome deeds of the Lord to the next generation with hymns of praise, words of wisdom, and a humble heart that reflects the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the sweet fellowship that come from the Holy Spirit.
He discerns the sincerity of each supplication that reaches His throne of grace.
Christ is our heavenly Mediator and we can fearlessly, frequently, confidently, and boldly, draw near to the throne of grace and receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in times of need, as well as making intercession for those who trust us to pray on their account.
As New Testament Christians, we are no longer bound by the statutes, commandments, ordinances, and testimonies as laid out in the Mosaic Law, for we are no longer under the law but under grace.
And so in His grace, the eternal Son of God stripped Himself of His heavenly garments and was made in the likeness of sinful man so that by His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, He would rise to life immortal and be given the authority from on high to give His resurrected life to all who would trust in His sacrificial death for salvation.
After a brief reminder that they were once alienated from their Creator, bitter enemies with God in thought, word, and deed, and slaves to every kind of evil, the Colossian Christians were reminded that by His immeasurable grace, God had planned for their reconciliation back to Himself through the matchless death, burial, and Resurrection of His dearly beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
And so God the everlasting Father, in His measureless grace, sent God the eternal Son to become God incarnate: God with us.
Does not your heart skip with joy and bow before Him in wonderment to realise the immeasurable riches of God's grace have been poured out on us?
From the glories of the gospel of grace flow love, joy, peace, hope, and salvation.
And the beautiful gospel of grace brings with it eternal life, which is sweetness and light to all who believe.
Grace and truth came to us through the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the transforming light that streams into the inner recesses of man's bitter soul, bringing new life and new hope and new joy into the inner recesses of man's spirit.
But it also demonstrates God’s wisdom and grace, for He did not give multiple ways to return into fellowship with Himself, but one, simple, childlike way: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.God did not make it difficult for man to come to Him.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory – glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
When we are united with Him, the power of the sin nature is severed so that we are enabled to live in newness of life in which grace reigns; the new life of Christ within.
He was the eternal Son and incarnate Word Who was full of grace and truth.
Purity and grace only comes through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but in Him we have everything we need for life and purity, goodness, and grace.
May we who have been saved by grace through faith put on the new man and abide in Christ, day by day, for we have been made a new creation in Him: Created according to God's likeness - in righteousness and purity of the truth.
When a man offers the Lord blessings and praise, it is an acknowledgement of God's goodness and greatness, His dominion and glory, His might and majesty, dominion and power, and it speaks of His unfathomable kindness to us who are totally undeserving of His mercy and grace.
In His grace and love, He reached down to the fallen race of man, to pick us up out of the miry clay and set our feet on the Rock of our salvation.
May it be our daily prayer that those who do not rejoice in Christ Jesus as Saviour, come to a saving knowledge of His grace and mercy, while it is still today.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, obtaining eternal redemption through the one and only means of salvation (by trusting in the Cross of Christ, for the forgiveness of sins) we are warned not to become legalistic, by reverting back to the Levitical system.
The phrase, 'the saving of the soul' in this verse, does not refer to eternal salvation - which is a free gift of God's grace and can never be taken away.
For an unbeliever, the saving of the soul is salvation by grace through faith, BUT when we are already born again, the saving of our soul occurs when a believer lives their life for Christ and dies to self.
The first thing that Paul wrote, after his characteristic greeting of grace be to you and peace, was a grateful word of thanksgiving to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for the faith which was being proclaimed throughout the whole world by these dearly beloved saints in Rome.
Paul rejoiced to see that their trust in Christ had become a wonderful witness to the world as the glorious gospel of God's grace was spread abroad through their testimony.
Often he prayed that they would grow in grace, receive spiritual gifts, be fruitful in their ministry, and be kept by the power of God.
We do not know who initially shared the good news of the gospel of grace with the people of Rome, but we do know that the epistle to the Romans that Paul wrote to the saints there, was the most comprehensive and structured exposition of every aspect of our Christian faith which we would all do well to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest - to be established in the faith and grounded in the truth of the glorious gospel of God.
Every attack on Christianity has its roots in Satan's demonic agenda which is designed to blaspheme the God of heaven and earth, to discredit His holy Word, to belittle the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross, to blind the eyes of the unsaved who are perishing, and to shipwreck the lives of those that have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Paul lamented: O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth of the gospel of grace?
No wonder Paul questioned whether his efforts in sharing the gospel of grace with these Galatians had been in vain.
Today, there are many godly men and women who, like Paul, are seeking to share the truth of the gospel of grace in a secular, relativistic world where numerous religious rites and ungodly agendas flourish and where Satan's influence is increasingly evident.
He is the eternal Word clothed in human flesh for He is the incarnate Word of God, full of grace and truth.
Jesus Christ is the mysterious union of Deity with humanity, which we accept by grace through faith in Him.
And because of His goodness and grace which delighted in righteousness and eschewed evil, God anointed Him with the oil of gladness beyond His companions.
We are presented with a feast of all the privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus Who has delivered us out of the power of darkness and translated us into His kingdom, by grace through faith.
The mountain-top experience of this glorious passage then tumbles headlong into the descriptive valley of what we used to be before we were saved - alienated from God, hostile towards His grace and truth, and purveyors of all that is evil.
Salvation is indeed by grace alone - through faith alone - in Christ alone, but never let us ignore that tremendous price that God Himself had to pay so that you and I could be given this free gift of salvation.
Perhaps it was to stem the possibility of unfounded pride in their own generosity or to encourage an explosion of grace within this Christian community that caused Paul to write about these things.
Paul began to draw a stark and astonishing comparison between riches and poverty as he spoke about the great and generous grace that God had bountifully poured out upon all humanity through our Lord Jesus Christ, for though He was rich beyond all measure, yet for our sakes He became poor so that by His poverty He could make us rich, beyond our wildest imaginings.
What Grace!
All these unimaginable riches and the glories of His elevated heavenly status were laid aside simply because of His GRACE towards us.
The new life we received at salvation is being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ, as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and gain a more intimate knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
It is only by God's grace we have received mercy for help in time of need, so we should not lose heart, knowing that those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength and mount up with wings like eagles: They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. God has promised to strengthen the weary through His sufficient grace, for we have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge of Christ, according to the image of the One Who created us.
And it is all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, our only God and Saviour.
Throughout His ministry, we see many Gentiles putting their trust in Jesus and in this passage, we rejoice to find a Canaanite woman, from the region of Tyre and Sidon, being saved by grace and having her demon-possessed daughter restored to full health and a sound mind.
Their rejection of their Messiah resulted in the Church dispensation and the age of grace, but Israel will fulfil its mission in the future.
The lesson we all have to learn is that it is only by faith in Christ that we are redeemed by God and declared righteous, for salvation is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord and Israel's Messiah.
Both before and after the Cross, salvation is by grace through faith and righteousness is credited to ALL who believe God's Word... but before the Cross, there was a distinct difference between Jew and Gentile, the circumcised and the uncircumcised.
Today in this Church age, there is no Levitical system - no rituals to follow, no religious practices to perform, no compulsory feast day or other legal requirements in which to engage... all who believe God's Word and trust in His only begotten Son for the forgiveness of sins, are not only saved by God's grace and declared righteous before Him, but ALSO have become part of a new creation, where the OLD nature was crucified with Christ and we have received a NEW nature - Christ's own perfect nature - His own resurrected life.
There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus (which is accessed by faith) for God's wrath was poured out upon Him in our stead and we have been forgiven and have received the gift of eternal life by God's grace and through faith in Christ.
The loving-kindness of the Lord never fails, and the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father gives unlimited supply.
He clearly lays out the path that we are to follow and we should read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God with an undivided heart so that in the power of the Holy Spirit, we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
Christ Jesus was God's free gift of grace to every member of the human race.
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was God's free, indescribable, inestimable gift of grace that was given freely to every man and woman without any strings attached.
Every other good thing that pertains to spiritual life; eternal life, eternal love, eternal hope, eternal joy, eternal peace, eternal prosperity, and eternal grace, is also given.
The moment God's gift of grace is accepted, He opens the floodgates of the riches of His grace over the blessed beneficiary.
His strength brings protection, help, mercy, and joy – and the Lord will strengthen the weary and give grace to those who are humble of heart.
God, in His grace, not only removes the sin-barrier that estranges man from his Creator God, but He desires His people to rest in His love and to know His own precious peace deep within our hearts so that we may enjoy sweet fellowship with Him.The Lord has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, and all His promises to us are all 'yes' and 'amen' in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through his epistle, the apostle James is seeking to direct us in the way of wisdom and peace, together with humility, goodness, and grace, whilst he desires to warn us against foolishness and hostility, selfish ambition, and every evil thing.
Having defended his divinely appointed apostleship, clearly expounded the gospel of grace, and insisted that justification is by faith alone through faith in Christ, and not by works of the Law, he turns his attention on how to put his teachings into practice; how to live by faith.
In this section, Paul wants his readers to apply the truth of God's Word and appropriate what is already ours by faith in Christ, for we have ALL we need for life and godliness, as a gift of God's grace.
Paul knew that Christians who return to the Law have fallen from grace.
But as a good steward of the manifold grace of God, through faith in Christ, Peter urges us to live a God-honouring life, reminding us that as a soldier of Christ we should not be surprised when we suffer for His sake, but consider it both a privilege and an honour.
Our time of earth is very fleeting in comparison with the eternal state that awaits all who are saved by grace through faith.
What comfort, rest, and reassurance wash the hearts and minds of believers when reflecting on the overwhelming love of God and the depth and height and length and breadth to which His grace extends.
May we lift our hearts with the psalmist morning by morning and every moment of our transient lives, by raising our voices in joyful thanks and praise, for God's loyal love reaches to the sky, His faithfulness extends beyond the clouds, and His saving grace spans the eternal ages to come.
God, in His grace, permitted a great victory over the evil Haman's destructive plans: This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar.
We, who are been born again by grace through faith, can see an astonishing parallel between Esther's story of deliverance for her people, and God's redemptive plan of salvation for the whole of mankind.
But God, in His grace, had established a secondary Law that supersedes the Law of sin and death - the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
By God's grace, He is using the Body, the Bride of Christ - which is the Church, to stand in the gap for Israel by prayer, supplication, and through the proclamation of the good news that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and Saviour of the world.
Paul instructs them to remain united together with one mind... before committing them into the Lord's safe-keeping with a beautiful benediction that has become beloved by generations of believers: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of God, the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Indeed, it is often prayed as a parting benediction before brothers and sisters in Christ depart from a time of Christian fellowship and it is often prayed as a beautiful blessing over those for whom we care deeply: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with YOU.
And it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have been saved... for He set aside His glorious majesty to become one of us and to take upon His sinless body the punishment that we deserve for the sin we have committed.
It is by grace that sinners, deserving of death and hell, have become blood-bought children of God and received an eternal citizenship in heaven.
It is by grace that Christ, Who although He was rich, became poor on our account so that we, through His poverty, we might become richly blessed.
It is by the marvellous grace of our great and loving Kinsman-Redeemer that our sins are forever forgiven.
And it is by His grace that we have passed from death to life.
It is by the grace of Christ, the eternal Lamb of God, that we have been purged, cleansed, forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled with the Father.
It is by grace - through our faith in Jesus that we have been given eternal life and an everlasting inheritance that is kept for us in heaven.
And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you ALL - Hallelujah - what a Saviour.
Paul's life had been turned upside-down and inside-out as a result of his encounter with the Lord of glory, and his immense love and eternal thanksgiving to God for his conversion to Christ and his salvation by grace, caused this man to follow the Lord with selfless abandon.
It was his love for Christ that compelled Paul to share relentlessly the ministry of reconciliation through the glorious gospel of grace; whereby Christ died for all so that by faith in Him we should not live for ourselves any longer, but for Him Who died and rose again.
The whole company of believers who trust in Christ for salvation becomes a sovereign love-gift from God the Father to God the Son, through time and into eternity We are also given God's supreme assurance that all who come by grace through faith in Christ, will be given to Him by the Father and none shall pluck them out of His hands, and this is God's sovereign will.
Everyone who comes to Christ is given the assurance that: The one who comes to Me (by grace though faith) I will certainly not cast out.
Those who are saved are simply those who have chosen to believe God's Word and by faith have trusted Christ as Saviour, while those who perish are simply those who have chosen to reject God's free gift of grace.
But being saved by grace through faith and clothed in Christ is not the end goal but the beginning of our new life in Him, and every day we should strive to know Him more, to love Him better, to listen to His voice, to obey His Word, and to develop an ever-closer relationship with Him. This demands a singleness of purpose, a sole objective – one determined aim.
Growing in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus requires single-minded dedication.
Such a man trusts his Lord with all his heart and understands that God’s grace is sufficient for all his needs.
Today, the Church is proclaiming the 'gospel of the grace of God' to unsaved Jew and Gentile alike, until the WHOLE nation of Israel repents of their sin and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, and THEN the 'gospel of the kingdom' will be preached throughout the world, and Christ will return to set up His kingdom, as King of kings and Lord of lords.
God used His life as a living illustration of Israel's spiritual adultery and gross apostasy, as contrasted with the long-suffering mercy, boundless love, and inexhaustible grace of God.
Although God's relationship with Israel was severely strained and broken, their stumbling resulted in God's grace being poured out, in great abundant measure, on the Gentiles.
Despite its shocking storyline and display of human misery, the grace Hosea showed to his adulterous wife serves as a tiny reminder of the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of God's love towards us and His never-failing faithfulness towards His people; for the day is coming when every promise to Israel, the Church, and all who have trusted Christ as Saviour, will be completed, and Jesus will reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The apostle brought them the gospel of grace, and they received his teaching with the joy of the Holy Spirit - despite the difficulties they faced, and in so doing became imitators of Paul.
We have to have the absolute assurance that His grace is sufficient for every eventuality of life, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
The good news of the glorious gospel of grace has been systematically undermined by many contradictory rebuttals from Satan.
Let us, like the Thessalonians, be imitators of Paul and of Christ, so that we may increasingly discover the joy of the Holy Spirit within, and exercise His sufficient grace in the tribulations we face, until we can claim, with him, it is not I that lives but Christ that lives in me.
The book of Hebrews cautions believers who have a tendency to live under the Old Testament Law or who are being led into legalism, to beware of drifting away from the truth of the gospel of grace, thus remaining in spiritual infancy.
We are to hold fast to the whole counsel of God and the gospel of grace.
But through it all, Paul was quick to recognise that Jesus Christ was exalted and the gospel of grace was being preached.
May we rejoice when other doctrinally sound ministries are sharing the truth of the gospel of grace - even when they do so from wrong motives or because of some unfounded jealousy or resentment they may have towards us.
The qualities and qualifications of church elders, or bishops, were clearly laid out, and the exemplary character that was necessary for this role was to ensure that the teaching of the gospel of grace would not be compromised, by the increasing numbers of false teachers, Judaizes, and demonic doctrines that were pouring into the Body of Christ with increasing intensity.
This was in tribute to God's long-suffering, praise for His goodness and grace, thanksgiving for His everlasting mercy, and demonstrated a united reverence towards His holy name.
God had proved Himself to be faithful to His people in the past, and they were confident of His continuing goodness and grace towards them.
Like Israel, we too give grateful thanks and praise to Him for His faithfulness to His children, and we too rejoice in His long-suffering forbearance towards us: His goodness, His grace, and His everlasting mercy.
And since we have been born from above and have tasted of the goodness of God, we are entreated by Peter to live our lives in submission to Him so that we may grow in grace and increase in spiritual wisdom and knowledge.
Peter calls us to rejoice in Christ and His sufficient grace, since we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good: For the Word of the Lord endures forever, and we are His people and the sheep of his pasture.
And in the ages that are to come, the Church is to be an example to the angelic host, of the incomparable riches of God’s amazing grace, which are seen in His multiplied blessings towards us – in Jesus Christ our Lord.
But under the New Covenant, it is Jesus Who is appointed our great High Priest, and He is now the one and only Mediator between God and man, and we are called to stand in the gap as we pray for God to bless others with the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.What more wonderful benediction could be offered over any of us than the blessed invocation in this beautiful verse in Numbers chapter 6.
And yet, by God’s grace, we have been called to be a kingdom of priests under the authority of Christ our great High Priest through whom blessings from God are being poured out to us and through us to others.May the Lord bless us all and keep us, and may He cause His face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us and give us His peace.
May we who have been so blessed by God to be His children, be used by Him as channels of His blessing through Whom the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is poured out in great measure to others, this day and forevermore, AMEN.
In His grace, Israel were brought back in their land over 70 years ago, setting the stage for God's plans and purposes for His people to be brought to completion.
But the compassion and grace with which Jesus replied and the expression of love that followed when he touched the leper's diseased body, is not only moving but powerful evidence that His Messianic claims were true.
May we never lose track of the incredible privilege God's gift of salvation is to each of us who are saved by grace through faith.
It is only through Him that God's mercy, forgiveness, kindness and grace will wash away every scarlet-stain that clings to our sin-encrusted soul, when offered in brokenness of heart and true contriteness of spirit.
But like David, we too must approach the throne of grace in brokenness of heart and contrition of spirit, for such is well-pleasing and acceptable to our holy God.
God, in His grace, sent two angelic messengers to these men, with information designed to strengthen their hearts and allay any confusion that most likely flooded their minds at the pivotal point in history.
He had been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus and set free from the curse of the Law.
When Paul realised the depth of his sin and the grace of God that was offered to him, he desired to live his life as a living sacrifice unto the Lord.
Paul also understood that in the measure that we suffer for the sake of Christ, so also are we given abundant comfort and sufficient grace, no matter what we may have to face.
The inspired Scriptures are the unique, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit: And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, and those that were present beheld His glory: The glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
They were not maturing spiritually, they were not growing in grace, but they remained carnal, worldly minded believers - eternally saved yet spiritually immature.
We are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, as, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are being transformed into His image, day by day.
The closing chapters of Hebrews offer some excellent, ethical instructions on constructive Christian living, brotherly hospitality, and nurturing a godly concern for the needs of others, as well as giving some serious warnings about refusing God's grace and rejecting His Word.
God, in His grace, has given us many precious blessings and has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, no matter how fiercely the bitter winds of trial batter our lives and irrespective of other people who may have betrayed or hurt us.
They were saved by God's grace, but sadly disbelieved His promises and did not maintain fellowship with Him.
Jew and Gentile alike are only justified by grace through FAITH.
Like Abraham, and all the redeemed, we are justified by grace through faith.
We either grow in grace and mature in the faith, through submitting to Him OR remain in spiritual infancy and waste our opportunities to honour His name.
Paul spoke to the gathering in Athens with an articulate, philosophical argument, but he did not mention the gospel of grace and the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul described the Man Whom God had appointed to judge the world, but he did not mention the name of Jesus Who died to pay the penalty for sin and Who would save them by grace through faith in His finished work at Calvary.
There is an urgency in the message that Paul delivered to the Athenians, for the day is coming when Christ will judge the world in righteousness, but the world needs to know the truth of the gospel of grace: that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead so that all who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
This verse was not only a blessing to the believers at Corinth but to all Christians; to all who have been saved by grace through faith.
Oh, we are certainly being sanctified in this life as we grow in grace and mature in the faith through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, but even this group, whom we discover to be the most carnal Christians in the New Testament, have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and set apart unto God.
When we recognise what amazing grace the Lord is showing to this group of unspiritual Christians who were engaging in such ungodly pursuits and divisive arguments, it should cause us to humble ourselves before our long-suffering Father, Who demonstrates equal grace and patience towards every one of His children.
Should we not seek, day by day, to willingly submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our life, and seek to live godly in Christ Jesus, as we grow in grace? Should we not humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and cry out for Him to search our hearts, test our thoughts, and identify any offensive behaviour in our lives?
For we know that by His grace He has set us all apart for His good purpose so that in His strength, we may complete the good work that He foreordained that we should walk in.
All good and perfect gifts come from our Father in heaven Who is our great Provider. Indeed, not one of us could draw another breath without His provision and grace, but God is no man's debtor and Paul wanted these dear believers at Philippi to KNOW that their generosity to Paul would be honoured by the Lord Who would supply all their needs according to His riches in glory - in Christ Jesus.
James is promoting the lovely qualities of godly wisdom, grace, goodness, and gentleness that are manifest in the life of one who is walking in spirit and truth, while decrying the bitter envy and self-seeking ambition of those whose lives deny the truth and whose hearts are dull towards the Lord.
It is by immersing oneself in the Word of God and maintaining fellowship with the Father through God's grace and godly living that causes a Christian to be conformed, day by day, into the lovely image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are those that love the Lord Jesus with all their heart, but due to traditional influences, denominational leanings, legalistic instruction, exclusive practices, or the lies of the enemy, have been blinded to the gracious liberty they have in the glorious gospel of grace.
Contrary to finding fault with those that are weak in the faith or deliberately entering into arguments with those that are disadvantaged in their spiritual maturity, such brothers and sisters should be welcomed into our fellowship and be received with Christian love and grace.
Let us receive our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in godly grace, in truth and in love.
Let us flee from the influences of tradition, denomination, legalism, and exclusivity, and grow in grace and in a knowledge of Jesus Christ, knowing that we are all members of the same Body whose Head is Christ Jesus our Lord.
The time that judgement began at the household of the Lord was at the start of this Church dispensation, and by God's grace, Christ took the punishment we deserve and is using the judgements of this world's system to transform us into the image and likeness of Christ.
Just as blood is required to maintain the life of mortal man so the Holy Spirit is required to maintain the life of the one who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ; for we have been given His life in us.
Jesus told Pilate the good news of the gospel of grace and that He was indeed a King, that He was born to be King, that He came from heaven above into this fallen world to tell the lost souls the truth of salvation, and that whosoever hears His voice and believes in Him will be saved: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
We are to endeavour to pursue the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, and are reminded that as God's children, we have received grace according to the measure of Christ's gifts to each one of us, and are encouraged to use each spiritual gift appropriately.
As born again believers, we have been saved by God's grace.
Although this is a divine principle which is true in the lives of sinner and saint alike, this particular passage is speaking directly to those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, and we would do well to pay heed to Paul's instructions on godly living.
It is only those that have been saved by grace through faith in the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus Christ that have the right to approach the throne of grace for help in time of need.
His grace is abundantly sufficient for all our needs, but it is only as we depend on Him that we discover the abundance of His overflowing supply in all we do.
But by God's grace, he was able to cry out, LORD I believe, help my unbelief, and he was rewarded with a son who was healed and a faith that was increased.
Like the fallen angels, they will be judged - but praise God that He knows how to rescue those that are His, and by His grace, we will stand in His presence in the Day of Christ.
The continued grace and mercy of God can be seen in His divine appeal to the people of Judah to repent of their sins and return to the Lord - for we read: Even now, declares the LORD, return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning.
It is a beautiful demonstration that the goodness, grace, and mercy of our long-suffering God, remains open to ALL who will simply trust in His Word, remember His goodness, genuinely return to Him with heart and soul - and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
But God in His grace found us and saved us, by faith.
Those of us who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, are able to testify with David that we also sought the Lord for the forgiveness of sin and He graciously delivered us out of the hands of the enemy - triumphing over sin and death and redeeming our life from the pit.
But He also was to present His risen Person before the throne of God so that all who believe on Him would have access to the throne of grace, knowing that He is our continuing Advocate with the Father.
Praise God that this is not an evil fight but a good fight, for the battle has already been won by Christ’s victory on the Cross and we are to face all the challenges of life by maintaining an unfaltering faith in Him - trusting in His sufficiency to bring us through victoriously.We are to fight the good fight of faith by seizing hold of every opportunity, trusting His all-sufficient grace to bring us through by faith, rather than wilting at the enormity of a problem or caving in to the temptation that faces us.When we fight the fight of faith, we are trusting Him in all things and in so doing we are taking hold of eternal life.
It is about growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and developing a precious intimacy with Him as we abide securely in His love.
And so, we are urged by Peter to live in peace with one another, to walk in spirit and in truth, and to share the good news of the gospel of grace with those that are dead in their sins.
Having been redeemed by grace through their faith, they started to doubt God's Word and disobey Him.
Just as Israel were saved from Egypt, so we are saved from the slave-market of sin, but are warned to take care and not follow in the footsteps of those who, after being freed from Egyptian bondage, started to murmur against God and fell from grace, living the rest of their lives in failure. Redeemed but defeated.
Christians in this dispensation can just as easily fall from grace.
Lack of trust caused God's chosen people to fall from grace and be disciplined by the Lord.
Some use this passage as a 'proof text' to teach that salvation can be lost through an unbelieving heart, but this contradicts the clear, biblical teaching on soteriology, which dictates that salvation is by grace through faith.
Israel were saved out of Egypt by God's grace because of their faith, but were not returned to Egypt because of unbelief.
Similarly, Christians who are genuinely saved by God's grace through faith will not lose their salvation, but will suffer loss of a promised reward.
Not only is salvation given to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as a free gift of God's grace, but His ongoing favour is readily available to every believer, as we journey along the path of life.
James reminds us of an important biblical principle that is found throughout the pages of Scripture: God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
The Lord withstands self-important, arrogant men, but supplies His sufficient grace to those that are meek and lowly of heart.
In 2 Chronicles, we read that humbling oneself before God is linked with earnest prayer, seeking God's face, and turning from every wicked way, for humbling oneself before the Lord, enables the grace of God to flow freely into our hearts and breathes spiritual revival into our soul.
True humility is a fruit of the Spirit that buds and blossoms in the heart of someone who is submitted to God, walking in spirit and truth, growing in grace, and maturing in the Christian faith.
May we be men and women whom God will use to tell out the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, while it is still time, for we are His representatives on earth, who have been commissioned as ministers of reconciliation.
May we tell the truth of the gospel of grace while there is still time, for He is the only Way the only Truth and in Him alone are the words of eternal Life.
Although these instructions from Paul to Titus may appear to be predictable, and list behaviours that are appropriate for every man or woman of God and expedient for sound doctrine... nevertheless, there are greater numbers of people who reject God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ... and remain enslaved to this satanic world system.
And so we, who are saved by grace through faith, need to be careful that we do not become entrapped in the wiles of the evil one.
It was by God's grace that Christ Jesus came to earth, instructing us how to live godly lives which honour our Father in heaven.
The Bible lists over 200 things that are true of all believers who have been saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And for His sake, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, giving us the right to call Him: 'Abba Father' As His children we have received the authority to boldly approach His throne of grace in Christ's name, for we are accepted in the Beloved by faith.
We are to be covered in His truth, covered in His righteousness, and rest in His peace and His salvation which is ours by grace alone through faith alone in His finished work alone.
Israel holds a special place in God's redemptive plan for it was through the nation of Israel that JESUS, the Redeemer of the world was born, and we who have been saved by grace through faith in Him are beneficiaries of this blessing, in this unique age of grace.
How blessed are those that are born again in Christ in this dispensation of grace, for we are also chosen as His own inheritance - we too identify as sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ.Jesus is not only the great Sustainer of nature and the generous God of providence, but He is our peace and hope, love and joy, and He is our Comforter, Defender – our Saviour and Friend.
Paul felt compelled to share the good news of God's amazing grace, and just as the Lord Jesus pointed His disciples to His Heavenly Father during His earthly ministry, so Paul points us to our Saviour and Him alone.
He felt constrained to teach and preach the good news that Christ died for our sin, was buried, and rose again on the third day so that by faith in Him, we could be forgiven of our sin and receive eternal life as a free gift of God's amazing grace.
Paul's primary passion was preaching the truth of the gospel of grace and pointing people to the One Who alone could provide salvation for a lost sinner.
While humanity's collective condemnation resulted from one man's sinful disobedience, God in His grace designed a glorious plan of salvation whereby one single act of obedience, carried out by the one sinless Man, would not only bring justification to those who believe in Him and the forgiveness of their sin, but so much more!
Paul wrote: For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, MUCH MORE those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
But when you consider the plan of salvation that God has designed, we can only wonder at His goodness and grace in sending Jesus, His only begotten Son, to pay the price for the sin of the world so that whoever will trust in His name is identified with HIM and declared righteous through faith in Him.
But God graciously dealt with this act of rebellion and provided something so much better - the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reigning in our lives through the One, Lord Jesus Christ.
Sin and death may have come upon the whole human race through ONE act of sin which placed the whole of mankind under God's condemnation, but God in His grace provided salvation for the human race through ONE act of righteousness; Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection from the dead (so that whosoever believes on His name would not be condemned and perish, but would be forgiven and receive eternal life).
Paul did not want these brothers and sisters to fall short in any area of their ministry and so he urged them, by the grace of God, to prepare a bountiful gift for the believers in Jerusalem who were facing such hardship.
The mystery of the Church was in God's heart and mind from the beginning, but there was a special reason why the Lord kept the 'dispensation of the grace of God' a secret during his earthly ministry.
For if they had understood God's purpose and plan, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory - but in so doing, they unleashed the grace of God upon humankind and across the farthest corners of the universe.
The Lord Jesus triumphed over sin, Satan, death, and hell, in order to demonstrate God's manifold wisdom, might, majesty, dominion, glory, and grace to the angelic hosts.
God is omniscient and knew that man would be tempted of Satan and fail to obey His instructions... and so God in His grace, forged the plan of redemption before the creation of the world.
together with the creation of the Church, which is His Body, were kept under wraps so that Jews and Gentiles alike could be saved by grace through faith in Him - and become part of His spiritual Body on earth.
God's plan has now been made known so that in the ages to come He might show forth the surpassing riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us - in Christ Jesus our Lord.
They had turned from the gospel of grace to a gospel of works.
This false gospel exchanged salvation, which can only come as a gracious gift of God through faith, into a striving type of salvation that can only be gained through man's legalistic works and depends on man's merit rather than God's grace.
Paul went on to point out that having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, they were to live by grace through faith in Christ, grow in grace by faith in Christ, and mature as Christians by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Legalism is a works based gospel where man's merit supersedes the grace of God, requiring adherence to imposed rules, rituals, and regulations, and Paul sought to make it crystal clear that the purity of the true gospel of grace can never, ever be changed.
Salvation is not dependent on any type of legalistic practices, but on grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ's finished work alone.
Let us hold fast to the truth which is plainly taught in the Bible: that salvation of the spirit, salvation of the soul, and salvation of the body, is dependent on grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, with no extra fleshly works.
How we rejoice, for this is one facet of the cut diamond of His immeasurable grace with which God has chosen to bless us.It was not happenstance or fate, good luck, or a happy fluke that rendered us so blessed, but a beautiful showering of His wonderful love on all who believe in Jesus Christ, for which we praise His wonderful name which deserves to be glorified into the eternal ages to come.
He has redeemed, sanctified, and sealed us with His Holy Spirit and by God’s grace, there is laid up for us an inheritance in Christ – and He is building us all up in the most holy faith.He has made us to be part of His new creation and we are members of the one new man in Christ.
Man is free to choose to accept Christ as Saviour and believe in His finished work at Calvary... but man is equally given the choice to reject His free gift of grace and unconditional love.
While God desires all the elect to live a holy life, without blemish, the believer is also able to choose to walk in spirit and truth and to grow in grace OR they can neglect God's will for their lives and remain in spiritual infancy - eternally saved but forfeiting spiritual reward.
The result is the rejection of God's gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
The exclusion of the Lord Jesus Christ from the lives of evil men, the absence of the truth, and a self-willed rejection of the glorious gospel of grace, corrupts the human mind and darkens the imagination, until the presence of God's Light become painful and distasteful.
He is the Head of the Body, which is the Church, and it is through Him we are nourished and knit together, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
Paul warns that such rites, rules, rituals, and regulations, are human commands, man-made doctrines, and deceptive arguments, designed by the enemy to neutralise our faith, entice us away from the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, destroy our testimony, and dishonour the Lord Jesus.
He explains the only way to attain spiritual maturity is through faith; firstly, being justified by grace through faith in Christ, and secondly, by living a sanctified life of faith in Christ, day by day, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Israel would cry out to the Lord for help and in His grace, God would raise up a saviour to rescue them.
It is about the terrible outcome of sin, the shocking consequences of rebellion, and the great grace our God and Father demonstrates to all who will call upon His name.
And in this letter to the pilgrims and sojourners of Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynian, we see him faithfully carrying out his Lord's instructions as he shares the good news of the multiplied grace and peace of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Indeed, everyone who has been saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting, is part of that elect group.
God knew from before the foundation of the world, that we would hear the gospel of the grace of God and choose to place our trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour.
We are the elect because when we heard the gospel of grace, we trusted Christ for salvation.
Christ Jesus was born into the human race to be our sin-substitute, but He also gave each man and women a freewill to choose to accept or to reject His offer of salvation; to either believe in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ, or to refuse to believe in this free gift of grace.
Every person has a choice to accept salvation as a free gift of grace or to reject His gracious offer.
He knew from before the beginning of the world who would be saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus as their sin-substitute and, and He called us His 'elect'.
All who are saved by grace through faith in Christ have a holy and noble calling, and as members of His Body we are living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house.
The grace of God is not a formula to be discovered through scientific means, nor is it a mechanism to be made, or a code of practice to be adopted.
The grace of God is not an invention to be created out of man's intellectual skill, technological expertise, creative ability, or artistic imagination.
The grace of God appeared on earth in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and through Him alone was salvation brought to all men (for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death but the gift of God's grace is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Who appeared in Person, bringing salvation to all men).
The grace of God was revealed through the incarnate Son of God Who is the Word of God made flesh.
Yes, the grace of God was made manifest in the unique God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ Who brought salvation to all men so that all who believe on His name will not perish but have everlasting life.
Grace is not only God's unmerited kindness and favour that is poured out in liberal abundance on those who do not deserve it, it is also God's unfathomable mercy that does not punish fallen man what we truly deserve, for Christ was made sin in our place.
We are not only saved by grace through faith in Him, but we are to be continuously sanctified by grace through faith in Him and to live our earthly life by grace through faith and dependence and trust in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
And one day, we will be glorified by grace through faith in Christ Who brought salvation to whosoever will.
Christ alone redeems our lost and hopeless status with His saving grace and returns us into fellowship with the Father and in union with Himself.
Christ transforms our inner man by His sanctifying grace, through discipline and training in our daily life so that one day we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And in the future Christ will reward us by grace through faith, simply because Christ appeared bringing salvation to all who would trust in His name.
Praise God for His justifying grace, His illuminating grace, His comforting grace, and His strengthening grace.
Praise God for His healing grace, His enduring grace, His overcoming grace, and His sustaining grace.
Praise God for the grace He provides for living, for the grace to suffer, the grace to face persecution, and for dying grace at the end of our pilgrimage.
And praise God that His grace is sufficient for all eventualities.
Thank You, Father, that at Your appointed time, grace appeared the Person of Jesus Christ, bringing salvation to all.
Paul is reminding Timothy that he has been saved by grace through faith and now he ought to live his life by grace through faith.
Paul wants to impress on Timothy the truth that those who live by faith are pleasing to God, while those who try to live their Christian life in any other way will end up with a faith that has been shipwrecked. They will be living a carnal life that is not pleasing to the Lord and will actually have fallen from grace, like the Galatian believers, because they have tried to live their life by works of the law or by submitting to their fleshly desires rather than submitting to the Spirit of God.
Oh, this does not mean that a believer whose faith is shipwrecked has lost his salvation, but it does mean that he has made a deliberate choice NOT to hold fast to his faith by ignoring God's will for his life (to live by grace through faith as outlined in Scripture).
Such a work of the Spirit takes place in the ongoing refining process of sanctification as we die to self, live for Christ, rejoice in the Lord, pray without ceasing, grow in grace, and mature in the faith.
Just as Matthew's target audience was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, so the book of Hebrews was initially directed towards Hebrew Christians in the early Church who found the transition from the pre-Cross dispensation of Law to the post-Cross dispensation of grace difficult.
And so, we march ever closer to the close of this Church Age - and the time is at hand for the transition from the Age of Grace to the Day of the Lord.
How important to know the Scriptures that are written for our learning, and to read, mark, learn, inwardly digest, and apply their godly instruction during this age of grace, and to rightly divide the Word of truth so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
That call to righteousness and truth, godliness and grace, should be the earnest desire of all who have been saved from slavery to sin and Satan, and by grace have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son.
What a warning to all God's children on how to live the Christian life and how to avoid falling from grace by being adversely influenced by this fallen world system.
The more the book of Romans unfolds, the greater our understanding of the amazing grace that God has demonstrated towards us: In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For He Who knew no sin, was made to be sin on our behalf so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God, sons of God, and joint heirs with Christ.
Once we are born again, we start to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
May we grow in grace and walk in spirit and truth so that by His grace we may owe nothing to anyone EXCEPT to love one another with Christ's own perfect, supernaturally imputed love.
It was even by the grace of God that the leprosy that caused him such distress, was used by the Lord to bring Naaman and many others souls in the kingdom of Syria, to hear about the God in Israel Who could heal him of this terrible disease.
In bitter distress, she decided to return to her roots, and Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, chose to return with her. Unbeknown to both women, God had planned to use their desperate situation to demonstrate His grace towards them and to forward His perfect plan of redemption, and as the story unfolds, we are increasingly aware of God's providential work in their lives.
And yet, in His grace, God had planned something special for this sweet daughter of Israel who returned home.
James also reminds us that those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, also fall into two, distinct groups; those that are spiritual and those that are fleshly; those that are walking in spirit and truth and those that are living a carnal life with a worldly perspective and an arrogant attitude.
James points out that if a believer strays from the path of truth or falls from grace as Paul describes it, he becomes a friend of the world.
God knows the end from the beginning but in His grace, He does not reveal our individual futures for we would not be able to bear the responsibility of knowing all that lies ahead.
In His grace, He allows the problems and disappointments of the future to unfold one-by one, day-by-day.
May we remember that none of us stands still in our Christian walk - we either grow in the grace of God and mature in the faith as we submit to God, humble ourselves before Him, seek His face and are led by the Spirit of truth - or we can regress into spiritual infancy through our arrogant behaviour and puffed up boastings.
However, as soon as this Gentile woman addressed Him as 'LORD' and asked Him to heal her daughter, she was saved by grace through faith in Jesus as the Saviour of the world - for Salvation is of the LORD.
When a body of believers or denomination chooses to compromise the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, we identify a church that corrupts its members and cannot maintain the truth.
And God, in His grace, did not demand anything more of this little company than to hold fast to the truth of God's Word.
The Lord did not add anything to the burden these Christians already carried... other than to hold fast to the truth of the gospel of grace - until Christ's return.
But once we are saved by grace through faith, the inner perfect peace OF God which rules our hearts and minds is dependent on us maintaining a right relationship with God.
But in His grace, He sent the Holy Spirit into the world to convict fallen man of sin, righteousness, and judgement and to draw sinful man into the saving arms of Jesus.
this does not mean that all men will be saved, for man is given a free-will to choose to accept God's free gift of salvation or to reject His offer of grace, but it does mean that God is doing all He can to save sinful man from eternal separation from Himself.
But that is not where this amazing grace ends, for if Christ had died without being resurrected, we would not have a LIVING Saviour.
Christ died for all, and salvation is a free gift of grace that is available to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, but the gift of His resurrection life is only for those that trust in Him as Saviour.
Surely, we who LIVE: We who have by grace received His resurrected life, surely, we should no longer live for ourselves, but for the Lord Jesus Christ Who DIED for us and was also RAISED.
Not only does he give them a final reminder of their Christian duty; to devote themselves to prayer, maintain an attitude of thanksgiving, conduct themselves with wisdom and grace, and make the most of their opportunity to speak of Christ, but he also asks them to pray for his own ministry; that the Lord would open doors for him and his team to share the gospel of grace and the mystery of Christ, and for him to receive wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent.
Knowing that the Church, which began at Pentecost, is NOT under the Law but under grace, begs the question - WHY did Paul appeal to the Mosaic Law when promoting the Golden Rule and saying, Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. Well, we need look no further than Christ's closing command to the Church - LOVE, as I have loved.
The Church, however, are not under the Law but under grace.
It was then that Christ revealed that love was the only way that blessings could be received, woes could be averted, and God's grace could flow freely into the lives of those who believed.
The love about which Paul spoke was a superhuman love that is only possible in the lives of those who are one with Christ, abiding in Him, resting in His grace, and trusting His provision.
A supernatural love that mirrors the love of God is the essence of Christianity and can only be demonstrated in a life that is saved by grace through faith.
Only a sinner, saved by grace, has the capacity to love as Christ loved... but he must be prepared to 1) take up his cross, 2) follow Christ, 3) give his life as a living sacrifice, and 4) walk humbly before God.
The natural, human reaction to those who abuse us or take advantage of us, is not to show the godly grace that Christ demands.
To transparently bestow kindness and love on one's enemies or to show grace towards those who exploit or exasperate us, is not an action that can be whipped up in the blackened heart of fallen humanity.
As believers, we are instructed to live as Christ lived and do the will of God in every area of our life... where every word and deed is a reflection of His goodness and grace.
Paul was prepared to endure ALL THINGS in order to proclaim the whole spectrum of Christian salvation and service, for not only did God save us according to His great mercy, but having been saved by grace through faith we are exhorted to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, which is our reasonable service.
His dear desire was not only that the unsaved came to faith in Christ, but that all the elect of God (the Body of Christ, which is the Church) were taught how to walk by faith, to grow in grace, and mature in the faith so that they may obtain all the many benefits of their full and free salvation; spirit, soul, and body.
He made no complaint about the suffering and pain he endured in order to ensure that the gospel of grace was proclaimed, for he knew that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed hereafter.
And like so many of Paul's writings, his main focus was to further the gospel of Jesus Christ and to equip the saints in sound doctrine so that they would be enabled to grow in their own spiritual understanding of the glorious gospel of grace, and to proclaim the undistorted truth of God to others.
God purposed in the eternal council chambers of heaven that fallen man would be given eternal life as a free gift of grace through faith in the redeeming blood of His only begotten Son.
Our hope in Christ is not only a future expectation, but it is already our present possession, for when we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, we were made children of God, citizens of heaven, heirs of the grace, and joint-heirs with Christ.
Let us rejoice and be glad that God has given us eternal life both now and in the ages to come, which is ours by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Let us kindle afresh the gift of God which by His grace we have received, but let us do it in LOVE, for if we function in the gifts of the Spirit without LOVE it profits us nothing, and dishonours our Lord.
Romans makes it clear from the start, that the very nature of man is at enmity with God and every man remains under God's eternal condemnation, unless they are saved by grace through faith.
Like Mary, there is an unfolding of our understanding as we study the Word of God and pay heed to all that has been revealed to us through the apostles and prophets of old, and like Mary, we will go on learning more and more of the amazing grace of God that has been poured out upon all who have trusted in Christ as Saviour.
He was the apostle whom God uniquely called to share the message of God's amazing grace through the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was to do this so that his life would become a sacrificial offering to God, in order that lost Gentiles might become acceptable to God, saved by grace through hearing the truth, and positionally sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
He freely admitted he had cruelly persecuted the early Church and was only too ready to admit that his own salvation and his God-given apostolic ministry to the Gentiles (in which he served as a priest of the gospel of God) was wholly through God's boundless mercy and amazing grace.
Paul was also called by God to function as a priest of the gospel of God, bringing the gospel to those that were dead in their sins and at enmity with God enabling access into the throne-room of the Father which is by grace through faith in Christ alone.
First, they would be accepted and saved by grace (positionally sanctified), as this verse describes.
Second, over time each believer would begin to grow in grace, develop their faith, walk in spirit and truth, and move from spiritual infancy towards spiritual maturity (progressional sanctification).
And Christ Jesus calls each of us who are saved by grace through faith in Him to become His ministers; His hands, His feet, His voice, and His witness as we point people to Christ Jesus and develop that caring concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ that is so honouring to God.
We are instructed to study to show ourselves approved unto God and to search the Scriptures daily - if we are to grow in grace and in the fear and knowledge of our Saviour.
Nicodemus was a teacher of the Law, but he had to come to a deeper understanding of salvation by grace through faith.
And so, Jesus used a beautiful Old Testament illustration to demonstrate to this highly educated Jewish rabbi that salvation is a free gift of grace which can be accepted or rejected by faith: For as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, on the Cross, to pay the price for the sin of the world.
And it was out of love that God sent His only begotten Son so that all who trust in Him for their redemption are saved by grace through faith: transferred from being a member of the kingdom of Satan through physical birth into Adam's fallen race, into becoming a member of Christ's Body through spiritual birth, a child of God, and a citizen of heaven through spiritual birth into Christ:
We read that we are justified by grace through faith in the only begotten Son of God, and that we are clothed in His righteousness, redeemed by His blood, made a new creation in Christ, and set free from slavery to the world, the flesh, the devil, and the Law.
Paul accurately describes the evil intent of humanity's hypocritical heart, and how we who are saved by grace through faith delight to wag our finger of accusation against the misdemeanours of the unsaved in order to publicise our superior standard!
The catalogue of corruption that Paul has so articulately presented in the precious chapter is simply a mirror that reflects our own bloodied heart and testifies to our equal and desperate need of God's grace upon grace upon much more grace.
Those who are lost in their sin and blinded to the glorious gospel of grace, should ignite in our hearts a deep compassion, and not a supercilious, critical judgement on their sins.
All His righteousness, all His merit, all His life, all His grace, and all we can do is glory in these mysteries of the truth that have been made known to us by faith.
We read that it pleased God to reconcile fallen man back to Himself through the sacrifice of the life of His dearly beloved Son - and it is all of grace.
Although they were saved by grace through faith in Christ, these believers were being deeply influenced by the fleshly world system, rather than being led and guided by the indwelling, Spirit of God.
They had responded positively to the gospel of grace and had been wonderfully saved.
May we grow in grace and progress into spiritual maturity so that we may gain spiritual discernment and be renewed in our heart and transformed through the mind, into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In this dispensation of grace, we may not be under the Mosaic Law or required to keep the statutes, commandments, feasts, ordinances, and testimonies given to Israel, but we have the Word of God which instructs us on holy living, walking in spirit and truth, abiding in Christ, and growing in grace.
May we carry out His good work in our life, pray into His perfect will, grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, and be quick to seek His glory.
He is both the eternal Son of God Who created the universe, but He is also the gracious Son of Man Who died and rose again so that through faith in Him we can come to the throne of grace.
This is a verse that rejoices our hearts, for this Throne of Grace is the eternal seat of the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, Whose mercy-seat has covered our sins forever.
It is by His grace that the veil of the temple that separates man from God, is torn in two from top to bottom, providing access into the presence of our heavenly Father.
Through Christ, we have received the gracious invitation to come boldly to God's Throne of Grace, in time of need.
Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven and we are invited to come before Him with boldness, Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. We are not to cower anxiously before His magnificent presence.
In Christ, we have been invited to enter confidently into the throne-room of heaven and boldly approach God's Throne, that we may obtain mercy, and find the grace we need to help in time of need.
This God of grace and love is also a God of justice and righteousness.
And by His grace, Jesus took upon Himself the sin of the world, so that we could be saved by grace.
In this verse we have a peep into a heavenly vision of unapproachable Deity, enthroned on His seat of mercy and grace, granting peace, pardon, forgiveness, and confident access to all who believe on His name.
By grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection… Christ, the Lamb of God and great, High Priest of heaven, has flung wide the golden door into the Holiest of all - to all who believe on His name.
There are many good songs that we sing to the Lord about the great mercies He has shown us over the years and His wonderful grace to us as we journey through our lives.
His grace is sufficient for every event and eventuality that we may encounter in life, and how fitting it is for us to sing a new song of praise for His fresh deliverance and the never-failing demonstrations of His power and wisdom.
May we not seek to return to the shadow of a former dispensation, but live our lives as ministers of reconciliation under the New Covenant of grace, cut at Calvary and fulfilled by Christ.
Our salvation is by grace through faith in Him, but not every Christian abides in Christ, which results in a carnal walk, a fleshly lifestyle, and a wasted life that is influenced by the old sin nature rather than being enlivened by the new life in Christ.
This is not a verse that is addressed to unbelievers on how to be saved, but a verse that instructs those who have already been saved by grace on how to live.
Our words are to be seasoned with salt by speaking the truth of the glorious gospel of grace with those who are dead in their sins.
And let us beware that we do not lose our saver by walking in tandem with the world and living a lukewarm Christian life, but rather let us live our life unto the Lord and to His praise and glory so that we may not waste this life of ours, but be a worthy witness to the goodness and grace of our Heavenly Father Who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
May we never stray from the glorious gospel of grace to another gospel and elevate the gifts we receive from the Lord in preference to a deepening relationship with Him.
Paul was praying that his dear friend Philemon would be an effective witness as he shared his faith with others. He further prayed that he would come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of the incredible riches of God's unfathomable grace that are discovered in Jesus Christ alone.
We will never understand the full extent of the incredible riches of God's unfathomable grace that are discovered in Jesus Christ our Lord, but the more we know Him the more effective will be our Christian ministry and witness.
We need to pray for one another, just as Paul prayed in the book of Philemon, that the fellowship of OUR faith may become increasingly effecting as together we all grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
It was through God's grace and love that the Light of salvation, which had been promised in the garden of Eden so long ago, was ready to pierce the deep darkness of the world.
He is the Morning Light of God's grace.
And His Light and Life continues to be shed abroad through light of the glorious gospel of saving grace, to all who will believe on His name.
Let us who have been saved by grace through faith, continue to reflect the Light of Christ to all we meet.
He lists many of the privileges that are ours in Him which include peace with God, access to the Father, His abundant grace, and the exultant hope we have in Christ.
After listing the superabundant privileges that are the right of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, Paul takes us back to the root of sin.
During this Church Age, we are also justified by God's grace and forgiven of all our sin, by faith.
We are living in the age of grace and believe that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
However, it is increasingly necessary to rightly divide the Word of Truth so that we do not find ourselves trying to live under the Law or living before the Law, instead of rejoicing that we are not living under the Law, but under Grace.
Paul did not want those who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus to be rescued from the slave-market of sin, only to live a defeated life in this world, and fail in the work that God has prepared for us to do.
Every one of them was saved by God's grace through faith and they were all led by God and protected by Him under the cloud of God's Shekinah glory, which overshadowed the people of Israel.
Paul knew that we are not only saved by grace through faith, but that we are to live each day of our life by grace through trusting the Lord to fulfil all His plans and purposes in his life.
This dispensation of the grace of God, as Paul called it, was to be a season during which the Lord would carry out His plans and purposes for the redemption of mankind, through a different group of people.
They would to go forth into the world to tell the good news of the gospel of grace - to Jew and Gentile alike, and that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but become children of God, be clothed in Christ's righteousness, and receive everlasting life - as a free gift of God's grace.
One of the mysteries that was hidden for ages and generations but which was revealed to Paul for Church age believers is the indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ for all who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
It is only by grace through faith in Christ that we are made spiritually alive.
But if Christ is in you, then you have been born again by faith in His finished work; saved by grace through faith in Christ; spiritually alive with the actual Spirit of the resurrected Christ living within your actual body!
As Christians, we are called to live a spiritual life and not to be carnal; to bear the fruit of the Spirit and not to produce our own works of the flesh; to live under grace and not under law.
Only as we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and depend on Him by grace through faith in Christ, are we able to walk by the Spirit and be enabled to live as God as intended us to live.
We can draw near with confidence to God's throne of grace, and are promised mercy to find grace to help in times of need, but we can also enjoy the closest intimacy with our Heavenly Father, as we commune with Him in the first flush of the morning sun, be blessed by meeting with Him in the heat of the midday sun, or engage in quiet intimacy with Him in cool of the evening.
This letter to 'The Chosen Lady' as she is called, covers some vitally important information because it teaches those who desire to walk in spirit and truth how they may develop Christian love and grace as they journey through life.
Peter warned of damnable heresies from teachers who even denied the truth of the gospel of God and the Lord Jesus Who bought them, while Jude, like James, denounced the various heresies that were brought into the Church by false teachers who turned the grace of God into wantonness and ungodly liberality.
May we be ready to share it with the lost, to study it day by day to show ourselves approved unto God, to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Christ, to be ready to give an answer for the hope we have in Him, and to look for the any day return of Jesus to take us to be with Himself.
As Christians, we are to remember that the Lord Jesus suffered in the flesh for our sake - so that we could be saved by grace through faith in Him.
The love and grace He showed to us when we were lost sinners, is to be reflected in our own lives as we arm ourselves with the same Christ-like attitude and a corresponding godly purpose - as we travel through life.
And so, having come to an understanding of salvation by grace through faith, Paul was able to say without hesitation: Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Because of Christ's sacrificial death on the Cross for the sins of mankind and His glorious Resurrection from the dead, mans' sin could no longer be winked at or overlooked, and so God in His grace gave humanity a fresh start.
And Paul, the chosen apostle to the Gentiles, was anointed of God to share the good news of the gospel of grace to all who have ears to hear.
In His grace and mercy, we have been privileged to hear the wonderful truth of the gospel of Christ.
By grace through faith in Him we are eternally joined with the Lord Jesus, identified with His righteousness, in union with Him, and a member of His body.
Let us remember that we are witnesses of His grace and His chosen representatives on earth.
And yet, the verse tells us that as we continue to gaze into His loveliness and drink deeply of His grace, we too will start to be transformed into His glorious likeness, as we pass from one stage of glory to the next.
I have a new-life-in-Christ which has to grow in grace and mature in the faith.
It is the new baby-life-in-Christ that was given to me when I first trusted Him as Saviour that is to grow in grace.
And the Holy Spirit, in His grace, is transforming and transfiguring my new nature, day by day, into the image and likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ.
In this Church age of grace, the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life is to bring us into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Himself.
The Law in the Old Testament was designed to point us to Christ, but the Spirit's ministry of grace is intended to make us like Christ.
May we continue to be changed into the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ with every passing day, and show forth His goodness and grace, not only in our lips but in our lives, by giving ourselves up to His praise and glory.
Although we are not under any legalistic requirements but under grace, that does not exclude the Christian from acting wisely in every aspect of life and living.
In this Church age, we do not live under the Law but under Grace.
We live during the Post-Cross, 'Dispensation of the Grace of God'.
We should so conduct ourselves in purity of heart, that we grow in grace, mature in our spiritual walk, and live a life that is holy unto the Lord - so that day by day we are increasingly sanctified in His sight.
God desires that we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
He urges us to 'possess our vessel in sanctification and honour.' While sexual union between a man and his wife is a beautiful, holy act, and a God-given gift of grace, we should run from sexual immorality and fornication, for our body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit and the marriage bed should be kept undefiled.
God, in His grace, provides us with sleep, with its rejuvenating, refreshing, revitalising, and restorative qualities which benefit our spirit, soul, and body - but also, when His children are asleep, His gifts and graces continue to flow - from Him to us.
Sleep itself is a gift from the Lord to His dearly beloved children, but through sleep the Lord bestows many good and precious gifts, and pours grace upon more grace on His beloved, blood-bought children.
For those that are saved by grace through faith in His redemptive work, the Lord gives and continues to give innumerable benefits - but without faith it is impossible for His children to please Him.
How futile, therefore, to stress about getting up early and striving to work late into the night in order to supply what we need according to what WE do, when God has promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory - and to bestow His grace on His beloved children, even when we are sleeping.
Too many today place their trust in earthly kings and presidents, armies and elected governments, finances, physicians, and the fabric of material wealth, when the One to Whom we should always turn to for help is our Heavenly Father Who knitted us together in our mother's womb and scheduled every day of our lives, for He has promised to give us His sufficient grace in every eventuality of life, no matter what difficulties and dangers we may face.
Simply reading these inspired words of Holy Writ which are part of God's eternal love-letter to human-kind, causes us to kneel in humble reverence before the throne of grace.
As we meditate on the written Word of God's eternal love-letter to human-kind, we see the wonderful face of Jesus and we start to reflect His beauty and radiate His grace, to the glory of God.
How important, therefore, to let all the conversation that pours from our lips, be always full of grace and seasoned with salt so that we may know how we ought to answer everyone.
But God in His love, pity, mercy, and grace sent Jesus, His beloved Son, to be the propitiation for our sins, and all who believe on His name are saved by grace, through faith.
Throughout history, believers have been persecuted by those of the world because their hope and values are rooted in Christ and truth, love, and grace.
Rather, he encourages us to continue to show forgiveness, love, kindness, and grace towards those that hate and revile us, just as Jesus did when He told is to pray for those that despitefully use us.
Paul was eager to warn us of the perilous times to come and to encourage us to familiarise ourselves with the Word of God and the gospel of grace.
Every fundamental truth and biblical fact is compromised... as we discover a multiplicity of human attempts to twist scriptural truth by remodelling the glorious gospel of grace into a distorted mush so that it teaches someones pet dogma.
By remaining immersed in division, discord, and even depravity, these believers identified themselves as carnal Christians who had reverted to spiritual infancy instead of maturing in the faith, growing in grace, and being built up in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was a hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages of creation and the generations of men, but now has been made known to those that are saved, by grace through faith in Christ.
God predetermined that the message of the Cross, which is so ridiculed by the unbeliever, is something that will bring glory to those who are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
We were born into this world as a slave to sin, and until we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, our life was governed by our fallen nature; a sin nature which was at enmity with God and without hope in the world.
If, by grace through faith in Christ, we have been made alive (born again) by the Spirit of God, we also need to live the rest of our lives in the same way; by means of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
To walk in the Spirit is to walk by faith and to immerse ourselves in the Word of God, to encourage one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, as we sing with grace and thanksgiving in our hearts to the Lord.
The body of believers who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, are becoming a sanctified dwelling which is set apart unto God, and in Whom resides the living Lord.
The chief corner-stone of this holy Temple is Christ Himself, and His chosen apostles and prophets are the ones who have laid the doctrinal foundation upon which this spiritual temple is being built, for they were given the knowledge of the glorious gospel of grace by Christ Himself, and to them was unfolded the mystery of the Church in this present dispensation; a mystery which had been hidden in time past from all previous generations.
We are being changed from glory to glory as we mature in the faith and grow in grace, for He Who began a good work in us the moment we were saved by grace through faith, will continue to transform our new born-again life in Christ, into the image and likeness of Himself.
Christ's one sacrifice has made perfect all who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
Let us rejoice and be glad in the one finished sacrifice for sin and praise our Lord and Saviour for His grace and favour.
The simple gospel of grace is to come to Christ and believe, for we are saved by grace alone and not by doing good works, lest any man should boast.
If we are to truly grow in grace and mature in the faith, we are to do the good works that God has already prepared for us to do.
However, if we choose to continue to become a true disciple of the Lord, then under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit, we are to abound in the good works which will flow from our God-given Christian grace.
The simple gospel of grace requires no effort, for we are saved by grace simply through faith in Christ Jesus.
