God’s Amazing Grace – Part 2

God’s grace brings victory and lasting freedom. Grace is the supernatural power of God enabling us to do things we couldn’t otherwise do ourselves. Many Christians don’t walk in daily victory because they are not receiving and living in God’s grace. They are trying to do things by their own self-effort. What willpower and self-effort cannot do, God will do, by the power of His grace through the Holy Spirit within us. Victory comes from the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:57). God gave His Son Jesus, and we must receive what He has done for us. He is full of grace (John 1:14, 17). God’s grace is what is needed to be a overcomer and to live the abundant life in Christ Jesus! If you haven’t read my previous blog – God’s Amazing Grace – Part 1, I recommend that you go back to read it because we discussed the saving and sustaining grace of God.

God gives us the grace we need for each day just like He gave the children of Israel manna in the wilderness daily (Exodus 16:4).  They could not keep it or store it up for the next day (Exodus 16:21). So, we can quit worrying about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). God’s grace will supply everything we need for today. When tomorrow comes, there will be a fresh supply of His grace! He is able to do far above anything that we could ask or think because of His power or grace at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). The grace of God will meet all our needs as He supplies more than enough fresh grace every day. God doesn’t come with just grace, but according to John 1:16; grace upon grace and in Ephesians 4:6; He gives more grace.

Whatever we lack, God will supply it if we let Him (Philippians 4:19). Don’t limit His grace! His grace is unlimited! There is an abundance of it! We can have God’s grace to handle anything and have peace on the inside in spite of our circumstances. Our part is to exercise faith in Him and His grace and to ask Him for the grace that we need each day and in every circumstance we encounter. He loves to be invited into our problems through our prayers. He gives us courage to face whatever comes. He invites us to come boldly before His throne of grace so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

His supply becomes a reality in our lives when we realize grace is all about God’s love and undeserved favor toward us!

Transforming Grace

Applying His grace to our lives will change us. Grace transforms a person’s heart and produces true holiness which is a fruit of God’s grace. Are you allowing God’s grace to change and transform your heart? In her book, “Redeemed: Grace to Live Everyday Better than Before,” Angela Thomas-Pharr discusses that many of us have wounded hearts that have occurred from circumstances that are or were beyond our control but may have left scars or wounds there. Or maybe there is a sin problem because we are setting our heart on things other than God which become idols in our lives and then become bondage.

Idolatry is when we turn from God or His way to follow after other things or to ourselves to try to meet our needs. We run to other things in place of running to God because we believe the lie that God isn’t enough, He doesn’t care or love us or He can’t help us, etc. Or maybe it’s because of pride that says we can handle things on our own; in our own wisdom or strength.

Whatever the reason, these are not the truth and they will lead us away from God and into bondage. We must replace the lies with the truth of God’s Word about who He is and His love for us. Correct thinking is when we recognize that everything we need is in God who loves us and we don’t need to go anywhere else to get our needs met. God’s love and grace can heal and restore our wounded heart. He also gives forgiveness when we ask Him and His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit helps us turn from and remove the idols from our hearts and lives.

When we are walking in grace, we will have the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is a result of resting in the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23. (NKJV)

Fruit is the outflow of being born of God. The fruit of the Spirit will begin to show and develop in our lives as we yield to our re-born spirit in cooperation with the Spirit of God and as we spend time with the Lord and in His Word.  It is not about works or our self-efforts. Fruit is the result of abiding in Him, which leads to life. The more we try to produce fruit the more it doesn’t appear. It isn’t about trying to produce fruit but trusting the Holy Spirit to transform us as we cooperate with Him! It isn’t about striving but resting! The more we rest, the more God is able to work. Otherwise, our own self-efforts are hindering God from working. God wants us to live a life of rest. This is not inactivity or laziness but is Spirit directed activity. When we walk in God’s grace, God is working for us, in us and through us.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. (NKJV)

As we are being transformed by God’s grace, He also wants to transform our relationships with people. When we have been touched by God’s grace, we can become carriers of His grace to others i.e. using our words to bless, restore and heal. When we speak well of something or someone, we are blessing it or them, and we become a blessing (1 Peter 3:8 – 10; Colossians 4:6; Romans 12:9 – 21). Walking in grace isn’t ignoring destructive or sinful behavior because sin must be confronted even as God confronts our sin and allows us to suffer the consequences of our sin. There are times when we see His mercy and don’t get what we deserve but we are not to continue to live in sin (Romans 6:1-2; 15-16).

Life gets messy sometimes, but we can be thankful that Jesus is there with us and that the Holy Spirit enables, guides and directs us as we follow Him and are obedient to His Word. We’re not perfect and we never will be but we can continue to grow in God’s love and grace and allow Him to bring health and wholeness to our soul and body (Proverbs 16:24) and to our relationships.

Are you receiving God’s grace and extending that grace to others? My prayer is that you will have a revelation of God’s grace and His love for you in the person of Jesus Christ and of the true Gospel of Grace under the new covenant by His blood, and finished work on the cross.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2 (NKJV)