It demonstrates that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, and is not dependent on any liturgical sacraments, baptismal rituals, good works, man-made doctrines, or legalistic requirements.
They had to know if works were necessary for salvation or if they were saved by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.
Faith was the means of salvation in the pre-Cross dispensation of Law, and circumcision is clearly not required in post-Cross salvation, which is also by grace through faith in the trustworthy Word of God.
Before the Cross, people were saved by grace through faith in God's Word.
Post-Cross believers similarly are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ.
But like the Law, it was not the means of salvation which has always been by God's grace through faith.
Paul knew that the purity of the true gospel of grace was under attack from these Jewish sources and that clarity needed to be reached and implemented across the leadership of the fledgling Church, if the Christian faith was to remain untainted and flourish, but how similar to the world of Christianity today.
We need to be increasingly aware of the dangers we are in and the invasive ways ungodly teachings are seeping into the pure gospel of grace.
But in His grace, God offered man an astonishing gift of salvation, whereby one act of righteousness from the sinless son of His Heavenly Father, would affect the righteous standing of everyone who accepted His offer of salvation and believed on Him.
God in His grace, formed a plan of redemption whereby He offered to pardon every man's many transgressions and declared all who believe in His Word (Christ, the Word made flesh), to be justified in His sight, clothed in His own righteousness, forgiven of sin, and returned into fellowship with God (a privilege which was forfeited through sin).
Not only is our faith in Christ reckoned as righteousness but we also have access into God's grace, even though we were born in sin and were under God's wrath.
Indeed, the fruit of the Spirit that forms in the life of a believer, is a manifestation of God's mercy and grace, working in and through His child, for Jesus said, without Me you can do nothing.
He needs to revisit God's Word of truth and to root-out weeds of bitterness, legalism, unforgiveness, unbelief, disinterest, or distrust, so that the seeds of righteousness sown in our hearts can take root, as we grow in grace, to the glory of our merciful God.
Today, as then, many Christians have strayed far away from the glorious gospel of grace and are proclaiming another gospel and looking to a different Jesus.
May we sow with a view to righteousness so that we may reap according to His kindness and grace, knowing that it is time to seek the Lord.
God, in His grace, heard their cries and raised up a series of judges who would rescue them from the oppressive rule, until the next cycle of sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation occurred - through the appointments of a new judge.
If, like Israel, we walk hand in hand with the world system and co-exist with them... if we compromise the good news of the gospel of grace and cooperate with their ungodly ways... if we choose to embrace their unbiblical philosophies, the Church will become increasingly corrupted and the gospel increasingly compromised - both individually and corporately.
'The Lord's Prayer' was not representative of Christ's personal prayer-life, but an example of how sinners, saved by grace, should pray to our Heavenly Father.
As part of the same Church, members of the same mystical Body of Christ, and disciples of the same divine Saviour, that eternal, infinite love continues to travel down the corridors of time to embrace all who have been saved by grace through faith in the Him.
And because we have a new nature in Christ, we do not need to respond to the persuasive pull of the old sin nature, but we are called to exercise our new life in Christ by faith so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord.
This does not mean that the sin nature is eradicated or rendered inactive, but it does mean that we have the potential to live godly in Christ Jesus and to develop the fruit of righteousness, by grace through faith.
Satan became the god of this world when he tempted Adam to rebel against his Creator, but God in His grace purposed to redeem the fallen race of man and to return His sovereign rule over all the nations through the Man of His choosing.
We are made a new creation in Christ and are given a new life - the life of Christ - a life that needs to grow in grace and be conformed into the image of Jesus, a life that cannot sin.
By God's grace, we are given the perfect, sinless, holy life of Jesus Christ as our very own life, which the Holy Spirit seeks to conform into the image and likeness of Jesus throughout our earthly life.
He reminded us we are forgiven of our trespasses and sin, which is all according to the riches of His marvellous grace - a heavenly favour which has been lavished on us, with all wisdom and understanding.
Then Paul prayed a most beautiful and exemplary prayer, for the believers in Ephesus - a prayer that has blessed countless Christians throughout the dispensation of grace.
He was the apostle Christ chose to tell the good news of the gospel of grace to Jew and Gentile alike.
The reason that Paul was under arrest and awaiting his trial was that he was telling forth the good news of the gospel of grace.
The name of the garden was 'Eden' and is often referred to as the garden of 'Delight'. 'Eden' is sometimes translated as 'Paradise' or 'Royal Park' and must surely be regarded as a gift of love from God Who desired to provide all we need, according to the riches of His grace.
As we contemplate the beauty of God’s creation, the role he purposed for mankind, humanity's terrible rebellion against the One Who made us, and His amazing plan of redemption, let us praise our Heavenly Father for His goodness and grace, and strive to serve Him in all that we do.
However, when the whole council of God is sought, it is very evident this position conflicts with the vast majority of Scripture which clearly teaches that we are saved by grace, through faith - and not by works lest any man should boast.
He remains saved by God's grace, because of his faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary, but he is saved as though by fire.
By grace, He initiated a special and unique relationship with Israel who were called to fear Him, to love Him, to serve Him, and to keep His commands - which were designed for their good and not for evil.
For, like Israel, the Church has been called by God to go into all the world and preach the gospel of grace to all people.
May we live in a way that honour the Lord and sing out in joyful abandon like those little children in Jerusalem, for we have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and our Redeemer.
He called for a sacred assembly, where the whole nation would humbly cry out to the Lord for grace and mercy so that their outward submissive actions would reflect an inward repentant heart.
The message of peace with God through our Saviour, Jesus Christ, is the gospel of grace that continues to be proclaimed today to the fallen race of man, but faith in Him comes by hearing this message of reconciliation.
How beautiful are the feet of those who are shod with this gospel of peace and who bring the good tidings of great joy to a lost and dying world who need to hear of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
It is by the lives we live, our love for one another, and the grace of the Lord Jesus reflected in our lives, that others will know that we are His disciples.
Being born of the Spirit through faith in Christ and cleansed of our sin through His shed blood, demonstrates the incredible love and generous grace that the Father has lavished upon us - His children.
Should we not... in astonished wonder, deep humility, and reverent praise, behold the matchless love and compassionate grace that has been poured out by the Father in such generous abundance on us - even making us His children simply because we have trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour?
Our behaviour should be such that it honours God and gives credit to the position of responsibility with which we have been entrusted, for we have been made ministers of a New and better Covenant, we are kings and priests to our Lord, and we are instructed to go into all the world as Christ's representatives, and share the good news of the gospel of grace with others.
We are to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things for Christ's sake, and by God’s grace we are to bind our hearts together in love with our brothers and sisters in Christ, for the honour and glory of our Lord, for He is the only Sovereign God.
By His grace, through faith in Him, we have been granted the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
In addition to all the amazing privileges we have already been granted, we have also been given grace.
The Lord has bestowed on each of His blood-bought children His unmerited grace and favour: To each one of us grace was given – according to the measure of Christ's gift.
We are all saved by grace through faith, and God's Holy Spirit has individually and selectively conferred different and individually selected gifts and graces on all His children so that we are enabled to live by grace and serve Him in newness of life, by grace.
And the heavenly grace that we receive has been given to each one, in proportion to the measure of Christ's immeasurable riches and His eternal bounty.
It was a beautiful expression of God's grace and an evangelistic invitation to whosoever is thirsty for the truth of the gospel of God to come, and drink deeply of His excellent provision, which is given freely and without cost to all who are spiritually impoverished.
All is given as a free gift of God's grace. By grace and through grace, they would be blessed with the living water of life and partake freely of the wine of God's joy.
The offer to come and buy wine and milk without money and without cost is just as pertinent today, in the dispensation of grace as it was in the times of Israel.
Whether we are men or women, let us seek to live godly in Christ Jesus... to abide in Him and to submit to His leading and guiding so that we may grow in grace and become increasingly transformed into the image and likeness of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
James did not sugarcoat the gospel of God, nor did he pull his punches when teaching the truth... because he knew the serious and eternal consequences of rejecting the gospel of grace, or of feigning faith in Christ's finished work.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in the Person of Christ and His sacrificial work on the Cross.
Just before being stoned to death for his faith in Christ, Stephen (a beloved disciple of the Lord Jesus, who was full of grace, truth, faith, hope, power, wisdom, and filled with the Holy Ghost), was falsely accused by various groups of religious legalists of sedition and blasphemy, and hauled before the Jewish court; the Sanhedrin.
For 2000 years, God has stayed his hand of judgement on a Christ-rejecting sinful world, answering the prayer of Stephen that Jew and Gentile alike have been offered the free gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ and brought into the family of God.
Let us seek to broaden our own perception of God and see Him for Who He is: the eternal, infinite, holy God of love, justice, grace Whose mercy is everlasting; Whose Word stands fast forever and ever; Who set aside His heavenly glory to reside on the earth for a season so that He could freely lay down His own precious life.
Paul wanted to be sure that the Christians at Colossae understood the glorious position they had in Christ and that by God's grace that they are identified with Christ and made alive in Him.
By grace, the born-again believer is not only forgiven of their sin but they are dead to sin because sin’s power and dominion in the life of every Christian was forever broken at the Cross.
Being part of 'The First Resurrection' is the privilege of everyone who has been saved by grace through faith in God's trustworthy Word.
This is not a subject that should be swept under the Church carpet, as so often happens in Christendom today, but is a serious subject that should be faced, and unbelievers should be challenged so that they may hear the glorious gospel of grace and believe the message of redemption by grace through faith in Christ, and be SAVED.
Although we are living in the world and are called to be witnesses of the goodness and grace of God, we must never forget that we are not part of this fallen world system.
By grace through faith, we are a part of the new creation in Christ and members of His mystical Body.
We are to mature in the faith, grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, and be obedient to our calling.
As Church age believers, we are not under the law but under grace.
However, there are many instructions Church age believers have been given, if we are to honour the Lord, to walk in spirit and truth, to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and to mature in the Christian faith.
We have been adopted as sons of God and accepted in the Beloved - as a gift of God's grace through faith.
In Him we already have redemption through His blood and forgiveness of sins... and by God's grace we have already received revelation from the invisible God which was kept hidden for ages and remained concealed from previous generations.
BUT God, in His grace, has not finished with His people despite their terrible apostasy, continuous rebellion, and the rejection of their Messiah.
And we, who have been saved by grace through faith in this Church dispensation, have received equally precious and unfailing promises - which are all 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Many today are being destroyed for lack of knowledge because they have rejected the truth of the gospel of grace, and have received a doctrine, that is not founded on the written Word of God.
May we develop a teachable spirit, and desire the pure milk and meat of the Word, which is able to make us strong in the Lord - so that we may be a worthy witness to His goodness and grace.
Before we were saved by grace through faith, we also walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.
But now that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are children of the light who are to have no part in ungodly behaviour, for to do so not only dishonours the name of the Lord Jesus but it also shipwrecks our Christian testimony.
Gently and patiently, He had fully declared the beautiful attributes and gracious character of Almighty God in the face of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of the Father, the Word made flesh Who was full of grace and truth.
He argues that in the light of the amazing grace of God that has been showered upon us all, and the manifold mercies He has poured upon all His children (including our past justification, our ongoing sanctification, and our future glorification), we should live a life that is worthy of our calling.
Let us love each another with brotherly affection and seek to outdo one another in showing honour and grace to all.
The unregenerate man is born in sin, he is a slave to sin, and remains separated from his Creator throughout his life – until and unless he is saved by grace through faith in Christ.However, the man that is born from above is no longer a slave to sin.
The regenerate man is no longer in bondage to the principle of sin that entraps all who are born into the fallen race of Adam. The man or woman who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ has been set free from slavery to sin and is returned into fellowship with God from the moment of salvation.
Because we are saved by grace through faith and positioned in Christ, we are instructed: Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.
When we are saved by grace through faith, we are given a new nature - a new, Christlike nature and because of this, we are exhorted not to allow sin to have sway in our mortal body.
BY grace through faith in Christ, 'old man' is dead and we have a new life within - our old life is dead and we have the life of Christ.
He continued to teach His slow-learning followers that only by God's grace is salvation received, and reminded them that entrance into His Kingdom is impossible by man's merit, man's strength, man's abilities, man's wisdom, man's righteousness - yet He taught them that with God all things are possible - with God salvation and entrance into the Kingdom IS possible.
We may not have been healed from physical blindness, but the miracle that Christ has done in our lives is no less astonishing, for the eyes of our hearts have been opened to the gospel of grace.
God in His grace and mercy formulated a plan of salvation to save us.
God in His grace sent Jesus to be our Saviour, and HIS death was the single payment God required to pay the price for the sin of the whole world, such that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Although he started his Christian life by grace through faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross, Peter reintroduced certain aspects of the Law into his Christian walk.
The very essence of the gospel of salvation is that we are saved by God's grace.
We are saved because God in His grace gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, and all we have to do is to believe this to be declared righteous by God and brought into His family.
And having been saved by grace, through faith, we are to live by grace through faith, and not try to mix bits of the Law and human merit into our daily living.
Paul's grave challenge to Peter's behaviour was that he was acting as a hypocrite and that Peter's behavior declared Christ's sacrificial offering of Himself as null and void! I do not nullify the grace of God, Paul cried, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. If we can add ANYTHING to Christ's finished work then there was no need for Christ to die. If ANYTHING is added to God's grace in order to make our salvation sufficient, then it is no longer grace.
We who are saved by grace through faith, should take this issue of trying to become righteous by the Law very seriously.
Indeed, the entire book of Galatians is written to warn the believer that we are both justified AND sanctified by God's grace.
Praise God that when we receive His grace, we acknowledge His love and our lives are transformed.
We can trust in the gift of grace that God has given us and accept the love He offers us.
Praise God that we can live in hope and joy, knowing that our righteousness comes not from meritorious works we do, or works of the Law we keep, but from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May this verse encourage us all to remember that it is only through God's grace that we are given the freedom to live in righteousness, and may we be filled with peace and joy as we accept this gift of grace that God offers us.
To abide in Christ simply means that we are to mature in our spiritual life, to grow in grace, and to maintain a close and increasingly intimate fellowship with our heavenly Father.
He exposes carnal Christians as spiritual babes in Christ who, although saved by grace through faith, remain spiritual infants, out of fellowship with the Father, and not walking in spirit and truth.
Instead of growing in grace and maturing in the faith he is thrown aside as an unfruitful branch and his opportunity to live for Christ withers away.
From Adam forwards, we discover that all men are under sin and all are under the condemnation of God, because all have been given light from God but so many reject the light of the glorious gospel of grace.
Praise God that the rest of the book of Romans gives us clear guidelines on how to be saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, the one and only Saviour Whose sacrificial death paid the full price for our sin, and Whose glorious Resurrection imparted to us His resurrected life, making us part of an entirely new creation, children of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, by faith in Him.
John spent over three years of his life with Jesus, listening intently to His gracious words, astonished by His amazing truth, watching Him attentively as He fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures, and beholding His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Over and again, John and the other disciples gazed on the perfection of the sinless Son of Man, and the glory that was seen in Him was a reflection of the exact image of the glory of the Father, full of grace and full of truth.
The eternal Son of God in the person of the sinless Son of Man was full of God's grace and goodness, which alone qualified Him to become our perfect Saviour and sacrifice for sin.
Salvation (grace) came through the only begotten Son of the Father, the unique God-Man, Christ Jesus the righteous: For by grace are You saved, through faith in HIM and not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ can be such a blessed experience, but to enjoy sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Lord is the pinnacle of being a sinner saved by grace.
Yes, it is through the shed blood of Jesus, our Saviour, that we were cleansed at our salvation and brought into the light, and it is as sinners saved by grace, that we need to be continually cleansed of any post-salvation sin as we travel through this life.
When a sinner who has been saved by grace, chooses to live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, he has made a wise decision, for he will not only enjoy blessed fellowship with His Christian brothers and sisters who are also living in God’s light, but will enjoy unbroken fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, and sweet communion with the great Father of light and life and hope and love.
We are born of His Spirit, washed in His blood, and are being transformed, day after day, into the beautiful image and likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.
Paul points out that before we were saved by grace, we did not walk in holiness but were like the pagans who walked the lust of the flesh and who used their bodies dishonourably, to satisfy their carnal passions.
We who have been saved by grace should walk in spirit and truth and not succumb to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
It is YOU and ME, who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, who are directed to examine our faith, by reflecting on the person, work, roles, and responsibilities of this unique and holy Person, in Whom we have placed our trust.
However much the Lord unveiled His attributes, character, holiness, and plan of salvation in days gone by, we who live in this dispensation of the grace of God have been given the fullest and most complete revelation of the Triune God through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.
Paul is keen to show the difference between US and THEM - between Christians and unbelievers; between those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ and unregenerate men and women: WE are of the day and WE are sons of light, Paul reminds us.
Like Paul, Timothy lived godly in Christ Jesus, having a desire to see believers grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He had learned the holy Scriptures from childhood and was saved by grace through faith - through the ministry of Paul.
Praise God, that His grace was not only sufficient for Paul and Timothy - but His grace continues to be sufficient for you and for me and for all who are seeking to live godly in Christ Jesus... as we seek to walk in Spirit and truth and live with one another in the bond of peace.
He is a patient God Who is long-suffering and of great goodness; an immutable God Who is unchanging and unchangeable; a God Who will never go back on His Word, either the earthly promises which He gave to nation of Israel or the many precious promises which by grace through faith in Christ, He has given to the Church, which is His Body.
Like so many today, the Galatian Christians were turning away from the liberating gospel of grace back to the enslaving bondage of the Law.
Like the unbeliever who foolishly denies the existence of God, these Galatian Christians had no excuse for their departure from the glorious gospel of grace, for it had been clearly laid out for them by Paul who, in turn, had received direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Himself.
Paul, like all the apostles of Christ, proclaimed that salvation is by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; the eternal Son of God and perfect Son of Man.
How sad that having heard and believed the saving message of the Cross and that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ's finished work alone, as written in the Scriptures, that many today follow this same pattern or reverting to legalism or seek to impose the restrictions of the Law on their brothers and sisters in Christ.
We have an eternal, unbreakable union with the Lord Jesus, for we have been eternally accepted in the Beloved by grace through faith – but sweet fellowship with Him can be broken and our life can dishonour His name – for if we choose to walk in darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.Holy living is not simply a spotless exterior but an inner mind that is clean, and a heart that is broken before the Lord; a spirit that rejoices in the truth; a soul that delights itself in the Lord.
Paul had just explained to the Philippian believers that there were two types of teachers who were giving good instruction about the glorious gospel of grace, but the motives of these two groups were diametrically opposite.
They also expressed their loving goodwill towards Paul, knowing that He had been appointed by the Lord for the defence of the gospel of grace. These dear people knew that Paul had been entrusted with certain mysteries which had been hidden from earlier ages and generations, but had been made known to them, through Paul.
He recalled Israel's escape from Egypt, their entry into the land flowing with milk and honey, their victory over many foes, and God's grace and mercy towards them, despite their apostate ways, abominable sin, and outrageous idolatry.
As Church age believers, we rejoice that Jesus is our Saviour Who redeemed us from the irreversible penalty of sin and its enslaving power over us, by His amazing grace.
As Church age believers, we understand that we are not under the Law, but under grace.
However, God in His grace had purposed to build up the house of David and to share this astonishing information about the everlasting aspect of his throne and kingly line.
The Lord could easily have done all these great things without informing David - but in His grace and love, and according to His knowledge and wisdom, the Lord shared this information with the shepherd king of Israel who recognised the loving-kindness of his Creator in giving him this information.
We were slaves of sin and we were enslaved by Satan because of our sin - and yet Christ willingly sacrificed His own sinless life, so that He might free ALL, who through fear of death, were subjected to slavery. How sad that so many refuse to be saved by rejecting God's offer of salvation, as a free gift which is ours by God's grace - through faith.
These precious women were to have their spiritual vision extended when they also realised that Christ's glorious Resurrection is as much a part of the gospel of grace as His sacrificial death.
How true of so many today, who hear the gospel of the grace of God but can see no further than the good works Jesus did and the moral teachings Jesus taught.
Paul taught the Galatian believers that salvation is from the Lord and that it is received as a free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul had also taught that salvation was to glorify God, and yet despite his clear teaching on the gospel of grace, he was astonished to discover that the Galatian Christians had turned away from the gospel of God.
Paul was shocked that having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, they were now reverting to a gospel of works: Which perverts the gospel of Christ.
Paul challenged the speed with which these believers turned from the truth of the gospel of grace to this false, legalistic, works-based teachings, and confronted this serious error head-on.
The error that so quickly leached into the Galatian church in Paul's day, is still polluting the good news of the gospel of God's grace today.
Today, as then, men and women are removing themselves from God's grace and placing themselves under God's curse because of false teachers that continue to pervert the truth of the gospel of Christ with this false, legalistic, works-based, meritorious teachings; a 'gospel' that causes dear believers to fall from grace and places them back under the curse of the Law.
May we, who were born again by the Spirit of God by grace through faith in Christ, live, walk, and pray in spirit and truth by grace through faith in Him.
May we, who were called into the gospel of the grace of Christ by faith, be guided by the Spirit of truth.
May we, who heard the gospel by the hearing of faith, be careful not to seek to be perfected by works of the flesh, but may we learn to walk in sprit and truth, by grace through faith.
He confessed the sins they had committed and recognised they were not worthy of God's grace and deliverance, but his prayer was founded on the holy name and the unchanging faithfulness of God towards His people and he wept, Do not delay, because YOUR city and YOUR people are called by YOUR HOLY NAME.
Christians and the Church are a special group of people who are holy unto the Lord. We are set apart for a specific purpose in this dispensation of grace.
Each of us are to lay aside the deceit and hypocrisy of this fallen world and grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. Each of us are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and have a unique part to play, as the Lord Jesus Christ builds His Church and constructs His holy habitation.
However, God in His grace even used Mordecai and Esther to save Israel from destruction and forward His redemptive plans and purposes for His chosen people.
In His grace, they were given victory over their enemies when they cried out to Him in their distress, and despite their compromise, God's people continue to celebrate the victory Mordecai and Esther were given, as each year they keep the feast of Purim and the book of Esther is included in the canon of Scripture.
May we, who live in a society that is deeply flawed, have the courage to stand fast in the faith to which we hold, and trust in the Lord to bring us through to victory, even when our circumstances appear to be hopeless; for God is able to make all grace abound unto each one of us and to provide His sufficiency in everything.
But it is those with poverty of spirit, humility of heart, and a childlike faith in Him, that can approach His throne of grace, with a simplicity that is so precious to our Lord.
Let us look to Him as our provider with faith. He will never let us down, and He will give us the strength and courage and the resources we need to face each day, for His grace is sufficient.
After the pre-eminence and superiority of Christ has been systematically laid out, the reader's focus is drawn to the future and we are exhorted to hope in the Lord and be submissive to God's chastening in our lives, for the Lord corrects and disciplines those He loves so that we will grow in grace and become increasingly like our Lord and Saviour - for we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
The inspired Word of God similarly lays claim to Christ's deity, for we are told that He is the visible image of the invisible God; full of grace and truth.
When the good news of the gospel of the grace of God is distorted and twisted with false, legalistic, works-based, meritorious teachings, it is denounced by the apostle Paul in the strongest language possible: But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached, let him be ACCURSED!
There is only one message of salvation from our Father in heaven and that is: Salvation is a free gift of God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
God commissioned the teaching of the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, to the apostle Paul, and we do well to take note of his sober warning.
As we seek to grow in grace and live godly in Christ Jesus, let us choose to adopt an attitude in stark contrast with the foolish, fretful, disobedient, and rebellious ways of the world, and discover the unfathomable value of that little word BUT.
Nothing is more thrilling for a Christian parent, or a believer who has been influential in pointing one younger in the faith to the truth of the gospel, than to see them living according to the truth, walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus, living in submission to the Holy Spirit's guiding hand, living under the influence of the new man in Christ (and not the old sin nature), and reflecting the grace, truth, love, and humility that flows to them from their Saviour.
We should examine ourselves to discover any failures and quickly confess our faults to our Father as instructed - for God resists those that are proud but gives grace to those that are humble.
He has broken the suffocating power they exerted over us and by grace through faith, has equipped us with His own sufficient strength to triumph over them in this life.
The enemy of our soul may not be in a position to remove or invalidate our eternal salvation which is ours is by grace through faith in Christ, but he comes as a roaring lion to tear our testimony to shreds, and also as an angel of light peddling many deceitful tactics and subtle deceptions, to cause us to stumble and render our testimony null and void.
His prayer request was not for his own safety or to escape from prison, but that the gospel of grace and the mystery of Christ could reach more people.
Paul was a man who interceded for others in the Body of Christ, and often we discover him to be lifting up Christian brothers and sisters in pleading prayer, earnestly asking the Lord that all who are born from above might mature in the faith, and grow in grace in accordance with the riches of God's super-abundant glory and His perfect will.
May we all die to self and live for Christ as we all mature in the faith, grow in grace, and, in accordance with the riches of God's super-abundant glory and His perfect will, are strengthened with all-power in the inner man.
Humankind is a race of guilty sinners, but God in His love and grace gave His only begotten Son to be born as 'Jesus' Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the world.
Jesus willingly chose to pay the enormous price of sin for you and for me so that all who believe in Him are no longer under the curse of the Law, but under God's gift of grace.
We have been given access into the throne room of grace for mercy to find help in time of need.
Our seeking is designed by God to enable us to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
And even when God’s presence seems very far removed from us, we are to knock and knock and keep on knocking, for the testing of our faith develops perseverance, and such endurance must finish its work within so that we become mature and complete, lacking nothing as we tightly cling to His all-sufficient grace.
Also in those early days of the Church, Peter, John, and the other apostles had to transition from teaching the pre-cross Gospel of the Kingdom, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to proclaiming the post-cross, Gospel of the Grace of God, to everyone.
There was much for believers to learn during this transition from Law to Grace.
God in His grace used these early days of the Christian Church to teach these people that a new dispensation had begun and that God was starting a new thing through the Body of Christ - which is the Church.
But although Adam rebelled against his Maker, God in His grace purposed to redeem fallen mankind and the world He had made, and His plan of redemption began.
God in His grace has told us the end from the beginning.
May this truth motivate us to draw near to God, to share the gospel of grace with all we meet, and live a life of holiness and obedience to His Word.
We have been saved by grace through faith and are called to live our lives by grace as well.
We are to exercise our spiritual gifts by grace through faith and are not to rely on our own strength, but to depend upon our Heavenly Father in all things, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Indeed, Christ died to deliver us from the world's satanic hold on our lives... and it is all because of God's grace.
Our salvation has nothing to do with what we have done, but depends entirely on what Christ has done on our behalf... and it is all by grace.
He called apostles and prophets, like Paul, to instruct us in the way of salvation and so Paul rightly reminds us, that through the grace given to me (i.e.
the grace given to Paul) I say to everyone among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think.
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ's work on Calvary and there is no ritual, religious activity, Sabbath rule, or Church-imposed regulation, that could ever elevate our position before God or exaggerate our spiritual importance.
ALL that we have and ALL that we are has been given to us by God's grace.
All spiritual gifts are given by grace and all are exercised by faith.
Each one of us has been blessed by God with certain spiritual gifts and we are to exercise those gifts according to the measure of faith we have received and according to the grace we have been given.
This passage delved into great detail about the Church age, the dispensation of the grace of God, and the precious mystery that had been hidden for ages and generations but had now been revealed to him: that Gentiles should be brought into God's family and be made fellow heirs with Christ; that Jew and Gentile alike might become part of the same Body and be made partakers of God's promise in Christ through believing the glorious gospel of God.
John rejoiced because the truth of the glorious gospel of grace abode, remained, and rested in the heart of this precious sister in Christ and her family (as it does in all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ), and John gave additional assurance that this gospel truth would remain with them all forever.
The Galatians heresy was of deep concern to Paul because Judaisers had entered the region, infiltrated the church community, and discredited the true gospel of the grace of God, by substituting a false one which demanded a works-based salvation centred on the Mosaic Law and not the true grace-based teachings of the Bible.
Others suggest that it refers to the whole nation of unsaved Jews, and that in some way they do not need to be saved by grace through faith in Christ but are automatically redeemed because of their Jewish genealogy.
May we be prepared to hold fast to our faith, no matter what difficulties and dangers we face so that together with that glorious cloud of worthy witnesses, we may testify of His goodness and grace to us, and to all men.
A significant part of Paul's epistles are either encouraging us to live godly lives, explaining what is expected in our Christian walk, giving examples of how to live to the glory of God, or enabling us to grow in grace through faith in the glorious gospel of Christ - where JESUS is the centre of our life and our conversation is heavenly.
When we trust His Word and hold fast to His precious promises, God in His grace is prepared to replace our personal despair and deep discouragements with a bright hope of glory and an inner joy that surpasses understanding.
Christ's death was in payment for the sin of the whole world: For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life, and this is God's free gift of grace.
Training in righteousness, the development of a spirit of humility, and growing in grace takes time - more time - and much time to develop.
But humility is not only a great grace that needs to be developed in those that are young in years or young in the faith, humility is a fruit of the Spirit that should be the goal of all Christian men and women, however mature in the faith they have become, or however young they are in the Christian life, for God gives grace to the humble as well as wisdom, faith, understanding, and holiness, but He resists and opposes all those that are proud.
In like manner, those that meekly take up their cross, in the power of the Spirit, and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, will grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus so that at the proper time, God will raise them up in to newness of life.
And so, let us grow in grace in this world, and then in the world to come, we will be raised up with Christ on His throne.
It is through the unconditional terms of the New and better Covenant that we can draw near to God with confidence... as we boldly approach the throne of grace for mercy to find help in time of need.
The man or woman that has been cleansed from sin, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, is encouraged to draw ever closer to the Lord with fervent faith because they are a new creation in Christ whose heart has been made free from the sense of sin and whose body is washed with clean water.
Only a heart that has been cleansed by grace through faith in the saving blood of Christ, is enabled to produce the fruit of righteousness - for the good man produces good things from the treasury of a clean heart, while an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of a soiled heart.
It was not long after his first letter to them that Paul received news of the Thessalonian Christians from a trusted contact. He was blessed to hear the good news that they were growing in grace and remaining faithful to the truth, despite the severe persecution they were facing.
However, the sacrifice of prayer and praise and the offering of thanksgiving and worship to the Lord, at the break of day, in the cool of the evening, and at other times, should be a joy for each of us, together with the knowledge that we can boldly approach the Throne of Grace any time of the day or night, for mercy to find grace in time of need.
There are many New Testament mysteries that were hidden from Old Testament saints - truths that were to be revealed to the people of God, through Paul, and the other New Testament writers, during the 'Dispensation of the Grace of God' - the Church Age.
Down through the centuries, insurrections, anarchy, rebellion, and lawless behaviour has been working to tarnish every individual, every society, every nation, every culture, and every age, but God in His grace has always restricted the level of evil in the world.
But also, we should do all we can to share the good news of the Gospel of Grace to those who are yet unsaved - for the Gospel of Christ is the power of salvation to all who believe.
Today, Christians are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise and proclaim the gospel of the grace of God to every creature: For we are saved by grace through faith in Christ. In the Tribulation, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists will preach the gospel of the kingdom throughout the world, proclaiming the imminent arrival of the King of kings - and a multitude without number will be saved.
The price for our salvation was paid at Calvary through the shed blood of Christ, such that whosoever BELIEVES on the Lord Jesus Christ is saved by God's grace, because of their faith.
Jesus is the God-Man, Who by God's grace, tasted death for every member of the human race so that by faith in His sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sin and His glorious Resurrection for life everlasting, we might be redeemed and adopted into the family of God and become part of the Body of Christ.
The moment that we are saved by grace through faith, we are set apart unto God forever: we are 'Positionally Sanctified'.
By God's grace, the Holy Spirit lives in us and works through us, to complete the good work that He started in our life at salvation. And when we finally go to be with the Lord, we will be finally and fully sanctified: 'Perfect Sanctification'.
By grace, we are being changed from one degree of radiant holiness to another.
The death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the mainspring upon which our salvation rests, and the Holy Spirit Himself inspired holy men of God to record in advance the saving message of grace, upon which our salvation rests: That Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day - according to the Scriptures.
Not only is the salvation message under attack from unbelievers with their satanically inspired, unbiblical worldview, and also from many Christian cults and sects that disown or distort one or other aspect of this complete saving message of grace, but also from some that are inside the Body of Christ.
In their desire to defend the truth of the saving message of salvation (by grace alone through faith alone in Christ's finished work alone, as recorded in the Scriptures alone), these enthusiastic legalists add a wide range of works to this God-breathed message of the Cross.
It was this plain, uncomplicated message that Paul preached to the Corinthian Christians, who received it by faith and were saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the God-Man, Jesus Christ the righteous.
And God in His grace laid out a 490-year historical road-map tracing the future destiny of His chosen people, Israel, and their final restoration as 'My people; My inheritance'.
But when our thoughts fly to the stability and grace of our Father in heaven; when we meditate upon His faithfulness, contemplate His wonderful grace, and reflect upon His Word of truth, we discover that our heart is resting on the sure foundation of peace and hope.We can keep our thoughts secret from other men, for no one can truly know the inner reflections of our mind, but the Lord looks on the heart and the Lord knows the thoughts that pass through our minds, both good and evil.
When we sing to the Lord of the wonders of His amazing grace with every breath of our being and glory in the joy of our salvation, then our thoughts will be pleasing to the Lord and our hearts will also rejoice in the God our Saviour.
And so, in His grace, He purposed to give Israel a New Covenant - not like the Old, conditional Covenant that was unattainable, but a NEW, UNCONDITIONAL Covenant where GOD, not man, would achieve the righteous requirements on man's behalf - where the perfect God, not fallen Man, would carry out the righteous requirement of the Law as the representative of sinful man.
And although it is also unattainable in our own strength, God, in His grace, has caused it to become attainable to all who are 'in Christ' – for Jesus chose to die in our place and become a curse for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
God, in His grace, had ordained that His only Son would be born into the human race so that He could live a sinless life and fulfil all the righteous requirements of the Law on behalf of everyone who would believe on His name.
And it is by faith that we too have been saved by grace - and like all the fathers of faith, our faith in Christ is credited to us as righteousness.Praise God that we are sprinkled with the blood of a New and better Covenant – the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the one and only Mediator between God and man – and God is satisfied with us - IN Christ.
We rejoice to know that the mind-set of those walking in spirit and truth is life and peace, through the power of the indwelling Spirit, and that by His grace we have been made alive, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
And is it ours by grace, through faith in Christ.
We were saved by grace through faith in Him and at that moment of salvation our human spirit was made alive and we were positioned in Christ.
Chapter 2 marks the start of a new dispensation, with an outpouring of God's grace at Pentecost.
That first day of Pentecost (when there was a sudden noise from heaven like a violent rushing wind, which filled the whole house where the disciples were sitting), marked the day of transition from the times of Israel, to the birth of the Church and the dispensation of the grace of God.
How blessed we are to be recipients of the astonishing ministry of the Holy Spirit and beneficiaries of the mysteries that are ours in Christ Jesus, by grace through faith in Him.
May we hold fast to the faith and grow in grace for His greater glory.
But God in His grace used the writer to the Hebrews to clarify the truth to those with a teachable spirit.
Jesus came to fulfil the Law, and the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth, was the historical marker that changed the priesthood and displaced the Law of Moses by ending the Dispensation of Law, and beginning the Dispensation of the Grace of God.
As children of God, His grace and mercy have been poured out upon us in unlimited measure, and we are the beneficiaries of an eternal inheritance reserved for us in heaven, that can never, ever pass away.
In His grace and power, we have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who is conforming us into the likeness and character of Christ, while building us up into a spiritual temple for His honour and glory.
We are exhorted to be kind-hearted to one another, showing brotherly love, gentleness, goodness, and grace.
We can even rejoice in our suffering, because when our faith is tested God will be with us, and His grace is perfected in our weakness and our helpless estate.
From writings of the past, we understand that the Lord desires mercy from His children and not sacrifice, and this picture of the Burnt Offering shows that the Lord yearns that His children grow in grace and gain a deeper, more intimate knowledge of the Father, and of Jesus Christ Whom He has sent.
He was ready and willing to GIVE His life as the full and final Burnt Offering to the Lord - as an act of mercy and grace so that all who believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
The gospel of salvation is so simple that a little child can understand and be saved, and yet learned men and clever theologians have grappled with the simplicity of this beautiful message of God's saving grace and have caused it to become one of the most complicated issues in Christendom today.
And unless we return to the simple reading of the Word of truth with open eyes and a heart that is unprejudiced by unbiblical opinions and unscriptural interpretations, where the plain message of saving grace is clearly outlined for all to read, we are likely to be drawn into this never-ending doctrinal argument.
The gospel message was given to Paul by divine revelation: That Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and rose again, and Paul reminds us that we received our salvation as a free gift of grace, through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The gospel message of saving grace is the most important information that we will ever hear and it is most vital message that we need to share with a lost and dying world, for Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and then to live His life through them - by grace through believing that: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
But to us who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and who continue to 'be being saved' through the wonderful, sanctification process of the indwelling Holy Spirit conforming us day by day into the likeness of Christ Jesus our Lord, the message of the Cross is the power of God and the wisdom of God, to Whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever amen.
Israel were to be God's mouthpiece to tell the nations of God's goodness and grace, His long-suffering and mercy, His plan of redemption and offer of salvation to all who would trust in His name.
At the time of the Lord Jesus, when Israel once again failed to repent of their sin and rejected their Messiah, God used the Church (which is Christ's Body) to go into all the world and tell forth the good news of the gospel of grace to the unsaved.
The only way a fallen sinner can be saved and made holy is by God's grace alone.
But it is also a wonderful truth that by God's amazing grace and deep compassion for the fallen race man, who was made in His own image and likeness, that: The Lord Jesus saved us, not on the basis of good deeds, moral acts, noble exploits or righteous endeavours, which we have done to display our virtue and goodness before God, but according to His incredible mercy, by the washing of regeneration and spiritual renewing by the Holy Spirit.
Time and space and all that exists belongs to Him, and in His grace, He permitted David to make preparation for the magnificent Temple that his son Solomon would one day build.
The mind of man cannot begin to comprehend this incomprehensible God, Who has bestowed on us all the unsearchable riches of His grace.
Zechariah tells of this time when God will pour out His Spirit of grace and supplication on the house of David and all believing Israelites, and they will mourn and weep bitterly because they crucified their Saviour, the King of Glory.
Paul addressed a short but power-packed letter to Titus, who was one of his fellow-labourers in the spreading of the gospel of grace - particularly to the churches in the island of Crete.
And so it was that the Lord Jesus Himself quietly got up from the table and proceeded to carry out this menial task to the utter astonishment and shamefaced mortification of everyone present, demonstrating the perfect example of dignity, greatness, humility, grace, and service to others.
May we seek to live a life of dignity, greatness, humility, grace, and service to others, as we die to our own self-importance and self-interest and seek to be more Christ-like, knowing that He came amongst us as one Who serves, to the glory of God the Father.
There is nothing that needs to be added to Christ's finished work on the Cross, and there is nothing we can do to make our salvation more secure than it already is - for in Christ we are saved as a free gift of grace, by believing: Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day.
Paul is saying that you are saved if you have believed every aspect of the gospel of grace that he himself taught; which included the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To believe in vain is not to believe in all aspects of the gospel of grace which Paul taught), that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
Praise God that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, and may we share this truth with others.
Though baptism is a beautiful outward sign of a miraculous inner change effected by the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the man or woman who trusts in Christ by grace through faith, baptism was not Paul's primary mission.
Paul's main calling was to preach the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world, in season and out of season, to all who had ears to hear.
Paul was to share the gospel by grace through faith, as led by the Holy Spirit.
May we be ready to tell of the good news of the gospel of grace in spirit and truth, but not in cleverness of speech so that the Cross of Christ will not be made void.
Jesus was praying to His Father when God pulled back the curtain from His holy, hidden presence and rejoiced over Him with these words of blessed assurance and hallowed grace.
For thirty years in obscurity, this young Man had quietly honoured His Heavenly Father, day by day, while submitting in obedience and grace to His earthly mother and adoptive father.
We have been given good instructions in Scripture on how to live: In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we are to make our requests known to God, for His grace is sufficient.
The sanctification of a sinner saved by grace is both a specific act of the Holy Spirit that takes place at a moment in time, but it is also an ongoing process that is undertaken by the Holy Spirit in the heart of a believer.
Progressive sanctification is a lifelong process for the believer, as we continue to grow in grace, mature in the faith, and become gradually conformed into the image and likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus.Positional sanctification happened in the past (the moment we were saved) and progressive sanctification continues in the present, but our full, final, and perfected sanctification will only be completed in the future, when we go to be with the Lord.
When it is used to show an unsaved man or woman that they are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness, it fulfils its purpose, but when it is manipulated by false teachers to cause believers who have already been justified by grace through faith in Christ, to turn aside to vain discourses, useless discussions, frivolous arguments, and ungodly philosophies – it is very dangerous and very wrong.
The Lord is a just God and rebellion must be judged, but by God's grace Moses was told to inform the Egyptians of the coming hailstorm and advised them bring their livestock and all they had in the field, into shelters.
However sin must always be punished, and when God's plan of redemption is traced from Genesis to Revelation, it is the long-suffering and merciful nature of God that is clearly identified in all His wonderful works, and His goodness and grace towards the rebellious heart of man is clearly seen.
Pentecost was a unique, non-repeatable event, that marked the beginning of the post-Cross dispensation of the grace of God.
The same Spirit Who indwells us at the point of salvation and empowers us throughout our life, will enable us to guard the precious treasure that has been entrusted to us, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Christ demonstrated that God's children are to live in spirit and truth, to walk in spirit and truth, and to pray, praise, worship and reverence our Heavenly Father in spirit and in truth, in love and in grace.
'Hallel' is a short form of the Hebrew word 'Hallelujah' and is a call to all the people to praise and worship the Lord our God for His goodness, grace, mercy, and His plan of redemption.
His mercy and grace is unending and He gives strength to the weak.
May we ascribe to Him all honour and glory, for His love and grace are never-ending.
We are blessed to know that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. We have been born again into the heavenly family of God, as part of a new and better creation with a perfect Federal Head - we are members of the New Man, Christ Jesus.
And because of the great love with which He loved us, He sent Jesus to be the propitiation for our sin: But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
But have you considered that it was only by God's amazing grace that he permitted one fallen man to dictate the destiny of all humanity so that ONE PERFECT MAN - the Man Christ Jesus - could determine the redemption of ALL - for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
We who are saved by grace through faith, praise God because Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf, removing us from its curse and guilt and forgiving us our sin.
As believers, we are not under Law but under Grace because Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf.
And so we discover Paul clarifying the truth of the glorious gospel of grace to this little group of believers, who were themselves starting to question the authenticity of the inerrant Word of God, and in particular Christ's glorious Resurrection.
And we in the twenty-first century are witnesses of that same saving message of God's grace by faith, which has its roots in the book of Genesis (when Adam fell), and reaches its climatic conclusion in the book of Revelation (when Christ rules as King of kings and Lord of lords).
When the men and women in the Church at Corinth first heard the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, their lives were wonderfully transformed which was one vital proof that the gospel of Christ was an indisputable fact and a foundational truth to be defended at all cost.
It is the glorious gospel of grace by which we are saved: That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
His throne has been established in heavenly places, and righteousness and truth is the foundation upon which His everlasting kingdom of grace will stand.
For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God's grace.
It is also Jesus to Whom the indwelling Spirit of God directs our gaze, and it is Jesus Who demands our worship and praise, our adoration and grateful thanks – for just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so that all who looked upon that bronze serpent would live, so Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour, was lifted up on the Cross of Calvary so that all who look to Him would be saved by grace through faith and have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.In this passage, we are exhorted to look away from all things that hinder or halt our spiritual growth and to turn our gaze trustingly, intently, and purposefully toward the lovely Lord Jesus.
We are to look earnestly and continuously at the perfect Law of the Spirit of life, which is ours by faith in Christ, and we are to keep on concentrating on Him and focussing on His Word, which sustains us with spiritual strength, guards and protects us from the ravages of the enemy, and guides us into all truth as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.
The more we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word, the more we will grow in grace and the easier it will be to recognise when a titivating teaching has strayed into falsehood.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone, for there is no other way to the Father, except through the SON Who gave His life as a ransom for all who would believe in Him.
Christ had glorified God throughout His life, by His miracles, by His ministry, by His grace, by living in humble obedience to the Father, and by submitting to the power of the Spirit, for He had laid aside His pre-incarnate glory.
They want to dilute our faith and encourage us to compromise the truth of the gospel of grace with a watered-down gospel that dishonours God and causes our testimony to be destroyed.
Rahab was a lost sinner, but she heard God's Word, believed in her heart, and was saved by grace through faith; and her conduct in helping the spies demonstrated faith in action.
That scarlet ribbon that streamed from the window of a sinner saved by grace, fluttering in the wind, is a beautiful picture of God's redemptive programme that threads its life-giving way through the pages of Scripture.
The wonderful grace of God that we read about in Rahab's life-story is no less true of every man or woman who is saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Today, the world is in deep darkness, and submerged in sickness, sin, evil, and ignorance... yet in His goodness and grace, Christ stripped Himself of His glory and clothed Himself in human flesh.
He was born into this fallen race so that the saving light of His truth and love could shine into the recesses of man's blackened heart and rekindle a spark of hope in the soul of men - so that whosoever believes on Him by grace through faith, would be removed from the kingdom of darkness, and placed into the brightness of God's eternal kingdom of light.
Man has been given a free will to accept the light of the glorious gospel of grace, and all who trust in Him for salvation will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life as an abiding presence within.
In Romans chapters 3 to 8, Paul makes many contrasts between living under the Law and living under grace.
But by grace through faith, our old man, our old sin nature is nailed to the Cross with Jesus, and our relationship with sin is rendered null and void.
Paul makes it very clear that if we have died with Christ (by grace through faith which releases us from the demands of the Law), we shall also live with Him because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again.
But each promise of God and every Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord is true and honest - and instead of contradiction, contrast, and confusion, we see complementary Scriptures that harmonise beautifully with one another - and which draw us closer to the God of grace Who loves His children with an everlasting love.
We are to cast all our cares on the Lord, for He cares deeply for each one of us and has promised to sustain us... for His grace is sufficient, His unfathomable wisdom is made perfect through our own helplessness, and His almighty strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Timothy was one who would continue to preach the whole council of God and the uncompromised gospel of grace, after Paul himself was gone.
This second letter to Timothy, was the last of Paul's epistles to be written... and as he penned the words, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord, I am sure that Paul's heart was filled with a mixture of joy and concern for this young man to whom the gospel of the grace of God was to be entrusted, after his death.
And so he added the word mercy to his usual greeting of grace and peace writing, To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
It has been suggested that God's grace is needed for every service and His mercy is necessary for every failure, while the peace of God is a requirement for every single circumstance of life.
The example of Paul's heart-felt concern and his prayer for grace, mercy, and peace over the life of Timothy, is an example to each one of us as we lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ to the Lord - in these increasingly evil days when the devil, as a roaring lion, continues to prowl about - seeking whom he may devour.
May God pour out His grace, mercy, and peace on all His children, until the day of Christ Jesus our Lord, and may we all follow the example of Paul in his ceaseless prayer-life, for all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
The gospel of Christ is living and powerful, and when this living, God-breathed gospel of God's grace is planted in the heart of a spirit-filled, born-again believer and watered with living waters from on high, that tiny germ of life will begin to grow and develop and bring forth much fruit, to the glory of God.
The Colossian Christians exemplified a little group of believers who were walking in spirit and truth and who had brought forth the spiritual fruit of faith, hope, and love in abundance, and Paul rejoiced to hear that individually and collectively they were growing in grace and in a knowledge of their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
May we continue to grow in grace, day by day, and be ready and willing to share the good news of the glorious gospel of the grace of God in spirit and in truth in our little corner of God's vineyard, to the glory of God.
Opposition to the Word of truth and the testimony of God is as old as the hills, and hostility toward the Christian faith, the Church of God, and the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, continues to rumble around the globe today and ravage many ministries, just as it did when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Just as God's grace was sufficient for Moses when he was opposed by Jannes and Jambres, so Timothy would be upheld by the power of the Holy Spirit when he was opposed by similar men with reprobate minds who deliberately opposed the truth of the glorious gospel of God.
Although the problem of false teachers who oppose God's Word continues to rage today, we may also be assured that God's grace is sufficient for us too.
As the world charges forward into an increasingly uncertain future, let us recall the wonderful way God moved the heart of famous men and insignificant people to fulfil His perfect plans and purposes for the redemption of the world, and let us confidently trust Him today, and thank Him for His never-failing goodness and grace.
Paul's first communication concentrated on correction, while the focus of this second message is on comfort, victory in the Cross, and the sufficient grace that is ours in Christ.
It talks of the glory and grace we have through the indwelling Spirit of God, and the wisdom and power that comes from our Father in heaven - and it encourages us to endeavour to keep the unity of the Body - for which we should seek after and strive for in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This was untrue and was diametrically opposite of Paul's glorious gospel of grace and the ministry to which he had been called.
We are called to be saved by grace through faith but we are also to live by grace through faith as we apply the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus in our everyday lives.
Paul was commissioned to teach the post-Cross doctrine of grace to the Church, and not the pre-Cross restrictions of the Law to Israel.
The post-Cross doctrine of grace is for believers in the Church.
In the previous Psalm, David identified the man who denies the existence of God and who refuses His offer of salvation by grace through faith in His Word of truth, as the natural man, the unbelieving fool who has said in his heart: There is no God.
The fool may say in his heart that there is no God, but the born-again believer is the one who, by grace through faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit, is enabled to walk with integrity, work the works of righteousness, speak truth in his heart, guard his words, and tame his tongue.
They are the ones who lives reflect honesty, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and grace, and they are the ones who put on the whole armour of God and stand fast in the Lord and in the power of His might.
And yet, in grace and love He stooped down from His high kingly throne to raise us up and seat us together with Himself in heavenly places, and open up His Word to us.
Let us remember that we are the slaves for whom Christ laid down His life so that we might become His friends and know the truth of the gospel of grace and do as He commanded.
But by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus, every single sin, past, present, and future, has already been removed as far as the east is from the west.
It is by the grace and mercy of God, that the burden of sin that we all carry and which condemns us to eternal death and hell has been lifted, and the barrier of sin which excludes us forever from the presence of our God, has been removed.
Christ paid the price for our sins and broke the power of sin in our lives, and God in His grace and mercy has taken every one of those foul thoughts, words, and deeds, and flung them forever into the outer limits of extremity.
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and was smitten of God for our sakes – so that by grace through faith in His selfless, sacrificial work on Calvary’s Cross, we might be forgiven of our sin, brought back into fellowship with God, clothed in Christ's perfect righteousness, receive access to the throne of grace, and be endowed with the riches of God’s abundant blessings towards us – in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What joy to know that collectively, the Body of Christ will be used to display the immeasurable riches of God's grace towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ Jesus died for us.
During the time that Israel is set aside, it is the Church that has been called to preach the gospel of grace and proclaim the Saviour of the world to Jew and Gentile alike so that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, by grace through faith in Christ.We must never forget that Israel is the nation to whom Isaiah is speaking, and we must always remember that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
May we come to a deeper awareness of the beautiful attributes of our glorious God, for He is the only source of grace and truth, mercy and love, peace and hope, salvation for the soul, and life eternal.
God's wonderful plan of redemption and His amazing mercy and grace, beautifully unfolds within the pages of Scripture and streams through God's Word like a golden thread of hope; a scarlet stream of life-giving blood.
Just as we reach the climatic point where God determined to wipe mankind from the face of the earth, together with all the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky, we arrive at a most blessed verse: But Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord.
The grace of God caused Noah to build an ark for the saving of his family, because he believed God's Word and obeyed His command.
Grace meant that Noah preached righteousness to the wicked world for 120 years, but no one believed his message and only his wife and their three sons, together with their son's wives, escaped the judgement of God.
The fast-moving drama of grace which preceded the floodwaters of judgement, was followed by more grace being poured out on Noah.
Because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, this man of faith, together with his family, exited the safety of the ark onto a cleansed land.
But it is only by faith alone in Christ alone that salvation is given as a free gift of God's grace.
It was God's grace that excluded Adam from the Garden, lest he eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in a cursed body.
It was by grace through faith that God covered Adam and his wife with the skin of a sacrificed animal which pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.
It was through faith that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord when he believed God's Word, and it was by grace through faith that when warned about the coming judgement, that he was motivated, by godly fear, to build an ark to deliver his wife, his sons, and his sons' wives.
It was by God's grace that Noah was permitted to preach righteousness to his wicked generation, and it was by grace that when the world was judged by water, Noah became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
It was by God's grace that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and it is by grace that the truth is written for our learning in Scripture.
And every person that has sprung from Shem, Ham, and Japheth, has the opportunity to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved by God's grace through faith in Him.
How easy it is for a Christian to fall from grace through idolatry, legalism, or by adopting a false gospel.
And Paul used Israel's baptism into Moses, and their subsequent failure, as a warning to the Church, not to fall from grace, into the same attitude of unbelief.
Magnification of the Lord and the jubilant exaltation of His holy name, should be a dear desire in the heart of all who have been forgiven of their sins by faith in Christ and have received eternal life by the goodness and grace of Almighty God.
The doorway of this day of grace has been standing open for 2000 years for whosoever will repent of their sins, turn to the Lord, and be saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They will either stand before Him in grace or in judgement.
Do we simply consider ourselves 'sinners saved by grace' as indeed we are, or do we grasp the challenge to become His close and intimate friend, a friend who loves at all time, a friend that sticks closer than a brother, a friend who would be willing to lay down our life for our dear, heavenly Saviour and Friend?
We should crave the milk of the Word so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and we should meditate upon the meat of the Word so that we may walk in spirit and truth and live in submission to the guiding of the Spirit.
The salvation of the sinner is evidence of the abounding and overflowing riches of God’s amazing grace towards the children of men, and in the eternal ages to come, this salvation will stand as a witness of the undeniable proof to both men and angels - the inexhaustible and unsearchable riches of God’s grace towards those who have been saved by His blood.
No matter what ceases from view and no matter what is blotted out from our memories, the exceeding riches of God’s amazing grace in His kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus our Lord, will stand firm as an everlasting memorial of God’s astonishing grace and His unconditional love.Our elevated position, our heavenly possession, and our redeemed person, are trophies of the incredible kindness that God has shown to each of His blood-bought children, in saving us by grace through faith in the sacrificial offering of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross.
Our very lives will stand as a sure testimony of God’s great goodness, and we will remain a never-ending tribute of God’s grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus: So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ.
The gospel of grace which we preach in the world today, will remain as an everlasting witness of God's glorious grace to angelic principalities and power in the ages to come.
When the fullness of Christ's Body has come in and we have received our glorified bodies, we will continue to gossip the gospel and glorify the Lord as we sing of His great wonders and recall His grace towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and imputed us with His perfect righteousness.
No matter what is taken away or what additional joys are bestowed upon us all, our great salvation will stand firm as the singular, timeless testimonial of the divine goodness of our God towards us, and we will become a perpetual demonstration of the incomparable and exceeding riches of God’s amazing grace which has been expressed in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
May we be filled with awe and wonder as we consider the surpassing riches of God's grace towards us and not permit familiarity with the gospel to dim our joy, or dampen our enthusiasm for all that the Lord has done for us.
May we grow in grace and in a deeper knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Saviour so that we may reflect His love and beauty to others and become a conduit of His grace.
Before we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, we were dead in our sins, at enmity with God, slaves of Satan, and governed by the old, fallen sin-nature.
Peter was writing his letter to believers, but he knew that many of the people to whom he was writing had engaged in these and other ungodly practices, before being saved by grace through faith in Christ.
We have a limited amount of time on earth and by God's grace, should seek to use it for His greater praise and glory, knowing that we have been given ALL we need for life and godliness.
Instead of behaving like unsaved man, with their carnal cravings and proud imaginings, they ought to be spiritual believers; growing in grace, maturing in the faith, and living in a manner that pleases God, as should we!
It is by faith that we have the indwelling Spirit of God, and should appraise ourselves to see if we are in the faith, walking in spirit and truth, growing in grace, and maturing in our Christian witness.
May we come boldly before the throne of grace, and declare God's Word as fact, in the face of the enemy, so that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need- just as David did, when man tramples us, fights against us, and oppresses us all day long.
By encouraging the Thessalonian believers to be partners with him in praying for the idolatrous city of Corinth, Paul was also enabling them to be partakers of the joy of hearing that many in Corinth were coming to faith in Christ and being saved by God's amazing grace.
And as we earnestly offer prayers and intercessions in our generation, we trust that the gospel of grace would spread quickly and not be hindered, that there would be much fruit, and that our Father in heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ would be glorified.
Oh, they were saved by grace through faith in Christ, for they were identified by Paul as 'saints.' They had also been equipped with many spiritual gifts and were described as being positionally 'sanctified in Christ' and 'set apart' unto God.
They were not growing in grace or maturing in the faith and Paul had to deal with a multitude of problems which they needed to address, both individually and collectively.
As Church-age believers, we are not under law but under grace, which means that we are called to live by a supernatural standard which is only achieved when we live for Christ, die to self, walk in spirit and truth, and submit to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And here we discover the Psalmist giving glory to the Lord in an explosion of praise and joyful thanksgiving for His abundant goodness and everlasting grace: For the Lord IS good and His mercy endures forever.
It is by God's grace that the Father gave His only begotten Son to pay the ransom price for our sin, and it is by faith in His finished work on Calvary's Cross, that salvation (the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting) becomes our eternal possession.
Paul had such a godly joy in his heart that he knew his own hardships would be used for the glory of God and to forward the good news of the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world.
His prison witness had become so widespread that all his fellow-inmates, together with the prison jailers and all the palace guards from the Cesar's own household, had come to know the reason for Paul's imprisonment and had heard the good news of the glorious gospel of grace.
He warns Titus to avoid the worldly habits of unkindly actions and deceitful words, but encourages him to live a life that reflects the beauty of Christ's gentleness and the glory of His grace and kindness.
Then comes the crescendo to which Paul has been moving, for he reminds Titus that it was only by the grace, kindness, and mercy of God that Christ was sent to save them.
Not because of their own good works or righteousness which are considered by God to be filthy rags, but according to His mercy through the washing of regeneration, and being made new and clean and whole by the cleansing Word of the Holy Spirit which has been poured out, by God's grace, to everyone that believes in Christ.
Finally, Paul reaches the climax of this encouraging epistle: So that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Has this really sunk into our heads?
It is because of God's GRACE that He has declared us RIGHTEOUS and has given us absolute confidence that we will inherit ETERNAL LIFE.
And all who are saved by grace through faith can rejoice in Christ Who is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
His understanding is a table that is overflowing with good things, and all these good things are all found in Christ – Who is the wisdom of God and the power of God - and by grace through faith, we are one with Christ and He is of God.
With only one more year to go until His sacrificial death on the Cross, it seems that this third Passover, which is called 'a feast of the Jews' was the event which activated that last leg of Christ's earthly ministry before His disciples would be left to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of the gospel of grace in His absence, while the gospel of the kingdom would have to be postponed for a season.
The urgent message of Hebrews is that Christians, and particularly Jewish believers, should not return to the religiosity and legalistic practices of the Mosaic Law and pre-Cross Israel, for we are not under the Law but under grace.
Today, we live in 'the dispensation of the grace of God'.
He calls them, and us, to consider the Person and Work of Jesus and warns against neglecting the gospel of grace, hardening our heart, reverting to spiritual infancy, falling away from the truth, or treating the wonderful birthright we have in Christ, with disdain.
By His goodness and grace, God purposed to use the Church as the instrument to secure better promises for Israel (heavenly, as well as earthly promises) just as He used Israel as His instrument to bring the glorious gospel of redemption through their Jewish Messiah to the Gentiles.
As an act of divine grace, God immediately banished Adam and his wife from the garden of delight, preventing them from tasting the Tree of Life's life-giving properties.
When He comes into the heart of a sinner saved by grace, that man or woman is transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, for He is that blessed Hope.
The constant fightings without and fears within, caused David to cry out for grace and mercy from the relentless attacks that oppressed him.
At times we will feel alone, afraid, and in great anguish, but like David, we always have access to the throne of grace, for mercy to find help in times of need.
They were to shed abroad the wonders of His name and proclaim throughout the world the glorious news of salvation by grace through faith to those who were dead in sin.
But God in His grace, chose Israel to become His one and only witness to a lost and dying world.
But Paul, Christ's chosen apostle to the Gentiles, disclosed certain additional truths regarding the important ministry and work of believers, in this 'Dispensation of the Grace of God'.
We are those that have been commissioned to show forth the riches of God's grace to the kingdom of Satan and spiritual powers in heavenly places.
The Church is called to be a witness of God's grace to both holy angels and demonic beings... and we are not only to show forth His goodness and grace in this day and age, but also in the ages to come so that they too might come to a knowledge of the manifold wisdom of God and His amazing grace towards mankind.
Angels and heavenly bodies, whether holy messengers or fallen beings, have never personally experienced the wonderful, saving grace of God, because mankind alone was made in God's image and formed in His likeness.
Only humanity is the recipient of God's redemptive grace, whereby Christ become one of us and took upon Himself the role of man's Kinsman-Redeemer when He died for our sin, on Calvary's tree.
And He also rose again to give us eternal life by God's amazing grace - through faith in the only begotten Son of God.
May the grace and favour of God continue to rest upon us, and may the beauty of the Lord Jesus be seen in us and through us as we submit to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in our life, to His praise and glory.
And so we read in this verse: I will diligently endeavour to make sure that even after my death and departure from this world, that you will bring to mind everything that I had taught you. Peter earnestly wanted grace and peace to be multiplied in the lives of the sheep and lambs under His care.
We are to live a life that is sanctified unto God - a life that is walking in spirit and truth - a life that is growing in grace, and a life that honours our Father in heaven.
Every one of God's people can give evidence of the wonders the Lord has done in each of our lives, for we have all been saved by grace through faith in HIM.
Just as the body needs a daily intake of food, so the soul needs a continuous intake of Christ, the Word of God: For faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God. And it is as we grow in grace and mature in our Christian walk that we will discover that we can apply faith correctly; for the glory of God.
Let us like Jeremiah, continue to share the good news of the gospel of grace and to warn others of the corrective hand of our God on our lives and our world.
Paul's divinely appointed apostleship was also being challenged, and for two whole chapters, Paul carefully defends both his apostolic calling and the gospel of grace which he received directly and by divine revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
The strong language that Paul uses to refute this false teaching and the stern denunciations he makes about these legalists, who were insisting on adding to the simple truth of the gospel message (that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the finished, sacrificial work of Christ alone) serves only to demonstrate how dangerous Paul considered this legalist teaching.
Paul strongly condemns those that deliberately add legalistic works to the pure gospel of Christ as being bewitched. He considers those that hold to this legalistic teaching to have been placed under a spell of the enemy and even adds that those who insist on adding to the gospel of grace should be accursed.
In both the Old and New Testaments, the just are saved by grace through faith and are to live by grace through faith.
Faith in Christ's work on the Cross and His shed blood alone is the price that the Father demands for payment for our sin, and whoever believes in Him is saved by grace.
And through the teaching of the apostle Paul, God demands that we too recognise that salvation is His free gift of grace to all who will trust in Christ's finished work at Calvary.
Let us praise God for His saving grace, and may we continue to live our life by grace through faith in Him.
By grace through faith in Him, Ruth became one of the most exquisite 'types' of the Church we discover in the pages of Scripture, and found herself elevated to be grandmother to the great king David and a descendent of the Messiah of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ died UNTO sin: So sin shall not have dominion OVER you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Christ died to break the power of sin in our everyday life which means that sin does not have the power to dominate our lives as it does with non-believers.
And when we walk in spirit and truth, we will grow in grace, mature in the faith, produce spiritual fruit, and live a life that honours our Father in heaven.
The people that were present during the life, ministry, death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus belong to a unique generation because their life spanned the closing years of the pre-Cross dispensation of the Law (when Christ offered the kingdom to Israel, who rejected it), and the post-Resurrection dispensation of grace (where salvation is a free gift of God's grace, to all who will believe in Christ's death, burial and Resurrection for the forgiveness of our sin).
Paul structured the first few chapters of the book of Romans to bring every member of the human race, whether Jew or Gentile, to the stark realisation that we are ALL under sin and we ALL need salvation by grace through faith - and he used a string of Old Testament verses to verify the truth and to seal his argument:
This catalogue of man's depravity is sufficient to bring the most positive of people to the pit of despair - if it were not for the glorious gospel of grace that followed.
Let us celebrate the wonderful truth of God's amazing gift of salvation which is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ - not of works, lest any man should boast.
They had formerly been idol worshippers, but had responded to the good news of the gospel of grace and were wonderfully born again into the Body of Christ and the kingdom of God.
Let us be diligent to listen to all He says and to apply it to our lives, and let us comfort one another with the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, knowing that Christ died for our sin and rose again so that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Whoever would believe on His name, would not perish but have everlasting life, and by grace they would find mercy in time of need.
Before we were born again into the family of God, we were without Christ, without a heavenly citizenship, without a covenant relationship, without God's promises, without access to the throne of grace, and without hope in the world.
Before we were accepted in the Beloved by grace through faith in His sacrificial death and Resurrection, we were spiritually dead and doomed to eternal separation from God.
We who have trusted in Christ as Saviour, are to remember the many precious promises He has made towards us, and we are also to the recall countless times that God has defended and comforted His people Israel in their distress, knowing that His grace is the same toward His people, the Church, as it was in ancient past.
He makes it clear that judgement will fall and the people will be scattered, while painting a magnificent picture of God's never-failing patience and grace towards them.
They also had to understand that Jesus was the Messiah, promised of old, Who would redeem them by grace through faith in Him: You believe in God, He challenged them, believe also in Me, for Jesus alone has the words of eternal life.
The persecution of those early believers set the stage for the rapid advance of the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.
Saul was a zealous Pharisee whose hatred of Christ's followers was so intense that he gained permission to hunt down Christian converts further afield and eliminate the steady spread of the good news of the gospel of grace, across the region.
It is only by grace through faith in these astonishing historical facts that a lost sinner can become a saved saint.
It is only by believing the glorious gospel of grace that this great and magnificent mystery of godliness is able to be manifested in the life of a believer, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Only those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ have the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
He also warned them to be on their spiritual guard, for false teachers and doctrines of demons were aggressively infiltrating the Body of Christ in those early days of the Church, just as they are today in these final days of the dispensation of grace.
John knew the importance of holding fast to the truth, for he had walked with Jesus Who was full of grace and truth.
John tells us that this new life in Christ cannot sin; this new life always delights in the light and life of God's law, and rejoices in the truth of His Word of grace.
God does not seek to change our old sin nature, but purposes to transform our new life in Christ into His likeness, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The book of Romans lays out the clear path of condemnation and destruction that foolish and rebellious men choose to pursue, when they refuse to acknowledge the truth, but praise God that Paul also goes into great detail on how to be saved by grace through faith in Christ and details the many privileges that are ours in the Lord Jesus, our God and our Saviour.
Although many of the stern warnings in his short book were fulfilled when the southern kingdom of Judah was finally swept into Babylonian slavery, the ultimate and final fulfilment is yet future: The Day of the Lord's wrath, will be poured out during the 70th week of Daniel, that future time of Jacob's Trouble, when the full force of God's wrath and anger will be spewed out on a world that rejected His Son and refused to be saved by grace through faith.
Our awesome God of righteousness and justice is also an amazing God of love and mercy; a God of goodness and grace.
And Paul quoted from the New Covenant, which God made with Israel when He said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people, Paul was not placing Christians back under the Law, for we are not under the Law but under grace.
They demonstrated how well-taught Christians can quickly fall from grace when they do not heed the Word of truth, or begin to make compromises with the world.
They may be rich in worldly goods, well-fed, famous, and popular, but if they reject Christ's offer of salvation, by grace through faith in Him... they are men most miserable for they are eternally cursed and excluded from His eternal kingdom. Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
Though God is a God of justice and must punish all sin, nevertheless He is a God of love and mercy, kindness and compassion, long-suffering and of great goodness, and as His children, we are instructed to display the same godly qualities and merciful attitude that He has shown to each one of us who has been saved by grace through faith in Him.
But God in His goodness and grace, gave us ways and means to discover much about Who He is: His character; His Tri-unity; His Person; His ultimate plans; and His wonderful purposes for the redemption of mankind.
It is the witness of the written Word which unveils God's amazing grace, His great mercy, His unconditional love, and His never-failing faithfulness to the children of men.
Paul spoke of the mystery which has been hidden from past ages and generations, but now known to us: Which is Christ in you the hope of glory, and he laboured unceasingly to maintain the pure message of the gospel of grace and to instruct believers in godly living.
And so Paul calls us all to reflect on what it means to be in the family of God; to know His grace, His affection, His compassion, His love, and to experience the benefits of the indwelling Holy Spirit (God's gift of grace to all Christians).
Paul knew that we could only respond to that little word 'IF' in a positive manner, for ALL believers have found encouragement in Christ, ALL have known the consolation of God's love, ALL have benefitted from the fellowship of the Spirit which is in Christ Jesus, and ALL have access to God's grace and mercy, His affection and love, and the compassion, joy, and hope which we share in our heavenly Bridegroom.
Paul emphasises the importance of Christians living together in spiritual unity and godly harmony, and of the eternal benefits that we derive from our salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
As Paul was nearing the end of his ministry, we discover that all but a handful of believers had deserted him and many were straying from the gospel of grace.
What an encouragement to Christian mothers and grandmothers (as well as the fathers and grandfathers) to pass on the gospel of God's grace to each new generation of children, and to teach them the things of God.
We who are saved by grace through faith have already trusted in Christ for salvation, and in so doing have not only found our rest in Him already, but as the writer to the Hebrews reminds us, there remains a Sabbath rest for ALL the people of God, an eternal Sabbath rest in the ages to come that is ours by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Although this verse appears contentious, Paul is simply stating that women should not behave in a disorderly, noisy, or hyperactive manner, but that their outward behaviour, in Church and at home, should mirror an inner virtue and grace.
And God, in His grace, prepared a great fish to swallow up his fleeing prophet so that His plans and purposes would not be thwarted.
Jonah had been selected to carry out God's will... and it was by God's grace that He caused Jonah to be swallowed by a great fish and not digested as he remained for three days and three nights in its belly!!
God could have carried out His gracious plans for Nineveh through a more responsive individual... but it was God's grace that permitted the reluctant Jonah to have a second chance to take the good news of salvation to the lost Gentiles in that great city of Nineveh.
God, in His grace, gave Jonah a second opportunity to fulfil His plans and purposes in his life.
Others, like Jonah, can be resistant to God's claim on their life and be unwilling to listen to His voice, heed His commands, and share the good news of the gospel of grace.
Israel's relationship with God did not exempt them from sin and its consequences, and the same is true of the Church in this dispensation of grace.
We are certainly privileged to be saved by grace through faith in Christ and to have been freed from the curse of the Law through His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, but we must maintain an attitude of eschewing that which is evil and seeking to do that which is righteous in the eyes of the Lord.
Despite Israel's rejection of their Messiah-King, Paul is giving full assurance that God's gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ finished work, is wide open to both Jew and Gentiles alike and he gave the assurance to both Israel and the nations: If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Paul interrupted his in-depth dissertation on the universal need of the gospel and the way to be saved by grace through faith in Christ, by devoting three chapters to Israel, the nation God elected to fulfil His plans and purposes.
God alone determined that the wages of guilty sinners is death, and He also determined that salvation would be His gift of grace, through faith alone in His only begotten Son, and that nothing in our character, conduct, natural descent, or human merit, would influence or affect our salvation.
Just as God sovereignly selected Jacob without any outside influence, so also He sovereignly dictates the conditions of our salvation, which is a gift of His grace ALONE to ALL who believe.
Salvation is by grace ALONE, through faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE because God determined it to be so.
He is the Spirit of wisdom and grace, and He is also the Spirit of comfort.
The Book of Acts is a time of transition from the pre-Cross dispensation of the Law, when God was working through Israel, to the post-Cross dispensation of grace, when the Church became God's ministers of reconciliation through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
When the Church began to realise that the saving message of the gospel of grace was not only for Jews, Jewish proselytes, and men of Israel living in different parts of the world, but was also to be be given to the Samaritans in Samaria and Gentiles in the uttermost parts of the earth, there followed a time of peace in the land.
That old sin nature will remain in bitter rivalry with my new life in Christ which must grow in grace and mature in the knowledge of Jesus.
How dearly does my new life need to grow in grace, but how impossible in my own strength to combat the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life!
But God in His wisdom and grace, did not leave my new life in Christ to overcome alone.
It is as I submit to His gracious leading and gentle guidance, that sin is mortified and grace is quickened.
Peter also came to understand that growing in grace and maturing in the faith is only achieved as we decrease in our own importance so that the might, majesty, dominion, and strength of Christ may be seen in us and exalted on high.
Peter taught the good news of the gospel of grace and the glorious message of salvation by grace though faith in Christ, and made clear to us the power of the Cross and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Whose sacrifice of Himself at Calvary and glorious Resurrection is the single thing that is worth living for - and the one thing worth dying for.
He wanted to get across that we are no longer bound by law, but are under grace - and Paul spent many verses outlining who we are in Christ and the privileges we have in Him.
His emphasis was that in Christ, we have been born into a second creation - by grace through faith!
But thanks be to God that we have a Saviour Whose own perfect life and sacrificial death broke the power that the Law had over our old sin nature, by grace through faith. Faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary alone can break that binding contract between the sinner and the Law.
Because He is the image and likeness of God, Jesus (the one and only unique God-Man) is the possessor of God's very character and essence, full of grace and truth.
Our hunger and thirst should be for Him - for Christ - that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, for as we yield our lives to the Holy Spirit He will conform us to become more and more like Christ.
Paul knew that they had received sound teaching which should result in them growing in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, but instead they were manifesting jealously and strife amongst themselves and displaying the ungodly behaviours of unsaved pagans rather than spirit-filled believers.
We who are saved by grace through faith, find our everlasting refuge in Christ Who took the punishment for our sin and became our strong Fortress, our everlasting Refuge, and the Rock of our salvation.
He was to be another Christ-like Comforter Who would guide their hearts and minds into the way of truth - so that by grace through faith, they would have the mind of Christ!
Graciousness and goodness join together with sincerity and truth, which are recognisable garments, and the garments of sincerity, truth, righteousness, and grace are only worn by the one that is the benefactor of Christlike wisdom from above.
May this important question be asked of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ: Who among you is wise and who has understanding?
And may we all with our action and attitude reflect the same resounding reply, which was identified by James in his singular epistle so that by God's grace we reflect the beauty and wisdom of the Lord Jesus, both by our good behaviour and through the gentleness of spirit, which alone comes from the Lord Himself.
The clear teaching of Scripture is that God chose each one for salvation based on the choices He knew we would one day make, in respect of His offer of salvation, which is by grace through faith in Christ.
Let us never forget to thank Him for His goodness and grace towards us, for we read: He who believes on Him is not condemned: but he who does not believe on Christ is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
How we praise and thank God, and glorify His holy name that by grace through faith in Him we were positioned in Christ, set apart unto Him, and brought into His heavenly family, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In His mercy and grace, God chose us for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit, by trusting the Word of God, hearing the truth, and believing it.
We are to grow in grace, walk in newness of life, live in willing submission to the indwelling Holy Spirit, and love as Christ loved us, which can ONLY be carried out when we remain in fellowship with Him.
Paul saw his four-year-long Roman imprisonment as God's gracious hand of blessing on his life, for it enabled him to share the good news of the gospel of grace with groups of individuals, both Jew and Gentile, that may never have heard the truth of the gospel of Christ.
He outlines the godly conduct that should be evident in the lives of all who are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Peter confessed as the Messiah of Israel and Son of the living God.
We have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ and there are numerous other eternal privileges and promises that have been given to us as a free gift of God's grace - by faith in Him.
However, the means of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is found in the Word of God.
By grace through faith, we receive an incorruptible salvation, together with an incorruptible inheritance through the incorruptible Word of God which is living, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.
Those who have trusted in Him by grace through faith have the mind of Christ, which will guide us into all truth, for the Spirit of Christ Who indwells our heart is ready to lead and guide all who will willingly submit their lives into His keeping.
He declared the veracity of the glorious gospel of grace, honestly, without compromise, and irrespective of the consequences.
May we truly stand firm in the evil day and grow in grace and wisdom and a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour in Whom we trust, for He alone is worthy of all praise.
Firstly, he was not to be ashamed of: The testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the glorious gospel of salvation by grace through our faith in Jesus.
Paul proved, over and again, that God's grace is sufficient in every difficulty and danger we may face, for when we are weak in ourselves we become giants in His power.
John's heart rejoiced because this lady and some of her children, knew the truth of the gospel of Christ and were walking in the light of the gospel of grace.
We are to die to self, grow in grace, and mature in the faith so that the indwelling Holy Spirit may work in and through us to the glory of God the Father (our sanctification).
David, the shepherd king of Israel, gives the most beautiful and complete exhortation to bless the Lord for His grace and mercy, as he catalogues many unfathomable truths within this simple and well-loved Psalm.
This single gift of salvation, by grace through faith, should be sufficient to merit our eternal and never-ending thanks and praise.
There is no limit to His power to heal and no end of His tender-mercies, which are new every morning... for His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in our weakness.
Our inner man is growing in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, as we walk in spirit and truth and abide in Christ and He in us.
As we reflect on this 103rd Psalm of David and the privileges that are ours in Him, let our hearts and souls bless the Lord for His goodness, His grace, and His mercy, and let us never cease to thank Him for His unfathomable gift of salvation.
When Peter quoted these words from the Psalmist, however, he excluded that final, sombre sentence from his epistle... for today we live in the dispensation of the grace of God, when guilty sinners can be cleansed from all sin - by grace through faith in Christ's redemptive work on Calvary's Cross.
We who are born again in this Church age, are to be vehicles of God's grace.
May we who have received the over-abounding mercy and grace of God in our lives, demonstrate a Christ-like character in our daily living - through purity of heart, the pursuit of peace, the compassion of Christ, the mercy of God, and a life that is walking in spirit and truth... even during these increasingly difficult days of severe suffering and increasingly intense Christian persecution.
How critical that we pay close attention to all that we have heard from the Lord so that we do not drift away from the glorious gospel of grace.
If the perfect Law taught that the wages of sin is death, how important to pay close attention to the gospel of the grace, where the gift of God is eternal lift through Jesus Christ our Lord.
How important that we do not drift away from the glorious gospel of grace: For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, after it was at the first spoken through the Lord Jesus Himself and confirmed to us by those His holy apostles?
As saints of God we should all be instant in prayer, constantly lifting our hearts and voice to the Lord in prayers of thanks and praise and intercession and requests, and laying them before the throne of God's grace in the name of JESUS - knowing that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
However, in this psalm we hear of David rejoicing in the Lord and extolling His goodness and grace as he sings a song of grateful thanks and praise for restoring him to health and strength: O LORD my God, he sings joyfully, I cried to You for help, and You healed me!
We are all aware that mornings of joy follow every night of weeping, but when a death-threatening illness has been reversed by God's grace and healing hand has brought life-giving health and strength, we should never forget to thank Him and to extol His holy name for His kindness in raising us up into health and wholeness.
Similarly, the apostle Peter also rejoiced in God and gave glory to His name when he considered the amazing and over-abounding grace of God, and instructed believers: Grow in the grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who is worthy of all honour and glory, both now and to the day of eternity.
The work that God has done in each of our lives is going to be used by the Father as an everlasting testimony of His goodness and grace towards the children of men.
May we never forget that it is not because of anything we have done that we are saved, but by God's amazing and indefinable grace.
God raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
God the Father is going to use Christians as an everlasting demonstration to the angelic hosts and generations of human-kind, of His love, mercy, goodness, and grace.
It is by grace and grace alone that we have been saved, through faith in Christ.
We are to do His will and glorify His name, and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of us evermore - so that in the ages to come we may show forth His glory in the Church, and in Christ Jesus, to all generations, forevermore.
If we trust in the person and work of Jesus, we are saved by faith in Him, and saved unto eternal life as a free gift of God's grace.
Disciples are those that are not only SAVED by grace through faith but also LIVE by grace through faith.
A new dispensation - the dispensation of the grace of God (the Church age) would soon be instigated, at Pentecost.
No longer would they be under the Law, but under grace, for Christ's forthcoming death and Resurrection would set aside the Jewish, sacrificial system given to Israel through Moses, because Jesus, the Lamb of God, had come to be the full and final sacrificial offering for the sin of the whole world.
Soon the disciples would learn to teach the gospel of the grace of God, during the soon-to-be-instigated Church age.
His grace laid bare the hardness of their heart and their rebellion against the Lord their God.
During the last weeks of Christ's life, He had to give His disciples a crash course in their fast-approaching ministry where the gospel of grace would supersede the gospel of the kingdom.
We find him exhorting believers to stand firm on the truth of the gospel of God, to preach the Word of truth at every opportunity, to be constant in the faith of the saints, and to persevere, by God's grace, under the difficult trials that were coming on the earth.
Paul knew how important it was for believers to be diligent in presenting themselves approved before God and encouraged them to be responsible for forwarding the work of the gospel of grace.
Although such folk give an appearance of knowing the Scriptures, Paul warned that such shallow people never grow in grace or come to a knowledge of the truth.
And may we refuse to allow the guilt of the past to influence our lives in the present, knowing that in Christ there is no condemnation - and that by His grace, we have the freewill to refuse the evil and choose the good - to the glory of God.
It is the truth of the glorious gospel of grace that causes lost sinners to be convicted of sin and converted to Christ.
To those who are being sanctified by grace through faith in Christ and are maturing in the faith, the message that Paul delivered is heavenly wisdom that surpasses our understanding.
For this reason, Paul was able to clarify to the confused Corinthians, who had started to be influenced by worldly wisdom, that the message that HE spoke was the only true wisdom - but it was a wisdom that can only be assimilated by those who are growing in grace and maturing in the faith.
Throughout their writings, we discover that despite a temptation to flee from the trials, tribulations, and terrors of this broken world system, and in spite of the many difficulties and dangers that are a part of our everyday lives, our confidence is in the Lord, for He cares for the afflicted and He refines the righteous in His mercy and grace.
Our strength is found in Him alone, for His grace is sufficient for every eventuality in our everyday lives.
He knew in his heart that although he was a sinner saved by God's grace, his conscience was clear before the Lord.
A similar cry to the righteous judge of the whole earth, has been ascending to the throne-room of grace from many who have been oppressed down through centuries of time.
Israel's apostacy had to be punished, and the prophets gave stern warnings of impending judgement with a call to national repentance, but God in His grace promised to save a small remnant, although the nation would have to pass through an extended period of fire and water and be dispersed among the nations.
This should comfort us, for we have been accepted in the Beloved, by grace through faith, and no matter what we have said or done or will do, God knows us and He loves us.
By returning to the Law of Moses, these Judaisers were turning away from the gospel of salvation, which comes as a free gift of grace from God to all who believe on the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
By returning back to the Law, they ruined the grace of God in the lives of these believers, forcing them to become a debtor to the Law and placing them back under its curse – for those who follow the Law are obligated by the Law to obey the WHOLE of the Law, with its 613 separate regulations.
Causing these believers in Christ to turn back to the Law, forced them to fall from grace which meant that Christ had become of no effect in their Christian life.
When a Christian reverts from grace to law, their spiritual growth and the sanctification process is hindered and halted.
Nevertheless, we who have tasted His goodness, grace, kindness, and compassion, can come to Him as to a living stone, which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God.
If the only way to escape that terrible time to come is through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, should we not take every opportunity to tell our loved ones, our friends, our relatives, our neighbours, our work colleagues, and those we meet, the good news of the gospel of grace and the terrible consequences of rejecting God's offer of salvation?
Jesus is full of grace and truth, and John describes the pure words of grace and judgement that flowed from the lips of the Saviour as a sharp two-edged sword that proceeded from His mouth. During the early days of the Church, Israel were subdued under Roman authority.
The truth is that those who see God... have already been given a pure heart, as a free gift of God's grace, by faith.
The moment that we are saved by grace through faith, we have an assurance that we are part of the group that are blessed by God and will indeed see Him... not because of what we have done to make our hearts pure - but because of what Christ has done for us so that by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, we are given a pure and holy heart - which will see God.
They were to believe on God the Father... but also, they were to believe on the One Whom He had sent - the Lord Jesus Christ - for we are saved by grace through faith in HIM and not by works of the law.
It explains the way those that have been saved by grace through faith should live their lives.
Our election was established on what each one of us would choose to do with God's free gift of salvation, which is by grace through faith in Christ.
For once we are saved by grace through faith, God accepts us in Christ, we are positioned in Him, we are accepted in the Beloved, we are sealed unto the day of Christ by the Spirit, and we are also elected and called because we believed on the only begotten Son of God.
Our election and calling is an integral part of our salvation and we confirm it in our lives by living a holy life, growing more like Christ, trusting in His sufficient grace, and depending on Him in all things.
The mystery that was kept hidden from men and angelic beings alike, was about the unsearchable riches of God's grace, which He purposed towards whosoever would trust in His only begotten Son.
The picture of the eagle stirring up its nest, hovering over its young, spreading out its wings and catching its babies on its pinions, paints the most beautiful picture of our heavenly Father as he cares for us, teaches us, trains us, and causes us to grow in grace... as we trust Him in the increasingly problematic times in which we live.
Oh, not all pre-salvation customs and activities are wrong, but Paul gave a clear, identifying mark, of the spiritual man or woman, who was growing in grace as opposed to the unbeliever.
We read that Paul thanked God for the grace of God which had been given to each one, and for their testimony of Christ - so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, and are eagerly awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, but he did have to address some problems within the congregation.
Hebrews was originally written to strengthen the faith of Jewish believers and to warn against drifting away from the truth, neglecting our great salvation, the dangers of unbelief, the hindrances caused by an immature faith, and the foolishness of rejecting God's grace.
We begin our Christian life by getting to know Him as our Saviour, but as we grow in grace and deepen our knowledge of Him, we come to know Him better, to love Him more, and to acknowledge Him as our Lord and our God.
We are not only SAVED by grace through faith but we are to LIVE every moment of our lives by grace through faith.
Christ was seeking to show the immensity of our sin against the goodness of God so that He could provide the message of salvation - by grace through faith.
It is by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we..
Indeed, as we witness the faithfulness of God in the difficult struggles of life and experience His tender mercies in the painful circumstances through which we must inevitably pass, our love for God can only deepen and strengthen - as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.
In these last days, may we be united together in the truth of God's Word and united together in the will and purpose of God's plan, so that by our word and witness, lost sinners might be saved by grace through faith in Christ, and Jesus Himself would be glorified.
Having summarised the position and privileges of the believer and the glory of our salvation, the apostle Peter exhorts Christians to live their lives in a godly manner, and points out the responsibilities and duties that are incumbent on all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
We are to set our hope completely on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We were made one with Christ, united with Him, positioned in Him, brought back into fellowship with God our Maker, and given the right to enter the throne room of the Almighty to find grace to help in time of need.
And we even became entitled to call Him 'Abba, Father' by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Although we were justified by grace through faith in Christ, we are too often willing to be influenced to sin by our old sin nature; our old Adamic nature.
The focus of this glorious passage of Scripture is the beloved Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the great grace that has been poured out on all who trust in His name.
But redemption is one of many superlative benefits of which we are assured by grace through faith.
For God has lavished on us the unfathomable riches of his grace and the inestimable riches of His glory, the eternal riches of His salvation, and the unconditional riches of His love.
But at Pentecost, Peter and all who were waiting for the promised gift from God, received power from on high when the Spirit of God came to dwell within his mortal body, and like all who trust in JESUS, Peter found that His grace is sufficient, for His power is perfected in our weakness.
Nevertheless, men have been ordained by God, to govern church fellowships and women should be content to quietly learn from others and grow in grace with a submissive and gentle heart.
Approaching God's throne of grace, for mercy for help in time of need, should not be a last hope when all else has failed - but should be our first delight and dear desire.
Jude warned that these were lawless, wanton, and immoral people who had crept into the Church by pretending to be ministers of God, but they perverted the grace of our God into promiscuity and twisted the liberty we have in Christ into licentiousness.
We do not have the capacity to stand firm in this evil day in our own strength, but Christ has promised that His grace is sufficient.
And when we do hold fast to the precious promises of God and remain anchored to the truth of His holy Word, we will not be tossed about like a frothy wave in a sea of doubt, but will be anchored to the truth of His sufficient grace.
Let us praise God for His goodness and grace and seek to stand firm in Christ and hold fast to the promises of God, for our eternal benefit and to His greater glory.
Like David, we must secure our undivided confidence in the Lord our God, for He alone is the foundation upon which our hope is established, our source of supply, our fountain of grace, and from Him alone flow rivers of living water.
He had been sent from His Father in heaven to offer mankind a gift of salvation, by grace through faith in Him, so that whosoever would believe on His name might be saved by grace.
He was grieved at the various Jewish attempts to destroy him and silence the gospel of grace and reminded them of his dedication to publicly declaring the whole council of God to both Jews and Greeks alike:
In this verse, 'faith in the Lord Jesus Christ' pre-supposes 'repentance of sin towards God', but sadly many churches continue to insist there are two steps to salvation: 1) repent and 2) believing, when there are multiple passages that demonstrate that salvation is by GOD's grace, through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But finally, he arrived at the place where he was ready and willing to face his sin, and confess his faults, and so he appealed for cleansing because of God's goodness and grace.
David was a sinner from his conception, like all humanity, but he had been saved by grace through faith in God's Word and his faith was reckoned as righteousness.
Love for our Lord and love for others is the new, and better commandment that Christ has given to all who are saved by grace through faith in Him. But I wonder how different things would have been if Mary, and the other disciples, had lived through those three days - expectantly waiting for Christ's prophesied resurrection from the dead, just as He had told them beforehand.
Maybe these men understood that here was the One Who would supply all they needed according to the riches of God's amazing grace, and Who would shine the light of the knowledge of God into their hungry hearts, guide their feet into the way of eternal peace, and open their eyes to see the truth of the knowledge of God: So Jesus had compassion on them and touched the eyes of His two countrymen, and restored their sight.
Not only did these men recognise their need and asked for what they needed, but they took advantage of the situation in which they found themselves; they did not allow Jesus to pass by without calling out to Him for mercy and grace.
Today is the dispensation of grace when all who believe on the Lord Jesus will be saved.
Let us pray and keep on praying that God will open many eyes to the truth of the gospel of grace, and praise God that a day is coming when all Israel will be saved and call on the name of the Lord.
Indeed, there was a small remnant of Jewish believers during Christ's earthly ministry, and in the early days of the Church, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were saved - and today, during this Christian dispensation, there is still a small remnant of Jewish people whose eyes have been opened to the truth of the gospel of grace and who believe that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and Son of the living God.
There is no division in the Church, for we are all fellow members of His Body, fellow-partakers of the unconditional promise made to Christ through Abraham, and fellow-inheritors with the same birthright that is given by grace through faith to all the redeemed in Christ.
But because of the Cross of Christ and the sacrifice of Himself on behalf of all people, God in His grace chose to make the Gentiles: Co-heirs, members of the same Body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus. It was through the Cross that the wall of separation was broken down and it was through the gospel message that we preach Christ crucified.
But this verse outlines a core truth that is contained in the message of the Cross: Which is that Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same Body, and partners of the promise made to Christ Jesus our Lord, through the glorious gospel of grace.
Oh, our eternal life is a free gift of grace, but we have the opportunity to lay up for ourselves treasure in our heavenly home.
The love of earthly treasure is a root of all kinds of evil, which can cause the believer to wander from the good news of the gospel of grace It can cause us to forfeit many of the rich blessings that God desires for each of His children to receive.
Since that pivotal point in the history of man, believers today look back to the Cross, in humble thanksgiving, at Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, for we are no longer living under the Law of Moses but in the dispensation of the grace of God.
We are made children of God and joint-heirs of His heavenly kingdom by grace - through faith in HIM.
He explains that no matter what circumstances life throws at us, what difficulties beset us on our earthly walk, or what problems we may be called upon to face, God in His grace, gathers up each and every situation, using it for our eternal benefit and His greater glory.
He has even given us access to His eternal throne of grace, for mercy to find help in times of need.
The pre-Cross dispensation of the Law was replaced with the post-Cross dispensation of the grace of God.
However, during the Church age, the apostles were instructed to go into the world and preach the gospel of grace to everyone.
Peter clearly knew the gospel of grace, endorsed Paul's gospel, and welcomed Gentile believers into Christian fellowship without the pre-Cross requirement of needing to become a Jewish proselyte.
The book of Galatians was written because certain Judaisers and religious-minded legalists went from church to church challenging the person of Paul and his work, his ministry and message, his teachings, his calling, and the gospel of the grace of God that is accessed through faith. They believed they were saved by their Jewish ancestry and taught that Gentiles could not be saved unless they first converted to Judaism and participated in circumcision and other Jewish practices.
Although it was agreed at the Jerusalem council that Gentiles should not be placed under the Mosaic Law, certain Jews, from 'the party of the circumcised' would not accept the decision made at their council meeting, refusing to eat with uncircumcised Gentiles. These men taught a false gospel, a gospel of condemnation, that placed believers back under the curse of the Law, rather than proclaiming the wonderful freedom that is found in the gospel of grace.
They taught that salvation was gained by works of the Law and not as a free gift of God's grace.
Because of the opposition to his teaching and ministry, it was necessary for Paul to not only defend the truth of the gospel that he taught and justify his own apostolic calling, but to clarify the true gospel of salvation that he taught; that every man, Jew and Gentile alike, is a guilty sinner who is under God's eternal condemnation, who can only be declared righteous by God through FAITH in Christ Jesus. And so Paul penned his epistle to the Galatians to vehemently condemn their false teaching and meticulously set out the one and only way to be saved - as a free gift of God's grace which is accessed by Jews and Gentiles alike - BY FAITH.
It reminds us of the need to stand firm on the truth of the gospel of Christ and shows how quickly even a salty saint can 'fall from grace' when we allow ourselves to be influenced by legalism or intimidated by false teachings.
May we be careful never to be swayed by the opinions of others, however influential they may appear, but remain true to our convictions, ready to give an answer for the hope we have in the glorious gospel of grace.
It is through the power of His Spirit that we are enabled to be merciful - so that it is not I who am merciful but the mercy and grace of the indwelling Christ living in me, that empowers me to be merciful - in the same way that God is merciful.
However, due to the rejection of their Messiah, God set Israel aside for a season, (after 483 of the 490 years had been completed) and the last 'week-of-years' (that future 7-year period of Great Tribulation), had to be postponed until the completion of the dispensation of grace (the Church age).
And, for a time, the Lord instituted the Church to go into all the world and spread-abroad the gospel of grace - that Christ died and is risen as the sacrifice for sin.
Legalistic rules about giving, together with the unbiblical 'word of faith' movement and its prosperity teaching has given Christians an unbiblical focus, dishonoured the glorious gospel of grace, and brought Christianity into disrepute.
Paul spends a considerable chunk of his second letter to the Corinthians discussing the principles and promises that are connected with true, biblical giving, and he identifies cheerful giving as an obedient, generous heart and a beautiful Christian grace that bring blessings to others, benefit to ourselves, and glory to our Father in heaven.
When we are walking in spirit and truth, God's glorious gifts of grace, which translate into gold, silver, and precious stones, will be produced in us, some thirty, some fifty, and some a hundred-fold.
However, we are fallen beings and the thoughts of our mind and the meditations of our hearts should be filtered through the Holy Spirit and submitted to His gracious leading so that the words that we speak are words as from the Lord, full of grace and seasoned with salt.
Oh, the mystery of His spoken WORD, the power of His written WORD, the wonder of His living WORD, and the grace of the Incarnate WORD - our Lord Jesus Christ.
This current age is called 'the Dispensation of the Grace of God' - about which Paul teaches, in greater detail, in the book of Ephesians.
What a comfort to hear Paul explain that God has not destined us for His wrath during the first part of the Day of the Lord, because we have obtained salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Both had a passion to give encouragement to their brothers and sisters in Christ and to share the good news of the gospel of grace with those that were lost.
The old apostle Peter knew that his time on earth was short, but felt it necessary to continue reminding believers of the truths of the Word of God and of the responsibility we all have to become increasingly established in the gospel of Christ so that we may grow in grace and become increasingly fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
This aged apostle determined to remind us about the truth of the glorious gospel of grace and of our responsibility to mature in our spiritual walk and to be firmly grounded on the Word of truth.
The truth that is contained in this section of Scripture is as vital for Christians in the 21st century as when it was first penned, for we have all obtained the same precious faith as did this old fisherman who walked with Jesus for three long years and who, like us, was saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul had great affection for the Philippian believers, as he did for all those who had trusted Christ according to the gospel of grace.
As Christians in this age of grace, we are all members of the Church of Christ.
As fellow-believers who have trusted in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, we are all partakers of God's heavenly grace.
We who were once dead in our trespasses and sins and estranged from God by sin, have been forgiven of our sins and brought near to His throne of grace, through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Surely it is right for all who are God's children to have love in our hearts for every other member of His Body, for we are all partakers of God's amazing grace.
We are under the Law of love - the law of grace - the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus - and we are to love as Christ loved and consider the needs of others before our own.
And yet, God in His grace purposed to redeem His fallen creation through the sacrifice of His dearly beloved Son... and replace it with a new creation.
Setting aside His heavenly glory, enabled the Lord Jesus to say of all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, Behold - I and the children which God hath given Me.
The intimate unity and beautiful relationship between God the Father and God the Son has been extended to us, by grace through faith.
And as the Psalmist remembers the merciful kindness and patient grace of the Lord towards him, he cries out, How can I repay the LORD for all the good He has done for me?
The Psalmist knew, as we do, that there is nothing that we can do to repay the Lord for all His grace and love towards us.
We can tell others of the wonders of His grace and mercy, and we can seek to do His will with a willing and obedient heart that is overflowing with love for our gracious Saviour.
God is never influenced by man's foolish attempts to recompense Him for what He has freely given us as an eternal gift of grace.
He denounces Asceticism and severe self-discipline as a means of gaining God's favour, rather than salvation being a free gift of God's grace by faith in the finished work of Christ Jesus.
But, when we are abiding in Christ, we are: Holding fast to the living Head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows. When we are walking in spirit and truth and holding fast to Christ Jesus our Lord we grow in grace with a growth which is from God.
We are sustained by our vital connection with our living Head, for without Him we fail to grow in grace and produce much fruit to the glory of God.
Noah was a righteous man who trusted the Lord and obeyed His Word, and Noah found grace in God's eyes.
Noah was a sinner saved by grace, through faith in God.
By grace, through faith, Noah and his family were kept securely by the power of God, while the wicked were condemned for not responding to His offer of salvation: For whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of God's Son.
Noah believed God and by God's grace his faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Every one of Christ's blood-bought children has important work to do during their life in this dispensation of grace.
Every one of us can develop and maintain the same personal relationship with the Lord Jesus as we walk in spirit and truth, grow in grace, and mature in the faith.
Joseph had been falsely accused by his master's wife, unjustly convicted, and wrongfully imprisoned for supposed sexual impropriety, but Joseph acted with grace, prudence, and poise, and the Lord was with him throughout his ordeal.
In consideration of all that God has given us freely, by faith in His Son, there should be no question that we should live our life in thanksgiving and praise for His goodness and grace, and offer to Him our acceptable service - with reverence and awe.
The recognition of God's boundless mercy and grace towards sinners such as us - should incline us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.
The plain truth is that none of us deserve any blessings from the Lord, but in His goodness and grace He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places and given us all we need for life and godliness; and it is all by His grace through our faith in Christ, Who is our life.
James also wants us to recognise ourselves for what we truly are: guilty, undeserving sinners that are saved by the amazing grace of God rather than pretty people that deserve blessings because we see ourselves as somewhat better behaved or more deserving than others.
And Paul became God's chosen vessel to announce to Jew and Gentile alike the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul's Damascus Road experience also portrayed the profound change that takes place in the life of a sinner who is saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Like Paul, all who have trusted Christ by grace through faith, have become ministers of the gospel.
She is thrifty and industrious, prudent and self-controlled, generous and creative, and she is clothed with dignity and strength, integrity and kindness, goodness and grace.
But although they rejected and crucified their King, their actions opened the floodgate of grace to the Gentile nations.
This Church age will continue until the Son of David, in His abundant grace, reestablishes His work through Israel and they will become the head and not the tail in Christ's Millennial Kingdom.
Christ's sacrificial death at Calvary is the greatest demonstration of the love of God for mankind, for God demonstrated His deep love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. The Son of God was made sin for us and the great design of the gospel of grace is full and free reconciliation; unconditional peace with God.
God in His grace stretched out His arm of peace to the fallen race of man, through the gift of His only begotten Son so that He could be our Kinsman-Redeemer.
God in His grace, mercy, and love, adopted us as His children and made us joint-heirs with Christ.
But God in His grace provided a way for every member of the fallen human race to be forgiven of their sin.
He took the punishment we deserve and whosoever believes on Him will not remain under eternal damnation but receive everlasting life, as a free gift of God's grace.
However, this dispensation of grace will not last forever.
Paul tells us that as Church age believers who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, we are not appointed to wrath, for Christ took the punishment for our sin and we have been declared righteous in God's sight and covered in His robe of righteousness.
How we should raise our hearts and voices in praise and worship as we proclaim the wonders of His name, the splendour of His majesty, and the riches of His grace towards us who have been called His children.
Only those saved by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection are Christ's at His coming and are destined to be part of the 'Resurrection to Life'.
Paul lays out the most comprehensive and thorough presentation of the gospel over the next few chapters of this glorious epistle, unfolding the pivotal doctrines of justification, and sanctification for all, who by grace through faith will trust in Christ as their sin-substitute.
While Israel had to be punished for breaking their covenant with the Lord, His chastening rod will not last forever, and this final chapter ends with some of the most beautiful descriptions of God's grace toward His people and their eventual return the holy city of Jerusalem: For thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees.
May we meditate on the Word of God, day and night, and systematically study the Scriptures and apply it in our lives - to show ourselves approved unto the Lord so that we may prosper in our spiritual walk, grow in the grace of God, mature in our Christian faith, and become instruments that the Lord may be willing to use for His greater glory.
It is through faith in Him we have access to God's amazing grace which enables us to stand fast in this evil day... and causes us to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Indeed, in Christ we are enabled to approach the throne of grace for mercy to find help in time of need.
In his enthusiasm to share the good news of the gospel of grace, Paul not only reminds us about justification by grace through faith and the hope that we have in Christ, but he adds, and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance.
Paul named Timothy, Epaphroditus, and even himself as men that exhibited this same Christ-like attitude which should be the outflow of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
Paul and the other apostles were humbled by God's wonderful grace, and His wonderful sacrifice on Calvary's Cross which was given on our account because of the wonderful love Christ has for the Church, which is His Body.
Christ in His grace had visited Manoah's wife to tell her of the good news that she was to give birth to a son, who would be used of God to govern His people Israel.
He did this so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be showered with all the wonderful and eternal gifts that God in His grace has bestowed on all who believe on the name of Jesus.
He was to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ which is freely given to all who trust in the Lord Jesus as Saviour (by grace, through faith in God's only begotten Son).
And packaged in our great salvation, is not only justification (when we first believed) but sanctification (as we grow in grace throughout our Christian life) and also glorification (when Jesus returns to take us to be with Himself in heaven).
Today, we are called of Jesus Christ to sanctification; to grow spiritually in the grace of God and to become mature believers who are rooted and grounded in Christ. This cannot be done in our own might or power, but only as we willingly submit to the guiding hand of the indwelling Spirit of God.
Like Adam, they also rebelled in prideful disobedience, but Isaiah, in this beautiful repentant prayer for grace and mercy towards His people pleaded, Yet LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our Potter; we all are the work of Your hands.
We are to give unto Ceasar the things that are Ceasars, and to God the things that are HIS, and when we trust Him in every situation of life, we will find that His grace is sufficient and that His power is perfected in our weakness.
God often heals the physical wounds and earthly diseases that trouble our mortal bodies, and play heavily on our minds and emotions, but oft-times He whispers into our hearts, My grace is sufficient, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness... in your sickness, in your hardship - in your loss, and your pain.
I am the one Who heals your soul - through the sanctification process, as you walk in faith and grow in grace - ONGOING salvation. I am the one Who heals your body - at the Rapture of the church and resurrection of the dead-in-Christ - FUTURE salvation.
Let us always remember that our eternal healing took place at the cross - and if physical healing is withheld, there is a reason that God knows about - and His grace is always sufficient.
Although we were born dead in trespasses and sins and at enmity with God, we must never forget that by grace through faith in Christ, we have been saved.
As children of God, we have been called to live in newness of life, to walk in spirit and truth, and to grow in grace and Christlikeness.
He is the supreme specimen of humility, grace, truth, and sacrificial love.
May we, by God's grace, become so Christ-like in our actions and attitude, minds and motive, words and walk, that we, like the apostle Paul, become an exemplary life to others and a pattern upon which they are able to model their own lives - for His greater praise and eternal glory.
Despite their murmurings against both the Lord and himself, Moses had deep, spiritual concern for God's chosen people which caused him to plead with the Lord for His goodness and grace, His guidance and direction.
Let us in everything, by prayer and supplication, with humble thanksgiving of heart, praise our heavenly Father Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ... in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, according to the riches of His grace.
The Lord in His grace has promised to feed His flock like a shepherd and gather the little lambs into His loving arms.
He came to save them from their sins and to restore them into fellowship with Himself, and although many rejected Him at His first coming, Jesus led many out of one sheepfold into another; Jew and Gentile together, becoming one new man in Christ during this special dispensation of the grace of God.
All we like sheep have gone astray, but praise His holy name that in His goodness and grace He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
And there is a message of hope for all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour: that even when we are faithless He remains faithful, and that when we are weak and fail Him, He remains strong and His love and grace towards us is never changing.
And this will result in our growing in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Who is the crucified, resurrected, ascended, living Word of God, seated at the right hand of the Father.
The more we delight in the law of the Lord and take time to genuinely meditate upon the pure, written Word of God, the more we will grow in grace and continue to be transformed into the lovely likeness of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ - to Whom be all praise and glory.
Love is displayed in selflessly giving to others and the ministry in which we are engaged should manifest the sacrificial grace, compassion, and kindness that Christ has shown towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for US.
His kindness towards us can indeed be described as good measure–pressed down, shaken together, and running over, for by grace we have been saved and by grace we have received many precious promises which are ours by faith in Christ.
With Jesus as our pattern of godly living and the model of divine love, should not we seek to imitate His goodness and grace?
Paul's critics were very vocal and played havoc in many church fellowships, which often necessitated him replying boldly to his accusers, vindicating his apostleship, and defending the glorious gospel of grace.
We need to reflect the meekness and gentleness of Christ while standing firm on the truth of the glorious gospel of grace without fear or favour.
Paul is a great apologist who was prepared to boldly defend the gospel of grace while being sufficiently sensitive to combine encouraging words with corrective instructions.
John stood before the eternal God, Who had become the glorified Man... through Whose blood we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting... according to the riches of His grace, that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
It was a permanent aide-memoir that, without Christ I can do nothing, but that, His grace is always sufficient, and, His love is everlasting.
Whether we have a specific 'thorn in the flesh' or whether we are simply encompassed about by the difficulties and dangers of normal life, God is no respecter of persons, and the grace and strength that Paul received throughout his ministry is the same grace and strength which is freely available to all who have been saved, by grace through faith in Christ.
And no matter what difficulties, dangers, or 'thorns' we may encounter as we journey through life, may we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before our God so that our lives may be a living sacrifice to Him, and a faithful testament of His sufficient grace.
Sin is so terrible in the sight of God, that Paul determined to explain the shockingly high price that God in His grace chose to pay to redeem mankind so that no-one could ever boast that they were saved because of their good works.
The eternal consequences of our sin are shocking, but by contrast the goodness and grace of God are exhibited in the sacrificial death of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and accessed by faith.
But God in His goodness and grace determined that He would redeem mankind from this shocking state of slavery into which we had fallen, as a totally free gift to all who would believe in the sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection of His only begotten Son, by faith.
God's redemptive act would be offered as a free gift of grace to all who would believe, but it could not be earned or paid for.
Although we are able to see tiny glimpses of the coming dispensation of grace during Christ's earthly ministry, where the Body of Christ (which is the Church) would bring forth the fruit of the gospel of God, Christ's pre-Cross ministry was in general directed towards His chosen people, Israel.
Despite the multiplication of wickedness on the earth which deeply grieved the heart of God, we read in Genesis 6: Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
And even though He could have terminated His whole fallen creation in a single breath, God purposed in His heart to show grace to a man of faith.
But in His grace, God remembered Noah and his family, for His mercy is new every morning.
He calls us to encourage the fainthearted, to support the weak, to show goodness and grace to all people, and not to return evil with evil.
We are all God's children and as we grow in grace and in an understanding of His Word of truth, our hearts should be unfeignedly thankful for His goodness and grace.
As believers who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are encouraged to develop an attitude of grateful praise and ceaseless thanksgiving to our Father in heaven, for a man's spiritual maturity is reflected in a heart of thanksgiving and praise for all that the Lord has done for us.
He knows that gratitude and rejoicing is no companion of dissatisfaction or murmuring, and so we are encouraged to give thanks in everything, even those difficult, daily circumstances, knowing that His grace is sufficient for those that are in Christ Jesus.
Legalism belittles the glorious grace of God by erroneously requiring some form of human merit to secure God's unconditional, free gift of salvation.
LAW or GRACE.
THIS salvation is a free gift of God's GRACE and open to all men to receive.
Salvation is not by Law AND Grace.
It is either through keeping the entire Law OR given as a free gift of Grace.
Justification by 'LAW' is incompatible with being justified by 'GRACE' which is why Paul tells the Galatian Christians that by adopting the Law: You have been severed from Christ!
You who are SEEKING to be justified by law; have fallen from grace!
They suggest that falling from grace by trying to keep the Law means the loss of a believer's salvation.
But this teaching contradicts the numerous passages that show that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and not by works of the Law.
When an unsaved man or woman seeks to be made right with God through keeping the Law, they have cut themselves off from the one and only way to be saved - as a free gift of God's grace - by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
May we never stray from the truth the glorious gospel of grace, that we are justified by grace ALONE, through faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE.
In our Christian life, we are entreated to continue steadfastly in prayer, to pray continuously, to present our needs before our heavenly Provider, to lift up others to the eternal throne of grace, and to bend our ear to His gentle promptings.
This is proposed by Paul as a duty and responsibility, and yet it is the greatest privilege given to the believer to come before the throne of grace with petitions, prayers, and pleas for our fellow-man and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Devotion to prayer meant to continue steadfastly in prayer by coming to the throne of grace for mercy to find help in times of need.
Let us remember that when the prayers of the saints are offered to the Lord in steadfast faith, combined with grateful thanks and a trusting heart, we have the authority of heaven behind all that we carry to the throne of grace, through His nail-pierced hands and feet.
But whenever a person, be they man or woman, seeks to clothe themselves in their own righteous acts instead of being covered with Christ's perfect righteousness, they discover they have fallen from God's grace into human self-effort and self-striving, in order to produce good works of the flesh, that they think will please the Lord.
They have fallen into the trap of the Galatian Christians - for having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, they foolishly try to live their lives by carrying out works of the law and striving to attain a godly disposition by personal merit.
The virtuous woman or righteous man is clothed in strength and excellence, dignity and honour - knowing that His grace is sufficient, and that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Luke not only records His first two words of grace and mercy: Father forgive them for they know not what they do, and Today you will be with me in paradise, but also the final, authoritative utterance of God the Son: Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.
We have been brought into sweet fellowship with the Heavenly Father by grace through faith in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, but this can only be maintained and strengthened as we walk in the light.
Knowing that the Day of the Lord is fast approaching, and also knowing that our citizenship is reserved for us in heaven by grace through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, Paul outlines what sort of life a believer should live.
The man or woman who turns often to prayer and maintains a worshipful attitude of prayer towards the Lord, is one who comes boldly to the throne of grace to offer up prayer and praise, supplication and intercessions, petitions and thanksgiving.
Paul knew the importance of prayer in the life of all born-again Christians, and urged this godly man to go boldly and ceaselessly to the throne of grace, for help and mercy in time of need.
He longs for both the unsaved to repent and turn away from their sin by looking to Jesus and trusting in Him, and desires those who are already justified, to grow in grace, live godly lives, and turn away from anything that might stunt their spiritual growth: God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
But although Paul's hunger to be with the Lord caused him to view death as a welcome gift, the stark reality of a lost world, in desperate need of a preacher to bring the good news of the glorious gospel of the grace of God to a fallen race..
Before his prayer, Jeremiah confessed that nothing is too difficult for the Lord Who made the heavens and earth by His power and might, and God in His grace encouraged His servant by saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?
The Word of the Lord is rejected and ridiculed on all sides, and soon a day is coming when the world in which we live will be catapulted into a time of Great Tribulation (the Time of Jacob's Trouble), when God's wrath will be poured out on a world that has rejected the Truth and refused God's saving grace through faith in Christ.
Let us rejoice that we have been saved by grace through faith in Him and that NOTHING, absolutely nothing is too difficult for Him.
The first few chapters are addressed to the Church and explain where we are in history and what is God's expectation of those that are saved, by grace through faith in Christ.
Like Sarah, Hannah, Ruth, and Elizabeth before her, Mary had found grace in the eyes of the Lord and so she was chosen from all the young virgins in Israel to become the mother of the long-awaited Messiah.
One that He mentions, is of the man or woman dead in their trespasses and sins who comes to Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and by grace through faith in Him are raised into newness of life and receive the free gift of life everlasting.
We are been ransomed from death and destruction and rescued from defeat and decay, for Christ has won the victory on our account, by grace through faith in Him.
Paul was Timothy's spiritual adviser and here we find him solemnly charging Timothy in the most sombre terms to contend earnestly for the faith, to boldly preach the Word of God, and to teach the gospel of grace that was given directly to Paul from the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.
The previous section presents us with a panoramic understanding of who we are in Christ and the tremendous privileges that are ours by faith in Him, but once we arrive at this section, he instructs us on the correct response all believers should have to the amazing grace bestowed on us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We should be motivated towards godly living because of His amazing grace towards us and our deep love and thanksgiving for our great salvation.
May we take this clear instruction to heart, and may we grow in grace and character each and every day.
There are those who consider that saints who have wasted opportunities in life, strayed far from the Saviour during their earthly walk, failed to grow in grace, and remained stunted in their Christian development, through indifference or carnality, will be overcome with remorse and grief..
We should never forget that before we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, we were part of a condemned group of unbelievers who, because of the hardness of our sin-sick hearts had become callous and given over to sensuality - while practicing every kind of impurity and greediness.
Though we were at one time immersed in the sea of fallen humanity and soaked in sin, we have been rescued by God's grace and have been clothed in Christ's robe of righteousness.
Let us never forget the depths from which we have been rescued and the height of God's amazing grace to which we have been raised.
And as ministers of the better covenant, we have been ordained to proclaim the gospel of grace to those that are dead in their sins, Jew and Gentile alike, and are heading for a lost eternity.
May we not grow weary of well-doing, but tell forth good news of the gospel of grace - that Christ died for our sin, that He was buried, and rose again - so that whosoever believe on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Both Naomi and Ruth are used by the Lord to remind us that no one is outside the grace of God, for by grace are we saved, not of works, nor as a result of parentage.
By God's grace, this woman who had strayed so far from the Lord, was welcomed back into the family of God when she returned to Bethlehem and the Lord.
By God's grace, Naomi's daughter-in-law is to be found in the genealogy of the Jewish Messiah, because Ruth the pagan Moabitess trusted Naomi's God.
It was by grace through faith that Ruth found favour in the eyes of the Lord, and her mother-in-law was blessed as well.
It is by grace we have become His sons and daughters through faith in Christ, and no matter how far any of us have strayed from the Lord, He is always ready and willing to bring His lost sheep back into the fold, and by His grace will even reward us as well when we die to self and live for Him.
All judgement has been given into His hands, and in the first few chapters of Revelation, Christ is extending a warning to Christians in this age of grace, to ensure that our consciences are right with the Lord, that we wake up and return to our first love, eschew every kind of evil, hold fast to His Word of truth, and that we listen to all that the Holy Spirit says to the churches.
But for the man saved by grace, this foundational question deserves equally rigorous examination.
Israel made the right choice, but it is only as we trust Him and rely on His sufficient grace through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, that we can become victorious.
He is not only the Provider of all our physical needs, but He is the Fountain of peace and pardon, the Well-spring of grace and strength, and His never-failing streams of salvation and security are ever flowing into the empty cup of the weary pilgrim.
However far we have wandered from His loving arms, whenever we are burdened by the cares we are carrying... or whenever the concerns of others weigh heavily on our heart - His grace is sufficient, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Those that are saved by grace, because of their faith during this terrible time of trouble, and yet are killed for their faith, will be resurrected to life immortal.
Those that are saved by grace, because of their faith during this terrible time of trouble and endure to the end, will be those that enter into the Millennial Kingdom of Christ in their physical bodies.
Let us rejoice that because we received the sinless nature of Christ, by grace through faith, we cannot sin!
Let us thank God for His grace towards us, in that we have been given a new, sinless nature so that by the power of the indwelling Spirit, we can carry out the good work that God has prepared for us to do.
May we keep our 'old man' in the place of death and may we grow in grace, by allowing our new nature to live godly in Christ Jesus - Who is our life.
It was in eternity past that God in His grace decided to redeem fallen man.
But it would all be by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial work on the Cross.
By God's grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Son of God, we are born again for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The spirit-filled believer should be a reflection of the holiness and love of the Lord, and should walk as children of the light in His wisdom and grace.
And so Paul uses three relational connections as examples of how to walk in spirit and truth, and in wisdom and grace - so that our actions and attitudes render a service to the Lord, honour His name, and demonstrate the godly walk of a spiritual believer.
But only when these relational principles are put into place by God's grace and carried out in practice, will these vital relationships reflect the holiness, love, wisdom, and grace of God.
But Paul knew that while there was still life in his body, his work on earth was not complete, and much of that work was striving to keep fellow believers faithful to the fundamentals of the Word of truth, contending earnestly for the gospel of grace and withstanding those that would distort the Word of God.
They had been saved by grace through faith, and ought to be living godly lives; lives surrendered to the Spirit rather than lives living in the lusts of the flesh.
The reason we are given this reminder in God's Word is because all Church-age believers must appear before the judgement seat of Christ at the resurrection of the 'dead in Christ' (and the rapture of those that are still alive), and this occurs as the closing event of this dispensation of grace.
As believers, we live in the Church dispensation and we are not under the Law but under grace.
All we have to do to please God is to trust in Jesus as Saviour, by grace, through faith, knowing that He is God and that He rewards all who diligently seek Him.
His plan is that the new-life-in-Christ that we received when we were born again, grows in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and that the beautiful character of Jesus is formed in us, as we live our lives in spirit and truth by submitting to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit within.
We all live in a fallen world, and every one of us will suffer trials and tribulation, but if in His power and grace, we remain sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil our ministries courageously, and become a living sacrifice unto the Lord, we too will be able to rejoice in the Lord always, and articulate the joy that is ours in serving our great God and Saviour.
The Word of the Lord is sure and stands fast for ever and ever, and Moses reminded the Lord of His promises to be with them and appealed on the basis God's grace.
Just like Noah before him, Moses also found grace in the eyes of the Lord - and that same grace is extended to ALL who will believe in His Word and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting: LO, I am with you even to the end of the age.
Foolishly, they chose to remain bound by the restrictions of the Mosaic Law (which were no longer in force) instead of rejoicing in their freedom in Christ, which was theirs by grace.
Paul had been teaching the gospel of grace, together with Barnabas and Titus who were his co-workers, but he was increasingly aware of the doctrinal rift that was building up between Jewish and Gentile believers.
It was for this reason that Paul visited Jerusalem, where he spoke to the spiritual leaders of the Church about the gospel of grace - knowing that the message he taught was given to him by divine revelation.
He was an uncircumcised Greek who was not under the Law but under grace.
Titus was a Gentile believer who was used as an example to the Jerusalem council, that Church-age believers are not under the Law but under grace.
May we strive to stay true to the liberating truth of the gospel of grace and not place ourselves back under the Law by trying to apply instructions that were given specifically to PRE-Cross Israel to point them to Christ.
Following the Cross, we live in the dispensation of God's grace... and although we have clear criteria on how to live godly lives, we are set free from the bondage of the Law.
An apostle is one that is specifically commissioned, by God, to carry out a definable task... and we discover from Scripture that God's chosen apostles and prophets were the ones He authorised to lay the foundations of the Church in this dispensation of grace - and one important, biblical criteria of apostleship was to have met with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.
He explained, in his defence, that he had been separated from his mothers womb, by God's grace, for a special work - a specific ministry to the Gentiles.
Paul considered himself to be the very least in God's kingdom because he had persecuted Christians... and yet he explains that the Lord chose HIM to reveal His Son in so that he might preach the glorious gospel of grace among the Gentiles.
We are saved by God's grace, when we have faith in the work that Christ has done for us on Calvary.
Indeed, the 70 were reminded to pray earnestly about their ministry, asking God to send more labourers into the harvest-field so that lost souls could hear the good news of the glorious gospel of grace and be eternally saved by faith in Christ.
Paul received revelation of the gospel of grace directly from God, not from the twelve apostles or from any other eye-witnesses of Christ's earthly life.
As a consequence, they held fast to some pre-Cross legalism rather than accepting the post-Cross gospel of grace which was delivered to Paul by direct revelation from the risen and glorified Christ.
It was the gospel (good news) of salvation by grace through faith in Christ (justification) and it was the gospel (good news) of life and liberty in Christ (sanctification) and not the legalistic bondage suffered under the Law and the curse that brings in it wake.
Paul's prayer was a prayer of thanks and rejoicing for their faith, hope, and love, and it was a request to their Heavenly Father that they might be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom, grace and spiritual understanding.
Although he was undeserving, he received grace and apostleship from the Lord Jesus in order to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations.
Yes, Paul was commissioned to call men and women from every tribe and nation to faith, and to deliver to them the good news of the glorious gospel of grace so that by repentance and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, they might be saved by grace through faith in Him, and receive life everlasting.
It was through his ministry that the mystery of the glorious gospel of grace, which was hidden in ages past, was made known to the Gentile nations; that all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, old or young, bond or free) might be saved by grace through faith in Him.
The gospel of God's grace was made known to the Gentiles through the grace and apostleship that Paul himself received, and it was through his ministry that this good news of the grace of God and peace with Him has continued to be poured out upon all people on earth, during this Church dispensation.
The gospel is freely given, by God's grace.
Yes, salvation is given as a gift of grace to whosoever will come so that through Him whosoever will call on the name of the Lord would not perish, but have everlasting life.
It is not God's will that any should perish, and so salvation is given as a free gift of God's grace to as many received Him, and Paul was the chosen vessel of God.
He was chosen to receive God's grace and apostleship so that he might shed abroad the wonders of His love.
This good news is given to us through the pen of the apostle Paul, in order to produce in us the obedience that God requires from those who have been forgiven by grace through faith in Him.
In this beautiful song of praise, Israel recognised that the goodness of God was not dependent on them but on His everlasting faithfulness - His eternal grace - His loving kindness, which is never-ending.
Well, our dear compassionate Saviour KNEW that on the other side of the lake there was a wild, naked demon-possessed man, who needed to be saved, by grace through faith in Him, and He also knew that He had 12 disciples who needed the coming storm in their lives to be stilled.
While certain psalms look back to God's faithfulness to His people in times past, others prophesy of God's continuing mercy and grace towards Israel in days to come.
And in grateful thanksgiving for God's goodness and grace, David wrote: I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your Word according to all Your name.
From the start of the Church dispensation to the times in which we live, New Testament writers have referred to this interim period as the 'times of the end' OR the 'dispensation of grace'.
Sadly, in Paul's day... as today, there are those that cannot accept that we are no longer under the Law of Moses and living in 'the dispensation of the grace of God'.
Sadly, these legalists seek to return believers to pre-Cross slavery under the Law, instead of living in the post-Cross freedom under grace - which is why Paul quoted Isaiah in his epistle to the Corinthians when he wrote: We also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain - for He says, 'at the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.'
Rather, just as Christ set His life apart unto God and only said and did those things that He heard from the Father, so we are to grow in grace day by day, only saying and doing those things that we hear from the indwelling Holy Spirit and through the study of His Word.
We are to grow in grace so that in His power, we will be conformed into the likeness of Christ, but the Spirit will ONLY sanctify our new life in Christ and not our old original sin nature.
It means that we allow the Holy Spirit to do a good work within our new life in Christ, which will grow in grace and become more and more conformed into the likeness of Christ.
This call to worship in the 'Old Hundredth' is a call for every Christian to worship our Saviour in the beauty of holiness, for we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
But it is also a demonstration of God's goodness and grace to the whole unsaved world, both Jew and Gentile alike, for it is not God's will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, by turning from sin and trusting in Christ for their redemption.
May we pay heed to the letters of Paul which give such encouragement and instruction on growing in grace, living a victorious life, trusting in God, holding fast to the truth, and maintaining an unswerving focus on Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour.
The epistle to the Galatians is not only a great proclamation of the liberty we enjoy in Christ and the amazing grace that is afforded to all who believe in the person and work of the Lord Jesus, it is also a serious warning against turning away from biblical truth to a false gospel.
The gospel of grace was the good news that Paul shared throughout the region of Asia Minor, during his first missionary journey.
He had been taught the gospel of the grace of God directly from the risen, ascended, glorified Lord Jesus, and was, no doubt, thrilled when the good news began to spread throughout the region, as men and women came to believe that Christ's sacrificial offering of Himself, was sufficient for their salvation.
It was difficult for Jews to discover that the Law of Moses had been superseded by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, and many refused to accept that the dispensation of Law ended at the Cross and had given way to the dispensation of the grace of God.
There are even those today who similarly do not consider that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone - as the Bible teaches.
God, in His own wisdom and grace, set each one of us in families and expects children to be taught the things of God, from infancy, by their parents.
Timothy was taught scriptural truth from infancy and as a result, he became a man who was used mightily of God to preach the word of grace and to teach others how to live godly lives - as Scripture instructs.
And in His goodness and grace, God has also revealed Himself fully and finally in the written Word of God and through the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son Who died to pay the price for the sin of the whole world.
But God in His goodness and grace purposed before the foundation of the world that He would redeem fallen man from the pit.
How shocking that so few hold fast to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, while so many delight to speak with flattering lips and boastful tongues, and to wallow in the moral corruption of this God-hating, Christ-rejecting, sinful world, denying the only means of salvation.
God in His grace has offered a way of escape to all who will trust in the efficacious effects of Christ's saving blood which was shed to pay the price for the sin of the whole world, so that whosoever will believe in His sacrificial work on Calvary's Cross, will be saved.
And while early chapters of Acts chronicle Israel's rejection of the Spirit, God in His mercy is pouring out His grace for a season on the Church and will in time restore His errant nation of Israel back to Himself.
There are certain scriptural truths that should be so much a part of our inner being that we have not the slightest doubt or uncertainty of their veracity: 1) God's sovereign rule. 2) His goodness and grace to all. 3) The duty of all people and nations to exalt His holy name. 4) For those who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, to develop an ever-deepening knowledge of the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus.
It is through the love and grace of our Heavenly Father that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
All people are exhorted to KNOW the Lord and be saved by grace through faith in Him, and freed entirely from condemnation.
In Christ is all the fullness of God, and as His people we should KNOW that we are being built up into a heavenly Temple so that in the ages to come, the surpassing riches of His grace in His kindness toward us (the Church) will be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenly places!
And we genuinely thank God that our sins are forgiven, and praise Him, that in His goodness and grace He has clothed us in Christ's righteousness and remembers our sins no more.
It is only those that have been saved by grace through faith in Christ that can be disciplined in this way, for only those who are born from above have a relationship with the Father.
May we all have a teachable spirit and learn all that God would teach us from His chastening work in our life - so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith, to the glory of God the Father.
Salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection alone.
When we are called upon, by our heavenly Lord, to suffer persecution and pain, may we also, like Paul, have the grace to be joyful in our tribulation and allow the beautiful comfort that we receive from our heavenly Father to freely flow-out to others from us - so that they too may be comforted with the same comfort that we have received - so that they too may be enabled to patiently endure whatever difficulties they may have to go through - as together we journey through life, towards our heavenly destination.
It is for Christ's sake that we are content to be insulted and to suffer persecutions, and it is by His grace that we can be content in the middle of the difficulties and distresses that assail our lives.
It was God's grace that redeemed the murderous Saul of Tarsus when Christ met him on the road to Damascus and he turned to Christ for salvation and it was by God's grace that Paul was enabled to confess: I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions and with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
The vital clue to understanding this verse is to recognise the significance of that little phrase: FOR CHRIST's SAKE. We have been saved by grace through faith in Him, and for His sake and His glory we should endeavour to graciously share the glorious gospel of Christ with those that insult us and cause us distresses and difficulties.
The clear teaching of many passages in Scripture is that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, and not on the basis of works or any human merit that we may carry out in our flesh, lest any man should boast.
Well, the Bible never contradicts itself and this passage gives greater illumination to the truth that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, and that forgiveness of sin and everlasting life is not dependent upon our good deeds but on His good work on the Cross.
We are saved by grace, but once saved it is also by grace that we live in spirit and truth: For it is God Who is at work within you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
But in His grace, God promised a New Covenant to the people of Israel: For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
And in His grace, God has made us ministers of the New Covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: For the letter kills and condemns, but the Spirit gives life and hope.
God in His grace knew man's inability to keep His Old Covenant and ordained a New and better Covenant with a superior Priesthood (after the order of Melchizedek), where Christ is officiating in a heavenly tabernacle, on behalf of all who trust Him as Saviour.
It contains superior promises of grace, an inner change of the heart, unlimited blessings, sins forgiven, and an eternal hope laid up in heaven for all who would trust in the Lord Jesus Christ: our Prophet, Priest, and King.
But God, by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection, has provided a New and better Covenant.
We have been awarded the privileges and position of children of God, by grace through faith.
Individually and corporately, all Christians are the habitation of our holy God Who has taken up permanent residence with our very bodies, and so we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but are fellow citizens with the saints and by grace are now members of God's heavenly household.
Let us, in humble thanks and in His grace, devote ourselves to live our lives in the only way that will please God – walking in spirit and truth, as we discharge our daily duties to the glory of God.
Artaxerxes did not dismiss his servant's grief as irrelevant, but was moved, by God, to find out if there was any way that he could help him in his distress, and so we read: Then the king said to me, 'What would you request?' Despite being very much afraid, Nehemiah, was a man of prayer who sent a quick, but silent prayer-arrow to God, for both wisdom to speak the right words before the king, and for grace in his master's eyes.
Nehemiah was in fellowship with the Father, for his sins were forgiven and confessed up to date, and so he was well able to come to the throne of grace for mercy to find help at this time of need.
It was not because of his cup bearing skills that Nehemiah found grace in the eyes of the king, but because he trusted the Lord and had a relationship with the God of his salvation.
But God, in His grace, determined to send a Saviour Who would identify with mankind by being born into the human race.
The conditions of the Law were not set aside, but through the birth of Christ into the human race and His sinless life and ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, God purposed that Jesus would fulfil every legal requirements of God's holy Law on behalf of every fallen sinner - and the single requirement to benefit from His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, was faith in HIM - to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ - and by believing, be given salvation as a free gift of God's grace: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
As His children who have been saved by grace through faith, our spiritual eyes are open.
Hebrews is written to seasoned believers who should be increasing in faith, growing in grace, and enlarging their knowledge of the truth.
Its original target audience were converted Jews who were finding difficulty in shifting from the pre-Cross dispensation of Law to the post-Cross dispensation of the grace of God.
God, in His grace, has given us two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for Him to lie - the promise and the oath.
Despite his blasphemy against God and his persecution of the Body of Christ, Paul was shown mercy and grace without measure, for this visitation became a commission to proclaim the glorious gospel of Christ to Jew and Gentile alike, to Israel and the nations.
Paul was to be God's instrument to rescue myriads from the dominion of Satan and the powers of satanic darkness, so that they might be brought into the light of the glorious gospel of grace.
Paul was called and chosen to be used by God so that countless millions might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified and positionally set apart for God, by grace through faith in the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The grace of God is beautifully demonstrated in the life and witness of Paul, for this blasphemous, murderous, pharisaical Jew was arrested in his forward march of spiritual blindness and eternal damnation into a position where he was commissioned by God to be His personal representative on earth so that many might be saved from the wrath of God, by grace through faith.
May we be willing to testify to the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ so that by His grace many would be turned from darkness to light and be rescued from the clutches of Satan and brought into the kingdom of God's dear Son.
God in His own infinite grace was pleased to save all who believe in the Cross of Christ.
The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are wise in their own understanding and who are perishing, but to us who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Should we not similarly be willing to suffer for His name-sake in a world that, in the main, has rejected His amazing gift of salvation, by grace through faith.
Timothy is encouraged to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, to take to heart the many nuggets of wisdom and teaching that he gained from his teacher, Paul, and to pass on this truth to other trustworthy believers who are also strong in the faith so that the good news of Christ Jesus will continue to be spread abroad, throughout the world, to the glory of God.
He is faithful and true, and His grace extends to each nation of the world and every tribe of Israel, forever and ever.
Although this psalm begins with an explosion of praise and a great celebration of the might, majesty, dominion, and power of our Sovereign God and Eternal Creator, the final verse points us to the goodness and grace of our Lord and Saviour Whose mercy is everlasting and Whose truth endures, through time, and into eternity.
The Lord is, without question, good, and His mercy and grace most certainly endure through all generations, because He purposed before the foundation of the world to redeem the lost race of fallen mankind through the sacrificial offering of His only begotten Son.
God in His grace purposed to reinstate man's rule over His creation, through the Person and Work of His only begotten Son.
Praise God that by grace through faith we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
The warning of this cautionary tale is that we do not to lose faith in the precious promises of God, for He has promised that His grace is sufficient in every difficult circumstance of life, and no matter what 'giants' we may encounter as we journey through life, we have His assurance of a victorious life with spiritual blessings - and rest for our soul.
He then concluded with a lovely prayer, The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
While Jesus won the victory over Satan at the Cross, God in His grace is using the Church - which is the Body of Christ on earth today, to carry forward His plans and purposes, through spiritual warfare - for the weapons of our warfare are not physical, but spiritual.
Indeed, the very first time that Scripture mentions the word 'grace' is in connection with this man, Noah, who believed the Word of the Lord.
Although God determined to wipe man from the earth, together will all the animals and birds, we read: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah found grace in God's eyes because he believed the Word of the Lord.
Noah was blameless in his time and walked with God because he was a sinner saved by grace.
He was declared blameless in his time and was credited with righteousness - by grace through faith.
And so, by faith, Noah condemned the unbelieving world who mocked his message of hope and scorned his word of saving grace - and Noah was granted the righteousness that comes by faith.
What a privileged grace - that even when we fail in our Christian witness, God is faithful and just and gives us ample opportunity to remember that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, and that it is by His grace we have been saved - through faith.
By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Micah tells how God Himself would once again gather his people from exile, emphasising a future hope for the nation and demonstrating the long-suffering grace of Israel's God and King.
We who have trusted Christ as our Saviour, have received the Holy Spirit of power by grace through faith in Christ.
He has brought about our adoption into son-ship, and through Him we are enabled to cry: Abba, Father, as we boldly approach the throne of grace, for mercy to find help in time of need.
He prays for a life that carries out every good work that God has prepared for us to do in the power of His Spirit, a life that lives and functions in the grace and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ, a new-life in Christ that can say it is not I that live but the mighty power of Christ Jesus Who is living in and through me.
They would receive mercy and grace in time of need, and be granted God's gracious healing and spiritual wholeness: Then your light will break out like the first rays of dawn, were Isaiah's words of comfort to this little, faithful remnant:Your recovery will speedily spring forth and your righteousness will go before you.
An inner change of heart by grace through faith in Him should be translated into an outward demonstration of a changed life that is being transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God and spiritual blessing rested upon Him.
And this verse gives a little of the limited information we have about Christ's early life, for we read: The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.
Developmentally, He increased in wisdom and understanding, while spiritually, we read that the grace of God was upon Him.
Living after the Cross, in the age of grace, we are no longer under the Law, as was Jesus, but His life, from beginning to end, is a shining example to all of us on how to live for the glory of God, for He lived His sacred life and died His sacrificial death for the honour and glory of the Father in heaven.
Wherever Paul went, there were those who opposed the gospel of the grace of God and sought to discredit his teaching. In the book of Galatians, Paul was so angry with the legalists who had crept in, and were twisting the gospel of Christ, that he cried out, Let them be accursed.
We are to stand fast in the truth, grow in grace, mature in the faith, walk in spirit and truth, and utterly abhor that which is evil, while clinging to all that is good.
In chapter 3, he presents the most comprehensive arguments against Jewish objections to Christianity, and in the early verses of this chapter, he addresses the righteousness of God's judgements and our being justified, freely, by His grace.
Jew are credited with righteousness in the same way that Gentiles are declared righteousness - by God's grace, through faith in His Word.
Jews have most certainly been given many wonderful privileges as God's chosen nation, but they are saved in the same way that Gentiles are saved; by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ, the promised Messiah, alone - as recorded in Scripture.
Paul is exposing the fallen nature of man so that He can announce the glorious hope we have in Christ and the amazing grace that God has shown towards us - in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us so that we could have life.
The administration of the mystery has a number of different labels, including, 'the dispensation of the grace of God', 'the Church Age' and 'the Age of Grace'.
Here in Ephesians, we see it entitled 'the dispensation of the grace of God' and also 'the dispensation of the fullness of times'.
Although the way of salvation is always by grace through faith in every dispensation... the way that God works through His servants may differ from one dispensation to another.
As Christians, we are privileged to be part of the outworking of God's eternal plans and purposes in the dispensation of the grace of God... and as believers who are living during the Church dispensation, our daily testing is to live by faith and not by sight.
Adam was tested one way, Noah was tested another way, and Israel were tested in yet a further way - but in every dispensation, men are saved by grace through faith.
Those of us who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, live in the dispensation of grace.
God, Who created the material universe and made man in his own image and likeness, chose to withhold information about 'the dispensation of the grace of God', until such a time as He deemed it necessary to reveal it to the world, through Paul.
What a privilege to be part of the Body of Christ in the dispensation of the grace of God.
But God in His grace had determined that Cyrus would be the man that He would use to restore His people to the land that He gave to their forefathers forever.
Oh, how great are the riches of God's wisdom and grace.
And although this knowledge is too wonderful to comprehend, it is nonetheless Paul's dear desire that we KNOW the riches of His grace towards us and that we UNDERSTAND the length, and depth, and height, and breadth of Christ's love for us, which surpasses human knowledge.
Paul wants us to really know this truth in our own lives and to grasp hold of it with our whole being so that we may be filled to all the fullness of God, which is ours by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
But just as we will never fathom the depth of the riches of His grace towards us, so we can never have all His fullness, but we can be filled to our level of completeness.
On his first visit to these believers at Philippi, Paul was flung into jail, but his midnight songs of rejoicing resulted in the salvation of the jailer and all his house, by grace through faith in Christ.
May we recognise that every day that passes is one more day of grace that God, in His long-suffering mercy, has permitted so that other lost souls may be brought into the kingdom of Christ, through their faith in Jesus Christ.
He works in the lives of those who are living by faith and not by sight, and His love is perfected in the lives of those that are growing in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John is calling all born-again believers to live their lives by faith in Christ, and not through works of the flesh, for in so doing we will remain in fellowship with God Who will provide the sufficient grace and power to love others as Christ loved us.
Only when we are growing in grace, maturing in the faith, and walking in spirit and truth, will we be empowered to carry out this command that we have received from Him: That those who love God will love his brother also.
The gospel of grace is so simple that a little child can understand that God sent His dearly beloved Son, to die in our place - to be the propitiation for our sin, and to take upon Himself the punishment that we alone deserve.
Yet the gospel of grace is so unfathomable that it staggers the minds of men and angels - that God should send His only begotten Son to die for the sin of a world, at enmity with Himself - so that all who believe in His finished work at Calvary's Cross would be saved, and become be His adoptive sons, and heirs of His kingdom.
God in His omniscience knew in advance of man's terrible fall into sin, and determined from the foundation of the world, to save mankind, by grace through faith in the sacrificial death of His dearly beloved Son - Jesus Christ the righteous.
Even in Paul's day, there was much confusion and false teaching concerning the prophesied Day-of-the-Lord, the end of the age of grace, and the events during this time period, including when the Lord Jesus returns in the clouds to gather the Body of Christ to Himself in the Rapture, the seven-year period called the Tribulation, and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.
This event occurs at the end of this dispensation of grace, preceding the Day-of-the-Lord.
Paul prayed that the Church would continue to faithfully share the good news of the gospel of grace.
We are not to be those that pull back when times get tough, and should take to heart Paul's words of encouragement - as we press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, knowing that His grace is sufficient.
It is by God's grace that we have been saved, and it is because God is both merciful and righteous that Christ had to die to pay the price for our sin.
No man who has been saved by grace has any occasion to boast.
We do not deserve forgiveness or eternal life, and yet by His grace, through faith, we have been eternally saved and fully forgiven.
But there were an increasing number of legalistic Jews who continued to argue that Gentiles were outside of God's grace and could not receive His forgiveness without becoming a proselyte and abiding by Jewish rites, customs, feasts, and ordinances.
But this was not the teaching of Paul or Christ's other apostles, for they all made it clear that God's grace and His salvation is not exclusive to the Jewish nation, but that He is equally God and Saviour of Gentiles sinners too.
Being born a Jew or born a Gentile made no difference as regards salvation, for His grace extends to all people without racial discrimination, national favoritisms, or class differences.
God's free gift of salvation was not only for the Jews but reaches out to whosoever will believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God, whether they are Jew or Gentile, for all have equal access to His goodness and grace and all receive His forgiveness and life everlasting, by faith in Jesus Christ the righteousness.
Praise God that Paul let us know that there is one God who will justify all mankind in the one and only way He made it possible: by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For He justifies the circumcised Jews, and He also justifies the uncircumcised Gentiles by grace, through faith.
Water baptism (though not essential for salvation), is a beautiful outward expression that is carried out in our physical body, which demonstrates the precious, inward, spiritual change when by grace through faith we died to the old self and were raised into newness of life, in Christ.
Though we have been eternally saved by grace through faith in Christ, and though we have been eternally freed from slavery to sin and severed from the old sin nature, attacks from without and failures from within can cause every one of us to stumble and fall.
When we have been eternally saved by grace through faith, our steps are ordered and established by God our Saviour Who is our heavenly intercessor.
We can buy into various false teachings, live our lives in selfish pride, and even keep the Lord Jesus standing outside the door of our hearts, but like Israel, today is a day that is a feast day for us, for Christ our Saviour has redeemed us by His blood and we have been released from the bondage of slavery to sin into the freedom of Christ's saving grace.
This is not how the truth of the glorious gospel of grace should have developed, but in case we miss the truth that Christ is teaching here, He gives us a second parable.
Purity of heart, love for one another, and doctrinal truth that stems from the Word of God alone, which was the hallmark of the early Christian Church, has deteriorated into Christian mud-slinging and hostility against brothers in Christ OR has resulted in a watering down of the gospel of grace to accommodate any slight variation from the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ.
Let us pray for those that have been deceived by a false Christianity, that God in His grace would guide them into all truth.
How important that the wise teachings of Paul, on division within the church, are applied in congregations today - if men and women are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
But one issue that caused him much heartache and concern, was the abuse of the gospel of grace and the continuous infiltration of legalistic teachings.
How necessary to know the truth and to teach the truth of the glorious gospel of grace in word and in deed, as we wait for Christ's any day appearance.
Let us contemplate these glorious truths that are ours by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and let us conclude that He is worthy to receive all power, riches, wisdom, might, honour, glory, and blessing.
All who have trusted in Christ are already forgiven of our sin and have received the gift of eternal life, and by His grace, the Church will accompany our God and Saviour on that incredible day when Israel recognises Jesus as their Messiah.
However, God in His grace purposed to redeem the lost race of man, forgive his sins, and return him into his former position of power and glory.
And so, God in His grace sent His only begotten Son to be born into the human race, so that He could live and die as the one and only Perfect Man.
There are those that are saved, by grace through faith in Christ, and there are those that remain dead in their sins and are facing a lost eternity... unless they trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
We who have been enlightened with the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, understand that we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, are 'of God'.
As believers, we know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, but we also know that we are of God, and that in Christ we have the power to overcome sin and Satan, through Christ's imputed power and His sufficient grace - as we die to our old sin nature and live our new life for Christ, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
No matter what position we are given in this world... and irrespective of the gifts and graces we have received from above, our everlasting joy should be in the fact that we have been saved by grace, through faith - and have an inheritance that is kept for us, in heaven.
Our gifts differ according to the grace God gives to each of us, and we are instructed to exercise them in accordance with the proportion of faith we have received.
The inflow of our spiritual giftings from God should result in a beneficial outflow of His grace to others.
The grace that pours into our lives should become a channel of God's blessing which, in turn, is willingly poured out in service to others, for His greater glory and praise.
Like so much of the Church today, these Christians in Corinth were trying to grow in grace and mature in the faith through worldly ways, not having understood that the foolishness of the simple gospel of Christ (Who died for our sins and rose again the third day, to pay the price of sin and break its power in our lives), is the only power and wisdom that is acceptable to God the Father.
Nothing on the earth below nor in the heavens above can cause the steps of those that have been made righteous through Jesus Christ to stray so far or to fall so heavily, that God in His grace will not reach down and to pick us up.
Paul wanted Timothy to be equipped to confidently carry forth the torch of the gospel of God in the years ahead, so that the light of the glorious gospel of grace and the truth of our great salvation would be passed on from one generation to the next.
Paul had gone through many difficult times himself and suffered in many different ways, but he had learned that God's grace is sufficient, for His power is perfected in our weakness and timidity, and Paul longed for Timothy to prove this truth for himself.
He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, he wrote to Timothy, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
It was by grace that we have been given the light of the glorious gospel of Christ and it is by grace that He will illumine our path and bring us home victorious.
Men and women, both Jew and Gentile alike, who will place their trust in Christ as their Messiah during the coming 'Time of Jacob's Trouble' - and survive to the end - will likewise be saved by grace through faith, and will enter Christ's Millennial Kingdom in their physical bodies.
Those who place their trust in Christ as their Messiah, during the coming 'Time of Jacob's Trouble' - but are killed before the end - will likewise be saved by grace through faith, and will enter Christ's Millennial Kingdom, in their risen, glorified bodies.
We too have been commissioned to bring good news of great joy to the unsaved masses - to Jews and Gentiles alike, by declaring the gospel of grace to those who are dead in their sins... for there is only one name under heaven, whereby we must be saved... the lovely name of Jesus.
As with all the apostles, the dear desire of James is to see all believers in Christ maturing in their faith, growing in grace, trusting God unwaveringly, and developing an ever-increasing faith in His gracious provision and sufficient grace.
What could be more glorious than to know that we are forgiven of our sin, redeemed from slavery to sin, and saved from eternal condemnation by God's amazing grace through faith in the redemptive work of Christ.
And yet, some would argue that this superabundant grace not only permits the believer to keep on sinning, but encourages a life of sin: God forbid, is Paul's emphatic response, how shall we, that are dead to sin, still live in sin?
We have been given a secure, permanent, and eternal position, which is a free gift of God's super-abounding grace to all who trust in Christ as Saviour.
Our position in Christ is perfect for He is perfect, and our life should be a reflection of His perfection, beauty, and grace.
Having died to sin, we are called to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, for we are no longer dead in our sin but alive to Christ: For we have died to sin. We are no longer estranged from God but reunited with Him, in love: For we have died to sin.
Because of our new position in Christ, by grace through faith in Him we are clothed in Christ's righteousness.
There are likely to be times when we will fail and our practice will not reflect our position, but our earnest desire should be to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Nothing is more glorious than to know that we are forgiven of our sin, redeemed from slavery to sin, and saved from eternal condemnation by God's amazing and super-abounding grace through faith in the redemptive work of Christ: God forbid that we who are dead to sin, should continue to live thereby.
The faith of this little congregation was anchored upon the message of truth; the good news of Christ, the gospel of the grace of God that Christ died for our sins and rose again to secure for who believe in Him, an eternal home reserved for us in heaven.
This hope is not only reserved in heaven for these faithful, loving, Colossian believers, but for all who have heard and believed God's Word of truth; the gospel of the grace of God.
We are to trust the Lord, believe on His Word, and stand firm in the faith that was once given to the saints so that we too can be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power... for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go... and His grace is sufficient.
As believers in the dispensation of the grace of God, every Christian both Jew and Gentile alike, are reminded that we are holy brethren who by faith in Christ, have a heavenly calling to honour the Lord Jesus.
I wonder if David had an understanding that the dove would become the most familiar symbol of God's sustaining power, grace, and comfort in the body of Christ..
But from Romans 3:21, a righteousness apart from keeping the Law starts to be revealed: the righteousness that comes from God as a free gift of grace.
But His righteousness is only given by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The righteousness of God is revealed in our justification by grace through faith in Christ and there is no other way.
But the fullness of the message of grace could not be more fully unveiled until the Lord Jesus came to present Himself in Person, as the sin-sacrifice for the whole world.
Events that were veiled to the eyes of these great men were brought into sharper view when the Holy Spirit started to move in the lives of the apostles, who unfolded the mystery of the Church (which is the Body of Christ), and the free gift of salvation, which is given by grace through faith to all who will believe in the only begotten Son of God as Saviour and Lord.
May we study to show ourselves approved unto God and rejoice in the riches of His grace, knowing that we have been given all we need for life and godliness, and it is all contained within the holy Scriptures.
Not only should we guard our mouth and be careful that we speak the truth in love and with grace, but we should also bridle our tongue so that we prevent ourselves from speaking hastily or without due thought or consideration.
This is the most astonishing promise which is given to ALL who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. The spirit and souls of Christians who are already with the Lord will be united with their new, eternal, resurrected bodies, which will be freed from the ravages of death.
Just as Christians today look back to Christ's finished work and are saved by faith in Him, so pre-cross believers looked forward to the coming Messiah, and their faith was credited as righteousness - they were saved by grace, through faith in the coming Lord Jesus Christ.
They were all saved by grace through faith in God's promised Messiah.
Paul also made it clear that, despite being wonderfully redeemed from Egyptian slavery by God's grace, through faith, that first generation of Israelites failed to become a sanctified people.
Every individual was saved by grace through faith in God's Word... and so they were ALL fed with the same, supernatural, spiritual food.
Everyone who is saved by grace through faith in Christ's finished work is given power from on high to live a victorious life.
Every Christian is part of the new creation IN CHRIST, and we ALL have access to God's sufficient grace through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
But soon after he was born again, he went to Arabia for a time before returning to Damascus, where he quietly shared the good news of the gospel of grace to Jews and Gentiles alike.
Paul taught that Christ died according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and rose again, according to the Scriptures, and that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and did not depend on keeping the Jewish Law, legislation, rites, rituals, and feasts.
Paul stressed that God had set him apart from his mother's womb, and that he was called by His mercy and grace to be God's special mouthpiece, not chosen by men to be an apostle, like Matthias who replaced Judas Iscariot, nor was he taught by man, like the 3000 men who were saved on the day of Pentecost. Paul was taught by Jesus Christ and by God the Father, Who raised Him from the dead.
Paul did not travel to Jerusalem to learn the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, nor was he taught it by Christ's other apostles and teachers... for we read: Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia and returned once more to Damascus.
Humility, grace, peace, and love are the precious spiritual fruit that should be evident in the life of all God's children who have gained wisdom and been given godly understanding.
But he also knew that spiritual growth is not automatic, for we must grow and mature in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
And by His divine power we all have been generously equipped to grow and mature in grace, to live a godly life in Christ, and to increase in spiritually maturity.
We travel through this ungodly world as Christ's ambassadors and representatives of heaven, and God's will for each of our lives is that we become increasingly fruitful in the knowledge of Him Who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light, and that we share the good news of the gospel of grace with men and women who are dead in their sins and without God in the world.
The position and privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus, and all that we will ever need to live a godly life which is pleasing to the Lord, were given to us as a free gift of God's grace.
But it is only through His divine power that we have been equipped by God to live such a godly life, for we have been imputed with Christ's righteousness, indwelt by Christ's Holy Spirit, identified with all His goodness and grace, and have been accepted by the Father in the Beloved, by grace through faith in Him.
All that pertains to life and godliness in a believer is achieved through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within our heart and the intercessory ministry of our great High Priest in heaven, for it is God Who works in us, to equip each believer to mature in the faith, to grow in grace, and to come into a fuller and deeper knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We have not been called, chosen, redeemed, and accepted because of our own merit but by His glory, His goodness, His virtue, and His grace.
And let us never forget that all that we are and all that we have is because of His glory, His goodness, and His grace.
The Bible tells us that we are saved by grace and that we access this salvation through faith: For you are saved by grace through faith. Then the Bible tells us that salvation has nothing to do with us.
The Bible tells us that salvation is by grace alone.
Salvation is nothing to do with ourselves, it has nothing to do with rules, regulations, or laws we have to keep, for salvation is by grace, and it is a free gift from God to all who have believed in Jesus: Salvation is not from yourselves; it is God's gift.
If salvation is by grace, then salvation is not by works!
If salvation has anything to do with works, then it can’t possibly be said to come by grace.
The word works contradicts the meaning of word grace and the word grace runs counter to the word works – for works and grace are in complete opposition to each other, the two words are at variance with one another.
If salvation was given to us because of the works we did, then you can’t possibly say that salvation is a gift of grace!
Similarly, if salvation were gained as a result of doing some form of work or works, then it cannot be considered as a free gift of grace from God.
The meaning of works and grace are diametrically opposite with each other.
In Romans chapter 11, Paul is explaining that the grace that has been extended to the Gentiles during this Church age applies equally to the remnant of Jews in this Church age.
The remnant of Jews that trust Jesus as their Messiah during this Church age become part of the Church of God, the Body of Christ, and like Gentile believers are saved by grace, not works of the Law.
Paul could not have been clearer in explaining to the believers in Rome that salvation is by grace and that salvation is nothing to do with works.
Paul told us that since salvation is through God's kindness, and is given to us because of His amazing grace, then we have not received it by our good works, for had works played any part in our salvation then we would not have received salvation by God's grace.
Paul could not have been clearer when He told us in Romans 11: If by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.
Paul teaches elsewhere that His grace is sufficient no matter what problems, pain, or persecution we may face, and that God works all things together for our eternal good and to glorify His holy name.
He was to share the good news of the gospel of grace.
However, veiling knowledge of the truth to unbelievers, through parabolic teachings, demonstrates the incredible grace of God - so that mans' sin will not be exacerbated, through their spiritual understanding.
While Jesus still is the God of love and grace and will eventually return to Jerusalem as Prince of Peace and King of kings, He is also the God of justice and righteousness.
This is indeed a terrible indictment upon humanity, and were it not for the grace of God, every member of the human race who were originally made in God's own perfect image with an eternal soul, a mind to think, and a will to choose, would remain under His eternal condemnation and be damned forever.
It is only as one considers the shocking depths of depravity to which man has sunk, through sin, that the inestimable unfathomable grace of God begins to be recognised.
His imprisonment was because he had faithfully preached the Word, in season and out of season, to a lost and dying world, and Paul described his life as being poured out as a drink offering for the sacrifice and sake of these precious saints in Philippi, who by grace through faith in Christ had been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son.
First, they catalogue the inner character that God wants to develop in all born-again believers, by grace through faith.
It is only the man or woman who humbly and reverently recognises the manifold mercies of God's towards them, and His amazing grace in sending His only begotten Son to become the substitute for their sin, who is permitted to bear this fruit of the Spirit.
In His mercy, God withheld the punishment that we justly deserve, and in His grace He gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
And yet, Peter prays that the grace and peace of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ be multiplied in our lives and magnified in our hearts.
God has given us everything we need for living a godly life: Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, and yet Peter's desire for all God's children is that His grace and His peace be multiplied to us all.
Here at the start of his second epistle, we discover this wise, old, fisher-of-men, desiring an overabundance of God's undeserved grace and peace to be our portion.
We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under His table and yet He is the God of all grace, abundant grace, multiplied grace, and He is the Father of all mercies, comfort, and peace.
May God's abundant grace and incomprehensible peace continue to be multiplied towards all His children as we seek to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk in humble submission before Him all the days of our life, in love.
Before we were transferred into the kingdom of light with all the wonderful benefits that accompany this glorious gift of grace (which includes life eternal to all who believe in Christ), we were in the kingdom of darkness, children of Satan, slaves of lawlessness, saturated in sin, with no God and no hope in the world.
Paul knew that gaining an understanding of heavenly things is a difficult concept due to our human limitation and finite comprehension, but he wanted to give us a good grasp of the incredible contrast between what we were before we were saved and what we are now that we are saved by grace through faith and positioned in Christ Jesus.
We are to be a living testament of God's goodness and grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we are to avoid partnership with the enemy camp which can lead to a compromise of the truth of the glorious gospel of God.
It also demonstrates the long-suffering goodness of their covenant-keeping God; His mercy, faithfulness, goodness, and grace.
Because of His grace and mercy, they shall serve the Lord their God and honour David their king, whom the Lord will raise up at the last day.
Today, the Church is that great cloud of witnesses that speak of God's tender mercy and everlasting grace.
Today, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are the ones who are being used to testify to the truth of the glorious Gospel of grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It must have been amazing to watch the apostle Peter grow in grace and mature in his Christian faith, in his advancing years.
He warned of the dangers they would face in the future and the need to develop a strong Christian character, moral excellence, spiritual wisdom, and self-control... all of which depend on the sufficient strength and grace which is provided for us in Christ alone.
The urgency to remind these saints about the truth of the gospel of grace and the necessity to be diligent in their earthly walk and established in sound doctrine, was because Peter had received special revelation from God about his imminent death, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent - as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
May we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, study to show ourselves approved unto God, so that we be able to discern what is false and identify those that are distorting the Word of God... so that we may be in a position to help to warn others who may have been deceived by their flattering words and ungodly ways - and point the way to Christ.
Although this was a command that was given to the chosen nation of Israel and related to the specific covenant that God made with them, it embraces an important principle for all God's children in this Church dispensation; There are important lessons to learn by all who have been rescued from slavery to sin and have been brought into the family of God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
We have been promised a full supply of Christ's sufficient grace through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, no matter what difficulties or dangers we may face.
Simon Peter was a recipient of God's grace and salvation, and an eyewitness of His majesty and glory.
And at the start of his second epistle, we find Simon Peter (bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ), offering words of encouragement and advice to all who by God's grace, had the obtained the same precious faith that he had received; for in Christ Jesus our God and Saviour, we have all become the righteousness of God in Him.
Simon Peter understood that there are no 'superior' Christians, for we are all one in Christ, saved by the grace of God, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and a new creation in Christ Who is our Head.
But from that point of salvation, the new man must grow in grace and become more Christlike.
But although circumcision is not an issue for the believer, walking in spirit and truth, growing in grace, trusting God's Word, and obeying His commands is very important.
The ongoing story of redemption continues today and as we read through the Scriptures we are reminded of our own human frailty, the need to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and of His sufficient grace in time of need.
Paul understood that without Christ he was nothing - but that he could do all things through Christ, Who strengthened him, for His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
And Paul rejoiced with great joy when he remembered the Christians who had received the glorious gospel of grace, believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and started their lifelong journey towards spiritual maturity and Christian understanding.
How he rejoiced to know that these believers in Philippi were growing in grace and gaining a mature knowledge of Jesus.It must have been a great joy for the Philippian Christians to receive and read this encouraging epistle from Paul.
It must have been encouraging to know that despite being imprisoned in Rome for the sake of the gospel of Christ, he cared so deeply for each one of them... that he prayed faithfully for them and was deeply and genuinely concerned about their ongoing, spiritual welfare.Paul was the vessel God chose to take the good news of the gospel of grace to the Gentiles.
Memories of Christian brothers and sisters should be bathed in love and grace, forgiveness and faith, care and compassion, joy and thanksgiving.
For three wonderful chapters, Paul has been telling the Ephesians what are the incredible riches of God's grace toward us.
He is reminding us of the supernatural position and privileges that are ours, simply by grace - through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As lost sinners who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ and forgiven of our sin, we are now saints of God and children of the light.
It should be incumbent upon us to recognise the incredible grace that God has extended to all... who by faith are now His blood-bought children.
Before we were saved, we were all sons of disobedience who remained under the wrath of God, but now we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ.
Paul is saying that since God has bestowed on us the riches of His grace, seated us together with Christ in heavenly places, positioned us in His Christ by faith, and made us one with Himself, we should remember the depth of depravity from which we have all been rescued and live in a manner that honours His name.
What Paul is reminding all who have been redeemed from the kingdom of Satan, is that those who have not been saved by grace through faith and engage in such evil ways, are the sons of disobedience.
However, we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, do have a responsibility to share the good news with others - as led by the Holy Spirit, so that their faith and ours does not rest on man's wisdom but on the power of God - alone.
Although Christ is the potential Saviour of all men, He is the actual Saviour of those who truly trust in Him alone, by grace through faith.
Although the debt for mankind's sin has been paid in full, not everyone will receive God's amazing free gift of grace for the forgiveness of sins.
Everyman has the potential for salvation, but those who reject His free gift of grace by faith alone in Christ alone, will one day be fully and finally separated from God.
Although Christ is the POTENTIAL Saviour for all men, He is the ACTUAL Saviour only for those who truly trust in Him alone, by grace through faith.
Let us make every effort to preach the Word to a lost and dying world and share the glorious gospel of grace to all with whom we come in contact, knowing: Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
But he also reminds us of Noah who found grace in the eyes of the Lord and the blessings that Job, who was righteous in all his ways, finally received.
Only those who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, are forgiven of all their sin and declared righteous in the sight of God.
Although we have a new nature (our new-life-in-Christ), we are gradually being sanctified in Him as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
Those who KNOW the truth of the glorious gospel of grace could never make such a claim, for we are not saved because of OUR goodness but because of HIS goodness.
We are sinners, saved by grace, and not by any works of our own righteousness.
John is not talking about initial SALVATION, when we are saved by grace through faith.
A work of grace started in our life the moment we were saved. That work of grace is rooted in the divine goodness of the Father Who purposed to send His Son into the world to be the sacrifice for our sin. The work of grace in each of us will be completed when we see Him as He is - at the Rapture of the saints - i.e.
it is by the grace of God alone that we are saved. We were saved by faith and are to live by faith.
It is by grace alone through faith, that we were redeemed from the slave-market of sin, and He alone can work the works of God in our earthy life in the ongoing process of sanctification.
How am I to grow in grace and become a mature believer?
It is as we submit to His leading, only doing the things that we hear from Him, and remaining in fellowship with the Father through confessing our sin to HIM, that we will grow in grace, as He desires.
It is only as we believe the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ, that we are saved by grace through faith in His finished work at Calvary.
Once we have been placed in Christ by grace through faith... and positionally sanctified and set apart unto Him, we are to continue in our day-to-day spiritual battle by participating in a progressing, practical, ongoing sanctification process.
Let us hold fast to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace that was once delivered to the saints and stand firm under the covering of Christ's own purity, wherewith we are clothed by faith.
Paul rejoiced that in the past, these believers had come to a knowledge of the gospel of grace; in the present, they were demonstrating the love of Christ in their lives; and they looked to the future with joyful hope, knowing that one day they would: Ever be with the Lord.
The Colossian believers had embraced the glorious gospel of grace, which was given to us by God and revealed to us all through his holy apostles and prophets.
The gospel of truth that these believers had embraced so readily, is the same gospel that is freely available to all who will trust on the Lord Jesus Christ: For the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, and all who abide in Christ will grow in grace and produce the precious fruit of righteousness.
May we look to Jesus and be quick to keep Christ alone as the central focus of our life. May we be diligent to preserve in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace within the church meetings and fellowships we attend, and may we be diligent to stand firm on the truth of the glorious gospel of grace for His greater praise.
He makes it clear that Christ's birth into the human race, was a great demonstration of God's love, grace, and power.
However, believers today can never pray such a prayer, for we have the permanently indwelling Spirit of God, Who carries out a myriad of ministries in each of our lives, and equips us with His supernatural strength and never-failing grace for every eventuality in life.
And He sanctifies us both positionally (in Christ) and progressively (as we grow in grace and mature in the faith).
No surprise that John the Apostle was careful to record every beautiful detail of the incarnate Word of God, for by His grace we have been saved from the slave-market of sin, by grace through faith we are clothed in Christ's righteousness, and by amazing God grace through faith, we are given the Holy Spirit without measure.
He grieved when they were slow of heart to learn, reprimanded them when they fell into sin, corrected them when they were lured into error, rejoiced with them as they grew in grace, and instructed them so they would become increasingly mature in the faith.Paul’s great desire for the saints at Philippi was that they become rooted and grounded in the Word of truth, so that their love for God and their love for one another would continue to grow and multiply.
Indeed, this should also be our continuous prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ – that our love increases and abounds, as we worship our heavenly King, grow in grace, and develop a more intimate knowledge of God.
They begin with his characteristic greeting of, grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul had already assured them in his earlier letter, that by God's grace, we have been delivered from the wrath to come, and that by His grace, we have been appointed to obtain salvation.
And just as Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered, we are to follow in His footsteps, for His name's sake - as we grow in grace and in a knowledge and likeness of Jesus
Despite the covenant that God made with His people and in spite of the many precious promises He gave them, they seemed intent on defying their Lord and turning their back on the grace He continuously showered on them.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, how easy it is for us to be critical of Israel's ongoing rebellion and apostasy.
And let us thank God that His grace towards His covenant people will continue... until Jesus comes to set up His eternal kingdom on earth in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel - for He longs to be gracious to all His children and waits on high to have compassion on us all.
The good news of the glorious gospel of grace should give every believer a joy and assurance in our eternal security in Christ, and the many precious promises that God Himself has proclaimed are 'yes' and 'amen' in Him.
As we read this chapter, we discover the overflowing riches of God's grace and the tender love that the Father has bestowed on all who trust in Christ as Saviour, for we are accepted in the Beloved and have become eternally united with our Saviour, by grace through faith in Christ alone.
We who were once estranged from our Creator have been brought near by the blood of Christ and placed in eternal union with Him having been given above all that we can ask or think, by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone.
Paul was commissioned to take the glorious gospel of grace to the Gentiles, but his thoughts, prayers, and supplications often turned joyfully toward the Body of believing saints.
We are all members of Christ's Body and, like the Philippians Christians, are also partners in the glorious gospel of grace.
For we were saved by grace through faith when we were baptised into Christ's Body and we are to live by grace through faith and to serve the Lord by grace through faith.
We are not in competition against each other but are co-workers together of the glorious gospel of grace.
The book of Acts in general is a history book that bridges the pre-Cross Scriptures of the Old Testament and Gospels (when the gospel of the kingdom was the main focus of teaching), and the post-Cross period when God's full revelation to man had been given through Christ Jesus (when the gospel of the grace of God became the main focus of God's good news to all men).
God has promised to finish the good work He has started in the life of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
We are to live in spirit and truth, abide in Christ, grow in grace, and trust Him amid every difficult circumstance of life so that the name of the Lord Jesus is glorified through us, and we remain rooted and grounded in Him.
Just as God gave the Thessalonian Christians the grace to stand firm in the day of trouble for the honour of His name, so He has given His sufficient grace and strength to each member of the Church to become a living example of godly behaviour and Christlike character: So that the name Christ may be glorified in you and ye in Him, according to the goodness and grace of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Only as we abide in Him and remain connected to Him, can we draw from His wisdom and strength, His power and grace, His truth and holiness, His peace and His joy.
As the Father has loved Me, so I have also loved you - abide in My love. If we who are saved by grace through faith in Him would take to heart this simple truth and obey Christ's simple command to Abide in my love, we would discover its transcendent significance and its unfathomable benefit.
However, this innumerable multitude is seen rejoicing before the throne of God and we read that by His grace, they have been saved by faith in Christ's sacrificial death and have, washed their robes..
He not only paid-the-penalty for our sin but broke-the-power of sin in our lives - and has promised that His grace is sufficient for all the battles that we may have to face in this body of flesh.
By grace through faith in Christ, we have been given the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to live the godly lifestyle that God demands; a life that is set apart unto Him; a life that reflects His character and attributes.
We are not to allow the externals of life to cause us to doubt God's mercy and grace, but should treat them as opportunities to trust His Word so we may grow in grace to His honour and glory.
If by grace we were wonderfully rescued from sin, death, and hell, should it not be our delight and duty to obey His command to be holy as He is holy?
But Peter preferred to share the good news of the gospel of grace with his fellow countrymen, no matter what the cost, and to tell abroad the wonders and glory of Christ Jesus, his Lord.
He encouraged believers to grow in grace, to know more of Christ, to mature in the faith, to foster a compassionate nature with a clear conscience, and to develop a Christlike attitude in thought, word, and deed.
And through his epistles, Peter proclaimed the gospel of the grace of God to Christian pilgrims near and far.
Although many individual Jews believed on Christ and were saved by grace through faith, the full and complete fulfilment of Joel's prophecy was postponed and is still future: When all Israel will be saved.
But once we are justified... we should strive to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to study the Scriptures daily, so that we do not make the same mistake as the religious leaders of Christ's day.
And by His grace, all needful instruction for life and godliness is to be found in the holy Scriptures, if we will but take the time to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest all that is needful for the soul.
May we like Joshua live our life as unto the Lord, knowing that He is well able to finish the good work He started in us when we first trusted Him by grace through faith in Christ our Lord.
As believers, we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ and not by keeping works of the Law.
As believers, we were saved by grace through faith in Christ and at the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit of God placed us into the Body of Christ.
It centres on the good news of God's grace towards mankind and its singular focus is the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord.
He died for our sins and rose again the third day so that whosoever would believe on His name would not perish but receive God's free gift of everlasting life, by grace through faith in Him.
The wise words that are found in the book of Proverbs come as advice from the God-given wisdom of King Solomon to his son, and we would do well to take note of some of the pearls of grace and truth that are therein contained.
And so, as Peter drew his final letter to a close, he entreated Christians everywhere to recall the teachings of Paul and to consider any apparent delay in the Lord's return as a demonstration of God's grace, whereby sinners are being given time and opportunity to turn from their sin and trust in Christ for forgiveness.
Let us consider that every day that passes is a day of grace, when sinners are given another opportunity for salvation: Just as our dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom that God gave to him, and about which he has written to us all.
He used examples from farming, the military, cooking, and even the popular athletic games, when describing the need for patient endurance, spiritual protection, self-control, and the need to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
He lived in such a way that he did not offend the Jews by flaunting the liberty he had through faith in Christ, nor did he impose the legalistic restrictions of the Mosaic Law on the Gentiles, for we are not under law but under grace.
Salvation does not depend on keeping the Law, but is a free gift of God's grace to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and Paul used every opportunity to share the truth of the gospel of grace to Jew and Gentile alike.
When the cares and concerns of this world are given to the Lord in humility of heart, He pours into that life His peace that passes understanding, and we discover we have a godly wisdom, an enlarged faith, supernatural love, and His sufficient grace, despite the circumstances that hem us in on every side.
And in His grace, He aligns our will to His will and the delights of His heart become our very own heartfelt longings.
It is our Christian duty to proclaim the gospel of grace to a world that is dead in sin and without hope of salvation.
While the gospel is open and available to all, not everyone who hears the truth will believe, for man is free to choose or reject the glorious gospel of grace.
There are also those who twist the Scriptures, by teaching that the 'drawing' of the Father refers to 'irresistible grace', which negates the doctrine of free-will and conflicts with the rest of Scripture.
The reformed teaching of 'irresistible grace' removes man's volition to choose or to reject God's pull on their life.
But the more that sin increased and the more that man became aware of his sinfulness - so God's grace was able to abound towards man.
But because sin increased and men recognised their sinfulness, the more God's remarkable gift of grace expanded to cleanse the penitent sinner.
And more men sinned... the more God's grace was increased.
BUT, where sin increased (through the giving of the Law), grace abounded all the more (through faith in the sacrifice of Christ).
Once we start to recognise that we are sinners, we start to understand the amazing love of God, the forgiveness of sins, and His over-abounding grace which is ours by faith in the sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Once sin is exposed in our life - the more precious the grace of God and the forgiveness we receive by faith becomes.
God's grace and His unmerited favour is increasingly revealed to us when we recognise the depth of our sin.
But His grace continues to be poured out on a sinful race.
Grace upon more grace is poured out upon all who by faith in Christ's sacrificial work on Calvary - as we are not only forgiven of our sins - but declared righteous before a holy God.
He leads us through the doctrines of predestination, election, justification, sanctification, the old sin nature and the new creation in Christ, the flesh and the spirit, law and grace.
Paul was most thorough in his outstanding epistle to systematically set out every aspect of Church-age doctrine so that we have no doubt that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
When Jesus rose from the grave, He broke the power of death and hell in the lives of ALL who are identified with Christ and positioned IN Him, all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, all who have been born of the Spirit of God and have received a NEW and eternal life in Christ.
The fifteenth chapter of Corinthians is a passage that gives hope in the hearts of all who are saved by grace through faith.
Paul begins by proclaiming the gospel of grace, by which we are saved: Christ died for our sins... was buried, and rose again, according to the Scriptures.
When we wonder whether or not the Lord will hear our cry or respond to our prayers, we show a similar misunderstanding of His might, majesty, dominion, and power, and demonstrate doubt in His goodness, grace, care, and concern.
It is putting up with the inevitable idiosyncrasies and fluctuating attitudes of our brothers and sisters, with a spirit of gentleness and grace - understanding and patient endurance.
God has promised that as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sin from us... and we, in turn, should reflect His grace by bearing with one another, forgiving each other, and demonstrating mercy towards anyone who has a complaint against us - just as the Lord forgave us, so we also should forgive.
Both books are equally relevant to Christians today who are continually being enticed back into the legalistic practice of the pre-Cross dispensation of Law... rather than appreciating that we are members of the Body of Christ in this post-Cross dispensation of grace.
Judaism is a works-based salvation, while Christianity is a grace-based salvation.
Biblical salvation however, is gained by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial work.
I am saved by grace alone... through faith alone... in what Christ has done alone - with nothing added.
But just before the living believers are caught up to Jesus in the air, all the believers who became part of the Body of Christ down through the last two thousand years in this Church-age of grace, will rise up out of their graves.
What a privilege to know that we will bear testimony to God's amazing grace in the eternal ages to come.
What a glorious future hope, that we will be forever with the Lord in the company of all the saints of old who by grace through faith have trusted Christ for the remission of sin and the redemption of their spirit, soul, and body.
Just as there is a stark contrast between the first covenant of law and the second covenant of grace, so there is a distinct difference between the relationship of a slave to his master and the intimate kinship that exists between a beloved son and heir, and his own dearly loved Father: And as those who have trusted Christ as Saviour, we are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God, through Christ.
As believers on the Resurrection side of Calvary, we are no longer considered to be servants of God but His sons, not because of any righteous deeds that we have done, but only because of what He did at Calvary on our behalf: For by grace are we saved not of works, lest any man should boast.
As believers on the Resurrection side of Calvary, we are partakers of the divine nature by grace through faith in Christ, and as a child of our Heavenly Father we may call Him: Abba, Father.
We who have trusted Christ on the Resurrection side of Calvary have all the riches of His grace available to us, not because of our godliness but because of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross.
We who have trusted Christ on the Resurrection side of Calvary, have been brought into God's family by grace through faith in Christ's finished work and are now children of God, through Christ.
This bond-servant who was set apart from birth by God's grace, is the man who personally authored the thirteen epistles that are specifically directed towards Church-age believers today.
This consisted of preaching the good news of the gospel of grace to the Gentiles, which involved numerous missionary trips, shipwrecks and prison stays.
When we first heard the good news that Jesus died and rose again to pay the price for our sins and that salvation is God's gift of grace to all sinners who believe in His only begotten Son, our hearts rejoiced with great joy.
It was at Antioch that we read that the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ started to spread rapidly, and that certain Greeks began to believe in Christ, and God in His grace blessed them mightily.
The sarcasm, cynicism, contempt, and hatred of Christians continues to be communicated in so many areas of our individual lives and the world in general, but we have been promised that His grace is sufficient, for His power is made perfect in our weakness.
David expressed his joyful satisfaction and confidence in the God of his salvation, with a truth that must rejoice the heart of every sinner, saved by grace.
After a short and pithy introduction to his Galatian epistle, Paul jumps right into his serious concern about the Galatian believers' hasty departure from the simple gospel of grace to another teaching... that perverts the truth.
Nowhere does Paul give a stronger denouncement of false teaching and a more determined defence of the gospel of grace, than here in Galatia.
The crux of the matter was a frenetic effort to hold on to all that was rooted in a false Judaism, by Jews who could not... and would not disassociate the pre-Cross dispensation of Law from the post-Cross dispensation of grace.
He clarifies that the gospel that he taught (the gospel of God / the gospel of Christ / the gospel of Grace - the gospel of the Glory of God) was not given to him from man, nor did he think it up in his own imagination.
John knew that the salvation of mankind was initiated out of love for fallen sinners, but also that judgement is the inevitable result of those who choose to reject His gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial work at Calvary.
God in His grace did everything to ensure that no one would end up in this condition.
The man who faces God's righteous judgement has rejected the Love of God, the Grace of God, the Gift of God, and the Light from God.
We have already been made righteous in Christ, by grace through faith, and the day is coming when we will put off this old mortal body and finally be clothed in our promised, glorified body.
We are already members of His Body and identified by grace through faith with our God, but we also wait for our promised inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, unfading, and reserved for us in heaven.
Our righteousness is a free gift of grace to all who are redeemed through the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are to journey through life in the sphere of grace and not works, for we are positioned in Christ as a free gift of God.
We have been eternally saved by grace through faith in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are also kept by grace, through the power of the Most High God and are eternally secure, for there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.
Many found it difficult to accept that Christians were no longer under 'The Dispensation of the Law' but were living in a new dispensation: 'The Dispensation of the Grace of God' that came through Christ.
God's plan of redemption was not fully known until He sent JESUS, His only begotten Son into the world - that we might live through Him and be declared righteous by God's grace - through faith in His redemptive blood.
God purposed that salvation would be a free gift of God's grace which would be appropriated by faith - and no attempt, by man to achieve righteousness any other way or through any other person, would be accepted by God.
The apostle Paul used both Abraham and David as evidence that salvation in the Old Testament was similarly by God's grace, through faith in His Word.
Abraham did not earn his salvation, but received it as a free gift of God's grace - by faith.
And Abraham was one of many men and women who believed God would keep His Word - and their faith was credited to them as righteousness. When we trust the Word made flesh - that He died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried and rose again the third day - we will be saved by God's grace - through faith.
Paul reminds us that before we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, we spent our life in malice, envy, bitterness, and hatred towards one another, and also towards God.
Unsaved man is self-centred, self-deluded, self-important, and lacking spiritual discernment, and we should remember the depth of depravity in which we were once trapped, before God in His grace rescued us from the darkness of our deep despair and brought us into the light of the glorious gospel of grace.
He uses this method to keep us humble before the Lord, for it is only by grace that we have been saved from the same, ungodly pre-salvation disposition.
It is only as we live as instructed by Paul in his many letters to the churches that we grow in grace and become more like Christ so that our lives may be a light to the lost, and more people may see our good deeds and glorify our Father Who is in heaven.
We are to seize hold the many precious promises that relate to our salvation by grace through faith in Christ, and we do this by appropriating His cleansing flood in our own indifferent or bloodied hearts.
How blessed we are if we can reflect on our own lives and identify those that by God's grace, patiently and lovingly provoked us to love and good works, by grace through faith in Christ.
But mercy, truth, and unity, only comes when we have the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Spirit flowing through our inner beings, for it is only as we are yielded to the Holy Spirit, that He is enabled to conform us into the likeness of Christ.
If we, as children of God, have received His goodness and grace, comfort and hope, we are to maintain the same goodness, grace, comfort, and love, and be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the body of peace.
We are to grow in grace through the nourishment of the Word of God and, as living stones, are to be built up into a holy nation, a spiritual house, and a holy priesthood that is honouring to God.
It is specifically to women that Peter exposes the dangers of an over-emphasis on external adornments, fancy hairstyles, expensive jewellery, or beautiful clothes – greater attention should rather be placed on the inner clothing of humility, purity, gentleness, and grace, which is of far greater worth in the sight of God.
And as the time for his departure drew ever closer, Peter wanted to ensure that those who had grown in grace and matured in the faith, were equipped to continue Christ's ministry of reconciliation, and to care for the flock of God - and so he spoke directly to the elders of the Church who had the authority over God's people.
But there is a tender note of humility and grace in this directive from the Lord's chief apostle, for he addressed himself as their fellow elder.
The way that Peter addressed his fellow elders, as he sought to equip those that came after him in proclaiming the gospel of grace, forwarding the cause of Christ, and feeding the flock of God, demonstrates true, Christian humility, and a life that is dedicated to equipping others to carry on the message of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord
Just as we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we have also been called into one hope of that calling and exhorted to live at peace with one another.
He was certainly zealous in stressing the importance of keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace - where by grace through faith in Christ, we are ONE Body and ONE Spirit... with ONE hope, ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism into the Body of Christ - and ONE God and Father, Who is above all, through all, and in us all.
Like Paul, we too are travelling through this world from grace to glory.
And He has provided us with His sufficient grace to overcome, in this evil day.
Peter also warns of the fiery trials that all believers will undergo on their Christian journey, but reminds us that our earthly afflictions will soon pass, producing in us an eternal weight of glory that will far surpass our expectation: For after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, Who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
We are to cling to this great encouragement by grace through faith, as we travel through this hostile, antagonistic world from grace to glory, for our various trials are but for a season.
The Cross of Christ procured our salvation through faith, and whatever starts with God's grace results in God's glory.
Because of the glories of the wonderful gospel of Christ, where the life and light of salvation flows to all who believe, Paul rejoices to teach the good news of God's saving grace and to set out the truth of Scripture because he knew that it was only by God's grace that he himself had been saved.
Because of the glories contained in the gospel of Christ, Paul does not get discouraged, even when those that he is teaching choose not to listen to the good news, but reject the truth of God's amazing grace.
Paul knew that there was a reason that many refused to listen to the gospel of God's grace.
And when people hear the gospel and then willingly reject it, they unwittingly give the god of this world a foothold in their mind - and as a result their unbelief becomes more and more firmly established in their hearts, until their minds are blinded to the glorious truth of the gospel of God's grace.
It is not God's will that anyone should perish, but that all come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus – but God gives every single man and woman a choice to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved or to reject the gospel of grace and be condemned.
Men and women who choose to close their minds to the gospel of God's grace are those that are perishing.
Those that choose to disbelieve the gospel of grace are called unbelievers and have placed themselves under condemnation because they have not believed on the only begotten Son of God.
Paul always referred to himself as the least of the apostles, because he had persecuted Jesus by hunting down Christians to the death: Binding and putting both men and women into prisons. But God in His grace, arrested Paul on his murderous journey that day, and brought this arrogant Pharisee to his knees, when he met Jesus face to face.
May we so grow in grace and walk in spirit and truth, that the Spirit of God may work effectually through us, for His praise and glory, in the place where God has chosen to plant us.
The wonderful truth is that we are forgiven of our sins, according to the riches of His grace which has been lavished on us in all wisdom and understanding. He told us that we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to God's eternal purpose and will.
It is only at the point of the 'new-birth', when the Holy Spirit of Life breathes the resurrected life of Christ into a sinner saved by grace through faith, that the human spirit is revived and spiritual death is changed into spiritual life.
It is grace that has brought about this truly amazing transformation, and it is grace that has provided God's wonderfully free and undeserved favour.
It is God's amazing grace that made us alive in Christ and by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, we are set free from condemnation and eternal separation from our Creator.
This change is not accomplished by the Law or the keeping of rules, but by God's pardoning grace.
This metamorphosis has nothing to do with good works of the flesh, but by God's justifying grace.
This grace of God is so abounding and precious that there are neither words sufficient to describe, nor songs sufficient to sing of His amazing love and the gracious gift that has been poured into our hearts, through the finished work of our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul's ministry objective was to teach the good news of the glorious gospel of grace to the people of God and to instruct them on godly living.
However, following his encounter with the glorified Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, he found that... although he was persecuted, Christ did not forsake him... and despite being struck down and abused in multiple ways, God's grace was always sufficient and he was not destroyed.
In an earlier letter to these believers in Corinth, Paul described the fate of the apostles of Christ as, men condemned to die in the arena, and a spectacle to the whole universe - to angels as well as to men. But despite the bitter persecution and grievous attacks that Paul received from Jews, Gentiles, legalists, and religionists - he discovered God's sufficient grace. Paul found out that despite his own human helplessness in the face of such evil, God's divine enablement meant he could stand firm in the faith.
Our brokenness is permitted, so that we may grow in grace, mature in the faith, and day by day become increasingly conformed into the image and likeness of our heavenly Saviour - so that we may shine as lights in a darkened place as we share the good news of salvation to a lost and dying world.
It passed right over all that would happen in this Church age of grace and focused on that time when Christ would come to earth as Israel's returning King.
Today, it is the gospel of the grace of God that the Church has been called to preach; a message that has been faithfully proclaimed for 2000 years; a message that will continue to be taught to a lost and dying world until Jesus comes in the clouds to take us to be with Himself.
The gospel of grace will continue to be taught until the end of this Church age until the time of Jacob's trouble, when the gospel of the kingdom will once again be proclaimed throughout the world.
The gospel of the grace of God will continue to be proclaimed until the time of the end about which the Lord Jesus told His disciples on that day when He departed from the Temple and started to tell them what would be the sign of His coming at the end of the age.
Christ was not only to build His Church during this dispensation of grace, but He was to give each born-again believer His own resurrected life: Which is Christ in You the hope of glory.
Those who would trust in Him for salvation, were to become a new-creation-in-Christ; positioned in Him, imputed with His righteousness, permanently in-dwelt and sealed by His Holy Spirit, granted access to the throne of grace, and given an inheritance which is kept for us in heaven.
In his final meeting with those who were saved by grace through faith, Jesus made reference to approaching the day of Pentecost when He said, You will be baptised not many days hence.
The testimony of Christ was not to be silenced by the Cross, for the Church was to become the channel through whom the truth of the gospel of grace was to be spread throughout the world during this Church age.
What appeared as a series of bizarre and unaccountable circumstances that defied reality and reason, was later to be recognised as the necessary prerequisite to the glorious gospel of grace.
When, like the apostle Peter, we come face to face with a series of bizarre circumstances that seem to shatter our lives, we may not understand the reason for life's twists and turns but we can trust Him, knowing that His ways are perfect and His grace is sufficient.
This short verse has a depth of meaning and much to teach us because it describes a problem: 'the fear of man', yet concludes with the grace principle: But the Lord... The outcome for the fear of man is a snare that entraps the soul and results in disappointment and deep despair.
Our God of grace and peace in Whom we trust, has promised us all temporal, spiritual, and eternal mercies.
We can grow in grace as we abide in Christ, (and receive a reward) OR we can spend our Christian life in spiritual infancy as we ignore His Word and grieve the Holy Spirit, Who indwells us. (and suffer loss of reward at the judgement seat of Christ).
We can die to self and live for Christ or we can live for self and watch all our fleshly works burn in the refining fire of God, at the Bema seat of Christ - saved by grace, yet as though by fire.
May we live, day by day, in spirit and truth and endeavour to carry out the good works that God has prepared for us to do... by His grace, in His power, and for His glory.
Peter was not only forgiven of all his sins, but re-commissioned by the risen Lord Jesus Christ to be His chief apostle who would feed His sheep, shepherd His lambs, and unlock the kingdom of heaven to Jew and Gentile alike, as he shared the wonderful gospel of grace.
Peter knew that the road to the kingdom of Christ must pass via the Cross - and this is no less true for those that are saved by grace through faith today.
We, as born again believers who have been saved by grace through faith, are eternally redeemed.
We have been called out of darkness into His marvellous light, and after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will call us to His eternal glory in Christ where He will restore us, confirm us, strengthen us, and establish us.
Our God and Saviour is the same yesterday, today, and forever, for His promises are altogether sure, His mercies are new every morning, and His grace is sufficient for all our mountainous problems and every taunting terror.
And by God's grace through faith in Him, we too have an assurance that no matter what troubles and trials we may face in this life, God will use them for our good and His eternal glory, for we are His children and the sheep of His pasture.
May we take to heart the great comfort discovered by this psalmist whose cry of help to the Lord became an offering of praise and thanksgiving for His goodness and grace.
Our salvation only comes by God's grace through man's faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But how blessed is the saved sinner who must progress in their faith and grow in grace, not through works of the Law, but by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Sin must be punished, and those who refuse to seek forgiveness of their sin NOW... in the Age of Grace, will have to face the wrath of God during the Great Tribulation.
However, I would suggest that this is one more demonstration of God's amazing grace towards rebellious mankind.
May we do all we can in the time we have left to tell out the news of the gospel of grace and pluck many from the fires of judgement that are soon to fall.
God the Father was rejected by the people in the Old Testament and yet God in His grace sent the eternal Son to be the propitiation for the sin of the world.
The Holy Spirit was sent to permanently indwell all who by faith in the Lord Jesus, became sons of God... but even in those early days of the Church, we see many resisting the gospel of grace and rejecting the inspired words of Stephen, the first Christian martyr - who was himself filled with the Holy Spirit.
By God's sufficient grace, Stephen pleaded for the forgiveness of his murderers, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. It appears likely that Stephen's murder completed mankind's rejection of the Triune Godhead - rejection of the Father, rejection of the Son, and now... rejection of the Holy Spirit in Stephen's testimony... and yet in His grace, the Holy Spirit of God continues to convict fallen man of sin, righteousness, and judgement - such that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
When we were saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, we were positioned in Him and identified with Him.
Before we were saved, we were estranged from God, but when we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, our sin was forgiven and we came into a living union with Him; a spiritual union which joins all believers to Christ our Saviour Who is the Head of the Body.
Our position in Christ has nothing to do with us but is simply a free gift of God's grace, by faith in Christ, and remains eternally unchanging and eternally secure.
He was a suffering servant, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and yet before we were saved by grace through faith in Him we just couldn't care less.
And salvation is only bestowed as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Christ.
And by grace through faith in Him we are healed, forgiven, saved, redeemed, and freed from bondage to Satan, the curse of the Law, and the enormous and eternal consequences of our sin.
Our new, born-again, eternal, glorious life is the very life of Christ Himself, and it is all by grace through faith in Him.
But the hope we have from the Lord is not only a living hope for today, but a lasting hope into the ages to come: an everlasting hope that can never fail for it is imperishable, undefiled, secure, enduring, unfading, and inextinguishable, and it is kept for us in heaven, by God's amazing grace.
He uniquely proclaimed the glorious gospel of grace, bringing salvation to all men, both Jew and Gentile alike.
Let us take to heart the truths that Paul proclaims to whosoever will, during this dispensation of grace.
Let us determine to proclaim to those God places in our path, the truth of the glorious gospel of grace; that Christ died and rose again, and is alive for evermore.
When we look at the Cross, we often only think of the forgiveness of sins that is provided – and had forgiveness of sins been the only gift of grace that we received, it would certainly cause eternal rejoicing.
Paul had been entrusted to go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of grace to 'the uncircumcised' while Peter had been given a responsibility towards Israel, 'the circumcised'.
It was necessary for both Peter and Paul to receive revelation from the Lord about the post-Cross dispensation of the grace of God, which started with the birth of the Church at Pentecost.
He travelled to Jerusalem to participate in the early Church discussions with James, Peter (who we also called Cephas), and John, who recognised the grace that God had bestowed on Paul.
Areas such as our new birth and the deity of Christ together with the subjects of our justification, sanctification, growing in grace, and our Christian development, are areas that both apostles taught in their writings, together with Christ's sinless life and His eternal power.
Both men urged their readers to be diligent to grow in grace, mature in the faith, be found in Christ, and to understand that any perceived delay in Christ's return points to God's long-suffering kindness towards men, for it is not God's will that any should perish but that all come to repentance and find peace in Him.
Both men were given different roles and responsibilities by God in the early Church, but both taught the same gospel of grace and both endured much suffering for righteousness' sake.
The dispensation of the grace of God is reaching its fullness and we must not allow ourselves to drift into some form of narcotic slumber or get sucked into the increasing deception that is flooding both the corridors of government and many church congregations.
It is nearer than when we first heard the truth of the gospel of grace and placed our faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ: Therefore, we should lay aside the deeds of darkness and clothe ourselves in His protective armour of light.
And as they poured out their soul to their Father in heaven, they remembered His never-failing goodness and began to rejoice in the assurance of His grace.
He opened up the Word of God and taught the glorious gospel of grace to Jew and Gentile alike.
This apostle of God revealed many of the biblical truths and treasures which we have received as a free gift of grace, by trusting in Christ Jesus as Saviour.
Paul discovered that God's grace is sufficient, that His strength is freely supplied and His mercies are new every morning.
And in His grace, He finally sent His only begotten Son into the world as the sacrifice for sin, so that ALL who believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
There are many who are wilfully ignorant of the glorious gospel of grace.
The gospel of grace is a bright shining light in a darkened world, which is more brilliant than the noon-day sun, but despite the many witnesses to the Word of truth - by means of creation, conscience, the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, and the biblical canon of Scripture, the gospel remains veiled to those that will not believe.
There are those who refuse to listen to the message of saving grace.
He who believes is saved by grace through faith in Christ.
May we be ready and willing to share the good news of salvation with those whose ears are deaf and eyes are blinded to the truth - so that they may hear the good news of the gospel of grace - and be saved.
They had been chosen to be Christ's personal ambassadors and the tools through whom the world would hear the wonderful news of salvation by grace through faith... in Christ.
that He will take what is Mine and will disclose it to you. At this time however, they only saw through a glass darkly, but the day would come when they would be baptised by the Spirit of Truth into the Body of Christ and have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God unfold to them the mysteries of the kingdom... and the privileges of the dispensation of the grace of God.
We who are saved by grace, are privileged to have both the inspired Word of God to instruct us in truth and righteousness and the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and conform us into the image and likeness of Christ - as we abide in Him and HE in us.
Does that not speak volumes to we who are God's children by grace through faith in Christ?
By grace through faith in Christ we are not under the Law, but how important that we do not see our own privileged position in Christ as an open ticket to live in unrighteousness.
The life of Jesus was the demonstration of a Man Who lived His life in a spirit of dependant humility, goodness, and grace, Who would not compromise the good news of the gospel of God, but spoke the truth in goodness and love.
Christ may be a Saviour Who is common to all believers and a God that is universal in His love for each of His own, but He does not divide His love, segment His peace, or sub-divide His grace between us.
His boundless grace is showered upon you and me personally, just as it is on each of His children.
Let us rejoice as David did, and thank Him for His undivided attention, His undiminished love, His undiluted grace, and His unending salvation.
God stepped into the pages of history many times to pronounce His judgement on a Christ rejecting sinful world following an extended period of grace - at creation, the flood, the tower of Babel, and also at the Cross.
How blessed are we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, and how often we find encouragement, comfort, peace, and hope in the Psalms of David.
As we read through the fractured history of God's covenanted people who, time and again, broke the conditions of their covenant, God in His grace never rejected His disobedient nation.
What communion can a holy God have with a fallen sinner? At salvation, we were enlightened to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, and by faith, we have become light in the Lord and are called to walk as children of light.
It is only by grace through faith, that we have been called out of the darkness of sin and death into the marvellous light of His righteousness and life.
It is only by placing our faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary, that we have been given access into the throne-room of grace.
He pardons all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from the pit, and by grace has crowned us with lovingkindness, tender mercies, and great goodness.
His grace is sufficient for His strength is made perfect in our weakness..
But he chose to use the love and compassion of a caring and considerate human father towards his child, in order to convey the love, compassion, pity, and grace of God towards those who believe in Him.
The loving compassion of every earthly father is completely eclipsed by the tender-hearted pity and grace that God shows to each of His own.
Yet in His mercy and grace, He has rescued us from a miry pit and bestowed on us such riches of His grace, that we should be forever glorifying His holy name.
And may each of our lives be honouring to the Lord, Who died to pay the price for our sins, so that we may become a living testimony of God's saving grace and sufficient strength to all with whom we come in contact.
But let us never forget that in Christ are found ALL the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and we who have been saved by grace through faith have direct access to the Lord Himself, for we have the mind of Christ - and any of us who lack wisdom are entreated to ask God - Who will give generously to all, without finding fault.
And John told us that we receive this gift by grace through faith so that all who believe in Jesus would not perish but have everlasting life.
But the chilling words that follow warn us that whoever chooses to reject the clear teaching of the gospel of grace, will experience shocking and eternal consequences: For he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
But in His grace, God formulated a plan that would redeem fallen man from the kingdom of darkness and transfer him into the kingdom of His dear Son; a plan that would not compromise His perfect justice: For the wages of sin is death, but Christ shed His blood on the Cross to pay that price in full, for all who would believe.
However, we also have the most beautiful glimpse of God's grace and glory shining through, as He pleads with His people to come and reason with Him.
Had it not been for the long-suffering mercy and grace of God, the entire nations would have disintegrated into a most perverse and immoral people: Unless the LORD of hosts had left us a few survivors, is the shocking conclusion, Israel would be like Sodom, and would have become like Gomorrah.
But the Author of life and Fountain of all grace, has filled our hearts with the True Light of the world; the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Son of Righteousness and 'the Bright and Morning Star'.
The illuminating light of His sufficiency and knowledge, His wisdom and grace, His truth and His power, is reflected in the shining face of the wonderful Lord Jesus.
The light of the glorious gospel of grace is streamed into the hearts of all who seek Him with all their whole being.
And yet in His grace, God determined that Light shall shine out of darkness: He shone truth into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
The expansive testimony of the heavens above and the inner witness of his God-given conscience, convicted Paul of his need of salvation, and enabled his blinded eyes to be opened to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.
God in His grace, is not angry forever, and after this 'Day', He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, who will recognise their faults and turn to Christ for salvation.
For I say to you, you will see Me no more, until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of Lord.' What amazing grace.
Having been saved by grace through faith on that epic journey... his entire outlook on life and his understanding of the Law was radically changed.
Paul discovered the answer to living a godly life was found in Jesus Christ Whose grace is sufficient... for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Paul discovered that the only way to victory over the principle of sin, was by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - as he allowed His Holy Spirit to rule and reign within until he could say, it is not I that live, but Christ that lives in me.
Let us, therefore, encourage one another and seek to build each other up in our most holy faith, praying in the power of the Holy Spirit, as we wait for the any day appearance of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ Who has given us eternal life, by grace through faith in Him.
Only the God-breathed Bible is profitable for sound doctrine, godly correction, spiritual growth, and instruction in righteousness in order that the man or woman who has been saved by grace through faith, may be thoroughly equipped for every good work that God has prepared for them to do.
God has furnished us with godly instruction on how to mature in the faith and to grow in grace, and it is recorded in His Word.
It is by grace that we have been saved and not of works.
It is by grace that we are to live in humble dependence upon Christ so that we may be transformed from childhood to manhood, from spiritual immaturity to spiritual maturity.
It is by grace that every man and woman who has been redeemed by the blood the Lamb has all that is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness in order to mature in the faith and grow in grace.
God has given humanity an amazing gift, and that gift is salvation - the salvation of the spirit, the salvation of the soul, and the salvation of the body, which was procured through the shedding of Christ’s blood in payment for the sins of the whole world - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Salvation is a gift of grace that is available to every man, and it comes from the God of all grace.
Salvation is an unmerited gift and salvation is an eternal gift from the Lord of the universe to fallen man, and it flows from the exceeding riches of His amazing grace, which is found in Jesus Christ, His dearly beloved Son.This gift of salvation streams to mankind from the Father-heart of a loving God – Who knew that the sinful race of fallen humanity faced a lost eternity without the great and costly gift of His only begotten Son.
God has given humanity an incredible gift, and that gift is salvation – but it only comes as a gift of grace - through faith in His only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
God has given humanity the amazing gift of salvation which is given freely, to whosoever will trust in His redeeming work on Calvary – because God is gracious and God is good.God’s gift of salvation is given by GRACE – for it is by grace that we are saved, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Faith in Him and His finished work on the Cross is ALL that is needed, and whosoever will, may access this free gift of salvation by grace.
For by grace ANYONE can be saved.
For by grace we are saved… through faith, and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God.
Salvation is the amazing gift of God’s grace, and does not have anything to do with us. All that is required of you and me is to believe – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.Those of us who believe this by faith are justified, saved, redeemed, declared righteous, positioned in Christ, clothed in His righteousness, in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, and have been given a whole host of other supernatural and eternal benefits, simply by believing on the finished work of Christ at Calvary, for He died for our sin according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures.
Do YOU believe this?Let us come humbly before the throne of grace, knowing that we are not justified because of our works or worthiness or merit or religiosity or anything else - but because Christ is worthy.
May we, who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ.
May we, who have been persecuted, for righteousness sake, by those that oppose the glorious gospel of grace, in no way be alarmed by those that oppose us, knowing that their rejection of the gospel of God is evidence of their condemnation, and a sign of their everlasting destruction.
And so we discover that the weight of his sorrow and the traumatic grief that hung so heavily on the heart of this weeping prophet, was interspersed with echoes of hope and whispers of God's amazing love and grace.
Following Christ's death, resurrection, ascension and glorification, we discover the murderous Saul of Tarsus being selected for a unique ministry by the Lord Jesus Himself, which he describes as: The dispensation of the grace of God.
And by God's grace, this mystery is now part of the inspired written Word of God which tells us that Gentiles are to be fellow-members, equal-heirs, and co-equal partakers of all the promises of Christ.
Believing Gentiles were to be awarded equality of position, privileges, and promises in Christ through the gospel of grace.
Christ's perfect sacrifice on the Cross forgave us of our sins (past, present, and future), saving us from the penalty of sin and returning us back into irreversible fellowship with the Father, by grace through faith.
It clothes us in His righteousness so that by grace through faith, He may live His life through us until it is not I that live, but Christ living in me.
And we are one with Him: we are eternally united with Him, permanently positioned in Him, and forever accepted in the Beloved, for by grace through faith we have become His Body and He has become our Head.
There is no more intimate union than the Head with its Body, and as such we have been chosen by God to complement Christ, by grace through faith in Him.
God does not need you nor me, and yet in His grace and love, He chose to pay the penalty for our sin, break the power of sin in our lives, and permanently unite us with His only Begotten Son.
Today we live in an age of martyrs, and the martyr spirit has predominated throughout this dispensation of 'grace', but like saints in this Church-age, those who trust in Christ during the coming time of Tribulation will have the same security in Him.
Strength is of Christ, for His is the faithful testimony, the glorious gospel of grace.
But their message was an affront to the Jewish rulers who attempted to silence their voices, for had they accepted the truth of the glorious gospel, their authority would have been challenged because the old order had been set aside and a new order had started - the dispensation of the grace of God.
How blessed we are, that through God’s grace, we have been given the free gift of salvation, simply by believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is when we arrive at the epilogue of this important letter, with its comprehensive warnings to live righteously in Christ Jesus, not to fall short of the grace of God, and to avoid the many pitfalls into which Israel fell... that we arrive at the final section which offers some very specific instructions on brotherly love, suffering in adversity, and holy living at home and in the wider community.
that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! were the plaintive words of the Lord. But God in His grace knew that the day was coming when He would make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel - when He would replace their heart of stone with a heart of flesh, 'BEHOLD, I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel, after I have planted them back in the land,' says the Lord. 'I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds.
The glorious New Covenant was cut at Calvary by our Lord Jesus, and all who believe in His name (both Jew and Gentile) are members of His Body during this present dispensation of grace.
In the Old Testament, men and women were saved by grace through faith in the Word of God.
People in the Old Testament who believed God's promise in connection with the coming Messiah, were saved by grace through faith.
It was only by grace that God selected Israel to be His chosen people, and it is only by grace that the choice between life and death continues to be extended to all people because Christ took the punishment that the Law required on our behalf.
Christ was made a curse for us so that we might receive the blessings of God, and it is all by grace through faith in Him.
And the eternal, heavenly, glorious, UNCONDITIONAL blessings that follow the one Who believes in Him by grace through faith, are beyond our human comprehension.
No conditions, simply by grace through faith in Christ.
Today, in the dispensation of grace, the Church has become the Temple of God and we can approach His throne of grace anywhere and at any time.
The dedication of God's Temple was perhaps the high point of Israel's history (which is more correctly called His Story), but from Abraham onwards, the one unchanging fact is the goodness, grace, long-suffering, and faithfulness of God to all His people, for even when we become faithless, HE remains faithful.
While Christ's Olivet discourse relates to Israel and His Second Coming there is so much that is relevant to the Church, for we have been given a great commission to preach the good news of the gospel of the GRACE of God.
We don't know when Christ will come for the Church, but in the time we have left, may we rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all things and tell out the good news of the gospel of the Grace of God to those that are lost - for the time is short.
In Christ, we have the sufficient grace and spiritual strength to bring down high-minded babblings that have been raised up against the knowledge of the truth - as we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
A day is coming when all practical atheists as well as those that by choice have chosen to become indifferent to the glorious gospel of God and rejected His offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ will stand silenced.
Timothy was exhorted to reignite the flickering flame of his faltering faith, for although he was saved by grace through faith in Christ, he was timid, afraid, and felt pressurised by the increasingly hostile world in which we all live.
We all need power in our lives, but true strength does not come from relying on our own capabilities but on Christ Who has promised that His grace is sufficient for all the difficulties and dangers of life we may have to face.
By grace through faith, we have put off the old Adamic self and put on the new life in Christ, for having been baptised into Christ's body and becoming a new creation in Him, we are to remember that we have also been baptised into His death.
There must be death to self, death to sin, death to legalistic tendencies, death to all that is not of Christ, so that we may live as God intended us to live: in complete dependence upon Him, by grace through faith.
It is not due to our own merit that we have this wonderful assurance but because of His goodness and grace.
It is nothing to do with our own worthiness or virtue that we are furnished with such heavenly privileges but is entirely founded on His unswerving fidelity and His never-ending faithfulness towards the children of men, for His grace and His mercies are new every morning and His promises never fail, for they are YES and AMEN in Christ.
It is by grace through faith that we are saved and it is also by grace through faith that we are to live, moment by moment, and day by day.
How often we wish that we were like these spiritual heroes, and that our faith was as sure and strong as that great cloud of witnesses, who by God's grace, were saved by faith, lived by faith, gave honour to God, and found their way into the holy Scriptures.
Paul, the mass-murder of Christians, was the wretched man of Roman 7, before he discovered that God's grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and Gideon was a frightened little man, who secretly threshed his wheat in a winepress to avoid being intimidated by the Midianites.
God equips those He calls with the grace and strength that is required for the task before them, so that the glory goes to God and not to man.
He does this in order to develop our faith in His Word and to enlarge our trust in His never-failing goodness and grace.
May we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, follow in the footsteps of our Saviour and wait patiently for the Lord, knowing that His plans and purposes are perfect... and that in due time He will incline His ear to our cry and graciously provide all we need, according to His riches in glory.
As members of the human race who have been saved by grace through faith, we have volition.
Having set out this important life-principle, Paul finally explains the reason for his forceful emphasis: having been freed from sin, by grace through faith in Christ, we became salves of righteousness.
Day by day, may we make the right choices in thought, word, and deed, so that we may remain in sweet fellowship with our heavenly Father as we abide in Christ, submit to His leading, mature in the faith, and grow in grace, for our eternal joy and for His greater glory.
Adam was the federal head of the human race and through him sin was imputed to all mankind, but God in His grace sent a second Man, the last Adam (the Son of the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ) into the world.
Our God of grace is willing to extend His arms of love and forgiveness to all Who will trust in Jesus, for He is not willing that any should be condemned but that all come to a saving knowledge of the Lord.
Jonah held these unsaved Gentiles in utter contempt, and fled from the Lord rather than preach the good news of His saving grace, in case they did repent and were saved!
Jonah eventually obeyed and preached repentance to this huge hotbed of sinners, who all repented and became a vast city of people that were saved by grace through faith.
There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, but Jonah complained because God extended His grace to people he considered were unworthy to receive God's forgiveness.
Let us in His strength, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus so that we become a true reflection of His grace and compassion, His patience and love.
We are told that these three, spiritual fruit of God’s amazing grace will continue and will remain and abide into the eternal state - faith, hope, and love.In this earthly life, faith must remain a high priority.
But love is the loveliest grace of all, for during our sojourn on earth we are being conformed into the lovely image and likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ, Who is incarnate love.
And it is by reflecting His love that we are to resemble the Lord – for God is Love and the love of God is broader than the span of our greatest imaginations, and the fondness of our Father towards us goes beyond our wildest dreams.But this life is the first step into an eternity of love with God; the love of God and our love for God, and these three graces of faith, hope and love must of necessity all continue beyond this mortal sphere, for the attributes of God are incomparable in their beauty, His perfections are unlimited in their number, His excellence is everlasting in its duration and splendour is absolute in its span.We, who have been saved by grace are to enter into the glories of the celestial sphere and our understanding and knowledge of God must continue throughout the ages to come.
God in His grace chose to speak to us through His written Word.
Prideful man does not want to be accountable to a holy God Who reads our hearts, understands our foolish ways, and insists that salvation is only by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Kinsman-Redeemer - Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God.
No doubt in the ages to come we will show forth praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father that we heard and responded to the gospel of grace, by which we are saved, and embraced it with our whole hearts and lives.
Paul rejoiced to see that by the grace of God, his fellow believers in Rome were wholeheartedly committed to the gospel of Christ, which he himself delivered by revelation from God.
Our spiritual growth needs to be rooted in the Word of God so that it can become a worthy witness of God's grace and spiritual fruit which refreshes others in our daily activities, and all should be carried out for the glory of God.
Let us never stop praising and thanking God that although we were once slaves of sin, we too have been set free by grace through faith in Christ.
The parable also demonstrates the goodness and grace of God in giving sinners sufficient time to turn from their sin and to come to a point of true repentance.
However, the grace of God is clearly seen in the response of the husbandman, JESUS.
For 2000 years, the grace of God has been given to the nation of Israel.
They also remind us that God's grace is sufficient, no matter what situation we face, and it reveals the humble spirit of godly men with courageous strength, who trust God.
And yet God has taken those apparently useless, insignificant human forms and poured into them a revelation of the glorious gospel of His only begotten Son.God has poured into our hearts the divine light of His love and glory, the glorious truth of His salvation and grace, the rich treasure of the good news of Christ, Who alone can save a sinner from the penalty and power of sin, death, and hell.
But the light of the gospel of grace is the spiritual light that shines into the hearts of all who believe and it restores our soul.
The almighty Creator, Who caused light to shine out of darkness, is the One Who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ – so that His life may dwell in us and His love may shine into our hearts, so that we may be made ministers of His grace and show forth the excellency of His power to those that remain dead in their trespasses and sins.There is no merit in us that we should be so honoured, as the contrast between our frail, feeble, perishing bodies and His divine strength and eternal light demonstrates – but by His goodness and grace, this heavenly treasure has been placed in earthen vessels - our human body, which is Christ in us the hope of glory, so that the excellency of that power may be shown forth in our lives.We are the earthen vessels into which the glorious truth of the gospel of God has been poured, causing our mortal bodies to become the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who uses this gospel light to guide us into all truth and as we proclaim the glorious gospel of grace to others.
Let us praise His name for His inestimable grace towards us.
In His grace, God has promised those who remain faithful in trials and tribulations, will one day receive a crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
God desires that ALL His children grow in grace, mature in their Christian life, and come into a deeper and more intimate knowledge of His character and His will.
Abraham believed God and was justified at the start of his journey - Abraham continued to believe God, throughout various tests and trials he underwent - and Abraham grew in grace and in a knowledge of the God in Whom he trusted.
Although the Psalmist rehearses the many ways that God in His grace rescued His people from Egyptian bondage, supplied their need in their wilderness wanderings, opened the prison doors of the captives, healed those that were seriously ill, delivered His people from terrible storms, and governed His people Israel with goodness and grace, this is a beautiful song of rejoicing that all the redeemed of the Lord are able to sing.
We are justified by God's grace and pardoned of our sin as a free and unconditional gift, through redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Man is justified by faith - without the deeds of the law.
But Paul was also an apostle of Christ who was ready and willing to supply advice to those that were confused, encourage those whose faith was faltering, edify those who were growing in grace, and to warn of false teachings.
Just as Onesimus was a fugitive under Philemon's justified condemnation, there was a time when we were slaves to sin and under God's righteous condemnation, but by God's grace through faith, we were forgiven of our wrongdoing and our sin is remembered no more.
Not only did Onesimus benefit from his conversion because he was justified in the eyes of God, and found grace in the eyes of Paul and his master, but Philemon was enabled to have his slave returned, with an assurance that both he and his slave were brothers in Christ, and as such, Onesimus would serve him as unto to Lord.
Like Philemon, we are all sinners, saved by grace, and it behoves each one of us to act towards those who do us wrong or cause us harm, with Christlike love, and demonstrate the grace of God by forgiving our adversaries when we are wronged.
Like Onesimus, we are all sinners, saved by grace, and we should be ready and prepared to face up to our wrong-doing, rather than running away from the consequences of our actions - and everything that we do should be done as unto the Lord.
Like Paul, we are all sinners, saved by grace, and we should remain humble in our dealings with others, wise in the advice we offer others, gracious with our dealings with those who have done us wrong, willing to die to our self-interest, and be ready to do everything to the honour of God and for His eternal praise and glory.
Jesus challenged His disciples to consider the flowers of the field, because God in His providential goodness and grace adorns each one beautifully, with the most colourful array.
Will He not much more clothe us, and care for His own, sons and daughters?How often we need to be reminded that He cares for the little things in our lives as well as the big things, and has already provided ALL we need, according to the riches of His grace.
How frequently we need to remind ourselves to cast ALL our cares upon Him, for His arms are holding and protecting us and His grace is always sufficient for the task we face - His strength is always made perfect in our weakness.
How often we need to remember His loving provision and tender-mercies towards us ALL.What could seem less significant than a broken reed, a tiny sparrow, a widow’s mite, or a little wayside flower, but God takes and uses such insignificant, everyday, mundane things and then He contrasts them with the opulence of the wisest, wealthiest man that ever lived in order to demonstrate His unconditional love and superabundant grace towards us – reminding us that He knows us personally, loves us unconditionally, and cares for each of us individually.When the Lord Jesus takes such care to get His point across to us, perhaps we need to take note of what He is saying.
The lost sinner is saved by grace through faith in Christ, but once that man or woman has been redeemed from the kingdom of Satan, and transferred into the kingdom of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that believer is expected to continue living his or her life by faith.
We are instructed to pray in confident faith, by maintaining an unshakable trust in the Word of God, and by standing on His precious promises, which provide all we need according to His riches in mercy, when we choose to walk in spirit and truth, and maintain unhindered access to the throne of God, Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, we are exhorted, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
But God in His grace formed a plan to redeem the world, but He needed a true witness.
In His grace, God chose Israel to be His special tool to circumnavigate this fallen world system. Israel was chosen to be God's witness to a lost and dying world and to tell forth the wonders of His name to the Gentile nations.
They were taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years, but God in His grace promised to make a New Covenant with Israel by sending JESUS, (His Only Begotten First-Born Son), into the world.
However, although His nation was faithless towards Him, God remained faithful... and in His grace He promised to regather the scattered people of Israel and Judah back to the land of Israel, where each tribe will each receive the inheritance that was promised to their fore-fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - but which had to be postponed because they rejected Christ 2000 years ago.
BUT God in His grace has promised that His people, Israel, will be saved out of it... and has promised that ALL who call on the name of the Lord during that time will be saved.
Praise God that we have already been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
The specific promises God gave to Adam, Abel, Enoch, and Noah before the flood, depended of faith; and by faith these men found grace in the eyes of the Lord and their faith was reckoned to them as righteousness.
While sin has placed an irreversible and irreconcilable barrier between God and mankind, nevertheless, in His grace, He has made His secret thoughts known to those that trust Him, and revealed to us, things that are hidden from the ungodly.
God in His grace has chosen to reveal certain things to those that fear Him BUT this knowledge can never be discovered by man's intellect, nor by Satan's cunning.
However, the greatest blessings of all are the abundant, spiritual blessings we have received, through faith in our crucified and risen Saviour, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
It is not always easy to repay evil with good, but His grace is sufficient to enable us to love our enemies and to do good to those that despitefully use us; to feed a hungry enemy and provide him with a drink when thirsty.
The mercy and grace of God is available to all, and as His children, we should demonstrate that same mercy and grace to the lost, including our enemies.
God's goodness and grace, His kindness, His forgiveness, and His long-suffering mercy, was available to you and me when we were sinners, and we should respond with the same kindness, forgiveness, long-suffering mercy, and godly grace.
But the amazing gospel of grace was entrusted to Christ's apostles and prophets, and in his epistle to the Romans, Paul joyfully concludes this section on humanity’s condemnation with a wonderful proclamation of God’s eternal plan of salvation.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... BUT they are justified freely by His grace, which is through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
The shocking truth is that the guilty man, who is justly condemned, is justified freely by God’s grace, which is based on the redemption price that was paid, in full, at Calvary.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, let us give Him the glory due to His name in our words, our actions, our attitude and our behaviour.
Despite breaking the conditions of their first covenant with Him, the Lord, in His grace, promised to make a New Covenant with His people.
God promised to give them a spirit of grace - through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of life and love.
But the Lord in His grace, promised to give them a new heart in His New Covenant.
But for those of us who have already trusted Him for our salvation, during this post-Cross dispensation of grace - we have already had our heart renewed and our consciences cleansed, through the eternal Spirit, Who has taken up permanent residence within our heart and soul.
But to those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, are growing in grace, and maturing in the faith, it is the very power, and wisdom, and wonder of God.
It is the goodness, glory, and grace of God that Christ my God should die for me.
God still knows the heart of man, and He is still seeking and saving those which are lost and bringing salvation to many souls who trust in Him by grace through faith.
No wonder we are urged by the writer to the Hebrews to HOLD FAST to our confession, to keep a firm grip on our trust in Christ's finished Work, to believe all God has said through His Word, to unreservedly remain firm to His Truth, and to boldly approach the throne of grace.
For it is only and ultimately through Jesus, the Son of God Who is God the Son, that we can find grace to help in time of need, for His grace is sufficient, His office is efficacious, and His loving-mercy is everlasting.
But if prayer is to be effective, it should come from a heart that is humble before the Lord, dependent upon Him, and ready to recognise that there is an ongoing need to approach the throne of grace in good times as well as in days of difficulty and danger.
This practical outworking of his faith demonstrated Christian love in action, as he 'gossiped' the gospel of grace with all he met... and sent travelling preachers on their journey, in a way that honoured the Lord.
While the beloved apostle rejoiced greatly about Gaius' faithful work, his sincere testimony to the truth, and the love, friendship, and grace, he demonstrated to his Christian brothers and sisters, John needed to warn him about men like Diotrephes, and to exhort him not to follow his ungodly ways and teach him the godly way to live.
We are to show respect to others, exhibit hospitality, and grow in grace... but we are also to shun evil and are not to be intimidated by those that elevate themselves through browbeating their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Godly love for our brothers in Christ, is a demonstration of the grace of God, the love of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, to whomsoever we come in contact.
May we, who have passed from death to life, love others as Christ loved us, and imitate the grace of God in our lives, knowing that the one who does good is of God, while the one who does evil has not seen God.
He had personally experienced this immeasurable love of God himself, for despite his cruel persecution of the Church, God in His grace had chosen Paul to be His own mouthpiece.
Paul understood that the more we comprehend the love and the grace of God - and recognise that the righteousness and justice of God is underpinned by His goodness and grace - the more we grow in understanding, mature in the faith, and are strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit in our inner man.
And as we mingle with those that are lost, or are seeking the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, this should be our deep desire too.
As children of God who have been chosen and called to follow Christ, we too have been given all we need for life and godliness and have access to the riches of His grace.
Law and grace stand in complete contrast with each other.
The principles behind law and grace are in stark opposition with one another.
Grace has often been described as God's riches at Christ's expense, for under grace we do not receive what we justly deserve and yet, by grace through faith in Christ, He freely gives us what we do not merit.
But the wonderful thing is that once we have been convicted of sin and trusted God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, the Law has achieved its purpose in us, for the Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
The perfect Law of God was the guardian to convict us until Christ, for Christ is the fulfilment of the Law on our behalf so that by His death and Resurrection, we could be justified by grace through faith in Him, for we are not under law but under grace.
As time passed, this revealing of Himself to man often came through the many names that He called Himself - each one disclosing one more beautiful facet of the immortal, invisible, only wise God of grace.
Although He is shrouded in a cloud of unknowing, He is the knowable God of grace Who has made Himself intimately acquainted with His creatures in the face of the Son of His love.
As children of God we are not appointed to wrath, because Jesus took the punishment in our place, so we will not be hurt by the second death - for we have been raised with Christ and our names have been enrolled in heaven, and by God's grace we have been promised a great reward.
Peter points out how blessed we are that we have been given all we need to live a life of godliness, because God in His goodness and grace called us out of darkness into His glorious light, by faith.
He chose us from the foundation of the world to be His precious possession, and in His grace He imputed us with Christ's own righteousness.
How sad when believers who have been saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, forget who they are in Christ.
No born-again believer can ever fall so far from grace that they are unable to have sweet fellowship with their Father in heaven re-established, and if any of us do lack the spiritual qualities that God desires of all His children, Peter tells us what to do.
But Christ is also the Head of the Body, which is the Church, and His headship over the Church is one of our Saviour's many beautiful and glorious roles; a role which means so much to all who have been saved by grace through faith in Him.
Just as the women at the tomb were told, He is My Father and your Father; My God and you God, so we, who have been born into His family, have access to His throne of grace and the authority to call Him Abba.
The mistakes made by Israel in the wilderness and their slide into rebellion, unbelief, and disobedience during those 40 years of wandering, present some of the most serious warnings to the Body of Christ, for despite being saved by grace through faith when they made their exodus from Egypt, Israel lived in defeat for the rest of their lives, and failed to access God's precious promises of rest.
For those with eyes to see (those saved by grace through faith), this truth is a sober warning to live righteously in the sight of God, and not to fall into the same sin of unbelief.
It is already ours as a gift of God's grace.
Eternally saved by grace through faith in Christ, and yet living a defeated life in the wilderness of their own fleshly wanderings.
Paul recognised the grace of God that had been extended to him, despite his impassioned persecution of the Christian Church, and he laboured for the gospel more fervently than any of his fellow apostles.
He had survived dangers in the city, hazards in the wilderness, and perils on the sea - but Paul discovered that God's grace was sufficient in EVERY eventuality of life that he faced.
From the very first verse in Matthew's Gospel to the closing statement in John's Apocalypse, the focal figure of the New Testament is Jesus Christ... and the thrilling testimony is salvation by grace through faith to all who believe.
God in His grace has revealed to us that He has prepared amazing and wonderful things for those that love and trust Him.
We have a blessed hope in Christ, and God in His grace chose to give incredible detail about His message of redemption through His written Word of truth.
This appears to contradict the clear, biblical teaching that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
We are to acknowledge that His grace is sufficient in every detail of life so that in His strength we may put to death all the sinful deeds of the body, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
And yet He desires in this brief span of time (between our justification and our glorification), that we work out our own salvation in humility of heart and to His praise and glory so that in the ages to come, He may show forth the incomparable riches of His grace which He has expressed in His kindness towards us, in Christ Jesus.
But God in His love and grace gave His only begotten Son, to be born into the human race so that His sinless life would become the one and only payment to fully and finally satisfy the righteous requirements of God's perfect Law.
The truth of the glorious gospel of God and His perfect plan to reconcile man back to Himself, without compromising His holy character, reveals God's perfect yet uncompromised righteousness, and it is all by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But foundational faith in Christ's sacrificial death needs to continue into a life that is lived by faith, for as we grow in grace and mature in the faith we move from one degree of faith to another measure of faith.
When John wrote this verse, he was not intimating that there was no grace under the Law of Moses, for every sacrifice spoke of the beautiful final Sacrifice Who was to be lifted up on the Cross.
But only through Christ is the fullness of grace and truth realised.
His grace is offered freely and without cost to whosoever will, for the grace and favour of the Lord is showered without measure on an undeserving world.
Grace without truth would render God a liar, for there is none good no, not one - but truth without grace would condemn humanity to eternal separation from God.
But thanks be to God that He deals with us on the basis of grace AND truth so that whosoever believes on Christ will not perish but have everlasting life.
What glorious grace!
For grace and truth in all their fullness came through Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote six passionate chapters to expose the dangers of legalism, to explain the delights of the gospel of grace, to equip the saints to recognise deception, to exhort against the self-exultation of ill-taught men, and to encourage believers to apply the truths that he himself had received from the Lord, and had painstakingly taught to them.
Near the conclusion of His expose on the dangers of legalism and the glories of grace, Paul nails his whole argument on the Cross of Christ.
But when my imperfections are compared with Christ's perfect life, then I realise what a wretched man I am trying to keep God's impossible law when, as a result of Christ's finished work on the Cross, I have been clothed in Christ's perfection – by grace.
What an astonishing privilege we find within the pages of Scripture – for the Spirit of God determined our fallen and eternally condemned status in the world, but in His goodness and grace, outlined all we need to receive His promised blessing of salvation, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting.Scripture is a supernatural document that has been delivered to us all through the pens of the apostles, the prophets, and the life of the Lord Jesus, which explains that we are all prisoners of sin and under the authority of Satan... with death, hell, and eternal separation from our God, as the bitter fruit of our fallen nature.
The Scriptures tell us the bad news and then declare the good news of the gospel of grace.
All have received eternal life as a free gift of God's grace, and all have been granted an inheritance that is kept for us in heaven.
The spiritual believer is one who abides in Christ, obeys His commands, honours His name, is growing in grace, and is becoming more Christ-like with every passing day.
Let us die to self and live our life to the glory of God so that we may mature in the faith, grow in grace, live a spiritual, God-honouring life, and become a living testimony to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews contains a wealth of spiritual truths to help us in our spiritual growth, but we must never forget that it was originally written to early Jewish Christians who had to come to terms with the fact that 'in Christ' we are no longer under law but under grace.
Much of the content of the book of Hebrews draws parallels between the pre-Cross dispensation of Law and the post-Cross dispensation of the grace of God - and the lessons that the Church can learn today from studying Israel's past failure, are of paramount significance in these closing days of history.
Born-again believers who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, are warned of the consequences of drifting from the truth of God's Word and the danger of failing to enter God's promised rest.
In his introductory remarks, Peter scatters before us the manifold wisdom of God, the superabundant blessings that are ours in Christ, the multiplied glories of salvation, and the eternal inheritance which is kept for us in heaven; all of which we receive by His grace, through faith in Christ's sacrificial death, burial, and Resurrection.
God in His grace will use that trial to strengthen and develop our faith.
He marvels at the rapidity with which they turned from the glorious gospel of God's grace: By faith alone in Christ's finished work at Calvary, to a different gospel which was not an optional alternative, but a totally false gospel.
This was a departure from the truth which was leading them back into bondage andPaul admonished them: I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him Who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel.
When Christ died on the Cross, all who would believe in Him by grace through faith, also died to the power of the Law.
You see, just as Christ identified with our sin and took all our sin upon Himself in our place, so we are identified with Christ and as a result have been clothed in His righteousness, by God's amazing grace.
Before the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we were all condemned under the Law, but in Him we have died to the Law, by grace through faith in Him.
May we never frustrate the grace of God by seeking to impose on ourselves or others an impossible, legalistic burden, knowing that Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us, once and for all.
Paul's ongoing and continuous prayer for all God's children is that we may grow in grace and wisdom.
He prayed that we would increase in understanding and knowledge, and be granted greater illumination and spiritual revelation of our Father in heaven and His anointed Son, Jesus Christ, Who died for our sins and rose again the third day to give us His abundant life, according to the riches of His grace.
Psalm 9 reminds us we should not only remember the wonder of God and His great blessings and deliverances, but should continually exalt Him, praise Him, and thank Him, both privately and in public, for all His grace and favour towards us.
May we remember past blessings and times of deliverance and thank Him for His grace and favour towards us.
And may we remember the truth as expressed by James: Knowing that the testing of our faith produces patient endurance, and endurance must do its complete work, so we may grow in grace and become mature and complete in Christ, lacking nothing.
But once saved by grace through faith in Him, we are reminded of the great love the Father has lavished on each of us, that we should be called children of God.
Christ's teaching was to those who believe in Him - those who were saved by grace through faith in Him.
To abide in Him is to recognise that without Him we can do nothing, because all the grace and nourishment, refreshment and strength we need, comes from His bountiful supply.
Wonderful though “abiding in Him” is to the believer, it is only half of the equation, for as we rest and abide and remain in Him, so He abides in us.As our hearts cleave closely to Him and our minds are flooded with His beauty, so His Spirit abides within each one of us, teaching and training, leading and guiding, helping and comforting with an ever-increasing intimacy, as we grow in His grace and in a knowledge of our precious Saviour.Let us seek to rest in His love and abide in Him, moment by moment and day by day, for He will take each burden and all the pain of life and provide for each of us, the wisdom and strength we need to face the future, until abiding in Him and He in us becomes as natural as breathing.
In this beautiful passage of Scripture, the Lord graciously invites His people to prepare their hearts to receive the Lord into their midst and to hear His message of salvation, grace, reconciliation, and hope.
Paul knew the importance of a spiritual understanding of the blessings we have already received as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
May our ears and hearts be spiritually circumcised day by day, and may we pay heed to the gentle and tender promptings of the Spirit, for God resists the proud, but gives grace upon grace to the humble.
Like his first epistle, an important element of second Peter is to remind his readers of the fundamentals of our faith, establish believers in the truth, and feed the flock of Christ, while addressing issues such as suffering, false teachings, and standing firm in the sufficiency of God's grace.
His first epistle concentrated on God's grace and our great salvation, our priestly calling, living a life of holiness, and carrying out our Christian responsibility.
And he spends considerable time in his second letter, warning of the devastating influence of false teachers and exhorting us to watch out for their destructive heresies, while urging us to grow in grace and to develop a sound knowledge of the Lord Jesus as we press towards spiritual maturity.
We who are saved by grace through faith should rejoice greatly that our God is enthroned in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over ALL.
These Jewish pilgrims knew that grace and favour comes from the Lord of the universe and that He is the One Who not only provides for their needs but protects them from their enemies.
And while God knows the exact concerns we may have in our own lives, He wants us to come boldly to His throne of grace for mercy to find help in time of OUR need.
Adam's sin was imputed to all men, but God in His grace determined that by the sacrificial death of one MAN - the man Christ Jesus, ALL mankind, not angel-kind, would be given the opportunity to be saved by grace through faith in God's own anointed Messiah, Jesus Christ, Whom He would send.
At rebirth we were positionally sanctified, we were set apart forever unto God by grace through faith in Christ, we were born again, we were accepted in the Beloved, and declared holy unto God.
Not only are we called His children and have been permanently adopted into His family, by grace through faith in Christ, but we are told what we shall be in the future, for the day is coming when we shall see Him as He is and we will become like Him.
We are positioned in Christ, in union with Him, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and accepted by God the Father in the Beloved, and it is all by grace through faith in Him.
The glorious plan of salvation starts with God's love and grace and continues into the eternal ages that are to come, for all His children: For eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the wonderful things which God hath prepared for those that love Him.
This we do know; that we shall see Him as He is, in all His splendour and glory, majesty and power, and on that day we will fully resemble His grace, His truth, and all His godly attributes and righteous character.
Abraham was not told where he was going or what would happen along the way. His entire journey to the Promised Land (from Ur to Canaan), was embarked upon by faith. Abraham was saved because he believed God, saved by grace through faith in God's Word.
In our Christian faith, it is salutary to be reminded of what we are apart from God's grace and to recall what we used to be before we were saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Today the Church is God's chosen tool to spread the Gospel of Grace to a world that is estranged from God, while prior to the crucifixion of Christ, it was Israel whom God used as His messenger of truth to the Gentile nations.
Israel were the people through whom the promised SEED of the woman was to travel, until He was revealed to the world as the incarnate Son of the most High God - full of grace and truth.
By God's grace, they had been fed with manna and watered from the Rock of their salvation, for 40 long years.
Moses reminded the Israelites of God's goodness and grace, His kindness, and faithfulness, for the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you - nor will He forget the covenant He made with your fathers, which He swore to them.
But by God's grace, Peter was to tell the men of Israel the next chapter in God's eternal plan of salvation and many repented of their sins and found life in Christ Jesus their Saviour.
We who have been saved by grace through faith are not only participators in this very precious promise from God, but during this Church dispensation, we have been equipped to be ministers of the New and better Covenant.
God has done mighty works in the life of all believers, for all who have been saved by grace through faith in Him have been forgiven of sin and received everlasting life as a free gift of God's amazing grace.
And in the same way that He overshadowed and stirred the womb of the elderly Sarah, and empowered old Abraham to father this child, so God is able and willing to work His all-sufficient grace in the lives of each of His children.
And God in His mercy, grace, long-suffering, and great love intervened in the chronicles of history when He sent His only begotten Son to die on the Cross so that all Who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Let us renew our efforts to tell all we meet about the saving power of the gospel of grace, for today is the day of salvation.
The day is coming when together with Mary we will all stand around the throne of grace and worship the Lamb that was slain for our sins, but in the meantime, we too can join in her psalm of exultation and sing, My soul exalts the Lord, my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour, for He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-slave.
It is only by grace that we are clothed in Christ's righteousness, and our names are written in the Lamb's book of life because we too believe what the Lord has spoken to us - will be fulfilled.
Throughout his ministry, Paul faithfully fulfilled his assignment and discovered that God's grace is sufficient, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Despite his chains, Paul viewed the people who were assembled in the courtroom as his captive audience and used the opportunity to tell them the gospel of grace and their need for salvation.
Let us not serve sin or indulge in lawlessness by our actions, attitudes, words, and imaginations, but rather let us show grateful thanks for His unspeakable mercy and amazing grace.
We are to submit to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit - knowing that His grace is sufficient.
The man or woman who walks in newness of life, who has died to self and who lives for Christ, is the one that is growing in grace and maturing in the faith as they stand firm on the Word of truth.
He came to re-establish the nation of Israel's covenant with God, so they would return to being His chosen people who would tell the world of God's goodness and grace.
He had yet to discover that His grace is perfected in our weaknesses.
Moses had not yet acknowledged the inexhaustible riches of God's grace and His unlimited power to work in the lives of His people.
God is well able to equip His chosen vessel with the qualification and abilities needed to fulfil His heavenly instructions - for His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
But when our fleshly self-will has finally been broken by our gracious God and we can unreservedly whisper: Thy will, not mine be done, as did Christ in Gethsemane... then as we open our mouth we will speak the words that He chooses to give us, and we will finally discover His grace IS sufficient for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
And the whole beautiful but bloody story of man's fall from grace, and his final redemption, unfolds for our learning through the Scriptures.
It is through Israel that He can refer to Himself as 'the root and stem of David', but it is to the Church, which is His body, that Jesus is able to declare, I, Jesus, AM the bright morning Star. The day is fast approaching, when Jesus will come in the clouds, as that bright morning Star, to gather to Himself, those who have been born again - by grace through faith, in His sacrificial work at Calvary.
Paul knew that one of the best safeguards against false doctrine, empty philosophies, religious legalism, and apostate teaching and is to know the truth, and he is careful to reaffirm the foundational truth of the glorious gospel of grace to remind these believers: In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Jesus Christ is the fullness of God's wisdom and power, and the exact image of His goodness, grace, and glory.
But God in His goodness and grace gave His only begotten Son to bring His pure Light into this world.
And as we allow Christ to live His life in us, we are enabled to reflect the light of His love and to share the glorious gospel of grace with others in a lost world of deep darkness.
The truth of this Scripture is an offense to all that are in the world, but to those that have been saved it is life – eternal life – abundant life, by grace through faith.
We meet together in His name and come to the throne of grace through the name of Jesus.
By God's amazing grace, He created man and became man to save us and has become our High Priest and the Sacrificial Offering.
Jesus is the One that is full of grace and truth and Who walked all His life in willing obedience to the Spirit of God, and we are called to follow His example by denying self and crying, Thy will not mine be done.
Before being saved by grace through faith in Christ, Paul was a devout Pharisee, who boasted of his moral standard and religiosity.
Paul had faced many other hardships, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst... but God's grace was always sufficient, and He used every circumstance in Paul's life for his eternal good, and for God's own glory.
When we find ourselves in difficulties and dangers, let us call to mind the precious promises that are ours in Christ, knowing that nothing can happen to us that God will not permit for our greater good and that His grace is always sufficient to rescue us from every situation in which He has placed us - for our eternal benefit and for His greater glory.
God has promised peace to men with whom the Lord is well-pleased - those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Peace with God and the favour of God comes by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
Let us tell all who are at enmity with God, the good news of the gospel of grace - that Christ died for their sins, and rose again..
Only those that have been saved by grace, will be among the joyful congregation that witnesses the Prince of Peace, when He comes to set up His everlasting Kingdom - when peace on earth will be governed in righteousness, and Jesus is crowned King of kings and Lord of lords.
Paul sent a warm greeting, to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints, and he included his traditional Pauline salutation, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, but first, he introduced himself as, Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, who was called as an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God.
Paul was Christ's apostle to the Gentiles, through whom much detailed revelation concerning the gospel of grace, the Body of Christ, Christian living, and other important revelations were given.
For this reason, Paul felt it necessary to give a clear declaration of the gospel of grace at the start of his letter before presenting his heart-warming greeting to them... so that he could set out for them an all-inclusive, detailed doctrinal dissertation.
We are holy unto the Lord and are to be instruments of righteousness - set apart for Him - and the intertwined blessings of grace and peace (charis and shalom) is the beautiful benediction that anoints the heads of all the people of God, Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Having been saved by grace through faith, all who are beloved of God are not only called to be saints, but are supplied with the sufficient grace that enables, empowers, equips, and commissions each child of God in their own appointed mission and ministry.
The gifts of grace and peace come from our Heavenly Father and also from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Grace is bestowed first when we trust in Christ for our salvation, and the peace of God flows from our union with Him.
Grace and peace are bestowed on all the saints who are beloved of God - just as they were given on the saints in Rome, in these opening verses of Paul's great treatise to the Romans.
Yet God in His grace, planned and purposed that it was fallen man and not fallen angels that He would redeem.
In His grace, He purposed to once again establish man's dominion over the earth, through the perfect Man, Christ Jesus the righteous Who by the sacrifice of His life, would reestablish Man's rule on God's earth.
Firstly, we must trust Him for salvation by grace through faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary.
He explains how God uses the suffering in our life as a way to test our faith, for James knows that faith in God must be exercised, even when we do not see or understand the reason for our pain: For the testing of our faith produces patient-endurance, which must flourish and develop so that as we grow in grace, we may become spiritually mature - perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect, complete and lacking nothing.
We should never waste the circumstances of life, but ask for His wisdom as well so that we may grow in grace and spiritual understanding, knowing: All things work together for good to those that love God and are fitting into His plan.
When we approach the throne of grace for wisdom and strength, we are to be sure that our faith is in God alone and that our prayers are not empty words.
Let us travel our journey of faith-in-God and learn the lessons of suffering so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith.
We are urged to live a life that is becoming of one that has been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and upon whom our Father in heaven has lavished so much grace and favour, forgiveness, mercy, and love.
Let us leave the self-life nailed to the Cross and live out our new-life in Christ (which we received at salvation), in humility and gentleness, patiently enduring with grace, tolerance, and love.
And because we have trusted Him as Saviour, we have been forgiven of our sins, sealed by the Holy Spirit, imputed with His righteousness, in-dwelt by the Spirit of Christ, showered with the riches of His grace, seated with Him in heavenly places, adopted as sons of God, and made joint-heirs of Christ's rich inheritance: And you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
Such people have: A form of godliness, yet deny the truth of the gospel of grace.
Someone who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ whose life is not a testimony of the truth (though they are eternally saved and secure in Christ because of their faith in Him), will live a defeated life and dishonour the Lord Who bought them.
We are ALL called to grow in grace and become spiritually mature, but not all believers develop at the same rate and sadly, some spend part of their life in fleshly pursuits.
By His grace He has poured the love of Christ into our inner being so that we can love with the same supernatural love with which we are loved.
Let us not only reflect in deepest gratitude, our love for the Lord, Who willingly sacrificed His life to save us all, but let us also contemplate in reverent awe and hushed wonder His amazing grace, His eternal perfection, His gracious character, and the immeasurable excellencies of the God whose nature is pure Love.
However, their spiritual renewal and national repentance at the end of the 7-year tribulation period, is the time Zechariah is describing, when God, will pour over the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, as further expanded in Joel, chapter 2.
The Spirit of God will minister to their repentant hearts, cover them with His saving grace, and lead the entire nation to make earnest supplication to the Father - as they acknowledge their sins and proclaim Jesus as Lord.
God knew that rebellious Israel would reject the Messiah - but God in His grace has never rejected His people - nor will he ever reject you and me - for God's Word is to be trusted.
God's plan of redemption was determined before the foundations of the world were laid, and so we can state with confidence when the spirit of grace and supplication is poured out upon all people, at the end of the tribulation, then Jesus Christ will rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords - forever - as it is written.
Every man or woman who has trusted in the Cross of Christ for the salvation of their soul, becomes part of the Bride the moment they are justified by grace through faith in Christ.
Faith in Christ's work on the Cross is sufficient for each one to be saved by grace and covered in the righteousness of Christ... through time and into eternity.
From that point forward, we are called saints who are to live our life by grace through faith in Christ. We are justified by faith but we are also to be sanctified by faith, as we die to self and live for Christ.
As in Adam we are under the curse of the law and the wages of sin, so in Christ we are not under the curse of the law but under grace.
The old sin nature lusts against our new life in Christ and vice versa, but in Christ we have all we need to keep the old self in the place of death; for His grace is sufficient, His power is made perfect in us as we abide in Him.
And so, Paul is writing to this little band of believers while being chained up in a Roman prison-cell, to offer encouragement in their Christian life and to give instruction and direction on how to grow in grace and mature in the faith.
And so, before the foundation of the world, in His grace and mercy, God purposed in His heart to send His only begotten Son to become the perfect Sacrifice for the sin of mankind.
It seems to be the case that those who are not able to forgive have never come to an understanding how much they have been forgiven – for the more understanding we have of the grace that we have received the deeper our gratitude and the greater our capacity to forgive other people.
We are given God's sufficient grace and His supernatural strength through the indwelling Spirit of Christ, Who causes us to be victorious in our journey through life, and enables us to be triumphant in every situation we meet.
When we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, we were transferred from Satan's kingdom into the family of God, and accepted into the bosom of the Father.
WE ALL need to remember that formerly we were dead in our sin and estranged from the Father... but by God's grace, through faith in Christ, have been made children of God and imputed with Christ's righteousness... through time and into eternity.
The life of Jesus is characterised, in conduct, conversation, attitude, and action by an outflow of loving grace, and compassionate mercy towards those with Whom He came in contact.
He also had opposition from true believers, who were teaching the truth of the gospel of grace, while resenting Paul personally, because they were jealous of his apostolic calling.
Their close, brotherly relationship, their singular passion for the gospel of grace, their fervent intercessions for their brothers and sisters in Christ, and their deep love of the brotherhood of the saints, appear to be areas that united Paul and Epaphras in their individual ministries, and bonded them together in a spirit of love - in the unity of the faith and in the bond of peace.
May we seek to develop similar priorities in our own Christian life, so that we may grow in grace, fulfil the work that God has prepared for us to do, and live our lives in a way that honours our God and Saviour - Jesus Christ.
And so with the increase of sin, it was necessary for God's grace to increase.
The more sin abounded, the more grace also abounded and overflowed.
God's grace was there all along - but only when man began to understand the destructive nature of his sinfulness through the giving of the Law, did we recognise that we are sinners in need of salvation.
Only when our lives are lined-up against God's perfect Law, can man understand the depth of our depravity and the immensity of God's grace towards us - in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, so that the power of sin and death could be broken in the lives of all who believe.
As we reflect on the fact that one man (Adam) caused all men to be born in sin because of his one sin, we realise the depth of the riches of the goodness and grace of God which enables anyone who believes in the one Man (Christ) to be declared righteous.
How amazing to realise that the abundant overflow of grace and the amazing gift of righteousness can reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Paul calls the unbelieving man or woman who is dead in their trespasses and sins and has not accepted the free gift of grace, by faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary: The natural man.
As believers, we are saved by grace through faith, and once we are part of God's family, we are to mature in the faith and to live our Christian life as unto the Lord.
Having started our Christian pilgrimage by grace through faith, we are to continue living our Christian life the same way.
And we are to 'build' with the right motive so that God alone is to be glorified, by grace through faith in Christ.
As believers, we are all saved by grace through faith, but if we live our Christian life in our own strength and not in dependence upon the Lord Jesus, we will still be saved but we will suffer loss, for the wood, hay, and stubble that results from works of the flesh will be consumed in the fire that tests each of us.
Having detailed our unity in the Spirit, our union with Christ, and the unsearchable riches of God that have been freely bestowed on us by grace, Paul contrasts the corrupt lives of unregenerate man with the normal Christian walk, which should exhibit the tenderness, forgiveness, and grace that we see in the character of God and the life of Christ.
We have been freely forgiven and have received the unsearchable riches of God's grace.
We are called to be like Christ; to follow His example, to imitate His life and character, to grow in grace, and to be conformed into His likeness.
The only way to grow in grace and mature in the Christian faith is to put away all the influences and characteristics of the old sin nature that are exhibited in a wide range of outward actions, inward attitudes, and secret motives that are acceptable to God.
Rather, we are to imitate the beautiful life that Christ lived by living our life in the same way that Christ did – by walking in spirit, sharing the truth in love, growing in grace, and learning obedience through the things that we suffer.
It is by God's grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, that we are born-again, have peace with God, and become a child of the Most High.
May we be diligent to share the good news of the gospel of grace, with those that are equally closed to the truth, in our own generation - for lest they trust in the only begotten Son of God, they too will die in their sin, and be refused entry into His heavenly presence.
We have been saved by grace through faith, not of works.
And when He is the centre of our lives, we look to HIM and HIS power and abilities rather than our own inabilities... as we know that His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our dependent reliance upon HIM.
Knowing that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, let us bless the Lord at all times.
He tells us of the riches of God's grace towards us, the mystery of His will to those who are in Christ Jesus, what it means to be a new creation in Him, and how He has broken down the middle wall of partition, giving all who are in Christ direct access into the throne-room of God.
He wants to explain that God is doing a new thing in this post-Cross age of grace which, although hidden from past ages and generations, had now been revealed to us: Which is Christ in you the hope of glory.
And so from the restriction of his prison cell, Paul explains some important truths about this dispensation of the grace of God.
Although Paul had made reference to this dispensation of grace earlier in his epistle, he felt it necessary to explain in greater detail the importance and significance of the Christian administration. God's governance of the world until the Cross had been through His chosen people Israel, but following the Cross and the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, God revealed that He was about to use a different form of governance.
During the dispensation of the grace of God, He would carry out His redemptive plan and purpose for the world through the Church; those who by grace through faith trusted Christ for salvation..
Paul had already written about this earlier in his epistle, but this second reference to the dispensation of the grace of God, was to emphasise its significance so that the Ephesians, and all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, would understand and gain greater insight into the mystery of Christ.
And Paul was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to him according to the working of His wonderful power.
Some legalists were mingling the Jewish Law (which had been fulfilled in Christ) with the glorious gospel of grace, in an attempt to place the liberty that Jews and Gentiles now enjoy in Christ's finished work at Calvary, back under bondage to the Law.
Others were grossly perverting that same freedom we ourselves have received by grace through faith in Christ, by turning it into an ungodly license to sin.
Preach the word and stand firm to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, according to the faith of God's elect, was Paul's advice to his brother in Christ.
And Paul went on to say: This is especially true of those of the circumcision, those who could not differentiate between God's dealing with Israel in the previous dispensation of Law, and His current dealings with the Church in this dispensation of grace.
When man-made tradition and false spirituality causes religious teachers to turn from the truth of the glorious gospel of grace and dismiss the Word of God in preference for worldly authorities, Jewish mysticism, the commands of men, and monetary gain by teaching that which ought not to be taught, they should not be given the credibility and acclaim that so many receive today.
Paul may not have understood why his plans to visit Rome were always prevented by the Holy Spirit, but we recognise his Roman epistle to be one of the greatest influences in maintaining the purity of the gospel of grace throughout the history of Christendom.
Paul was not suggesting that God will not save the wealthy man or intelligent person, for His goodness and grace embraces all, but how important that we get our priorities right and put Jesus as the central focus of our lives.
None of us want to invite pain and suffering into our lives and Paul is an example of a man who went through much suffering in this world for being a Christian. At times he despaired even of life, and yet despite his terrible persecution and many imprisonments, Paul willingly endured his suffering with godly grace, patient endurance, and unspeakable joy.
As God's children, we have been promised that His grace is sufficient to deal with every eventuality we may meet in life.
We need to grow in grace, and become mature believers in our Christian faith.
We have to feed on spiritual food each day and be exercised spiritually in order to grow in grace and to mature in the faith, and Peter clearly tells us the importance of taking in the right spiritual food to ensure godly growth: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.
Man cannot live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and the Scriptures are the spiritual food that God in His grace has given us for our Christian life and spiritual growth.
God has spoken to us in these last days through the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His grace has left us a written record in the Scriptures, and whether it be Peter, Paul, John, or James, we are urged to study to show ourselves approved unto God so that we may grow and mature spiritually.
We are to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of truth so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
May we meditate on the Word of God, trust His Word of truth, believe on His precious promises and look to Jesus day by day in the power of the Holy Spirit of truth so that we may grow in grace to His praise and glory.
As we reflect upon the glorious gospel of Christ and the amazing grace by which we have been accepted in the Beloved, should we not seek to walk worthy of our calling every moment of the day, with lowliness of heart and gentleness of spirit?
Let us choose to walk every day in His grace and strength, as we seek to glorify God in our bodies.
Paul is absolutely clear in all his teachings that the essentials of the gospel of grace and the good news of salvation in Christ must never be compromised: Where the incarnate Word of God died for our sins and rose again the third day.
The wonderful thing about the Christian life in this Church dispensation is that in those non-essential doctrines, we are given the grace to follow our own consciences, knowing that each one will give an account of their own lives to the Lord Himself.
The liberty of this age of grace is that we have not been placed under any required law, for we are living under grace.
Let us follow after the things which make for peace so that we may edify one another, and let us pursue what promotes a godlike tranquillity in the Body of Christ and build up one another in godly grace.
If we have believed the glorious gospel of grace and been taught in accordance with the God-breathed Scripture, then we KNOW that Christ is the truth as well as our life and our light.
Let us, with joyful abandon, sing of God’s power and make music in our hearts to Him, as we lift up holy hands to our faithful God and join our voices together in grateful hymns of praise, for His mercies are new every morning and His grace is sufficient, no matter what we are going through.
Let us sing aloud of His mercy in the morning and reflect on His goodness and grace all day long.
He detailed the Christ-like conduct, that by grace through faith in Him, we should be willing to demonstrate to a world enslaved by sin, Satan, and death.
Like Peter, the apostle Paul was ready and willing to endure suffering and persecution for the sake of Christ, knowing that his soul was secure in His hand and that His grace was sufficient in every affliction he faced.
We are also called to undergo the wise correction of our heavenly Father, and to endure hardship, in a world that is lost, and whose only hope is to hear the good news of the gospel of grace.
to go into all the world and tell forth the good news of the gospel of grace - that God loved the world so much, that He gave His only begotten Son... to become the sin-substitute, for fallen man.
Paul was called by Christ to deliver the good news of the gospel of grace to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.
It is a sweet-smelling fragrance to those that are being sanctified by grace through faith, for we are passing from one type of glory to another.
The gospel of grace is an aroma from life to life... from a new, spiritual life in Christ at salvation... to everlasting life with Christ Jesus our Lord - in the eternal ages to come - for those whom He justified He also glorified.
The truth of the glorious gospel of grace to rebellious humanity is like a rancid, putrefying corpse.
Who is competent to carry out such a service to the Lord, as the preaching the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world?
And although his rhetorical question is not answered by Paul himself, we know we are ALL qualified, by grace through faith in Christ.
May God use each of us to minister to the saved and unsaved alike - so that many who are lost in sin and heading for eternal damnation may hear the good news of the glorious gospel of grace and come to faith in our one and only God and Saviour - Jesus Christ our Lord.
But those of us who are saved by grace through faith in Him, recognise the Cross as the power of God and the wisdom of God.
When you look at the person of Christ, you see the one and only Person that is able to save a lost sinner; you see the one and only Work that was carried out for the redemption of fallen mankind, and you see the one and only gospel of the grace of God: the message of the Cross, which is foolishness to those that are perishing but to us who have been saved it is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Let us purpose in our heart to glory in nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, for He is the one and only Person that is able to save the lost sinners by the grace of God through the message of the Cross.
No Christian should regard himself as super-spiritual or consider herself as superior or more highly favoured than any other child of God, for we are all sinners saved by grace with no merit of our own.
We are to ensure that we are submitted to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, by faith, and living our life in total dependence upon the Lord, in truth and in grace.
How important, therefore, that we daily examine our walk, our ways, our words, our actions, our attitudes, and our motives, to be sure that we do not fall from grace but live godly in Christ Jesus, being careful not to be tempted ourselves.
We are justified by grace through faith and not by works of the Law.
Sadly, many Christians who are saved by grace through faith, fail to continue to live their lives by grace through faith and place themselves back under the unattainable, legalistic demands of the Law.
Let us keep that old self nailed to the Cross and let Christ live His life through us, as we rest in Him by grace through faith.
But Christ was sent to redeem this degenerate human race who were at enmity with God, for in His grace and mercy, the Father had planned a way to save humanity.
When we were saved by grace through faith, we were positioned in Him and became one with Him.
In the same way, the one who is not enslaved to keeping the Law, but justified by grace through faith in Christ, is the one who has reached the age of maturity and has received the promise - Christ Jesus our Lord Who gives us victory in this life and great reward in heaven.
It was also the Holy Spirit of God who moved holy men of God to pen the Old Testament Scripture and cause the New Testament prophets and apostles to write the gospels and epistles, which are so necessary for our learning, if we are to grow in grace, mature in the faith and live a life that is honouring to the Lord, in thought, word and deed.
The Corinthian Christians had become sceptical of this teaching, causing Paul to detail the whole counsel of God in this area, together with the good news of the gospel of grace, which promises eternal life to all who believe on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Because we KNOW death has been conquered and eternal life with Christ Jesus our Lord is our free gift of grace, we should delight to do His will and never waiver in our faith, for our resurrection means that our work for God will not be ineffective.
Once Paul has hammered home this shocking truth about our sin and the hellish consequences that apply to Jew and Gentile alike, he then starts to give the good news of salvation, which is by grace through faith in Christ's finished work, and this good news is equally efficacious for Jew and Gentile alike: The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The narrow way, which is found by few, is rightly seen as a difficult path which is found by grace through faith in Christ, knowing that He is the only Way to the Father, and He is the only Gate into eternal life and heavenly bliss. The broad way is therefore identified as the road that the majority of the human race will take and is conversely seen as the easy path which leads to destruction and the fires of hell.
But although there is certainly a legitimate application to saved and unsaved people taking the narrow and broad ways respectively, Christ was not teaching about the two destinations of the whole human race (heaven or the lake of fire), but the two alternative routes that Christians are required to choose after they have been justified by grace through faith in Christ.
Whichever gate a Christian chooses to enter, God is faithful to His eternal promises to all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, and none will ever lose their eternal salvation.
We are justified, sanctified, and glorified in the sight of God one way: by grace through faith in Christ alone.
No one can ever be justified in the sight of God through works of the Law, and yet many, having started their Christian life by grace through faith, then seek to continue their Christian walk by reverting back to legalism.
They try to live by the law instead of living by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
This was so that we could live FOR Him and TO Him each day by grace through faith: For the just shall live by faith.
Though heirs of the promises and the riches of God's grace, they were still, as it were, under bondage; under the Law.
Yes, God sent forth His Son at the right time and He was born of a woman and born under the Law so that we might receive forgiveness of sins, come into full son-ship with the Father, and receive His promised inheritance and the riches of His grace.
Let us praise the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, the God of time and eternity, for His amazing grace and mercy.
In His grace, He did not cut them off forever and was always ready to give those who would repent of their sins an opportunity to return to Him and receive His blessings.
Throughout Israel's history, God's grace and mercy poured over His chosen people in a cleansing flood of refreshing streams, for the Lord longs to shower compassion, mercy, comfort, and grace onto His distressed people, and to bring them to victory in their lives.A succession of prophets had told Israel that by returning to Him and trusting in His Word they would be saved from their enemies and be blessed abundantly.
But as with Israel, God’s grace and mercy towards us is never changing, and He is always there to guide us back into the way of truth.
All that He desires of us is that we listen to His voice, hearken to His word, trust in His love, rely on His sufficient grace and let the love of Christ guard our heart... so that every step we take may be directed by Him – for our eternal benefit and for His greater glory.Christ is the Way and Christ is our Guide.
Through the blood of Christ, Christians in this dispensation of Grace, have been given access into the throne-room of God, and as His children, we have been given the right to draw near to Him with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in times of need.
Because of this directive, some like to teach that communal prayer, with other brothers and sisters in Christ, is unbiblical, but this teaching does not prohibit public prayer, but is specifically geared towards our own, individual, private prayer-time - where the child of God enjoys sweet communion with his heavenly Father - as we come to the throne of grace because of our identity with Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let us pray, day by day, in the quietness of our own particular, private, prayer 'closet', for prayer is one of the most vital and special prerogatives that Christians have been afforded in this Church age of grace.
Paul wants to make a clear distinction between salvation as a gift of God's grace and salvation as a work of man's flesh.
Salvation by grace has nothing to do with what we have done but has everything to do with what Jesus has done for us, while works that we carry out in our own strength are meritorious.
Man is justified by grace through faith and not by works of the law.
We are saved by God's grace and not through man's merit.
Justification by grace through faith is not a new way to be saved.
We see that Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah... Ruth, David, Isaiah, and many other saints in both the Old and New Testaments were all saved by grace through faith and not by works of the Law.
Paul compares receiving something from God as a recompense for work we do (a reward for OUR works) with being given an unmerited gift for the work Christ did (a free gift of grace for what CHRIST did for us). The first is a deserved entitlement while the second is an undeserved favour.
A reward for something we do is not the same as a free gift of God's grace, for what we believe and Paul quotes from Genesis 15:6 to emphasis that salvation ALWAYS has and always will be by grace through faith in God.
Praise God that we are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary and receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting as a free, unmerited gift of God's goodness and grace.
Grace and peace is not only given to the child of God, but multiplied as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Heavenly Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We started our spiritual journey by grace through faith in Christ, and we are kept throughout our life-journey by the power of God by faith, but we are to exercise that faith in Christ by believing the truth of His Word, by trusting our lives into His hands, by abiding in Him and He in us, and by learning to say: Thy will, not mine be done.
Spiritual growth is evidenced through the precious fruit of the Holy Spirit, but it takes time to mature and there is a clearly defined process of development and growth if we are to grow in grace and show forth the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
And finally, may our patient endurance grow into godliness, brotherly affection, Christian love, and Christ-like behaviour, knowing that the more we grow in these virtues, the more productive and useful we will become in our Christian life as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We all desire to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Jesus and we all long to cultivate an undivided heart, that is unruffled by life, as we submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and walk in spirit and in truth.Awareness of our lack in any of these areas of our Christian walk or recognising that life’s problems are swamping our fainting hearts is wisdom indeed – and a prudent step towards solving such problems is to ask the Lord for wisdom.
Truly, a knowledge of our spiritual ignorance is a step towards godly wisdom, and recognising our lack of godly wisdom is a prudent step towards growing in grace, maturing in the faith, and gaining an understanding of our privileged position in Christ and all that He has done for us.God knows that we are weak and frail and He knows that the testing our faith can cause us to complain or murmur or to become unsteady in our Christian walk..
After salvation, throughout our entire Christian life, our soul is being made new through a process of practical sanctification... as day by day our soul-life is gradually being conformed into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.
And by grace through faith, we will rule and reign with Him for 1000 years.
God blessed this nation above all others, not because they were special but because of His grace.
For centuries, they lived in a downward, cyclical spiral where they would rebel against God and receive His punishment; then repent of their sins and be restored by God's grace - only to rebel once more against their God and King.
Every time they repented of their sin, God in His grace restored them by raising up a leader to judge and govern them.
Praise God that despite their continued rejection of their God and King, it is by His by grace that a faithful remnant will one day be restored and God's unconditional covenants to Abraham, David, and His people Israel, will eventually be fulfilled.Israel did not heed God's warning and they fell into gross apostasy, living in a downward, cyclical spiral of rebellion against their God and King, but how we see similar patterns of disobedience in the Church of today.
We were warned not to pay attention to worldly fables, foolish myths, and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the doctrine of God and the glorious gospel of Christ, which is received by grace through faith in His finished work at Calvary.
He sent His only begotten Son into the world to be the sin-sacrifice for mankind, and the Father accepts every sinner saved by grace through faith in the Beloved Son of His love.
The Spirit breathes life into the sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ, and removes him from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ.
He clothes each one in the garments of grace and dresses each child in heavenly robes of redemption and righteousness.
Reconciliation with God is a free gift of grace that is open to every man and woman, no matter what the charges against them may be.
We have been ordained as ambassadors of God and ministers of reconciliation, which by His grace is being offered to the whole of humanity, through us.
Let us recognise this precious message with which we have been entrusted, and proudly proclaim God's gift of grace to all who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Either one is growing in grace and drawing closer to the Lord in humbleness of spirit and obedience to God's Word, OR one starts to regress into spiritual infancy through unbelief, disobedience, and fleshly carnality.
Fellowship with the Father is broken, future rewards can be forfeited, spiritual growth is stunted, and instead of having a victorious Christian walk, through His sufficient grace, they are defeated in the race of life.
And although Isaiah prophesied that a righteous Ruler would arise as the nation's sin-bearer and sacrifice Who would be their Redeemer and Restorer, Israel had to understand that their punishment was due to their apostasy, and the reason for the coming blessings and future glory for a faithful remnant was because of God's mercy and grace: But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
In quoting this verse, Jesus was clearly showing a difference between 1) the corrupt judges of Israel in the old dispensation of Law, who judged unjustly and showed partiality to the wicked - who will themselves be judged by God, and 2) the Lord Jesus, Who came from heaven to lay the groundwork for the new dispensation of Grace, and die on the Cross for the sin of the world.
The exclusivity of the gospel of grace is deeply offensive to all who do not believe.
It is obvious from the tone of his letter, that Paul did not expect his request to be refused, but he also wanted to ensure Philemon was obedient to the high principles and godly practices that are expected of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, and are walking in spirit and truth... and so we read, Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
Paul had great confidence that Philemon would not only respond to his request with grace and favour, but would do even more than he had asked.
so it should be the desire of each of us to apply all the godly principles and practices that are so clearly laid out in the Bible, and seek to do them spontaneously and with abundant grace and favour.
The first is the sweet fragrance of those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ... while the second is the unbeliever who exudes the nauseating, deathly stench of a person who has rejected God's gracious offer of salvation, for we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved... and are among those who are perishing.
It is the born-again child of God who is growing in grace, standing firm in the faith, abiding in Christ, and submitted to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, that is considered as the fragrance of Christ to God.
The more we mature in the faith and grow in grace, the more we become the fragrance of Christ among our brothers and sisters who are also being sanctified, day by day.
May our lives be so saturated with the attractiveness of our Saviour that His beauty is reflected in us, so that others may see our lives and glorify our Father in heaven, so that by grace through faith in Him, they may turn from their sinful ways, trust in the Lord with all their heart, and be born again into the family of God - to His praise and glory.
God did not immediately remove the evils from the path of His faithful servant David - for delay in God's judgement on the wicked is a demonstration of His mercy and grace towards the children of men.
Our long suffering God Who strives with fallen man has opened a door of salvation, which invites all guilty sinners to look to Christ and live - but it can only be accessed by the Door of grace - through faith in Christ's sacrificial work at Calvary - and that Door is still open today, for Jesus is the Door and Jesus is the Way - and Jesus is the good Shepherd who is still seeking that which is lost.
This grace of God promises that all who turn from their wicked, prideful ways to Christ for Salvation will be declared righteous.
But in all things, like David, we have a God Who has undertaken to be with us in all the difficulties and distresses that rise up to overwhelm us, and He has given us His Word that His grace is sufficient - to the praise of His name.
We have a positive responsibility to obey His Word and apply it in our everyday life, for when we walk in the unity of the Spirit and live in holiness of heart, we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and produce the fruit of humility, patience, gentleness, and love.
And in this verse, we are exhorted to speak wholesome words and do good things that encourage and edify others: Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, we are instructed, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
The words we speak should flow from a heart that is centred on Christ and should minister timely words of grace and encouragement to others.
And speaking such words will edify the Body, rejoice the heart, give grace to all those who hear them, and honour our Father in heaven.
They still had to accept the setting aside of Israel for a season during the 2000-year long dispensation of the Grace of God.
But from this time forward, these Jewish disciples would teach the Gospel of the Grace of God to ALL people - Jew and Gentile alike.
As Christ's Body on earth, they were to fulfil the commission to the Church, during this Age of Grace, and not the commission that is given to Israel, during the Time of Jacob's Trouble.
Paul discovered that by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, God's promises are sure, His Word is true, His grace is sufficient, and all things work together for good to those that love the Lord their God with all their heart and are fitting into His plans and purposes.
But it was a joyful day when Paul discovered, I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the victory - because His grace is sufficient and His strength is perfected in our weaknesses.
Paul's bold confession of God's sufficient grace and victory over every issue he faced, gave witness to a life that had died to self and lived only for Christ.
His apparent delay is simply a manifestation of His long-suffering goodness and grace towards sinful, rebellions man, for He is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance through faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary.
The time is fast approaching when today's door of grace will be shut fast and God will take us to be with Himself before He begins to pour out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting, sinful, and rebellious generation.
All we have to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, and by His grace we have become ministers of the new and better covenant.
Israel's covenant, made through Moses, makes it clear that disobedience and rebellion would result in that right hand of God's wrath falling upon them - for a time - but in His grace, He will draw them back to Himself during the 'Time of Jacob's Trouble'.
Peter reminds us in His epistle that God, in His grace, knows how to deliver the godly in their trials, while reserving the ungodly to the day of judgement.
The process of sanctification starts the moment we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and continues to our life's end.
They spurn God's promise that His grace is sufficient.
We are not denied eternal life which is a free gift of God's grace to all who believe that Christ died to pay the penalty for their sin.
We can be saved by grace through faith (justification) while being denied the wonderful reward that we have been promised when we suffer for His sake (through the sanctification process).
We are to grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, mature in the faith, live godly in Christ Jesus, and to live our lives in a way that honours the Lord.
And praise God that we are not under law but under grace, for we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and we have been made alive in Him.
He wanted his friend to apply grace and forgiveness eagerly, not reluctantly or begrudgingly.
His letter was not only written on behalf of Onesimus, but has become a lesson for us all in Christian living, love, and grace.
Before beginning his appeal for mercy which restated several Christian doctrines on grace, forgiveness, servanthood, and our imputed righteousness by faith in Christ, Paul reminded Philemon of their own, close Christian intimacy and the mutual love and respect they had for one another: For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
Paul was not envious of Philemon's position in society, but filled with joy and comfort that this beloved son-in-the-faith was showing such godly growth and spiritual grace.
May we also seek to act in a similar godly manner and obey the instructions we receive from Scripture in thought, word, deed, and motive, so that the testing of our faith does not cause any ungodly reaction, but demonstrates a maturing faith, a growth in grace, and a response that honours the Lord.
There are times when we, who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, become complacent in our faith and do not give the Lord the praise and glory He justly deserves.
Let us consider those that are lost, who will one day face this horrific future, and do what we can to tell the good news of the gospel of grace to those in need of redemption.
Indeed, Paul grieved for those that had reverted from the freedom of living by grace, back to the slavery of living under the law, and in his distress he wept about them, calling them, enemies of the cross of Christ.
He had often told these Philippian believers of the increasing numbers, who were falling from grace, and not walking in the way of righteousness.
While every believer is positionally sanctified, Paul knew that during our earthly walk, every believer is in a process of progressive sanctification - which occurs when we are walking in spirit and truth, abiding in Christ, submitted to the Spirit of God, and learning to grow in grace, through the chastening work of God in our lives.
Instead, they began to doubt the goodness, grace, and faithfulness of the God Who redeemed them.
They moved from salvation by grace through faith into living according to their own will and not adhering to God's perfect plan.
Similarly, although Christians are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we can forfeit our spiritual rest during our journey through life.
His grace is sufficient for every eventuality in life, but we have to appropriate what is already ours - we have to seize hold of what is already ours by faith.
There are about 150 passages in the Word of God that state unequivocally that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ's finished work on the Cross alone, but sadly there are some that cause confusion in the Body of Christ by teaching that without water baptism a man or woman is not saved, and they often cite this verse as evidence.
From the foundation of the world, the shed blood of the Lamb of God was God's demanded purchase price for the salvation of all mankind, and although the waters of baptism are a most beautiful picture of the inner cleansing that results when a person is saved by grace through faith in Christ, if it is a requirement for salvation in addition to Christ finished work at Calvary, it proclaims that His finished work was insufficient to pay the full price for the sin of the whole world.
He is long-suffering, merciful, and of great goodness, and His grace is extended to all humanity, from generation to generation.
But He is full of tender-love towards His creation, and in His mercy and grace (and at the enormous cost of the life of His only begotten Son), God set in motion His amazing plan of redemption to save mankind from eternal separation from Himself.
God has, by grace, promised those that trust in the Lord Jesus as Saviour, the most astonishing riches of His grace and inheritance in His glory; but without the death of our Lord Jesus Christ as payment for our sins we would never have experienced these joys, and without the Resurrection of our Lord, the power of death and hell would not have been broken.
In her glorious song of praise to God for the great gift that lay hidden in her secret place, Mary celebrates the grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God.
The whole of mankind, whether they be rich or poor, sinner or saved, all rely upon God's grace and bounty.
While earthly parents may try to teach their children obedience, kindness, and other important character-forming attributes, the Lord's discipline brings a rich and fruitful harvest of spiritual graces... peace and patience, faith and submission, goodness and grace, righteousness and love.
God in His grace contracted to fulfil ALL the conditions of the New Covenant - and all that Israel (and the rest of humanity) had to do was to believe - believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
But we who believe in the sacrificial offering of Christ have already been saved by grace through faith in Him.
Today we are to teach the gospel of grace to a lost world, so that whoever believes on the name of the only begotten Son of God will be saved.
We are not justified by carrying out the ten commandments, adherence to denomination requirements or self-imposed regulation, however we are frequently reminded that we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone.
He broke the power of death and hell and in so doing He poured out the most astonishing cascade of the riches of God's amazing grace on all who would believe in His name.
I have overcome the world, are simple words from our gracious Saviour, but the grace and glory that flows from His words of deep, deep comfort, will resound throughout the eternal ages to come.
Saved man celebrates his justifying grace, because he has been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's illuminating light and perfect peace.
David is celebrating this sanctifying grace.
This sanctifying aspect of his salvation from God is ours, as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.
By God's grace, Israel's rejection of their Bridegroom caused those that were outside of the commonwealth of Israel to be brought into the sheepfold of the Good Shepherd - Jew and Gentile alike.
When pride is recognised as the antithesis of grace, we begin to understand its destructive nature in the life of a believer and the wisdom to counterbalance it with godly humility.
The man or woman who is humble of heart is blessed indeed, for God gives grace to the humble and exalts them to elevated positions.
It is only when the purifying furnace of God's corrective hand is used to break us and empty us of self, that God can start to mould us and remake us into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Who was the Personification of humility and grace.
Let us take to heart the wisdom and warning in the book of Hebrews so that by grace we are enabled to let brotherly love be the distinguishing mark of our own Christian walk.
However, in His grace, God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him Who called us by His glory and virtue.
This tremendous privilege is ours by grace through faith in Him, but we have to access this divine birthright by choice.
Having been saved by grace through faith, it is only as we live by grace through faith and earnestly press on to the goal of our high calling in Christ, with diligence, dedication, and discipline, that we are empowered to grow in grace and in moral excellence.
For the Word and wisdom, the promises and the precepts of our God are altogether upright and are perfect in righteous, and all His work is carried out in faithfulness, grace and truth.
Should not we who are the unworthy recipients of His saving grace and unfailing love, give glory to our Creator God and sing praises to the God of our salvation?
This is a promise of God, which is given to all who have trusted Christ by grace through faith in His finished work at Calvary.
God in His grace has promised that He who started a good work in each of our lives (when we trusted His Word and were born from above), is faithful to complete it in the day of Christ Jesus.
Nevertheless, in God's grace and mercy, these carnal Christians in Corinth were equally enriched in Christ, in speech and all knowledge.
By His goodness and grace we are all sustained by God and we are all reckoned to be blameless on the day Christ comes for His Church.
God in His grace has promised to sustain and establish all who have put their trust in Him.
He started a good work in us and planted an eternal seed of grace within each of our hearts which will mature and produce much fruit to His praise and glory, if we humbly submit to His leading and guidance in our lives.
Many of the blessings and promises on which we stand, had yet to be written and Stephen died without reading that His grace is sufficient and that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
BUT His grace is still sufficient, His peace is still perfected in the heart that is stayed on Him, and our times are still in God's hands.
The Lord gave Stephen the grace he needed as he faced that violent mob of murderous villains who hated God and despised the truth, and likewise we have the assurance that He has promised to give us the grace we need for whatever we have to face... but He will only supply what we need at the time that it is needed - and not before.
Let us comfort one another with these words and sing praises to Him with thanksgiving with every passing day, knowing that we are been saved by grace through faith in God's only begotten Son, Who loved us so much that He gave His life so that we might live.
He then began to point out the importance of this new, special administration, which he described as: The dispensation of the grace of God, and which we often call the 'Church age'.
Paul pointed out that before this new administration of God's grace was revealed to him, it had been a mystery: a truth known only in the mind of God; a truth that had been hidden for ages and generations; a mystery that was now to be unveiled to all who believe on the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This new revelation from God had been unknown in ages past and was unique to believers in this dispensation of the grace of God.
And although Paul had touched on areas connected with the mystery earlier in his epistle, he now takes about 12 whole verses to explain in detail its incredible significance to all, who by grace through faith have been placed in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.
God desires that all men are saved and that His born-again children mature in the faith, grow in grace, look to Jesus, and in the power the Holy Spirit, be conformed, day by day, into the image and likeness of Christ.
The price He paid for our forgiveness was His own precious blood so that we could be forgiven forever of all our sins and receive eternal life as a free gift of HIs grace.
And this was according to the riches of God's marvellous grace, His loving-kindness, and His matchless holiness.
There are many equally detestable customs and abominable exploits that take place in our modern culture which God hates, and having been saved by grace through faith, we are no longer enslaved by Satan's power but have been redeemed from the penalty of sin and set free from its power over our lives.
And in His mercy and grace, He purposed before the world began, to redeem mankind through the sacrificial offering of His own beloved Son.
This is a truth that rejoiced the heart of many who heard Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, and it has rejoiced the heart of millions more, who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and been saved by grace through faith in Him.
This miracle of salvation by grace through faith in Christ is freely available to all, just as it was when Peter stood up on that first day of Pentecost and taught this life-changing truth.
There is no one who is so far removed from God's saving grace that they cannot be saved by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us continue to share the good news of the gospel of grace with those that are dead in their sins and living under God's condemnation - for who knows if some may be convicted of their need of redemption and turn from their sinful ways and trust in Christ for the salvation of their soul?
But God in His grace purposed to redeem the world by sending His only begotten Son to be the sacrifice for man's sin.
But in this verse, we not only see the almighty God of Creation showing His power and dominion over the natural world through His signs and wonders, but we see a Man of great compassion and grace.
The Lord Jesus died so that by faith in Him, we would not suffer the eternal dictates of breaking God's Law (death) but would find grace in the eyes of the Lord - by faith.
He came to bind up the broken-hearted, heal the sick, and set the captive free, so that by grace through faith in Him, we might not be condemned, but have everlasting life.
For eight long and intense chapters, Paul takes us step by step from the utter depravity of all mankind and the eternal consequences of sin, which is alienation from God, to the good news of the amazing gospel of grace and the final glorious outcome for all who trust in Christ for the remission of sins.
He addresses every possible distortion of the glorious gospel of grace in his carefully constructed epistle, and lays out the simple and astonishing truth: that man is saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the God-Man, Christ Jesus our Lord.
But in the midst of all this trouble, the Lord gave Paul a message that has been a comfort to countless saints, down through the ages: My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.
Paul was told that although the Lord would not remove this thorn in the flesh, he would be given God's grace to bear it.
What a great testimony to the grace of God and the power of Christ, which is made perfect in our weaknesses.
No matter what you and I are facing and no matter what tests and trials we may be required to face, we have God's full assurance that His grace is sufficient for all eventualities that may come our say.
Little children and young people were being brought to the Good Shepherd for His blessing... and yet the demonstrable hardness of these disciples' hearts is only counterbalanced by Christ's strong rebuke of their behaviour towards these tender hearts - hearts that were open to His saving grace.
How important that as parents, grandparents, siblings, and souls who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, that we share the glorious gospel of grace with young and old alike.
The work to which Christ was referring was feeding the soul with every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and helping to raise spiritually dead souls into newness of life, by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary.
The spiritual work we are called to carry out will be accomplished in the lives of lost sinners who are dead in their trespasses and sins, estranged from God and facing eternal separation from Him so that they might hear the good news of the gospel of grace, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, become a new creation in Him, and receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The Lord Jesus raised a handful of people from physical death during His time on earth to authenticate His God-ordained, Messianic claims, but when Peter preached his first sermon, 3000 souls were saved: 3000 spiritual resurrections were secured, 3000 people gained access to the Father's throne of grace, for mercy to find help in time of need.
God is still able to perform the same sort of supernatural miracles today, which continue to authenticate His deity, but the work that we have all been called on to carry out today is to proclaim the good news of the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world, to the glory of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ: For THIS is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He has sent.
James knew that the human response to the difficulties and dangers we face in life can either cause us to doubt God's goodness or increase our trust in His sufficient grace.
And so, James reminds us that the trials we face are designed to test our dependence upon God, strengthen our faith in Him, and drive us to our knees in prayer and supplication so that we may receive His grace and mercy to help in time of need.
Prayer that is offered up in unbelief causes a man or woman to be tossed hither and thither by doubts and uncertainty about God's goodness and grace.
Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God – he is born again – born from above – saved by grace through faith.
Christ was the one and only uniquely begotten Son of the Father, and all that trust in the beloved Son of His love, are begotten of God – born of God - born-again into newness of life – saved by grace through faith.
Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God, and the sure proof that we love the Father Who saved us is that we have a love for the whole Body of Christ - a love for all believers who have been begotten of God and saved by grace through faith.
We are saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and Paul strove to make it clear that the human mindset of these Judaisers destroys the truth of God's Word, and legalism is an anathema to the Lord.
Justification, like sanctification, is a gift of grace.
The former is God's gift of grace to the unsaved sinner, and the latter is God's gift of grace to the saved saint.
Instead of earning salvation by merit or by working hard to gain it, we can only receive it as a free gift of God's grace.
And having been saved by grace through faith, we are to die to self, and everything that focusses on ME, in order to live for God.
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ, and we are to walk by faith and not by sight.
Faith allows obstacles to be changed into opportunities, and wounds that are inflicted become a witness to the generous grace He pours out into our lives in great abundance.
Once we have been born again and saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are to be established in our faith.
We are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the rest of our lives.
Just as we were saved by the grace and power of God, so also, we are to be established by that same grace and power, through the ongoing process of sanctification.
However, it is not through self-effort that we grow in grace and understanding.
Although Paul was the chosen vessel through whom much of the gospel of grace was revealed, to the post-Cross Christian Church... God is no respecter of persons..
When Christ walked this earth, He was the Sower Who started to sow good seed - the gospel of God, the gospel of grace, the gospel of Christ, the gospel of the kingdom.
We are elevated into the irrevocable position of children of God by His grace, simply because we chose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
And because of our positional status in Him, we are given a further, unmerited glorious gift of grace – we are elevated into the position of co-heir with the Messiah, fellow-heir with Christ, joint-heir with Jesus; sharing God's immeasurably rich inheritance with His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Who Himself is one with the Father and equal in every detail with God.
Although Israel's high priest had to be a man appointed by God who was full of compassion, humility, mercy, and grace, and who acted as an intermediary between God and man while representing man to God - he was a sinner.
By grace through faith, we are covered by His righteousness and forgiven of all our sin.
It is by grace through faith in Christ that we are cleansed.
Having been declared righteous (justified) we are to live a sanctified life - and it is all by God's grace.
Day by day we are to grow in grace and be changed from one state of glory to the next state of glory, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit - and Christ explained that this is achieved as we abide in Him and He in us.
We are to be daily cleansed by the washing of the water of the Word of God so that we may mature in the faith, grow in grace, and stand firm on the truth of the gospel of Christ.
Paul did not found the church at Rome, but being a chosen servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, an apostle appointed by God, a preacher of the glorious gospel of grace, and a missionary to the Gentile nations who had been commissioned by God, he expressed his deep love and genuine concern for the spiritual well-being of the Christians there.
Paul is a great example of a man who always tried to encourage and edify the saints, while ensuring that he did not compromise the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.
May we adopt this attitude of humility in the work to which God has called us, and thank God that He is building His Church and that we are granted, by grace, to be fellow-labourers in His vineyard.
For we have His promises in the Word of His saving work of grace in our lives, and we have the permanent indwelling Spirit of Christ Who is a sure witness in our heart that we truly are the children of God.
Samuel was consecrated to God as a Nazarite from his mother's womb: No razor touched his head, and the event that led up to his conception and birth is a most beautiful example of God's grace, where good is brought out of evil and thrilling joy is born from the deepest pain.
We have the power of the indwelling Spirit shining in our hearts, and we are to act as gleaming mirrors of Christ's beauty, reflecting His love and grace - as we abide in Him and He in us.
It is IN Him and BY Him and FOR Him, that we are enabled to become the 'light of Christ', shining in a shrouded world, where by faith, darkness is passing away as the glorious Light of the gospel of grace floods into the lives of those that are saved by grace through faith in Him - as witnesses of the truth.
From beginning to end, this is a prayer that should cause us to rejoice with great joy and praise God with deep reverence - for we see Christ interceding on our account at the throne of grace.
His prayer was that we who are saved by grace through faith would exhibit the godly characteristics and the moral attributes of the triune Godhead itself, so that the lost may be reached with the glorious gospel of grace, so that many might be brought into the kingdom of His dear Son, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Only those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ have the right to be called the children of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners - and as members of His mystic Body we are the instruments that God, in His grace, uses during this Church dispensation to reach the lost.
We are the instruments He uses to tell forth the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world.
And in His grace, Christ prayed that we would be united in spirit, in truth, with the same unselfish, godly compassion and concern for others that He has for us.
He had won many spiritual battles and had grown from grace to grace into a certain level of Christian maturity, but he had not attained to all that Christ had purposed for him and had many spiritual mountains to climb, obstacles to overcome, and enemies to face.
Growing in grace is an ongoing journey and an upward trek for every believer, but like Paul we need to press on for the upward call of God in Christ so that in Him we may lay hold of all that God has prepared for us to do for His glory in our own individual lives.
Rather than endeavouring to escape the child-training programme that God has for our life, we should rather embrace it and try to discover the spiritual lessons that the Lord desires us to learn so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith.
Let us thank Him for the continued evidences of His grace in our lives and discover the fruit of godly obedience.
The spirit of slavery that entrapped us in doubt, darkness, and deep depression is replaced at rebirth by the permanently indwelling Spirit of God, but too often we do not appropriate what is ours by grace through faith and we retain a spirit of fear because we fail to believe the truth of God's Word.
We have been awarded this unmerited gift of His grace, simply because we trusted Jesus as Saviour.
How could we not trust in this eternal God of grace Whose grandeur is unlimited, Whose power is unrivalled, Whose tender mercy is everlasting, Whose grace is sufficient, and Whose deep, unconditional Love is unsurpassed.
In Old Testament days those who 'knew the name of God' were credited with righteousness - for they were saved, by grace through faith in HIM.
Despite Israel's prideful rebellion and lusting after other gods, the Lord is faithful to His promises - and those who know His name will never be forsaken because they put their trust in Him. And despite crying-out in venomous hatred: We will not have this man to rule over us, the day is coming when God in His grace will raise-up Israel to be the head and not the tail of the nations.
Never let us doubt the promises of God's faithfulness to all who are His children, by grace through faith in Christ.
The love of God is a multi-dimensional love. The breadth of God's love embraces all who are saved by grace through faith, and embraces Jew and Gentile, young and old, male and female – all people, climes, and tongues.
He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight - in love, so that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His love and grace in kindness toward us in Christ.
The depth of God’s love and grace delivers whosoever will believe, from the depravity of evil and the most sordid sin.
Throughout Paul's epistles we discover an emphasis on God's Word and a devotion to it: reading it, studying it, expounding, preaching, and teaching it; rightly dividing the Word of truth and standing firm on the gospel of grace.
Indeed, we who have trusted Christ and who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, have much about which to rejoice, despite the sobering truth that in this world all who live godly in Christ Jesus will face various trials and tribulations and may even have to face persecution and death.
They faithfully prophesied about the grace that would come, but much was hidden from their eyes.
The prophets of old prophesied concerning our salvation and the grace that would come to us, and although they searched and carefully investigated, much was kept hidden from their eyes.
Let us be grateful that God chastens us as sons, and let us develop a teachable spirit, patient endurance, and humble submission so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith.
How important that our hearts are flooded with the light of His grace and glory so that we have a real understanding of the confident hope that is ours in Christ, knowing that we are the rich and glorious inheritance of Christ Jesus our Lord.
We have been brought out of the darkness of sin and Satan into the Light of the glorious gospel of grace.
Let us rest in the truth of the incomparable, immeasurable, unsurpassing greatness of our omnipotent God and His grace and love towards us, who believe in Christ.
As we grow and mature in the Spirit, we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
As we begin to mature in the faith, we grow in grace and learn the lessons the Spirit wants to teach us, and as we grow in grace, so we grow into adulthood developing into sons (huis) of God: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (huis) of God.
Unbelievers make a choice to believe in Christ and, by the grace of God, as many as believe in Him become children of God.
Those who follow this advice and walk in spirit and truth, honour the Lord and grow in grace.
In Ecclesiastes we are warned: Do not let your speech cause you to sin, while Paul encourages us in Colossians: Let your speech be always with grace, and seasoned with salt.
By His goodness and grace we have been seated in heavenly places in Christ, to His praise and glory, forever and ever.
True joy and genuine happiness is a gift of grace from our heavenly Father, for genuine joy and true happiness is a heavenly grace we receive from the Spirit of God, as we walk in spirit and truth and live in newness of life.
The Joy of the Lord is a precious fruit and a spiritual grace that is given to us from above.
However, unsaved men and women know nothing of true, heavenly joy, which is a characteristic of the Christian Church, that is ours by grace.
But from his birth to his death, the story of Joseph provides us with many examples of God's never-failing goodness and grace, His power, and His faithfulness to His people.
He has given to US - the Church, which is Christ's Body, the ministry of reconciliation, during this dispensation of the age of grace.
This New Covenant is unconditional and stands on God's WORD - by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone as recorded in the Word of God - alone.
They were not growing in grace and in a knowledge of their Lord and Saviour as God desired, but were regressing in their spiritual growth and maturity... back to infancy, to their great shame.
There was a lack of spiritual discernment and an absence of true Christian grace.
Each has been spiritually equipped to carry out the work that God has prepared for them to do, so that together with the rest of the Body of Christ, they will individually and collectively grow in grace and walk in the unity of the Spirit.
The Christian Church is composed of all individuals who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Praise God that we are all ONE in Christ Jesus our Lord and that by grace through faith, we are now Christ's Body - and individually members of it.
Certainly the foundations of Church age doctrine were laid by God's chosen apostles and prophets as recorded in the Scriptures, but all of us who have been born again by grace through faith in Christ are exhorted to abide in Christ and all of us have been given a responsibility of advancing the glorious gospel of God in the place where He has appointed us.
Grace and peace to you from God and from the Lord Jesus Christ, is a well-loved and oft-used greeting that the apostles used throughout their letters.
Grace and peace to you from God and from the Lord Jesus Christ, is commonly associated with Paul and other New Testament writers, and within this simple expression is a wealth of truth and a peep into the very nature of God and His immutable and eternal attributes.
It was as a result of God's dazzling grace and unmerited favour towards the whole of the human race, that His plan of redemption was formulated in the eternal counsel chambers of heaven.
It was by grace that God's boiling anger and righteous judgement against man's wickedness and sin was poured out in full measure on an appointed sin-Substitute, our perfect Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He did this so that lost sinners might be saved from God's judgement and have peace with God, by grace through faith in Him.
It is by grace that the Holy Spirit is in the world today, convicting the sinner of sin, righteousness, and judgement so that by grace through faith in Christ, that sinner may become a saint.
The man who is dead in trespasses and sins and at enmity with God, may be become His child, receive forgiveness of sin, and gain peace with God: For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men.
But it is the all-encompassing grace of God that is so treasured by believers, for having made peace with God we are enabled to receive the peace of God in our hearts and the ability to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ: For the grace of God has appeared, instructing us, guiding us, teaching us, and conforming us, day by day, into the likeness of Christ.
Grace must always precede peace, for it is only by His grace that the sinner may have peace with God.
And it is only by His grace that the believer can access His grace, continue in grace, and grow in grace so that we may have the peace of God which passes all understanding guarding our hearts and minds, as we live in Christ Jesus our Lord and His grace and peace is reflected in us.
All believers have been called by grace, out of darkness and into His glorious light.
We have been called by grace, to glory.
We have been called, chosen, justified, and glorified, for we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and are become his chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
It was Paul who rejoiced in the confident hope that we have in Christ Jesus and he longed that others too would come to a real understanding of the incomparable riches of His grace, which is expressed in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
The apostle John points to the deity of the lovely Lord Jesus so that many will believe and trust Him as Saviour, and be given eternal life through Him, by grace.
Timothy had travelled with Paul on several of his missionary journeys, and although he had been taught the Holy Scriptures from his childhood, due to the faithful instruction he received from his mother and grandmother, it was Paul who introduced this young man to the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of grace.
No doubt he saw Timothy grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus during their ministry together, but as the time for his parting drew ever closer, Paul was prompted to write to his young co-labourer, exhorting him to continue in the things that he had learned from him..
to stand firm in the faith, to know the truth and to reckon it as fact - to trust resolutely in the Word of God and the gospel of grace, and to remember how he had learned these truths - through the teachings of Paul, and the Holy Scriptures that he had been taught from his early childhood.
We must remember that nothing is more important in this God-hating, Christ-rejecting, sinful world than to walk in the light of the glorious gospel of grace, and KNOW in Whom we have believed.
The Lord's Supper encourages all who have been born again by grace through faith in Christ, to look back and reflect with grateful wonder and praise on Christ's immense sacrificial offering of Himself on Calvary's Cross for the sin of the whole world.
Although we are many in number, we are united together in Christ... in that we all partook of the saving grace of God, by faith, when were born from above.
Paul points out that no-one is exempt from God's condemnation for all have sinned and are in need of a Saviour; all need to be justified by grace, through faith in Christ.
How few see the need to turn from their sins and believe on the Word of the Lord and the gospel of grace?
The result was an unfolding story of God's grace and provision, of God's power and sovereignty, and it resulted in God being glorified down through the ages because His servant Elijah was obedient.
ALL have sinned and need a Saviour, and ALL have access to this incredible free gift of God's glorious grace.
But those who believe that the LORD has laid on HIM the iniquity of us all, are not only forgiven forever and given eternal life, but the Lord has laid on US the unsearchable riches of His grace and clothed us in His robe of righteousness.
The gospel of grace is being preached by 'The One New Man In Christ'- which is made up of believing Jews and believing Gentiles, who trust in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God's grace towards man has been extended for 2000 years, and the Church has become His witnesses on earth to the lost and dying world.
The man that fears the Lord is one that has come to some understanding of the immensity of God’s grace.
The man who fears the Lord and shows reverence for His name has come to an understanding of what God's holiness, justice, peace, love, goodness, and grace really means in relation to sinful humanity and this fallen creation.
The man that fears the Lord is one that has come to some understanding of the immensity of God’s goodness and grace.
The man that truly reverences God is the one who has come to a deeper understanding of God's grace and a growing realisation of the high cost of salvation.
He begins to explore the depths of God's grace and the profound love to which He stooped, when He set aside His glory and came to earth as man's Kinsman-Redeemer in order to bring fallen humanity back into a right relationship with Himself.The man that fears the Lord trusts Him as a Father, worships Him as Saviour, submits to the leading of His Holy Spirit, and serves Him in reverential praise and godly fear.
He is the one who rejoices to keep His commands, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.The man who fears the Lord and trusts in His love is blessed indeed, for he is a sinner saved by grace. He will never be disappointed for God will guide him in the way he should take and teach him the path that he should choose and set His feet on the highway to holiness.
We were not born under the Law which was given to pre-Cross Israel, but have been saved by grace during this post-Cross, Church dispensation.
But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth as a man and died to pay the enormous price for our sin - for God, in His grace, sent His own dear Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as the only acceptable offering for our sin.
But sadly, there are those that abuse the wonderful freedom we have in Christ during this dispensation of the grace of God.
We have spiritual armour to protect ourselves from the ravages of the flesh and we have been given God's sufficient grace to stand fast in this evil day and resist the devil and all his worldly temptations.
He was a Man who looked to the needs of others and One Who had to go through much pain and suffering, rejection and betrayal, hatred and bitter grief so that by His death, burial, and resurrection, He could save us from our sin and bring many sons to glory - by grace through faith in Him.
This is not only dangerous but unscriptural, for only the regenerate are made children of God; only those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ are given the right to become sons of God: Even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of human parentage but of the Spirit of God, by grace, through faith.
There are only two camps in this dispensation of grace: saint or sinner.
The former is saved by grace and eternally freed from condemnation, while the latter is lost and under God's righteous condemnation.
Our privileged position in Christ has nothing to do with our worth or merit but is only and exclusively is founded on God's grace that He extended towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us so that all who believe on His name may be given the right to become sons of God: Even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of human parentage but of the Spirit of God, by grace through faith in Him.
Abraham is often referred to as the father of faith, because the Lord used His trust in God's promises as the foundational example of a man who is credited with the righteousness of Christ, by grace through faith.
And Paul explains Who this great God of Abraham is: He is the God Who brings the dead back to life; He is the Lord Who creates things out of nothing; He is the God Who raised Christ from the dead; He is the Lord Who gives those who are dead in trespasses and sins a new life in Christ; He gives eternal life in Him and life more abundantly, by grace through faith.
Abraham was justified by God's grace because He simply believed God's Word.
The Law was not given to save men, but to point them to the Saviour of men and, like Abraham, we are not saved by keeping the works of the Law, but by grace through faith in Christ.
And the righteousness of God is extended by grace to all who believe in God, both Jew and Gentile, for Abraham became the spiritual father of many nations as well as the physical forefather of God's chosen nation, Israel.
What a day that will be, for we shall behold His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, truth, and love.
As that day approaches, may we tell abroad the wonderful gospel of grace to all we meet, and as His love fills us, may it overflow into the lives of those around us, to Your glory.
But God in His grace determined to bring His people back after the 70 years - as we read in the books of Jeremiah and Daniel.
Our mortal body is the dwelling place of the Holy Ghost, Who permanently indwells each one, who has been saved by grace through faith... for God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them.
He wanted to demonstrate the great gulf that there is between the freedom we receive, by grace through faith in Christ, and the stifling subjugation that comes from trying to keep the Law.
The focus of John's Gospel from start to finish is the eternal Son of God Who was given by grace to be the perfect Son of Man.
And the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting is found by grace through faith in Him alone.
And for love of you and me, Christ Jesus became sin so that all who believe on Him would not perish but be clothed in His righteousness and made joint-heirs with Himself so that in the ages to come we might show forth the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The book of Romans gives a step by step logical sequence to show that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ.
And it is all by grace through faith in Him.
Justification and redemption is by grace through faith in Christ to Jew and Gentile alike.
It was by grace though faith in the coming Messiah that Abraham and David were credited with righteousness, and it is by grace through faith in the finished work of the Messiah that you and I are credited with righteousness.
Should we not seek to glorify His holy name in all we say and do, for without Him we would have remained dead in our trespasses and separated from God forever, but IN Christ we are imputed with His righteousness, by God's grace through faith in Him.
How important when reading any section of Scriptures, that we read it literally, grammatically, dispensationally, and in its correct historical context, if we are to grow in grace, come to a deeper understanding of God's glorious plan of redemption, and discover the role of Israel and the function of the Church.
The race that God created to rule over the earth fell in the Garden of Eden, and Israel, the nation God chose to witness to the world of His goodness and grace, failed to fulfil her covenanted role.
God in His grace takes and uses ALL things - both the good and the bad, the difficult situations and the easy times, the disappointments of life and the blessings we receive - the works of evil and the prayers of the saints... and He works them together for the good of His people..
Although He is a God of great goodness and grace, He sends rain on the fields of the unrighteous who blaspheme His name as well as the righteous, who worship Him in spirit and truth.
The thrill of teaching others the glorious gospel of God's grace, and how to live a victorious Christian life, that is honouring to the Father, was never eclipsed as the years rolled by.
Peter left a letter that should remind all believers to rehearse the truth of the glorious gospel of grace over again in the ears of fellow-believers - and especially those that are young in the faith or who have not yet proved the promises of God as a reality in their own lives - by faith.
however old or young we may be, and let us also consider it to be right that as long as we are in our own earthly dwelling-place, that we seek to stir up our brothers and sisters in Christ, by way of remembering all He is, and all He has done for those that have been saved by grace through faith in HIM.
They did not understand that in so doing, they were placing men and women, who had been saved by grace, back under the curse of the Law and enslaved to a 'works-based' salvation from which they had been freed - by faith in Christ.
Paul wrote a very important letter, not only emphasising his God-ordained, apostolic authority but also reiterating the vital truth of the gospel of grace and the doctrine of justification, which he had received directly from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul presented an excellent defence of justification by faith in his epistle and also gave a detailed exposition of the purpose of the Law... before presenting three important contrasts between Israel in the pre-Cross dispensation of LAW, and the Church in this post-Cross dispensation of GRACE.
Abraham also has spiritual descendants in this Church Age (some from a Jewish background and many from a Gentile background) but all are justified by grace through faith in Christ.
As a result, many erroneously say that the nation has fallen from grace and that the Church has replaced Israel.
God forbid, is Pauls response, for just as righteousness is not by man's work but by God's grace so God's election of Israel is similarly a matter of grace and mercy and is not dependent on Israel's merit.
Some even question God's perfect righteousness and use God's very own words about mercy to condemn Him!.And yet when we read this passage in context we discover that it was God's grace and mercy that spared the rebellious Israelites from immediate destruction.
This was due to the intense intercession and persevering prayer of Moses on their behalf, when by Gods' grace only days after their miraculous delivery from Egypt's 400-year long bondage, they started to worship the golden calf and called it their god!
Not one of us deserves the grace and mercy that God has extended to each of us, through the gift of His Son Who died on Calvary's Cross as the sacrifice for sin.
However, we receive all of these things by God's sovereign grace and great mercy.
Let us give Him the thanks, honour, praise and glory due to His name, knowing that our position, privileges, promises, and salvation are ours by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
May we repent of any pride or neglect that has caused us to doubt the power, ability, wisdom, knowledge, or truth of Christ Jesus our Lord, in Whom dwells all the treasures of God's wisdom, knowledge, strength, and grace.
HOWEVER, God in His grace reminded Moses of an eternal truth - a promise to all His children: I certainly will be with you.
God's grace was sufficient for Moses to fulfil the task to which he had been called, just as His grace is sufficient for the task that God has called each of His children to do.
God's grace is sufficient to fulfil the task he has designed for you, just as he is sufficient to fulfil the work that He has called me to do as well.
God in His grace, also promised to provide Moses with evidence that His Word was true and that He was a faithful God: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.
In our Christian walk, we are not fighting a physical battle but a spiritual one, and God in His grace, has equipped us with a wide range of spiritual armoury which when used correctly, will be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the enemy, be a protection to ourselves and others, and give glory to the Lord.
Saving faith is by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone - and so is our ongoing, sanctifying faith.
Surely goodness and mercy, which by God's grace has followed the despised nation of Israel down through centuries of time, will finally settle them in their land of promise... and they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
By faith, we were removed from the old creation and placed into the new creation so that in the power of His resurrected life we are enabled to grow in grace to His praise and glory.
The amazing truth of the glorious gospel of grace is that repentant sinners who have fled for refuge to the Cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of sins: Do not come into judgment, but have passed out of death and into life.
Believers in Christ will never have to face the great day of God's wrath, nor stand before the Great White Judgement Throne of God, because Christ took the punishment for our sin in our stead, by grace through faith.
They have become willingly ignorant of the glorious gospel of grace, which is a free gift of God to whosoever will come.
We are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and we are to abide in Him and He in us.
We are to feed on His Word and study to show ourselves approved, in order that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith once delivered to the saints, as based on the apostolic teaching, with Christ as the Cornerstone.
We are to develop a fervent belief and committed trust in God the Father Who has given us eternal salvation by grace through faith, and we are to walk in spirit and truth so that in Him we will be abundantly furnished with an unshakable and established trust, which will overflow in thanksgiving and praise to our heavenly King.
They had been saved from Egyptian slavery, by grace through faith in God's Word on that first Passover..
but started to murmur against the Lord during their long, wilderness wanderings, and they flirted with insubordination under the leadership of Joshua, when, by God's grace, they entered the promised land of Canaan.
Paul was a logical thinker and had plain common sense, and yet as He grew in grace, Paul determined to know nothing other that Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Sometimes the truth of what we were before we were saved by grace through faith, and the glory of who we presently are in Christ, can appear to conflict.
We change from being dead in our sins and at enmity with God to being saved by grace through faith in Christ, and we are given a new nature as part of our new identity in Him.
And it is our 'New-Life-in-Christ' that must grow in grace and be conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus, but never the 'Old Man'.
And may we grow in grace, day by day, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.
If we trusted Christ for our redemption by faith and received the life of Christ as a free gift of grace, should not we also choose to live our life in spirit and truth?
We are saved by the grace of God, and that grace proceeds from the Father-heart of divine love.
We are God’s children and that is what we are, – sinners, saved by the grace of God through faith in His Son, and that grace proceeds from the Father-heart of a wonderful, perfect, unique, divine love.
Illegitimate use of the Law is contrary to the pure gospel of Grace that Paul taught, and he was anxious to ensure that Timothy would not be influenced by this teaching.
Following his customary greeting of, grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul started to express his deep gratitude for the growing faith and abounding love of these precious believers, towards one another - and also towards Paul himself, and his fellow-labourers in the Lord - (Silvanus and Timothy).
But when viewed from God's perspective, we find a very different picture emerging and see an outflow of His mercy, grace, goodness, and kindness.
However, by God's amazing grace, we have the opportunity to identify with the actions, consequences, and outcome of another Man - a PERFECT MAN, a GOOD Man, the Man Christ Jesus!!
God in His grace gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race and take upon Himself the punishment that fallen man deserves.
He came to offer each one the free gift of salvation, which by God's grace becomes ours by faith in Him.
He came so that by grace through faith, ALL who believe on His name might be set free from the actions, consequences, and outcomes of our sin-filled lives!!
The transgression of Adam, which caused death to be passed onto all men, is very different from the amazing, abundant, glorious, and eternal life that is offered to all men as a free gift of grace.
We have been given the indwelling Holy Spirit and have access to the throne of grace for help in time of need.
Not only is He the Creator of the brilliant sun and the Maker of the starry heights but He is the Well-spring of all spiritual light and the Fountain-head of all wisdom and goodness and grace, while Satan is the father of darkness who kindles all sorts of evil against us and instigates every kind of deception, temptation, wickedness, and sin.
God uses trials for our benefit and to teach us important truths, which enable us to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.
We who are saved by grace through faith in Christ are God's children and have all that we need for godly living in Him.
Probably the most important way to turn a temptation for evil into a trial that God will use for good, is to maintain a close relationship with Him through continuous prayer, ongoing praise and a thankful heart for all His goodness and grace towards us.
It is the recurring reminder, that God's love and grace touches every facet of our lives, O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures forever.
Mercy and grace, along with goodness and faithfulness, are some of the eternal attributes of our heavenly Father - and the regular rhythm and insistent beat of this joyful chorus, echoes the joyful refrain, O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures forever. O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures forever.
He comforts the sorrowing, heals the broken-hearted, gives His all-sufficient grace to help the needy, and fulfils all His precious promises.
Let all who are saved by grace and morally upright, shout for joy to the God of our salvation!
What a sad, disunited, and maladjusted family this proved to be - and yet God in His grace was to use them to carry forward His plan of salvation and His redemptive purposes for man.
They were obviously regenerate individuals, for only those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, can be addressed as members of Christ's Body - which is the Church.
They were not growing in grace and maturing in the faith.
A born-again Christian can only grow in grace OR regress in their spiritual life.
so that we will receive the additional rewards, of gold, silver, and precious stones, that are promised to those that do not defile their garments through worldly carnality - but are a true and living witness to the wonderful gospel of grace.
He used this story to remind us that God's grace is sufficient for us, no matter what problematic or painful circumstances we may be called upon to face in this life.
And as we are told... at the end of his ordeal, Job was brought by God into a deeper spiritual walk and a more beautiful understanding of God's goodness and grace than ever before - and God was glorified through it.
Not only does the testing of our faith work patience, which is an important attribute in the maturing Christian who is growing in grace and being conformed into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus, but it ALSO brings glory to God and will one day be used to teach the angelic host about the never-changing character of our faithful Lord.
James both started his epistle and ended his text with the same important message, We count those blessed who endure. Men and women of God who patiently endure the difficulties and hardships of life should consider themselves happy, blessed, and enriched - because through it, they will grow in grace and develop spiritual understanding.
Not only will we receive Christ's sufficient grace to face the future, but we will also enjoy eternal benefits that can only be considered priceless.
Our salvation was given to us freely by God's grace and yet the high cost of our redemption is incalculable.
In the light of our salvation, our privileged position in Christ and God's amazing grace towards us, Peter outlines the sort of people we ought be.
Every blood-bought child of God should have a holy fear of our heavenly Father, for although we are privileged to call Him Abba, Father, and are given access to His throne of grace through the merit of Jesus Christ our Lord, we should never forget He is the One Who judges the day-to-day thoughts of our heart and the imaginations of our mind.
He is Jesus Christ the righteous Lord, Who came in the image and likeness of the invisible God - full of grace and truth.
This good news was to be shared with the Gentiles - for everyone who would trust in the name of the only begotten Son of God would be saved by grace through faith in Him.
Praise God that we are justified by grace through faith in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and not because of any good deeds we have carried out.
But from the beginning, God knew the wrong choices Adam and his race would make, and in His goodness and grace had foreordained a wonderful plan of redemption.
During our sojourn on earth, we are called to mature in the faith and to grow in grace, and God takes all the circumstances of life as an opportunity to develop our trust in Him so that we may discover a little more of His gracious character, His omnipotent power, His omniscient wisdom, His unfailing righteousness, His unapproachable holiness, and His unconditional love.
Let us never forget that however small our faith may be, God is working in us every day to strengthen our trust in Him so that we may grow in grace and learn to depend on Him, no matter what circumstances we may have to face.
Moses was a man that recognised his own insatiable desire to know his Creator God and in humble acknowledgement of God's almighty mercy and great grace, he boldly beseeched the Lord, imploring Him: Show me Your glory, I pray.
And if you and I received from the Lord what we truly deserve, we too would never gain access to the throne-room of grace and have a vision of the glory of the Lord.
But it is only by faith in Christ that this glorious privilege is granted to man, and it is only as we come to know Him more and more that we increasingly glimpse of His great glory and grace.
He encourages us to rejoice in our trials because we have believed the glorious gospel of grace and have a heavenly hope founded on Christ.
Because we are the objects of God's grace and have entered into a good knowledge and sound doctrine of our great salvation, which is by grace through faith, and are gaining maturity in our spiritual lives, Peter wants to ensure that we remain stable within our Christian walk, knowing that times will become increasingly difficult.
And in like manner, we too are to gird up the loins of our mind and to be sober in our thinking for in so doing, we secure an ultimate confidence on the truth of God's Word, and in directing our minds continuously towards the grace that has been revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord, our confidence base in Him will stand firm.
Let us get our minds ready for action, and not be diverted by the strange and difficult circumstances that encompass our lives so that we may hope perfectly upon the grace that is ours in the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Every day God's wrath is delayed, is one more day of grace, when Jew and Gentile alike are being convicted of sin, brought to repentance, and receiving salvation through faith in Christ.
It is only God's compassion and mercy... His long-suffering kindness and grace, that enables sinners to be saved through faith in Christ.
It is only by His grace that men are moved out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.
It is only God's never-failing faithfulness and incomparable kindness that enables born-again believers to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Christ - as they dwell in Him and He in us.
As believers, we are not only saved by grace when we believe on Christ for salvation, but we are also given the sufficient grace to live by faith because of the riches of His kindness.
It is not the 'irresistible grace' that is taught by many where God in His sovereignty forces certain people to believe while disallowing others from expressing faith in Christ, as is taught by many reformers.
We are certainly saved by God's grace - but the free gift of salvation is stimulated by man's faith in the Person of Christ and His work on the Cross.
Instead, we who are believers in this dispensation of grace will be raptured into His presence - for a day is coming when the trump of God will sound, the voice of the archangel will shout, the dead in Christ will rise from their graves and we that are alive and remain will be caught up with them, into the air, to be with the Lord forever.
He is our salvation and by faith in Him, we have the indwelling Spirit of God giving us access to the throne of grace - through prayer, for mercy to find help in time of need.
He is the living, eternal Word of God made flesh... and by grace we have been given the God-breathed, inerrant, written Word of God - the Scriptures.
But the Bible has set out clear guidelines on how to deal with a situation where a brother or sister in Christ has sinned against us, or caused us some harm or distress, and it is rooted in humility and grace.
It should be carried out in humility and grace, and it should be addressed in private.
And may we bow down our ear to the wise words of correction that we may receive from others so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to His praise and glory.
Praise God that through Christ's Resurrection, death has been destroyed for all who believe in Him, giving life and bringing immortality to light, through the gospel of grace.
The manifold riches of God's grace towards His children sparkle like a myriad of shining stars throughout the book of Ephesians, reaching into the heavenlies as, verse by verse, we are shown more of the gracious provision that God has poured out, without measure, over the heads of all who trust in the Lord Jesus as Saviour.
For three whole chapters, Paul rehearses all the amazing benefits that God has, in His grace, showered on those that love Him – as the apostle opens to our understanding our position and privileges in Christ, and the inheritance that God has secured for all His blood-bought children.Having taken us to the heady heights of grace upon grace upon much more grace, Paul begins to tell us how we should live as children of God and how we should behave as inheritors of the many benefits and privileges that God has prepared for each of us who have simply trusted the Lord Jesus.Because of our position in Christ we are urged to live our lives in a manner that is befitting our heavenly calling.
He fastens the confidence we have in Christ to His finished work at Calvary, which secured our forgiveness of sin, our eternal future, our confident access into the throne-room of grace, and restored fellowship with the Father.
When Hebrews was first written, there were many Jews who found it very difficult to transition from the dispensation of Law to the dispensation of Grace, but the references to Melchizedek throughout Hebrews, contrasts the superiority of Christ's permanent position as our eternal, heavenly High Priest and Sovereign Lord, with the inferior status of the temporary Aaronic priesthood, with its earthly limitations and temporary nature.
Paul was able to say with confidence, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, and his dear desire was that Timothy, his young 'son in the faith' - and all who are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, would follow his example and finish the race well... looking to Jesus and giving honour to the Lord.
We are to set our affections on things above and not on things of the earth - we are to trust in His sufficiency for He has promised, MY grace is sufficient for My strength is perfected in your weakness.
But now, by grace through faith, we are sons of God who have been freed from the penalty and power of sin and death.
It means that His resurrected Life became our new eternal, resurrected life, and we became part of a new and perfect creation IN Him - simply by God's grace, through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Every person who has not accepted God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, will come under His eternal wrath.
Because of our salvation, we are no longer under God's wrath but under His grace and protection.
Although salvation has always been by grace through faith - the book of Hebrews details the differences between Christ's pre-Cross teachings to Israel and the post-Resurrection doctrine given to New Testament believers.
They had not yet understood that a believer is justified through faith and strengthened by grace.
He would be the final Sacrificial Lamb Who would save His people from their sin, by grace through faith, and His death would be the ransom price for the sin of the whole world, by grace through faith.
How hard it was for them to realise that their salvation did not depend on works of the Law, the maintaining of religious activities, or the keeping of cleanliness codes or food regulations, but rested entirely upon God's grace - by faith in the sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection of their King and Saviour - Jesus Christ, the righteous.
It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefitted.
And he reminds us once again, not to be carried about by strange teachings and to remember our position in Christ, so that our heart is strengthened in the inner man by the grace that we have in Him.
Too many believers, then as now, place too great an importance on the outward show of our Christianity through man-made rites, rituals, rules, and regulations, rather than the important cleansing of the heart by grace through faith in Christ - as we die to our own desires and live each day for Him.
How vital that we who have received the full revelation of God through the written Scriptures, do not drift away from the truth of the glorious gospel of grace that Jesus came to accomplish on the behalf of all who would believe on His name, in fulfilment of God's promises to His people, Israel.
Angels shout their praises to God while the heavens rejoice, the earth is joyful, trees clap their hands, and the very stones proclaim of the glory to God; for He is full of grace and truth.
No surprise that we are exhorted to worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness, for even the trees of the forest sing for joy and clap their hands together because the Lord is coming to judge the world in His righteousness and His people in His faithfulness.The Church is His Body, and we are now the holy temple of our faithful Lord, for we were created in Christ as a new creation, sanctified as His peculiar people, set apart as His representatives on earth, and we have been given a glorious song of grace to sing of the One that shows forth the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness towards us, in Christ Jesus.
The faithfulness of God streams throughout the pages of Scripture, as seen in His many acts of mercy, His multitudinous promises of grace, His wonderful words of warning, and His amazing gift of salvation.
And He expands this promise of grace even further, for the Lord pledged to strengthen and establish His children in the truth of His Word - for we are HIS.
In His grace, HE works in us and through us, for His good purpose.
Jews were equally in need of salvation, which for Jew and Gentile alike, is a free gift of God's grace - that is accessed through FAITH.
This was not only twisting the truth of the gospel of grace but was the most outrageous argument against the character of God and provided a sinner with a license to sin!
They would become part of the new creation, when they were born-again, and this would happen by grace through faith in Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection.
What an incredible scheme and what a demonstration of God's goodness, grace, and love that He should conceive and carry-out such an awe-inspiring plan so that whoever believes on Him would be redeemed, forgiven of their sins, made part of His new creation, receive His resurrected, eternal life, become an heir of salvation, and be given power from on high to live a life that is honouring to God.
It is staggering to realise that so many reject His free gift of grace.
Those who are saved by grace through faith will joyfully confess Jesus as their Saviour and Lord and enter into His heavenly joy, while those who through foolish pride refused to acknowledge Him as God and rejected His free offer of salvation will also confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the honour and glory of God.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, and by faith we understand: The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we behold His glory by grace through faith in Him.
But we know that when Christ appears we shall see Him as He is, full of grace and truth, and on that day, we shall be like Him.
And so, Christ gave some of the final words of counsel, exhortation, wisdom, and grace to the embryonic Church, through the men who were to become the apostles and prophets of the New Testament.
David, the psalmist of Israel who penned these beautiful words, faced tremendous hardship and deep troubles, but the testimony of his life was that He looked back and recounted the compassion and grace that the Lord expressed towards His people, and he looked forward to the coming prophesied Redeemer Who was to personify the over-abounding loving-kindness and tender mercies to all His people.
He is always there to lavish upon us such compassion and mercy, such love and grace.
Blessed is the man who embraces these two gifts of grace, which abide forever - for faith and hope unlock our understanding of the Father-heart of God's pure love for all His children.
God, in His grace, answered the petition of these four young prayer warriors, and gave Daniel the understanding that was needed to satisfy King Nebuchadnezzar's outlandish request.
Rather, he humbly worshipped the Lord in the beauty of holiness and offered his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God for His grace and mercy in revealing the truth and saving their lives in the process.
He trusted God, and he praised Him for his goodness and grace.
He immediately approached the throne of grace with supplicating prayer, pleading petition and godly fasting.
Nehemiah prayed in faith and with expectation, that the Lord would respond to His pleas.. and his prayer is a wonderful example of how we should approach God's throne of grace - for mercy to find help in time of need.
In His goodness and grace, the Lord delivers those that are being abused, and He helps those that are pursued by their enemies.
A thread of hope and praise weaves its way through these verses, as David makes a declaration of God's grace and loving-kindness to those that call on His name, and are humble in heart.
And although the Lord does not always keep His children away from their troubles and trials, His grace is always sufficient.
In His goodness and grace, God the Father sent Jesus, His dearly beloved Son to preach good tidings of great joy to those that are meek.
which testifies of His goodness and grace towards His people and declares the eternal truth of the glorious gospel of grace - that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, will be saved.
There are certain important truths that were uniquely given to Paul for the Church in this dispensation of grace, and yet it was the Old Testament Scriptures that had been taught to Timothy from his childhood.
Paul also knew that the truth of the glorious gospel of grace has its foundation on the historical text of the Old Testament Scriptures starting in Genesis 1:1.
Although it should be evidenced in the life of all believers who are learning to walk in spirit and truth, 'the golden rule' is only one element of the man or woman who is growing in grace and learning to love as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us.
Throughout Old Testament times, the first sheaf of corn was always a reason for joy, yet before anyone was permitted to partake of its goodness and grace, it had to be waved before the Lord.
What a wonder of divine love and grace that we, who were once at enmity with God, have been so favoured by the Father that we should be called 'sons': and because we are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba!
Following Christ's ascension into heaven, it is grace that governs our lives.
However, those who are living under grace have a new, living, ongoing and intimate relationship with the Father, through the indwelling Spirit.
His blood paid the price for sin so that we who believe, could be elevated into a position of son-ship and be awarded joint heir-ship with Him, by grace through faith.
And by His grace, we have been given the additional gift and guarantee of God's indwelling Holy Spirit Who took up permanent residence within our hearts, the moment that we trusted in Christ for salvation.
The challenge in each case is to display a Christ-like attitude before a world of unsaved people, so that our life honours the Lord, and stands as a witness to His goodness and grace - especially when His servants go through times of suffering for righteousness sake.
And by God's grace, we are all being conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, the righteous.
Jesus is not only the One Who saved us, by God's grace - when we trusted Him for salvation, but He is also the One Who loved us and gave Himself for us, while we were still fallen sinners, who were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, and at enmity with God.
But we have also been blessed to receive a third 'book' from our Creator God: The Holy Scriptures, which not only detail God's wonderful creation week, but His amazing plan of salvation, that fallen man can be saved by grace through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Who laid aside His heavenly glory to be born into this sinful, rebellious race of man so that all who believe in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection would not perish, but have everlasting life.
The day is coming when those that institute abominable practices, scorn His precious promises, violate His righteous commands, mock His holy Word, and reject His free gift of grace in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, will be finally judged.
Although perfect Deity, Jesus lived in humble submission and perfect obedience to God, full of wisdom and grace, in perfect union and unbroken fellowship with His Father, all by the power of the indwelling Spirit.
Although believers in the Church age have certainly been called to produce the fruit of righteousness and the Lord is using us to proclaim the gospel of grace to unbelievers, it is the last generation of Jews are the people about whom Jesus is speaking.
God in His grace, often uses those times of darkness and distress to teach us important lessons of His grace, so that as we call out to Him for help and strength, we discover Him to be our great Support, our merciful Provider, the Rock on which we stand, and our holy, heavenly Comforter.
He knows that in our helpless state, His grace is more than sufficient for the needs of the hour, for His strength is perfected in our insufficiency.
God knows that His grace is more than adequate to meet all our needs, according to His riches in glory... and He wants us to know this truth and to reckon it as fact, in the inner recesses of our being.
Over and again, in His infinite grace and everlasting love, we find Him to be our ever-present Helper in difficult days and times of trouble.
This is a concern that continues to be the cry of many today, for the simple gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, seems to overthrow the legitimacy of God's divine authority that comes through the perfect Law.
By His grace, the redemption price was paid in full by Jesus, so that when a sinner recognises their sin and seeks salvation by faith in Christ, the Law has fulfilled its work in the life of that sinner.
The prime purpose of the Law is to expose our sinfulness and point us to faith in Christ's righteousness and when a sinner is saved by grace, the Law has been established in that life.
When the Lord Jesus taught His disciple to pray, He did not give them a magic format to repeat as a vain repetition, but a method of prayer to use as they approached the throne of grace.
And so God in His wisdom and love constructed the glorious plan of salvation to demonstrate His righteousness and grace, His love, and His justice.
In an act of grace and love, God JUSTIFIED the sinner, declaring him to be righteous, covering all who believe in Christ with the pure righteousness of HIM Who bore the punishment that we so justly deserved.
The blessed Lord rejoices over His children with singing, proclaiming His unconditional love towards us while pouring out His eternal heavenly grace over all that believe on His name.
This passage gives a detailed description of the Messiah; His Person and lineage, His equity and righteousness, His goodness and grace, His wisdom and understanding, His counsel and might, His faithfulness and reverential fear of the Lord.
Pride was also the reason that the Galatian Christians were in danger of 'falling from grace' because they sought to be sanctified by works of the Law rather than by faith in Christ.
Having been justified by grace through faith in Christ, forgiven of their sin, and given eternal life, they tried to keep themselves in God's good books by works of the flesh.
What music is the lovely name of Jesus in the ear of every sinner, saved by grace, for it calms all sorrow, heals each wound, and drives away all our fear.
But throughout the dramatic adventures of these patriarchs, there are many lessons that we all need to learn and take to heart, and perhaps one of the most important is to know that God, in His grace, has scheduled every day of our lives and so engineers the lives of His people so that they are increasingly being transformed into the people He wants us to be.
May we all stand firm on the gospel of grace and the Word of truth, in full assurance that HIS grace is sufficient, for His power is perfected in our weakness.
May we who have been born from above, mature in the faith, walk in spirit and truth, grow in grace, and abide in Christ Jesus our Lord, day by day... so that His life and love, goodness and grace, may pour into our hearts from Him, and stream out in love to others.
The apostle John earnestly desired to tell all that he knew and all he had experienced and witnessed of the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John was anxious to bear witness of Christ's life and to declare the good news of the glorious gospel of grace and the joys of eternal Life which was with the Father, and which was made manifest in the Person and work of Christ Jesus our Saviour.
For God in His grace took upon Himself the form of a servant and was born into the human race so that at the appointed time He could walk to the Cross in our place, and take upon Himself the accumulated weight of man's sin.
The Cross and all it stands for is foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling-block to the Jews, but to those who believe the simple message of the Cross as a little child, with Christ as God's unique and perfect sacrifice, the Cross and all it stands for becomes the power of life, the wisdom of God, eternal salvation to the soul, and PEACE - a peace from God which passes all understanding to the man or woman that trust God's Word and believes the simple gospel of God's grace.
Death could not keep the deathless, everlasting Son of Man in the place of the dead, for in Him is life because He is the fountain of all life, and all who are in Him by grace through faith will rise to life immortal.
He is the only Member of the Trinity Who was clothed in human flesh, so that sinful men and women might be saved by grace - through faith in His sacrificial work at Calvary.
The call to holiness still stands for the Christian in this dispensation of the grace of God.
Paul's emphasis in his Galatian Epistle was that we are saved by grace through faith and we are to live the same way.
We are saved by grace through faith and not by works of the Law... AND we are also to live by grace through faith and not by keeping religious rules or partaking in legalistic practices or cultural customs.
We are not saved by works of the law or through man's merit - but by grace through faith in Christ.
Those who looked forward to the coming Messiah in the dispensation of the Law, were saved by grace through their faith which was reckoned as righteousness.
We who look back to the Cross, in this dispensation of grace, are also saved by grace through faith - and we too are reckoned as righteous.
Man in the arrogance in his own prideful understanding, is increasingly dismissive of the Cross of Calvary, the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and the glorious gospel of grace, and yet it pleased God in the wisdom of His will, to demonstrate the power of God and the wisdom of God through His own crucified Son.
And yet, there are those that hear the wonderful gospel of grace, receive it as trustworthy and true, and accept Christ as Redeemer, Saviour, Lord, and God, by grace through faith.
And to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks (to those who have trusted Christ Jesus as Saviour, by grace through faith), Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Increasingly, the bounteousness, generosity, and grace of a perfect God is identified as distinctly different from the selfish disinterest that is the hallmark of the children of mankind.
God's grace and provision touches all the children of men: Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.... He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
And to those that believe in His name, He has stored up for us grace upon grace and poured out blessing upon blessing, for we are accepted in the Beloved and eternally secured in Christ.
The eternal storehouse of God has been filled, shaken together, and continues to overflow into the hearts and lives of those that love Him so that their lives become a witness of God's goodness to children of men who have spurned His gift of grace and refused His offer of salvation.
Earlier in his message, Paul had reminded them of the incredible grace that God has extended to all His children, for although Christ was rich beyond compare, He set aside His heavenly privileges and His exalted position and became poor so that through His poverty, we might all become rich.
The Lord's detailed reply to Job did not answer his many questions, but it did demonstrate God's omniscience, His goodness and grace, His forbearance and mercy, His wisdom and strength, His kindness, and His favour towards His servant.
Let us not only consider the sufferings of the man who lived in the land of Uz, who was blameless, upright, feared God, and eschewed evil, but let us also rejoice in the immeasurable grace of God, His never-ending goodness, His long-suffering mercy, His perfect justice, and His everlasting righteousness.
James reminds us that, whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all, which appears to be at odds with the teaching of Paul, who insists that we are not under Law but under Grace.
On the surface, this verse appears to be contradicting the good news of the Gospel of Grace, and upholding the Law of Moses, by teaching that breaking one part of the law makes a man guilty of all.
the offering of Christ on the Cross, (once and for ALL) Church age believers, in the dispensation of the grace of God, are under the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, and Paul tells us that, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The moral requirement, of the New Testament Law of the Spirit, are similar to the moral commands within the Mosaic Law - but 'similar-to' is not the same as 'equal-with', which is why Paul teaches that we are not under the Law but under Grace.
We are saved by grace - though faith in Christ, We are no longer under the Law but under Grace.
Praise GOD that as Christians we are not under the BONDAGE of the Law of Moses, but are under the LIBERTY of the Law of Grace - the Law of the Spirit of Life.... and as such are called to walk in spirit and truth, to live as Christ lived and to remain in fellowship with our heavenly Father - in the beauty of holiness and to the glory of God.
It is through sound teaching and godly living that our faith is stabilised so that we are enabled to grow in grace and mature in the faith.
ALL members of the Body are equally beloved of the Lord and all are accepted in the Beloved... by grace through faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary.
ALL are called to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and all are called to speak the truth of the glorious gospel of grace in love to one another.
He is the Life within and the Truth we are to speak - and it is He Who causes each member of His Body to grow in grace and build itself up in love and respect for one another.
Legalists and law-mongers decry the gospel of grace and accuse those that rejoice in the liberty that we have in Christ's finished work at Calvary, of promoting a dangerous doctrine that leads to a carnal lifestyle and a license to sin. But this is a serious misunderstanding of the gospel of grace and a gross misinterpretation of the apostolic teachings of Paul, who was Christ's chosen apostle to the Gentiles and through whom were given the marvellous mysteries of the Church which is His Body.
Paul taught that this treasured freedom we have in Christ, is ours by grace through faith in Him.
How amazing to discover that because of God's love and justice for the human race, which He made in His own image and likeness, God Himself preordained in His grace to present His only begotten Son as the unique and prefect atoning sacrifice Who alone would be the propitiation for our sins.
Paul describes this amazing grace and perfect love in his letter to the Ephesians: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, and we who have had our sins forgiven have been reconciled to God through Christ. We have been reunited with God by grace - through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have been entrusted with the responsibility of telling the unsaved the glorious gospel of grace so that they too can also be restored into a right relationship with God.
How astonishing that we who have been saved by His grace through faith, have been entrusted with the message that restores people into fellowship with the Father!
God, in His grace, made us ministers of reconciliation to point others to Himself.
However, many who had received John's baptism of repentance were yet to hear the gospel of grace and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
were 'baptised' into the Body of Christ) by the Spirit of God through faith, and were in-dwelt by the Holy Ghost - as the fledgling church transitioned from the closing days in the dispensation of the Law into the opening hours of the dispensation of the grace of God.
Having been chosen by God and called to be an apostle of Christ, Paul proclaimed the glorious gospel of grace with great boldness of spirit, but he also presented it with much humility of heart.
Paul taught that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Paul knew he was simply a weak, human vessel who was saved by grace through faith in Jesus and indwelt by the Spirit of God... when his eyes were opened on that road to Damascus.
Paul knew that we have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ and are the blessed recipients of the riches of God's grace.
When we suffer for righteousness’ sake in this fallen world, we discover God's grace is sufficient grace.
As we trust His Word and rely on the Lord the more we will grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, and continue to be conformed into the likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus - until it is not I that lives - but the life of Christ that is manifest in this mortal body.
He knew that the god of this age blinds men's eyes to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, and he understood that the gospel is veiled to an unbelieving world and hidden from those who are perishing.
Paul wrote of the importance of guarding the truth of the glorious gospel of grace within the Church family - and so we read, but in case I am delayed, I write, so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God - the pillar and support of the truth.
'The household of God' refers to all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, and Paul qualified this by spelling out, in no uncertain terms, what he meant, the household of God is the Church of the living God.
The household of God are those that have been entrusted with the gospel of the grace of God, and who have been commissioned, by Him, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature - and to make disciples of all nations, to the glory of God.
However, we are those that teach, support, and defend the truth of the glorious gospel of grace - and we do it for love of the Lord Jesus and for the praise and glory of His holy name.
The believer who is living God's way is the one who dies to self, lives only to the Lord, and recognises that we are not only saved by grace through faith in Christ... but also understands that we are to live by faith, to walk by grace through faith in Christ, and to cast off all legalistic works of the flesh.
This group, then as now, delights to distort the gospel of grace, by teaching that works of the Law are an additional requirement for full salvation - which is sadly the antithesis of the truth of the glorious gospel of God.
Justification is a free gift of God's grace to man, but at an enormous cost to the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Salvation is by God's GRACE as opposed to merit.
Salvation can never be gained as a reward, payment or by some other measure of man's worthiness, it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
It was because of God's grace and mercy that Christ died for the ungodly, but the Lord will not always strive with man and the day of grace will soon be over.
And for 2000 years - during the dispensation of grace - Israel has been set aside as God's witness on earth.
May we do what we can to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to a multitude of men and women, who will have to face the shocking consequences of their sin, in the coming Tribulation period, if they do not hear and believe the gospel of grace.
It was love for the little nation of Israel that caused God to take Abraham out of his pagan country in Chaldea, and it was by grace that God promised to make him into a great nation - through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed.
It was by grace that God protected them from the enemies that encompassed them, and provided sustenance for them during their wilderness wanderings.
It was out of love for His people and by the grace of God that He brought them across the Red Sea and into the promised land of Canaan.
During His childhood and youth, we discover that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and increased in grace and favour with both God and man.
Praise God that by His grace and love we have been given the right to be called His sons.
His hatred towards Christians was starkly contrasted with the Lord's great love, and Paul became acutely aware of God's amazing grace towards him personally... and to the Jewish and Gentile nations.
In consideration of all the terror he struck into the hearts of Christians and the many men and women who were murdered at his bidding, Paul recognised the incredible grace of God and the incalculable mercy He had towards him.
To me, who is the very least of all the saints, he cried, this grace was given to me, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. Despite his murderous past and hatred of Christ, Paul was chosen by God to be His apostle to the Gentiles.
Amazing grace!
In His goodness, grace, and kindness, God even revealed mysteries to Paul which had been hidden in past ages and were not revealed to earlier generations.
Paul was given revelation about the dispensation of the grace of God, and to him was revealed the mystery of the Church and the one new man in Christ - which is made up of believing Jews and believing Gentiles; the one new man in Christ where we are all one in Christ Jesus our Lord, and equal members of His mystical Body.
He opened our understanding of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone, and helped us to understand more of Christ's propitiatory work on the Cross on our behalf.
Paul knew that His great salvation was a result of God's amazing grace and long-suffering mercy towards him - no surprise that Paul got to the point where he recognised that it was only by God's grace that his final destination had been changed from eternity in hell to everlasting life with Christ in heaven.
It is not surprising that Paul could only refer to himself as the very least of all the saints... and dedicate the rest of his life by proclaiming the grace of God which was given to him and to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable, unsearchable, incalculable, boundless riches of Christ to all who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
Paul describes the spirit-filled Christian as one who speaks to their brothers and sisters-in-Christ: In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, demonstrating a life that rejoices in the truth, and one that is enlarged by speaking of God's goodness and grace with other members of Christ's body.
His goal also included giving godly instruction to those that were saved by grace through faith in Christ, and to remind pastors and teachers to preach the Word of God in season and out of season, and to correct, rebuke, and encourage the flock of God with great patience and careful instruction.
May we individually and corporately seek to be sensible, honest, moral, and self-controlled in all that we say and do so that Christ may be glorified in our lives as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The human spirit is born dead in trespasses and sins, but once the Life and Light of Christ has flooded into our hearts by grace through faith in Him, we become His hands to help, His feet to go, His heart to love, and His Light to shine forth His Life in our human frame.
The Law gave witness of righteousness but could not provide righteousness, for it is only by grace through faith in Christ alone, that a guilty sinner can be declared righteous.
This indeed was His mission and ministry when He came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 2000 years ago, and this continues to be His mission and ministry throughout this present age of grace, the dispensation of the Church of God.
And whosoever will may be healed and made whole, for His grace is sufficient and His forgiveness is for all.
But while it is still day, God in His grace is convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and judgement so that all that look, will live.
He knew that the joy of the Lord was their strength, and that the secret of possessing the peace of God was to be anxious for nothing, but in everything to pray to the Lord, and give thanks to our heavenly Father, for His goodness and grace.
He knew that their joy would evaporate if they did not fill their hearts and minds with all that is pure and lovely, virtuous and praiseworthy - and Paul knew that only those that imitated his Christ-centred life, and stood firm on the glorious gospel of grace - with thanksgiving, would experience the precious peace of God, which passes human understanding, and be equipped to rejoice in the Lord in every situation.
God, in His grace, has also promised to supply all our needs, and has given us the privilege of prayer and praise - both personal and corporate.
Sometime earlier, Paul had attempted to use his oratory skill to persuade the high-brow Athenian philosophers on Mars Hill of the gospel of grace... but he discovered that there is no human wisdom or counsel that can prevail as effectively as the plain truth from the Word of the Lord.
Paul had learned that when self remains crucified and the indwelling Spirit of God is permitted to lead and direct the steps of a man, then God's grace is sufficient - for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
God sets at naught those that are proud and arrogant and destroys the wisdom of the world, but in His grace He lifts up the humble and gives mercy to those that are meek and lowly.
How important therefore that our speech is not boastful or proud, but seasoned with salt, full of grace and truth, and glorifying to His holy name.
Too often, we look at the great power with which the apostles in the early Church gave testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and the abundant grace which they received from God in their powerful witness, and bemoan the fact that this is no longer the case today.
But the Resurrection also gave each believer a future hope and great confidence, for in Christ the power of sin and death is forever defeated in the lives of all who trust in Him: And abundant grace was upon them all.
Although the reach of redemption was to encompass the whole earth, for the grace of God is without measure and beyond our understanding, it was the little nation of Israel through whom the Seed was to be secretly transported.
And then he was told by Paul to meditate on these things, to take them to heart, to take pains to be absorbed with these instructions, and to give himself wholly to them so that he would grow in grace and finish the work that God had called him to do, in order that his life would stand as a wonderful witness to the grace and glory of God.
His pride most certainly contributed to his fall from grace and expulsion from heaven.
In contrast, with humility comes honour, grace, and gentleness.
He resists the arrogant but gives grace to those that are lowly of heart.
Since all the evils of the world are conceived and birthed through the corruption of our own hearts and the lusts of our own flesh, James reminds us that God gives us grace and even greater grace, but also urges us not to abuse His mercies by imitating the ways of the world,which is at enmity with God, but rather to walk in spirit and truth.
We are to exhibit genuine mercy and deep humility of heart, knowing that the Lord bestows His grace generously to those that are humble of heart.
Knowing that grace is given to the humble, we should earnestly seek after the precious fruit of the Spirit which will only develop and grow in the one that recognises that every manifestation of sin is rooted in a proud and arrogant heart: But He gives greater grace.
Therefore, He says, 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to those that are poor in spirit and humble of heart.'
In this section, Paul sought to contrast the superiority of the gospel of grace and the freedom it supplies, with the restrictions imposed by the Mosaic Law.
They despised Paul's doctrine and attempted to undermine his teachings, and although they claimed to believe in Jesus, they did not understand the gospel of grace or accept that Israel had been set aside for a season during the Church age (the dispensation of the grace of God).
He wrote to correct the Judaiser's legalistic errors, to clarify the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, to encourage the believers to hold fast to the truth, to vindicate his name, and to restore order to the local Church community.
These legalists twisted the truth by adding law and works to grace and faith, and they 'peddled' their teachings for profitable purposes.
How important to remember that it is not the praise of others that should be our motivation to live godly lives, but a desire to honour our Lord through the life that we live so that we become a sweet aroma to those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, while having the stench of death to those who resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Jesus was the exact image of His Father's essence - in holiness and purity, in goodness and grace, in compassion and mercy, and in every godly attribute forever and ever. And yet, He was rejected by this unbelieving crowd, who were more interested in their next meal than their eternal life in the kingdom to come.
By grace through faith in Christ's redeeming work, we have been made His children, and as such, we have many precious promises from our heavenly Father which are all 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But God in His grace formulated a perfect plan of redemption for all mankind by sending His only begotten Son to become a Man, so that His perfect life and sacrificial death would satisfy God's righteous anger against all sin, including my sin and including yours.
Only those who are saved by grace through faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection are no longer under God's condemnation.
How terrible to fall into the hands of a just and righteous God without having received salvation by grace through faith in His Son, Whose sacrificial death paid the price for our sins.
Let us share the good news of the glorious gospel of grace to a lost and dying world while there is still time, so that by God's grace some may be plucked from the gaping jaws of eternal separation from God which is the recompense of all the unsaved who are judged and condemned at the Great White Throne, because they have not believed in the only begotten Son of God.
We are to put on a heart of compassion and bring forth the spiritual fruit of kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and we are to bear with one another in love, forgiving each other with grace, just as God in Christ has forgiven us.
All that Jesus Christ continued to do through His Body, the Church, was recorded in the second letter that Theophilus received from Doctor Luke, in those opening years of the dispensation of grace.
Today, we who are saved by grace through faith are still part of Christ's Body on earth, and are called to live our lives in spirit and truth.
It is because of God's grace and mercy that sinful man is able to be redeemed by the blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and our sins washed away forever.
Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God for His over abundant grace, mercy and love to us.
It is careless speech, a critical attitude, thoughtless behaviour, and an unrighteous lifestyle that warns us that we have fallen from grace and strayed from the path of peace.
Both Silas and Timothy were at Thessalonica with Paul on his 2nd missionary journey when he wrote this letter to the Thessalonian Church, and despite differences in ages and backgrounds, they worked closely together in sharing the gospel of grace for the glory of God, and to exalt the person, work, and deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul himself experienced many attacks from both Jewish and Gentile opponents and in this letter, he exhorted these believers to remain faithful to the gospel and to continue to grow in grace and mature in the faith.
But they are also IN God the Son, for we read: Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
God has promised that His grace is sufficient for any persecution or problem we may have to face, and nothing can happen to us that is outside of His control and permissive will.
No wonder Paul added at the end of this verse His oft repeated blessing: Grace to you and peace.
The grace of God has been extended to everyone in that Christ became the sin-sacrifice for the whole world, and the grace of God becomes our permanent possession the moment we trust in Christ for our salvation.
When we are recipients of God's grace, by faith, we have access to God's peace: Peace WITH God because our sins are forgiven, and the peace OF God which guards our hearts as we rest and remain: In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
His grace is ours by believing what He DID on the CROSS, and His peace is ours when we believe what He SAYS in His WORD.
The strength that is needed for today and the blessed hope we have in the world to come, is a heart that trusts in Christ, and relies on His sufficient grace and mighty strength.
It is God's grace that has endowed man with a will to make choices, a mind to think things through, and a heart to make plans.
it is also by God's grace that the Lord formulates the ultimate outcome - for although the plans of the heart belong to man (by God's grace)..
evertheless, the answer of the tongue is from the Lord - (also by God's amazing grace.)
And yet, as we reflect on the outcome, we often recognise that it was by God's grace that He guided us in a different direction, to a more fruitful outcome.
The mind of a man may plan his way, but the Lord in His grace guides our steps.
Although Christians in Corinth were saved by grace through faith and were greeted as 'saints' by Paul in his epistle, there was much serious division amongst the congregation, as some were indulging in gross immorality and some seriously unethical behaviour.
Paul could not talk to these believers as maturing, spiritual Christians who were growing in grace and living unto the Lord.
Paul had not only taught these believers about salvation by grace through faith, but had instructed them on godly living, their heavenly inheritance, spiritual purity, and many other aspects of Christian growth.
But it appears that this group of believers were abusing the grace of God and using it as a license to sin.
How disgraceful that God's grace should be so abused by those who had tasted of His saving grace.
They had once been wicked themselves, but had been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
How important that we who have been saved by grace, and set apart unto God, do not ever engage in the ungodly practices of the wicked.
Jesus listed the inner qualities of purity, mercy, gentleness, and grace, which conflicted so starkly with the outward facade of self-righteousness displayed by their religious leaders: And Jesus opened His mouth and taught His disciples saying: blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Although this teaching was directed towards the people of Israel who as a nation needed to repent of their spiritual apostasy and return to the road of godly righteousness, and although this will be the standard that Israel will achieve during the millennial reign of Christ as Israel's promised King, it is equally important for those of us in the Church today who have trusted Christ for salvation, to recognise that it is not by works of self-righteousness that such godly standards can be achieved, but by a willing submission to the inner workings of the Holy Spirit Who by grace corrects us and conforms us into the image and likeness of Christ as we submit to His leading.
Jesus started talking to this despised, immoral, isolated Samaritan woman so that her need for His living water and the eternal life that He offers to all by grace through faith in Him, could be satisfied.
Indeed, one of the most difficult things for sinful man to accept is that salvation is a free gift of grace from God to those who simply believe on Christ as Saviour, those who believe that He died on the Cross to pay the price for our sins, and through believing on Him are given life everlasting.
It all centres on His grace and mercy towards us who by rights should be eternally separated from our holy God and eternal Creator.
Indeed, we are sinners saved by grace, who are going through a beautiful sanctification process, which will continue throughout our entire, earthly walk.
It is as we grow in grace, mature in the faith, abide in Christ and He in us, that we are making our sanctification complete.
In His grace, He has forgiven our sins, adopted us into His family, covered us in the righteousness of Christ, and raised us up to sit with Him in heavenly places.
God has given to all who are saved, by grace through faith in Christ, many precious promises that are all yes and amen in Him - and He has exalted His Word of truth above His holy name, Therefore dear friends, since we have such promises, we should wash ourselves clean from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, making our sanctification complete in the fear of God.
The gospel of the grace of God, where Christ was sent from heaven to become our Kinsman-Redeemer and the sin-substitute for mankind, is the adhesive that binds believers together in the perfect bond of unity, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul developed a Christ-like attitude of prayer, praise, and intercessions for all whose lives had been so radically impacted and eternally changed by the good news of the glorious gospel of grace.
God's judgement on the sin of individual believers in this dispensation of grace, was poured out on Christ on our behalf, at Calvary.
He broke the power of sin and death in the life of all who would be saved by grace through faith in Him.
All who enter that coming kingdom will have been saved, by God's grace, from the wrath of God, by faith... and the Lord Jesus will be their refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm.
Just as the Transfiguration was a tiny preview into the coming earthly kingdom, when Christ would rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, so the things that Christ said to His followers and the things that Christ did with His disciples following His Resurrection was also a tiny foretaste of the coming Church dispensation: A time when believers not only have peace with God by grace through faith in His death, burial and Resurrection, but they have the peace of God in their hearts.
Christ had promised to send the Spirit of comfort into their hearts after His departure into heaven; the Spirit of love, and life, and joy, and patience, and hope, and wisdom, and grace, and peace.
He is the Alpha and Omega of all grace and truth: Those who know God will listen to us speaking His Word of truth, but those who are not from God will not pay heed to us.
Those that seek to compromise the gospel of Christ deny both the fundamentals of the gospel of grace and the truth of God's Word, and they will not listen to the truth.
And often, we find that the time spent in prayer at the throne of grace changes us, moving our focus onto Jesus, being conformed into His image as we decrease and He increases in our lives.
May we be those who run to the throne of grace often, and who remain there as we continue to pour out our prayers to our Heavenly Father, not giving up, but remaining steadfast in our faith.
It is by His grace that we were forgiven of our sins and brought into loving fellowship with Him, and it is by His grace that we are being perfected to be conformed into the likeness of His dear Son.
It is by His grace that has scheduled every day of our lives and prepared good works for us to do and it is by His grace and through His Son that this same God furnishes us with all that we need to perform our God-given tasks, in the power of His Spirit, to His good pleasure.
No doubt he also heard the precious pardon awarded to the dying thief, the words of grace offered to His mother, His anguished cry when He took the full weight of the world's sin upon His sinless shoulders, and surely this same centurion heard Christ's triumphant proclamation of His forever finished work - IT IS FINISHED - Tetelestai.
May we read, mark, learn, inwardly digest, and apply all that God has provided for us in His Word, and not become complacent, lest we fall from grace, regress into spiritual infancy, become complacent in our faith, or compromise the truth, for we never know if and when the Scriptures will become scarce in our homes or banned from our land.
Our victory has been secured, by Christ - our heavenly Commander. Our victory was secured at the Cross... for His truth is unchanging and His grace is sufficient for every eventuality that life may throw at us - for we are on the Lord’s side and He is our God and Saviour.
He also wanted to be sure that their doctrine was sound, their faith was maturing, and that they were growing in grace.
And doubtless, Paul also longed to rejoice with these fellow believers, about the good news of the glorious gospel of grace and their mutually secure position in Christ.
Let us never forget that we have gifts that differ from one another, according to the grace that has been given to us, and through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit we should exercise our spiritual gifts and grace accordingly - not only for the mutual encouragement of one another.. but also for the honour and glory of His precious name.
God's plans and purposes for man were not to be thwarted by the sinful rebellion and foolish action of the first man Adam, for God had a greater plan and an eternal purpose for the Son of Man, the last Adam: That through Him all who are made a new creation in Christ will bear God's likeness and receive God's nature, as day by day, by grace through faith in Him, we are being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ our Saviour, the Man from heaven.
As Christians, we are not under law but under grace.
As God's children who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we can walk in spirit and truth OR we can live our life in the lust of the flesh.
We have these choices because we are not under law but under grace.
Praise God that, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we have authority over our bodies to present our members to God as instruments for righteousness, holy and acceptable unto God, for we are not under law but under grace.
Despite being in prison, it was Paul's delight to preach and proclaim the glorious gospel of grace and the wonderful truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As God's chosen apostle to the Gentiles, he wanted to warn us to live godly in Christ Jesus, to admonish us to grow in grace, to encourage us to walk in spirit and truth, and to teach us the unsearchable riches of God.
Paul knew that God's grace had been bestowed in great measure upon the Church so that we might become spiritually mature, practically obedient, and morally excellent, and his desire was that we walk in humble submission and utter dependence upon our God.
We have been brought into the family of God and intimately joined to Christ, as His Body and Bride, to be His eternal witness to His eternal goodness of His never-ending grace.
We have been called, chosen, justified, sanctified, and glorified as His witnesses so that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus - the One that we call Teacher and Lord, Saviour, and Friend.
While the first 39 chapters of Isaiah emphasis the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God, the final section underlines His incomparable glory, everlasting-mercy, and immense grace.
But God, in His grace, purposed to redeem His fallen race by sending a second man - the last Adam, Who would be the Word made flesh - the eternal Son of God.
All who are saved by grace through faith in Him, receive His life and are given rest for their soul - for Christ is our Tree of Life, and that life is eternal.
Praise God that by faith we are transferred from the old creation in Adam, into God's New Creation in Christ - by grace, through faith in Him.
And though pastors like Timothy should hearken to Paul's instructions to preach the Word, rightly divide the Word of truth, teach the whole council of God, and provide spiritual nourishment for those in their care, the rest of us should be equally determined to feed on the Word of God daily so that we may grow in grace and mature in our spiritual life.
And the same warning had to be reiterated by Paul to the carnal Christians at Corinth who, although having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, had not grown in their Christian life.
Let us follow the example of Peter and David, and by faith make the most of the life that God has given us by fostering a gracious attitude, a thankful heart, and conversation that is full of grace and seasoned with salt, that edifies and encourages, to the glory of God.
He accuses those who contradict the truth of the glorious gospel of grace of being deceivers, and John identifies those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, the son the living God, as 'LIARS'.
In His grace, He set in motion His plan of redemption when the man He made in His own image and likeness, sinned.
In His grace, He caused holy men of God to write the Scriptures for our learning, and the first chapter of Genesis provides us with a panoramic overview of His great creative power.
God's overflowing grace began to be poured out into the world and His precious gift of salvation came to reign in life, through the one Man, Jesus Christ - Who became the atonement for the sin of the whole world.
May we, who have gone through the Door of Salvation and been brought into the heavenly realm by faith in Him, enter into the fullness of Christ as we feed on Him in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving, growing in grace and in a knowledge of our God and Saviour - Whom to know is life eternal.
In his customary introductions, which, as always, included the lovely salutation, grace and peace to you, Paul used himself as a role model, to show that the comfort and grace of God, brought him amazing consolation and strength, in the midst of his severe suffering and persecution - and Paul assured his listeners that the Lord is no respecter of persons and would provide the same comfort and strength for each one of them.
Paul wanted these believers to believe God's Word in their hearts and experience in their lives the Lord's never-failing riches of His grace, and so he wrote: For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are YES! For ALL God's promises are certain and sure in Jesus,... and so through Him we can say 'Amen,' to the glory of God.
But the apostle Paul also calls the good news of the glorious gospel of grace his gospel, for he received it directly from Christ and was instructed to teach it to Jew and Gentile alike.
Throughout the book of Galatians, the apostle Paul seeks to demonstrate that salvation by grace through faith in Christ is not only the first step in the Christian life, when a sinner is born from above, but that we are also to live our entire Christian life from that point forward, by grace through faith in Christ alone.
The works of the Law are impossible to keep and unattainable for fallen man to achieve, for they are based on man's work and man's merit and not by God's grace through faith in Christ.
Christ fulfilled the whole Law, and all who believe on Him by grace through faith are identified with His death.
And so, like Christ, we are to live that life as God intended: by grace through faith and not by works of the Law.
Only as Christ's life is lived in and through the believer, by grace through faith, are we living as God intended man to live, in utter and total dependence on Him.
But when we substitute the works of the Law (carried out through man's merit) for works of the spirit (carried out by the indwelling Spirit of God by grace through faith) we unwittingly place ourselves back under the curse of the Law.
But his righteousness was a works-based self-righteousness, a righteousness that he thought would please God, but that fell far short of the standard that God required, for only the righteousness of Christ reached the perfection, goodness, and grace that was required of a thrice-holy God.
It is only through the grace of God that He sent His only begotten Son to pay the full price of our sins so that simply by believing in Him we would be clothed in righteousness of God, based on faith in Christ.
We are reminded that we serve a sovereign Lord Who will never fail us nor forsake us, for despite Israel's failure, our God is full of grace and mercy towards His people, and we are equally the recipients of His grace and mercy for we are also His children by faith in Christ.
We are saved by grace through faith in JESUS CHRIST, and this is non-negotiable.
May we be ready and willing to speak the TRUTH in LOVE to those that are lost in their own, self-importance, and by God's grace may some be snatched from the broad path that leads to destruction.
and so in His grace, God Himself chose to be born into the human race so that His death would be sufficient to pay the price for the sin of the world.
By grace, He chose the little nation of Israel to become His ambassadors on earth, through whom the perfect Son of God would be born to a fallen woman.
Saved Jews together with believing Gentiles would become one united Body who would tell forth the good news of the glorious gospel of God's grace, during this present Church dispensation.
The good news of the gospel of grace is that salvation for the Gentile is no different from salvation for the Jew... for righteousness is credited because of faith.
God is no respecter of persons and those who believe on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, have His assurance that they are saved - by God's grace, through faith in Christ.
Having been made righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ, while we were still enemies of God and wallowing in sinful rebellion, and having received the free gift of eternal life by grace through faith in Him, how much more certain is it that, during this life, we shall be delivered daily from the dominion of sin in our lives through Christ's resurrection life?
Praise God that we can approach the throne on grace boldly, and give over to Him all of our anger, anguish, resentment, and malice, making the way clear for us to life up holy hands and pour out our praises, petitions, and thankful worship to the One Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
The eternal Son of God was born into the human race as the perfect Son of Man, and the radiance of His beauty was identical in every way to the glorious brilliance of the Fath, for Jesus was full of grace and truth.
He was sent to redeem mankind from their sin and to impute those who believed in Him with His own divine nature and perfect righteousness so that by His grace, we could be His mouthpiece and tell forth the honour of His name.
May we search the Scriptures daily to discover a deeper depth of truth and a greater understanding of Who Christ is, What He has done, and all that it means to those who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
But those that confess knowledge of God's will and are obedient to His Word, have the sufficient grace to weather the most raging storm and to water the most arid of dusty deserts.
God's grace is sufficient and He is faithful.
Like the Psalmist, we should call out to God for deliverance from our enemies, rely on His restoration when attacked, and depend on His sufficient grace to help in time of need.
We are all born - physically alive but spiritually dead in our sins, but every one of us has the opportunity to have ALL our sin forgiven, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in His goodness and grace, God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, so that by grace through faith in His sacrificial work on Calvary we would be reconciled back to God and become eternal beneficiaries of His unfathomable goodness and grace.
The work of the creation may have been completed on the sixth day for we read that God rested on the seventh day, but a far, FAR greater work of the triune Godhead immediately began the moment man sinned in that good and perfect place; and that redemptive work continues today as sinners who are convicted of sin and righteousness and judgement are saved by grace through faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary.
Today, the age of grace still opens its arms of salvation to whosoever will, with the promise from our Federal Head: If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
Having seen this and coming to a depth of understanding of our position in Christ, he rejoices to remind us that all Christians are born for glory: The glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth, for we are one with Him.
And we live this life by grace, through faith in the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross.
Although the psalmist pleaded for God's grace and salvation in the earlier verses, and described the bitter dismay that was heavy on his soul, the final few verses provide a flickering ray of hope and encouragement, as David starts to rebuke those that have disturbed his peace with a display of confidence: Depart from me all you who do iniquity, he cries in exultation, for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
The day of grace is still open for all who will trust in Him for salvation, but the day of reckoning is fast approaching when our enemies will realise the folly of their ways and will suddenly become ashamed.
God does not always remove the painful circumstances in this life, but, as with Job and David, He will give us the sufficient strength to come through victoriously, and by His grace will give us a deeper knowledge and understanding of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
There is no better example of God's own blood-bought children, continuing in devoted, persevering prayer and sustained supplication, than this beautiful picture of the little flock of God on the days leading up to the great day of Pentecost, when the Church was born, the Spirit was given, the dispensation of Israel was placed on 'hold' for a season, and the dispensation of the grace of God began.
This little group of believers were calling out to God in concert harmony, and perfect union, with their heart-focused on Christ and His throne of grace.
There are passages within its pages that contain detailed descriptions of Christ's suffering, sorrow, rejection, and death, as well as some beautiful illustrations of God's never-failing grace, His long-suffering mercy towards His people, Israel, and their final repentance and restoration.
BUT GOD in His grace looked down on guilty, apostate, defiant Israel, and purposed to send His own, unblemished Son to be the Lamb of God Who would take away the sin of the world.
In the same way the Lord, in His grace, looked down on you and me.
While we were yet sinners, God gave His only begotten Son to be the sacrifice for our sin - so that by grace through faith in Him, we might be redeemed, receive eternal life, and be returned into sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
He was the personification of meekness and grace, faithfulness and love.
The very breath of man is in His hands, and the winds and waves obey His voice. And yet, He set us an example of humility and grace when He washed His disciple's feet.
It is through our active will, while being fully dependent upon God to complete the good work that He has started in us, that we are enabled to carry out the tasks that God has prepared for us to do - for His grace is sufficient.
How we praise and thank our Heavenly Father for the great mercy that we have received salvation by grace through trusting in Jesus as Saviour.
But although the salvation of our soul was secured at rebirth, it is necessary for us to grow in grace, to mature in the faith, and to become fruitful to the glory of God.
He knew that the enemy of our soul, as a roaring lion, seeks to extinguish the light of the triumphant teaching of truth, and to quench the witness of those that have come to the life-giving knowledge of the glorious gospel of grace.
And although we may be perplexed by all the difficulties we are called upon to face for His sake, we will not despair for His grace is sufficient, and His life-giving strength is perfected in our weakness.
Surely, if a man like Saul with such aggressive hatred against Christ and the Church could become the most devoted follower of the Lord Jesus, others can have the assurance that their sin can also be forgiven, by grace through faith in Him.
As he penned his final epistle from a dungeon in Rome, Paul wanted to encourage this young pastor to stand fast in the faith and endure the inevitable challenges he would face, if he were to be faithful in ministry, remain true to the glorious gospel of grace, and preach the Word of God to a world that was dead in sins and at enmity with God.
Timothy had ministered alongside Paul on a number of his missionary journeys and, no doubt, the imprisoned apostle knew that his time was short, his death was close, and that the furtherance of the gospel of grace would depend on the fortitude, faithfulness, and forbearance of younger men like Timothy, and so we read: I long to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.
I am sure all of us who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, have felt a twinge of tears as we recall the valued input of a trusted teacher or godly pastor who no longer are with us... or have gone to be with the Lord.
No doubt this young pastor was aware that a prison cell was awaiting this much-loved prophet of God and that death was standing in the wings to envelop this godly man who had taught him all he knew about Jesus, ministered to him the wonders of God's Word, and instructed him to grow in grace, mature in the faith, and teach others the truth of the gospel of grace.
Romans is the seed-bed for Christian doctrine and Paul lays out the foundational truth of the glorious gospel of grace in this book, in a clear, concise, and systematic way.
All are in need of a Saviour and the only way to escape condemnation, to be eternally justified, to be declared righteous in God's eyes, and to be positionally set apart unto Him, is by grace through faith in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are to know the truth of the glorious gospel of grace - for the truth will set us free.
The Bible tells us that when we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are dead to sin and alive to Christ.
When Christ is exalted in every area of our life, our bodies become servants of righteousness as He works His work within - so that day by day we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
To Paul was given the glorious mystery among the Gentiles: Which is Christ in you the hope of glory. But as with Paul, the glorious gospel of grace was as viciously opposed in those early days of the Church, as it is in these closing days of this Church dispensation.
Now as then we are urged to maintain doctrinal integrity and to stand fast on the Word of truth; the inspired gospel of grace which was given to us by Christ, through Paul.
And there were others who insisted on a legalistic post-Cross Christianity, where man-made commands, unbiblical authority and other legalistic practices were added to the glorious gospel of grace and imposed on naïve believers, which then as now turn many away from the truth.
The foundational truth of the gospel of grace, revealed to Paul and other New Testament apostles, must remain the secure anchor upon which our faith is built so that we are not manipulated by the sleight of false teachers, and their cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
Christians who have been saved by grace through faith are those who will inherit salvation. We were justified in the sight of God when we first believed.
Spiritual maturity and growing in grace can only occur when God is given His rightful place in our lives and we are ready to do His will, in the words we say and the things we do, as we obey His Word and do not neglect to do the things He has called us to do.
When part of the Body of Christ is in pain or being persecuted, it is Jesus, our God and Saviour, Who feels the pain that we feel and suffers along with us - and in every situation His grace is sufficient.
When Saul set out to persecute believers in Damascus he was a proud, religiously minded man who was dead in trespasses and sin and at enmity with God, but after his encounter with Christ, he listened, he responded, his spiritual eyes were opened to the truth of the gospel, and Saul was wonderfully saved by grace through faith in Jesus - the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world - the sacrifice for sin including your sin, my sin, and the sin of ALL who turn to Him in faith.
In each of his letters, Paul emphasised the crucial importance of understanding that salvation is a free gift of God's grace which is received by faith alone in Christ alone... and from the start of Galatians chapter 3, he defends and restates the important elements of salvation.
Sanctification is the lifelong process which is also carried out by grace through faith... where we are enabled, by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit within, to progress from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.
These false teachers were mixing up elements of God's Mosaic Law with the post-Resurrection teachings that were given to Paul and the other apostles in the dispensation of grace.
And so, we discover Paul questioning these foolish Galatians who had mixed the works of the Law with grace and the hearing of faith: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
Paul wanted to explain that believers are not ONLY justified by grace through faith when we are born again - but we are also being sanctified progressively throughout our Christian life... by grace through faith.
And we will, one day in the future, be glorified by God's grace through faith.
We ARE BEING saved as we grow in grace, day by day, and become more like Christ (progressive sanctification).
How can we grow in grace, mature in the faith, and become spiritual believers through man's ungodly works of the flesh?
Past salvation, progressive sanctification, and our future glorification is by grace alone - through faith alone in Christ, alone.
Paul knew that the wages of sin had determined that man was eternally estranged from God, but God in His grace had planned one way of salvation.
But in His grace, God determined that the sinner's death sentence could be exchanged for the life of Another Who would willingly give His sinless life as the one and only ransom price sin for the sin of mankind, and God in His wisdom knew that His only begotten Son was the one and only hope by which man could be saved.
He was the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth Who learned obedience by the things that He suffered.
And He was made in the likeness of men so that we might become the righteousness of God by grace through faith in Him: And by Him, and through Him, and for Him, all things were created and have their being.
We who have been saved from the PENALTY of sin by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, have the continuing promise that we shall go on being saved from the POWER of sin in our lives.
Both are given by the same God-given grace, and through the selfsame faith in Christ, if we will quietly trust in the one and only Jesus Christ, our Lord.
May it not be said of us who were saved by grace through faith and who are all members of the Body of Christ, that we were unwilling to quietly depend upon the God of our salvation as our exclusive Sustainer, Provider, and Defender as we journeyed through this world on our way to our heavenly home.
Let us rather live this life by grace through faith and in quietness, confidence, and complete dependence on Jesus Christ, Who is all that we need in this world, and in the world to come, life everlasting.
Paul's energetic defence of the doctrine of grace was matched only by his equally passionate opposition to the perils of legalism, in his letter to the Galatians.
The perfect Law of God could never be kept by sinful man, but was skilfully designed to point fallen sinners to Christ. God purposed in His heart that salvation was a free gift of God's grace, by faith in Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless, Lamb of God and the only means of salvation.
Paul recognised that any attempt to maintain one or more regulations in the Mosaic Law as necessary for salvation, was diametrically opposite to the glorious gospel of grace, which was why he wrote so passionately when refuting this unbiblical practice, arguing, You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law.
You have fallen from grace.
Many contend that Paul is saying that when a truly born-again believer falls into sin by trying to keep the Law, they are immediately cut off from Christ and have irredeemably fallen from grace, indicating that they have lost their eternal salvation. This erroneous teaching suggests that if believers do not live a completely righteous life, they are eternally lost and can never be saved again.
Both interpretations are in error, for Scripture clearly teaches that we are saved once and for all by grace through faith in Christ.
A second incorrect explanation is that Christians who were saved by grace through faith in Christ are hoodwinked into believing that they must keep certain laws to retain their salvation, either from the Mosaic system or some denominational requirements.
You have fallen from grace.
Sadly, these incorrectly taught Christians believe that having been saved by grace through faith they must now maintain their salvation by works of the law or keep themselves saved by legalistic observances, external rights, denominational rituals, or religious ceremonies.
No wonder Paul so energetically defended the gospel of the grace of God.
To seek to be justified, sanctified, glorified, or gain entrance to heaven other than through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to render His perfect sacrificial offering as irrelevant, or as Paul stated, You are severed from Christ... and you fall away from grace. You are still saved by faith, but have destroyed your earthly testimony.
There is only one way to be sanctified and there is only one way to get to heaven, and it is by God's amazing grace, through faith in the sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the eternal Son of God and perfect Son of Man.
God is perfectly able to fulfil His will without human participation, but in His grace He often uses His people to fulfil His work.
No wonder Rahab, this Gentile prostitute from Jericho, is not only mentioned in the book of Hebrews as a woman of faith, but by God's grace was listed in the genealogy of the Messiah.
The moment we are saved by grace through faith, we become a completely new creation in Christ - but we must grow into spiritual maturity.
And we are to grow in grace as we live by faith.
The reason we can rejoice is that as children of God we have overcome the enemy of our soul, through faith - because greater is the Holy Spirit of God who indwells our mortal frame and empowers us with His grace and sufficient strength.
We can truly rejoice that we are from God and have overcome the enemy - for greater is HE that is in me than he that is in the world - greater in might, majesty, dominion, and power - wisdom, goodness, and grace.
And for a time... the kingdom of God, which was promised to Israel, has had to be postponed while the Lord calls out of the Gentiles a people for His name - who would proclaim the gospel of grace far and wide and make disciples of every nation.
We are now under grace; forgiven by God; accepted in the Beloved; covered in Christ's righteousness and freed from the power of sin and the curse of the Law because we died and our life is hid with Christ in God.
Paul rejoiced to know that the gospel of Christ was being shed abroad (even though some teachers opposed Paul's ministry and taught about Jesus out of envy and strife), for Paul rejoiced that men and women were being saved by grace through faith in Christ.
When the gospel of grace was taught by those that opposed Paul's God-ordained ministry out of jealousy or hatred (and even though these teachers were instrumental in many of the trials and tribulations Paul had to face in his ministry to the Gentiles), he was able to write: For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance.
The grace of God is never terminated because His compassion never fails, His tender mercy and loving-kindness are new every morning: Even though He may permit suffering, He will show compassion according to His abundant and faithful love.
He did this so that in the ages to come, He might show forth the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus so that all the saints individually and collectively can join with the choirs of heaven to sing forth His praise to the glory of God forevermore.
We are no longer affected by the curse of sin and death, but are imputed with Christ's righteousness and are given His eternal life as a free gift of God's grace. Being positioned in Christ means that we are identified with Him in every way. All that was achieved by Him at Calvary we have secured in Him and through Him.
When Christ was crucified on the Cross FOR our sin, we were 'crucified TO sin' at that very moment so that all the benefits of His sacrificial death and glorious resurrected life became our personal benefits, which God imputed to us by grace.
and since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, we are to exercise them accordingly.
He was teaching that through the ministry of the corporate Body - especially through the teaching of the Word, every member would be increasingly edified and grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
By God's grace, Christ's chosen apostles and prophets laid the foundation of our common faith in Christ, through the writing of Scripture.
May we determine in our hearts to earnestly desire the greater spiritual gifts within the Body of Christ, so that together we may grow in grace and learn to LOVE others as Christ loved us - which is the more excellent way to live our Christian life, as we wait for the any-day return of the Lord Jesus.
Paul relied on him to present the good news of the gospel of grace to certain church fellowships, in spirit and in truth, and his letters to Timothy confirm this fact.
The burden of Paul's heart was to ensure that good men were correctly taught, sound in doctrine, and well prepared to carry forward the pure truth of the gospel of grace, after his death.
Unlike certain Church-age doctrines like the Rapture, the dispensation of the grace of God, or the new-man-in-Christ, which were hidden from past ages and generations, the Day-of-the-Lord is openly taught throughout the Word of God.
One could contemplate the wealth of truth packed into this single verse of Scripture for a lifetime and only scratch the surface of God's amazing grace towards those who, by faith in Christ, are united with Him.
God also knew that there was no way that once we are saved by grace through faith, we could obey the law, resist worldly lusts, curb our fleshly desires, resist the devil, and be freed from the power of sin in our own human strength.
Our old sinful self can never be made righteous and so God, in His grace, gave us a new nature - a new life - the resurrected life of Christ which He imputed to us by faith at the point of salvation.
One could contemplate the wealth of truth packed into this single verse for a lifetime and only scratch the surface of God's amazing grace towards us, but praise God that in Christ as our representative Man, we are no longer slaves to sin and Satan, and we are no longer slaves to the law, for we died to sin and we died to the Law and our life is hid with Christ in God.
Let us worship before the throne of grace, and offer Him our unending thanksgiving and praise for sending Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sin, and the Firstfruit from the grave.
The joy of the Psalmist is contagious, for when we spend our days reflecting on the eternal faithfulness of the Lord and turn our hearts to meditate on the beauties of His name, we will also rejoice in His wonderful works, His grace and mercy, His wisdom and might, His faithfulness and love, as like the Psalmist we will blend our voices with the heavenly choir that proclaims, Holy, holy, holy.
The Lord has prepared a way for all his children to be united together in the faith, to grow in grace, and to attain to a full knowledge of Christ.
And although we are instructed to grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we shall never be fully matured until we are raptured into His presence, for then we shall see Him as He is and know as we are known.
But the riches of God's grace which were given to the Church through Paul, are some of the most staggering truths which could not be conceived of by the human mind, and which continue to be difficult, if not impossible to understand by human reasoning.
This process of Christian maturity moves from one stage of God's grace to the next sphere of God's grace.
Not only does the Spirit of God come to take up permanent residence within the body of each believer, but also the resurrected life of Christ is given to each one that has been saved by grace through faith in Him.
We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under His table, but we can boldly approach the throne of grace because we appeal to Christ's worthiness and call on His righteousness.
We petition the Father through the precious blood of His only begotten Son, and we approach the throne of grace in the name of Jesus: For there is no other name given among men through Whom we have access to God.
It is by grace through faith in Christ's redeeming blood that we have been brought near to God and been given peace with Him.
It is by trusting in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that we have access by one Spirit to the Father and can boldly draw near to the throne of God, confident that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
He was sinless and without guile; He was humble and meek; He was full of grace and truth and found favour with God and Man.
Just as Jesus reconciled us who believe, to Himself... so we have been entrusted with the word of reconciliation - we have been entrusted with the responsibility of telling the unsaved the glorious gospel of grace.
This is indeed a great mystery that staggers our understanding... but in His grace, God is ready to use us to be His tools by committing to us the word of reconciliation.
He encouraged Timothy to hold on faithfully and firmly to the pattern of sound teaching he had received from Paul, and to protect and vigorously defend the gospel of grace, which he described as 'a precious treasure' entrusted to all God's children by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
He desires to use us for His greater glory and by His grace, has taken up residence within our mortal bodies, as He supernaturally conforms us into the lovely image and beautiful character of the Lord Jesus - until it is not I that live, but Christ that lives in me, and through me.
But by His grace, all who have trusted Him for salvation have automatically been placed in this position as, fellow-labourers with Him.
He carries out His work within, through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit - Who provides us with spiritual gifts, heavenly grace, and the sufficient strength to fulfil the work that He has prepared for us to do.
Just as we are called to minister the gospel of grace to others, so we are required to submit to His leading in our lives, as we are being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ.
He is breaking up the fallow ground within our own hearts and He is sowing His seeds of love and grace, humility, kindness, and patience, as He weeds out the thorns and thistles of Self-interest, Self-importance, and Self-dependence - which is the ugly fruit of the old sin nature.
And in His grace, He replaces it with the sweet nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who demonstrates to us the same confidence He had in the Father, that we need to have in the Son.
Our privileges and position in Christ are beyond our comprehension and we have been given all that we need for life and godliness as a free gift of grace; and it is all by faith in Him.
Instead of facing God's justified wrath and eternal indignation, grace and peace has been multiplied to us, by faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour, and in Him we have been forgiven of our many sins and reckoned by our Heavenly Father as righteous.
And having escaped the corruption of this fallen world system and eternal separation from our Creator God by His grace, we have been justified and imputed with His nature, become joint-heirs with Christ, been given an incorruptible inheritance in Him, and are being conformed, day by day, into the very image and likeness of our risen Saviour.
Indeed, we are promised that such godly attributes will be produced in us as we walk in spirit and truth which will prevent our lives from becoming unfruitful in the knowledge and understanding of Christ Jesus our God and Saviour, for in Him we are justified, and in Him we are being sanctified as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, day by day.
No wonder Peter encourages us to grow in grace and stand fast in the truth of the gospel of God, for in so doing we strengthen our Christian calling to the point where he is pleased to say that in Christ we secure our entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for in Him we receive His richest supplies, both in this world and forever, to His praise and glory.
All we are required to do is to believe on the only begotten Son of God, by grace through faith, trusting in His redeeming work at Calvary.
We are privileged to be ministers of this new and better covenant, not a covenant that is bound by the letter of the Law but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life, by grace through faith in Christ our Saviour.
We who are members of the Church and living in this dispensation of grace are truly blessed, for we have been placed in union with Christ, made part of His Body, and we are spiritual partakers of this new and better covenant.
But as if to reassure His children concerning the cataclysmic events of the future, which the aged apostle was yet to record, we hear the reassuring message: Grace to you and peace from Him Who is, and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty God.
The encouraging message of grace and peace is sent from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to the seven churches, through the apostle John.
All three members of the Godhead give us a wonderful reassurance of grace and peace at the very start of this amazing book of Revelation.
And as we read the words, we are reminded of God's great grace towards us: In that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Only those who are saved by grace, abiding in Christ, walking in the spirit, and maintaining fellowship with the Father, can bring forth the fruit of righteousness.
Israel failed to do the Father's will, rejected their Messiah, and were set aside for the duration of this dispensation of grace.
The book of Titus gives brief but thorough guidance on living a consecrated and virtuous Christian life that is holy to the Lord and displays grace and love to others.
Titus was the man who was entrusted to teach, correct, and give guidance to the Christians in Crete, but Paul was the person who was entrusted by the Lord to reveal the truth of the gospel of grace to Titus, and to many in the early Gentile church.
Paul wanted to ensure that this young pastor stood firm on the Word of truth, and that he presented a good testimony of God's grace in his own life, while encouraging others to live righteously as well.
It is in the midst of his introductory salutations, but before he wrote his customary greeting: Grace and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour, that Paul seems unable to refrain from declaring, once again, the truth of the beautiful gospel of grace and the hope of eternal life which is given to all who trust in Jesus' name.
And Paul could hardly conceal his praise and thanksgiving that in God's own time and God's own way, the Son of God was revealed, the message of redemption was proclaimed, and Paul was entrusted to preach the precious gospel of grace, as commanded by Christ.
And there is nothing more important than to live our lives in a way that honours the Lord and displays grace and love to others.
The Son of the Father came to earth as the sacrifice for sin, because of God's great loving-kindness, His sweet tender-compassion, and His eternal goodness, grace, and mercy, toward the children of men.
The love of God for mankind, appeared in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who laid down His life for the sin of the whole world - so that ALL who believe in Him might not perish, but have life eternal as a free gift of God's indefinable grace.
It is as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, that we discover our new-life-in-Christ exposes the old sinful nature we received from Adam's fallen race. It contrasts what we were, with all that we are becoming, as He works His work in each of our hearts and pours the love of Christ into our very soul.
The healing that flows from His nail-pierced hand is a streaming flood of forgiveness and grace, that is as effective today as it was on that day when His hands were wounded for our transgressions and He took the full force of God's wrath upon Himself, in our stead.
There is nothing we can do, in and of ourselves, to assist God's transforming work in our life, except submit to Him and acknowledge that it is through His goodness and grace, that we are being changed from glory into greater glory, so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Paul was unique in the history of the Church, for to him was given the stewardship of God's grace (the administration of God's grace during this dispensation of grace).
It has been suggested that without the epistles of Paul, Christianity would have become one more sect of Judaism, and down through the multiple centuries, the teachings of Paul have been fervently and systematically attacked by the enemy of our soul, for the truth that they contain is the seed-bed for true Christianity and the enemy's attack on Pauline doctrine and the stewardship of God's grace, which was entrusted to him by the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ, has met with the strongest opposition from every sector of society and each splinter group within Christendom.
Let us read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest all the wonderful truths that are contained in Paul's inspired writings to the Church in this dispensation of grace.
And so, Paul could say with utter confidence that he had not lived his life by the fleshly wisdom of the world, but by means of the gift of grace that he received from the Lord.
The grace of God is freely available to all who would live godly in Christ Jesus.
Paul grew in grace from the wretched man that we see in Romans chapter 7, to the liberated man of Romans chapter 8, and his life ministry was sharing with others the open secret of how to grow in grace and in the wisdom of God, and how to grow in love and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And he goes on to explain how he can have such confidence in his conduct: Relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
The wisdom of the world is lacking in every area, but by the grace of God we can choose, like Paul, to walk in God's wisdom, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today, let us actively put on Christ so that we may passively abide in Him so that with Paul, we may confidently know that the testimony of our conscience is that we are daily conducting ourselves towards men and God with sincerity and purity, not by the fleshly wisdom of the world, but by the grace of God.
Although there is much that speaks of necessary judgement for both kingdoms, the story of Hosea and his wife, Gomer, also illustrates the tremendous grace and mercy of God for His people.
But Hosea's sad story ends with a message of hope and restoration, and by God's grace, Israel will be brought to repentance and restored into fellowship with God in the coming time of Great Tribulation (the time of Jacob's Trouble).
God's purpose, for all who believe, is to conform us into the image and likeness of Christ, and the stark reality of Scripture is the contrast of God's amazing grace towards us... with our own rebellion.
Will we grow in grace and overcome life's difficulties, in the power of the Spirit, or will we become lukewarm Christians and forfeit His promised reward?
Jesus was telling Nicodemus that unless a person is SAVED by GRACE through FAITH in HIM, he will not see the kingdom of God.
But claiming that baptism in water is necessary for salvation contradicts many Bible passages... all of which insist that salvation is by GRACE alone through FAITH alone in CHRIST alone.
Like us, Nicodemus had to come to an understanding that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved, by God's grace through faith in Him.
Whatever the real meaning of 'being born of water' is... let us make sure that we fully understand that salvation is by GRACE through FAITH in Christ - ALONE.
Christ carried our sin and was made a curse for us, but by grace through faith in Him we have been redeemed from the curse of the Law.
Let us never forget that we are justified by faith in Christ, accepted in Christ, fully justified by His grace, clothed in His righteousness, and redeemed from the curse of the Law through Christ Jesus our Saviour.
The full price of salvation was paid by Christ on Calvary's Cross and can never be gained in any other way, except as a free gift of grace.
The amazing truth is that because of God's wonderful grace, sinners can be forgiven of their sins and saved from eternal death.
We were SAVED / JUSTIFIED by grace when we first believed. But we are not only saved by grace, we are also to grow in this grace.
We are to become mature in our Christian life by grace, to live by grace and not by works.
We are to be SANCTIFIED by grace and not of works.
We are to mature in our Christian life by grace and not of works, and one day we will also be glorified by grace through faith.
For just as God's saving grace is only accessed by faith, so God's sanctifying grace and His glorifying grace is similarly only accessed by faith, and not of works.
There is nothing whatsoever that we can do to gain salvation, pay for salvation, work for salvation, or add to salvation, nor get credits towards any part of our salvation, for every aspect of salvation is God's gift of grace, not of works so that no one can boast.
Should we not rejoice that God has not only commanded us to be perfect as He is perfect, but in His love and grace He foreordained that through faith in Christ we may be perfect, entire, and lacking nothing, simply by an act of saving faith and an obedient life of sanctifying faith, trusting Him to finish the good work he started in us - in Christ.
However, Israel's terrible loss became a glorious gain for the Gentiles, for by His grace He redeemed believing men and women from every nation and language, every kindred and tribe.
The spirit of stupor would be a prolonged period during the 'dispensation of grace' when God would call out of the Gentiles a people for His name.
Each of us who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ and have become a member of God's family, have some incredible privileges - one of which is fellowship with the Father.
However, we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ are covered with HIS righteousness - and not a righteousness of our own.
In His grace, Jesus, Who died for you and me, was able to finally proclaim to His Father in heaven that we are His brothers, in fulfilment of Psalm 22:22 where we read, I will tell of Your name to my brethren.
But he also gives an evaluation of those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ; who recognise the message of the Cross as the power of God for salvation, to God's eternal glory and praise.
We are all fallen creatures, and although we praise and thank God that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, have been made a new creation in Him, and have been given His resurrected life, our old, fleshly nature lusts against our new-life-in-Christ and our new nature lusts against our old, fleshly, sinful self.
As born again believers who are living in the dispensation of grace, we have the permanently indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit in our heart.
Positionally and eternally, we are complete in Christ, yet we are to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus during the rest of our time on earth.
But when God has a call on the life of a man or woman, He equips that servant with supernatural strength and the sufficient grace to carry out the assignment and complete the task God has prepared for them to do.
The same supernatural strength and sufficient grace that God bestowed on Jeremiah and other holy men in His service, is equally available to all that are called and chosen today.
BUT we must never lose heart at the enormity of the problems we face, for His grace is sufficient and HE will work the works of God in our lives, for our eternal benefit, and for His greater glory.
God is not only a God of mercy and goodness, grace and love, but He is also a God of righteousness and justice where sin must be punished and His wrath must be poured out on a world that deliberately disobeys His voice, rejects His offer of redemption, and refuses His free-gift of salvation through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son.
They rejected God the Son in the New Testament and crucified their Anointed King and Heavenly Saviour - and through this Church Age, which Paul calls 'the dispensation of grace', Israel will continue to be scattered across the face of the earth - until the Day of the Lord, when God will bring His chosen nation back to Himself during that first seven years of the Day of the Lord.
From this time on, the gospel of the Grace of God would be taught by the One New Man in Christ - the Body of Christ - a New Creation, made up of Jew and Gentile believers.
The man or woman who is justified by grace through faith in Christ has been declared righteous by God.
Once we are saved by grace through faith in Him, we are clothed in Christ's righteousness and God will never again hold our sin against us, in time and into eternity.
Christians certainly do sin, and sin separates us from fellowship with our Heavenly Father, but although we may be out of fellowship with Him for a season due to our post-salvation sin, He will never hold those sins against us, for we are justified by grace through faith in Christ, once and for all.
The rest which we are to give diligence to enter into, is not our home in heaven, for that is a free gift of grace to all who trust in Christ as Saviour.
Never forget, it is only by God's grace that you and I have been saved.
And receiving the gift of salvation by grace through faith is just the beginning, for Paul tells us the astonishing fact that we are raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places.
If this was not glorious enough, he tells us the reason for this: So that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The love of God is one of His many intrinsic attributes for, in and of Himself, God is love, but when this inherent characteristic of God's love is demonstrated towards humanity, it exhibits itself in mercy and grace, kindness and compassion.
It is because of the immeasurable length, eternal breadth, incalculable height, and abundant depth of God's love, that He demonstrated His love towards us by means of His grace and mercy, when He sent His only begotten Son to die for us so that we might live eternally.
Using three consecutive verses, Jude illustrates three different examples of apostasy in times past, where an extended period of God's grace is eventually followed by utter destruction.
Although a truly saved believer is justified (like those redeemed from Egypt), falling from grace into doubt and unbelief will eventually result in deliberate rebellion against God and a wasted life, which will end in the utter destruction of one's soul-life.
In this Dispensation of Grace, may we be ready and willing to apply the principles and practices that are laid out in Scripture for our learning, and learn all that God would teach us in the whole counsel of Scripture, for ALL Scripture points to Christ.
Psalm 118 is a proclamation of majestic praise to God for His goodness and grace - His kindness, loyalty, and deliverance. At the beginning and at the end, we are exhorted to give thanks unto the LORD for He is good, for His mercy endures forever, while in the middle section the author describes some of the terrible attacks he faced from his enemies while declaring his great deliverance from those that surround him and sought his downfall.
Paul reminds us, in the first chapters of Colossians, of our privileged position in Christ and encourages us to set our minds on those things that are ours, by grace through faith in Him.
But having non-Christian parents does not exempt a child from this command, to be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord, for He has promised to give His sufficient grace to all who trust in Him.
He was saved and set free from eternal condemnation by grace through faith in the Son of God and His sacrificial offering at Calvary, for if the Son sets a man free, that man is free indeed.
It is knowing the truth that frees a man from bondage to sin - and when one is set free from the curse of the Law and enslavement to sin, by grace through faith in Christ, one is truly liberated.
They are being replaced with rational relativism, a hatred of all that is good, a distortion of all that is true, a celebration of all that is evil, a contempt for our Heavenly Father, a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, a disdain for salvation, and an insatiable desire to relegate the glorious gospel of grace into the annals of a forgotten history.
And in His grace, He uses all things together for our eternal good and for His greater glory, even the terrible things happening in the world today.
Let us stand fast on the eternal truth of the glorious gospel of grace in these increasingly evil days, and let us remember that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Indeed, Paul reminds this group of believers in the Corinthian church that some of them had also been personally involved in the self-same, sordid sins, and gross wickedness as the unsaved before they had been redeemed through the blood of Christ, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Who paid the price for all their sins, and ours too.
This should not have been so, for they were washed, sanctified, and justified by grace through faith in Christ.
It is at this point of rebirth that every sinner who is saved by grace is washed, sanctified, and justified in the sight of God, securing forever their eternal salvation and giving them eternal security as they journey through life.
But as Jesus taught on the night that He was betrayed, those that are fully cleansed by His blood and washed clean by grace through faith in Him still need to wash their feet and be cleansed as we journey through life.
As we journey through life, we go through the process of ongoing sanctification as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
All of us were dead in our trespasses and sins, but by grace through faith in Christ we are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Let us now live by grace through faith in Christ and continue to walk in spirit and truth so that in the power of the Holy Spirit we may grow in grace and mature in the faith to the glory of God our Father, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Ever since his own conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul was the apostle who strove to share the good news of the gospel of grace with others.
It was by the grace of God that Paul laboured more abundantly than all the other apostles of Christ, to spread the good news with the lost - yet at the end of his life, he prayed fervently: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.
The Spirit came to convict unbelievers that there is no merit in and of themselves, for it is only by grace through faith in Christ that man can be forgiven of their sins and covered in His cloak of righteousness.
The whole glorious plan of salvation, which was purposed before the foundation of the world, is a testimony to the grace of our Heavenly Father and His amazing love for each one of us.
We who were dead in trespasses and sins and without hope in the world, have been covered with His love, forgiven of our sins, saved by grace through faith in His only begotten Son, in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, accepted in the Beloved, given an eternal inheritance, and are today seated together with Christ in heavenly places.
When we consider the glorious hope and eternal benefits that we have received freely, by grace through faith in Christ, how important it is that we choose to live our lives in spirit and in truth as unto the Lord.
But we who have believed on His Word and have become God's children by grace through faith, have received eternal truths that are hidden from those that are wise in their own conceit, but revealed to us who trust Christ.
Many Christians erroneously see Christ's Sermon on the Mount as a salvation passage for unbelievers rather than a kingdom promise for those that are saved by grace through faith.
Unless we are covered in Christ's righteousness, unless we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we will never enter the kingdom of God.
Let us give praise and thanks to God today, for covering us in His righteousness by grace through faith.
May we be willing to be used as instruments to proclaim the glorious gospel of grace to a lost and dying world, and may we lift up our voices in prayer and praise for the fulfilment of His perfect plan and for the any-day return of Christ for His Church.
We are all enslaved by the fleshly sin nature - for everyone who commits sins is a slave to sin - until and unless we are made free by grace through faith in Christ.
Christ is incarnate truth, while sin is the personification of a wicked and cruel slave-master, from whom there is no escape, except by grace through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
It is only those that are saved by grace through faith in Him that are enabled, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to be freed from sin's slavery.
It is only those who are born-again and positioned in Christ who are enabled to live each day by grace through faith in Him - for Jesus not only paid the penalty for our sin but broke the power of sin in the life of all who believe.
But when a member of the Body of Christ has been hoodwinked by the enemy or strayed into some cunningly devised fable from false teachers, unbiblical teachings, or worldly philosophies, we are exhorted to preach the Word in truth and to speak that truth in love so that together we may grow is grace as we mature in Him Who is the Head of the Body, even Christ Jesus our Lord.
And we who live in the dispensation of grace, look back with grateful thanks to that day on Calvary's hill, when God in the person of Jesus Christ was manifest in the flesh to put away sin forever, by the sacrifice of Himself.
It was on that unique day that by one Spirit, all the believers in the upper room were baptised into the Body of Christ. All were placed into Christ's Body by ONE Spirit, and throughout the Church dispensation, the moment a sinner is saved by grace through faith he is removed from his position in Adam and baptised into the Body of Christ, by one Spirit.
Having sons and daughters 'in the faith' who have developed spiritually, grown in grace, and matured in their understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ, is a great joy with an eternal perspective.
Unlike the Galatian believers who were trying to be made perfect by fleshly works and caused Paul to lament, My children, again I am in the pains of childbirth for you until Christ is formed in you, Timothy was growing in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and he was developing his spiritual gift as a pastor-teacher of the Word to the Christians in Ephesus.
Paul knew that it is not only important to teach the truth of the gospel of grace to unbelievers, but to nurture, disciple, and encourage baby Christians to grow in the faith.
Paul's usual greeting of 'grace and peace' was extended with the addition of 'mercy': To Timothy, my true child in the faith, he writes, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Grace is when we receive what we don't deserve, mercy is not receiving what we do deserve, while peace with God is given to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
As with all his letters, the little epistle of first Timothy provides each of God's children with great encouragement and edification, authoritative instruction on living the Christian life, and wisdom in combatting false teachings, as well as the blessings of God's grace, the joy of His mercy and His perfect peace in our hearts, a peace which passes understanding.
God's grace, mercy, and peace is not only ours from God the Father but it also comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grace, mercy, and peace is our present possession from God our Father Who sent His only begotten Son to be the sacrifice for our sin, but we also are given grace, mercy, and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ Who loved the Church so dearly that He gave Himself for her.
But until the Church is removed from the earth, prior to this time of great trouble - The Great Tribulation, let us redouble our desire to proclaim the truth of the gospel of grace to those with whom we come in contact and let us pray for God's mercy and grace to fall on the race of man.
Scripture continues to be the vehicle by which we too have heard the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.
The Word of God is altogether true and His eternal order cannot be broken - let us, therefore, praise God that we who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, are the elect of God.
James seeks to distinguish between genuine faith and a false, professed faith, but mainly he differentiates between a spiritual Christian and a carnal, fleshly, worldly Christian; between a fruitful believer and an unfruitful believer; between a spiritual man or woman and one who is truly saved by grace through faith in Christ, but is not producing the good works of righteousness which God has prepared for us to do and which God desires from all His children.
Both James and Paul know that there are certain Christians who, having been truly saved by grace though faith (the root of justification), do not produce good works that are the identifying marks of a Christian who is walking in spirit and truth (the fruit of justification).
Every believer should be growing in grace, maturing in the faith, walking in spirit and truth, and bringing forth the good works of righteousness which God Himself has prepared for us to do, in the power of the Holy Spirit, as we abide in Christ and He in us.
May we who have been rooted in Christ by grace through faith when we were saved, seek to be fruitful in our Christian walk, by bearing much fruit to the glory of God, as we abide in Christ and He in us.
It also touches on God's long-suffering mercy towards His people Israel and the great grace and merciful kindness He has towards the Gentiles who were dead in sin, at enmity with God, and without hope in the world.
This Blessed Hope, when we are taken to be with Jesus, at the resurrection of the dead - the Rapture of the Church, is a right and a privilege that is given for ALL who are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
As Christians, our identification with Christ's Resurrection is the absolute assurance that we who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, will likewise be raised from the dead into newness of life - for we are saved... spirit, soul, and body, and we will have resurrection bodies like unto His glorious body.
May we who have been saved by faith and are growing in grace... rejoice.
We learn that this evil enemy influences the actions of the wicked against the righteous, but the devil's actions are always subject to God's permissive will Who, in His goodness and grace, uses all things, including our own personal suffering, to work together for the good to those that love and trust Him and for His eternal glory.
We discover from the Scriptures that His grace is sufficient no matter what we have to face, and that if we trust Him through all the difficulties and dangers of life, we are granted an ever deepening knowledge of His Person and an expanded insight into His gracious character, His eternal faithfulness, His amazing grace, and His unsurpassed glory.
Satanic accusations against the goodness and grace of God are still being whispered into the ears of believers today as we, like Job, continue to be compassed about by many forms of suffering and misfortune, persecution and pain, destitution and danger, heart-aches and affliction, the sword and a martyrs death.
But in His strength, we must stand firm on the solid truth of Scripture, trusting without wavering on the inerrant Word of God, rejecting the enemy's ploys that cause us to doubt God's precious promises, while rejecting anything contrary to the glorious truth of the gospel of grace.
He gave wise instruction on how to grow in grace and live a godly life, and he encouraged them (as he encourages us) to live in harmony with our Christian brothers and sisters.
We should all be equipped to talk of our blessed hope and the grace of God that gives salvation to whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord.
We should all be properly prepared and readily inclined to give a defence of the gospel of grace in which we stand.
And we are exhorted to do this in gentleness of spirit, in reverence, and in grace.
She glows with the reflected glory of the Son of God, and the fragrance of her perfumed graces has been poured out liberally over her head by the Spirit of all grace.
His left hand supports her head and keeps her from falling, for in Him she has the mind of Christ, and through Him she can do all things, for He is her succour and support and His grace is always sufficient.
His right hand of love and grace tenderly embraces His Bride.
Paul's authority was challenged by Judaisers in Galatia, who distorted the truth of the gospel by persuading believers to add works of the law to the gospel of grace, and so he presented a series of arguments in defence of his message, ministry, apostleship, and doctrine.
And yet, when he travelled to Jerusalem after three years, we discover in Acts, and elsewhere, that the message Paul was given for the Gentiles and the doctrine he taught to the churches in Galatia, was the same message of the grace of God that the apostles understood, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, colour nor nationality, for all are all, one in Christ, and members of His mystic Body.
I am sure they discussed the importance of salvation being a gift of God, through faith in Christ and the uniting of Jewish and Gentile believers in the Body of Christ, and I am sure they came to an understanding that Jewish believers are saved in the same way as Gentiles believers, for we read: We are also saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way that Gentiles are... without the encumbrances of the Jewish religious system.
It must have been fairly difficult to begin to teach the gospel of the grace of God where we have such liberty in Christ.
Together, as the Body of Christ, they would go into all the world and preach the gospel of grace to lost sinners, both Jews and Gentiles.
As we read through the thrilling prophecy of the battle of Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, from the land of Magog, we see God's matchless wisdom, His amazing grace, His almighty power, His righteous acts, and His unparalleled omniscience.
In His grace, He tells us the end from the beginning, so that everyone can choose the good or suffer the consequences of choosing the evil.
In His grace, He caused holy men of God to record for our learning what happened in the past, and what is going to happen in the not too distant future.
The Lord has displayed His might, majesty, dominion, and power throughout the history of mankind, and showed His amazing and incalculable grace at Calvary's Cross.
As members of Christ's Body, we have the indwelling Spirit of peace and joy and can enter boldly into the throne-room of grace, for mercy to find help in times of need.
Just as the Law was not presented as a means of salvation, neither do we find the Sermon on the Mount to announce the way to be saved, (which is by God's grace through faith).
Let us present our lives as a living sacrifice, which is holy and acceptable to God... and let us seek to use the privileges that we have been granted by grace, wisely and biblically, through faith in Christ, for His own glory.
And at that very time, the veil of the Temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom, opening the way for all who believe on His name to have access to the throne of grace, for mercy to find help in time of need.
As believers, we are not only given the new resurrected life of Christ at rebirth, which must learn to abide in Christ, depend on Him, grow in grace, and mature in the faith, but we also have been given the permanently indwelling Holy Spirit of God to help us in our weaknesses.
As soon as we are saved by grace through faith, we are called to live by grace through faith.
And at the end of his final epistle, before his death, Paul reminds Timothy to keep running with perseverance the Christian race set before him, to preach the God-breathed Word, and to stand fast and patiently endure, by grace through faith, as he waits expectantly for the return of the Lord.
Like Timothy, we too are to live by grace through faith, knowing that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and be rewarded with gold, silver, or precious stones for the good works we did by grace through faith, or suffer loss for the ungodly works we did in the flesh.
Paul encourages us all to live by grace through faith so that we too may be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ, and to watch in eager anticipation for the any-day return of the Lord.
Let us be those that run with perseverance the race set before us, as we preach the Word and patiently endure the trials of life, by grace through faith.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Him, we certainly know that the Lord Jesus came as the Saviour of the world, for we read that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever trusts in Him would not perish.
Although the reach of redemption was to encompass the whole earth (for the grace of God is without measure and beyond our understanding), it was the little nation of Israel through whom the Seed was to be secretly transported so that He could fulfil God's promises and prophecies to unite the divided kingdom of Judah and Israel into one glorious kingdom, and to save that nation from their sins.
The kingdom of Israel had been divided due to their sin, and yet God in His grace continued to bless His people while warning them to turn from their sin, lest judgement befall them.
Nevertheless, they broke their covenant with the Lord, spurned His grace, followed other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Amos lived in a time of prosperity and growth due to God's goodness and grace.
He reminds us that our salvation is an act of God's goodness and grace, and that we are God's workmanship - created in Christ Jesus to do the good works that He has prepared for us to do.
While each member of Christ's Body receives unmerited grace, through our great salvation, each one is given the sufficient grace and enablement needed to live a holy life.
God does not equip each one with the same 'measure of grace'.
The Bible does not seek to cover up the character flaws of such individuals or whitewash their disagreements but often exposes them, for our learning, so that we may do the good, reject evil, gain wisdom, and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we consider this passage, we are reminded that God's work will not be halted by any hasty decisions we choose to make or by our over-enthusiastic zeal and that, in His grace, God will often turn potential evil into lasting good.
Indeed, the gospel of grace has been preached to the nations for almost 2000 years and the invitation to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of our soul and life everlasting has been preached freely to whosoever will come by faith.
But knowing that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, we are a people who by God's grace ought to walk in spirit and truth.
It is during this post-Cross period that we who are saved by grace through faith in Christ are commanded to fulfil this sublime instruction to 'love' in the same selfless way that Christ loved us.
We are to be saved by grace through faith, and then live by grace through faith in Christ (abide in Him and He in us) in order to be able to love as Christ loved and thus fulfil His commands.
Kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and grace were shown to us at the Cross of Christ, and they are the spiritual fruit that Paul tells us can halt and reverse the growth of bitterness in our heart.
When genuine forgiveness is married to kindness, compassion, and grace, it deactivates bitterness and all its ruinous counterparts.
When kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and grace is sprinkled over the root of bitterness, the bitter root will shrivel away and allow us to love in the same way that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.
God in His grace has given us His Word and has shared many of His mysteries with us through His prophets, and yet there is a bank of knowledge and information which is not permitted for us to share in.
However, in His grace, He has revealed much to us and to our children forever, and our responsibility is to search out the deep things of God that He has hidden in His Word and to teach these truths to our children and grandchildren.
We should seek to become a diligent student of His Word and search out the truth that God in His grace has given to us.
But the scarlet thread of redemption started to stream throughout earth's history, because fallen man found grace in the heart of God, for the redeeming blood His Son was pre-ordained to be poured out from Emmanuel's veins in bringing many sons to glory.
Guidance for godly living can be found throughout these Proverbs and it is attributed to Solomon, but salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.
As believers, we are certainly called to prepare ourselves for the imminent return of Jesus, when He comes in the clouds to Rapture His church into His presence at the end of this dispensation of grace, but Peter is also calling us to prepare ourselves for coming persecution in the days ahead.
He teaches the lost the way of salvation and he teaches the saved how to grow in grace, how to live the Christian life, and how to mature in the faith.
Although this is certainly a serious warning against treating this issue carelessly, or without understanding the tremendous responsibility incurred in teaching God's Word... this verse is also a great encouragement for us all to study the Scriptures daily, to show ourselves approved unto God, be in a position to tell others the good news of the gospel of grace - and to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Christ.
It was by the grace of God that Saul, the pathological Christian persecutor, became Paul, a dedicated bond-servant of Jesus the Nazarene: By the grace of God I am what I am, Paul wrote.
God's grace towards him did not prove in vain, for Paul was not only chosen by God to become the apostle to the Gentiles, but by God's grace he became one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament Scriptures, and was given many mysteries for the Church; mysteries that had been hidden from past ages and generations.
Paul was explaining that it was not actually him that laboured in his own strength more than anyone else: But the grace of God working in and through me.
He was what he was by the grace of God which worked in and through him for the benefit of others and for the glory of God.
He was ready to affirm that his intense labour and tireless work was not credited to him because of his own might, merit, or worthiness, but was granted to him by God's grace and for God's greater glory.
The Word of God tells us that if we allow bitterness to creep into our hearts and if we become bound up in resentment, discontent, acrimony, and grudges against others, we come short of the grace of God and have allowed the ungodly characteristic of bitterness to sink its deadly root into our heart.
Bitterness has been described as a slow poison which grieves the Spirit of God, gives place to the enemy of our soul, and causes us to come short of God's grace and His will for our lives.
And although our salvation is a free gift of grace that can never be lost, we all need to be aware that we can suffer loss of reward when we at last stand before the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Let us abide in the Word of God so that we may learn of Christ and grow in grace, for if we truly abide in Christ and He in us we will certainly be His disciples and we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.
Satan's attempts to thwart God's redemptive plans and purposes from the beginning can never succeed, and by His grace the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to His servant John, tells us the end from the beginning so that we may KNOW that what God has purposed to do, will indeed take place.
While we are still living in the days before the Tribulation period, let us be vigilant to tell the good news of the gospel of grace to those who are dead in their sin and pluck many from the fiery days that are to come upon the whole earth.
As a 'steward of the mysteries' and one to whom the gospel message had been entrusted, Paul felt no compunction but to share the good news of the gospel of grace, oppose any false teaching, and challenge any wrongdoing in the Body.
God in His grace and mercy, sent His Son into the world, that through faith in Him the world may be saved - redeemed from the slave-market of sin and saved from Satan's clutches.
Even if we, who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ are faithless - we have an assurance that God remains faithful.
All believers are saved by grace through faith in Christ and that fact will never be denied by our Saviour - for He cannot deny His name, His Word, or the truth.
All who are saved by grace through faith were promised eternal life at the point of salvation - but not all will receive rewards for a life lived to God's glory.
In His grace, He has promised to help us in times of troubles and to comfort us in times of distress.
Christ died so that we might live, and throughout his writings to the Church, Paul emphases the importance of being worthy of our calling so that by His goodness and grace we are enabled to fulfil every desire for good, and to complete the work of faith which God has started in each of our lives, in the power of His might.
For we are the Body of Christ and one with Him, and it is by grace through faith in Christ that we are enabled to fulfil every desire for goodness.
But in His grace, Christ paid the price for our sin by dying on the Cross in our place.
What a demonstration of God's amazing grace to sinners such as we are.
But being reckoned righteous in Christ is only one aspect of God's amazing grace, for He has called us into His eternal glory and pledged to perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us.
By God's grace, we are enabled to resist him as we abide in Christ, depend on our Heavenly Father, and hold fast to the faith.
As we pray in faith and stand firm on the unchangeable Word of God, we discover that His grace is sufficient, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Let us praise the Lord for His goodness and grace, for He has called us to His eternal glory in Christ, and He is perfecting, conforming, strengthening, and establishing us in Him with every passing day.
Christ Jesus is the incarnate Son of God Who came to earth to reveal the love of the Father towards fallen man so that by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection we might be forgiven of our sins, be brought back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father, and be given God's life, light, love, and compassion in our heart as we abide in Him and He in us.
When we are saved by grace through faith in Him, we are given His resurrected life: And we know that we have passed out of death and into life because we love our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let each one of us take heed of this sad and sombre tale of Demas' desertion from the truth, lest like him we should fall from grace, return to the things of this life, and in so doing, lose our heavenly inheritance (not a loss of salvation but a loss of reward).
However, there were certain of these Jews who did believe the words of the Lord Jesus; that all who believe on the only begotten Son of God are saved by grace through faith in Him and are given the gift of eternal life.
They could: 1) Choose to learn of the Lord Jesus and become His true disciples so that they would grow in grace and become spiritually mature. 2) They could remain in spiritual infancy, born again but not growing.
Likewise, when we are called on to follow a path of faith that is beyond our human understanding, wisdom is to obey immediately, and sufficient grace will always be our portion.
He had founded the church at Thessalonica during his second missionary journey, and was greatly encouraged by their positive response to the good news of the gospel of grace.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
We should rejoice in the Lord always and sing praises to Him as long as we live, for we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ - through time and into eternity.
Jesus told them all these things as they walked along the way towards Jerusalem, but they were more interested in who would be seated at His right hand in His kingdom and missed the meaning of so many of His parables and teachings that were designed to prepare their hearts for the amazing gospel of grace - that God so loved the world that He gave His only son to die, that whosoever believed on Him would be saved - that He came as the sacrificial Lamb of God to redeem the world from Satan's iron grip and sins stifling stranglehold.
Praise God for His goodness and grace towards the children of men.
But it also warns that in like manner, the present privileges and position the Gentiles enjoy in God's redemptive plan during this age of grace, will similarly be cut short, due to gross apostasy in the Church when, by His goodness and grace, God will once again start to carry out His eternal plans and purposes through the nation of Israel.
The Church has not replaced Israel as some erroneously teach, but Israel will one day complete the role for which they was originally created; to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the earth and to tell of the goodness and grace of their faithful God to Jew and Gentile alike.
Throughout His Gospel and his letters, the apostle John points to the Lord Jesus Christ as God incarnate: The Word made flesh Who dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
John explains that the Spirit of truth has given us understanding in Him: He is the visible image of the invisible God, full of grace and truth.
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and once we are born again, we are to live our Christian life in a manner that is worthy of our position in Him.
We do not run the race set before us to win our salvation or get to heaven, for that is a free gift of grace.
Paul had a great love for all who had heard and accepted the gospel of grace through his ministry, and longed to see them again and to fellowship with them in person.
There was a time when Christians were not a special group of people, but because of our faith in Christ, we have become the people of God and obtained His mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness.
Our lives should reflect Christ and speak out the gospel of grace, not only in what we say but in how we live and the way we behave towards others, even those that despise and abuse us.
His desire for each one of us is that we grow in grace, mature in the faith, hold fast to the truth, and prosper in all we do, but there are times when the enemy is permitted to test us and cause our faith to be severely challenged, just as he tested Job, and the apostle Paul, and sifted Peter like chaff.
Many in that crowd believed and were saved by grace through faith in Christ - but some would not believe and remained dead in their sin and eternally condemned.
May we be ready to witness to those souls that are lost and remain dead in trespasses and sins, so that they TOO may hear the good news of the Gospel of Grace and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and become part of that redeemed multitude that has been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
By God's grace, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, and the apostle Peter wants us to keep this in the forefront of our minds.
All were placed into His Body by the ONE Spirit, and throughout the Church dispensation, the moment a sinner is saved by grace through faith, he is removed from his position in Adam and baptised into the Body of Christ, by the same Holy Spirit.