JEJ Episode 76-A Firm Foundation Pt 5-Understanding the Grace of God

 We are still looking at the doctrines necessary for constructing a strong spiritual foundation. So far we have seen that truth can only be found in the Word of God. We have discussed the importance of receiving a revelation of the love of God and also having an absolute and confident belief in the goodness of God since it is impossible to build an intimate relationship with God if we do not have an assurance of His love and absolute goodness.

In this Episode, we shall consider another topic that is crucial to building a strong foundation which most of us still do not grasp. It is true that we have discussed the Grace of God severally before, but I keep going back to this subject because as I listen to the conversations and prayers of Christians around me, it is clear that we are not depending on what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the Cross of Calvary, but on our own effort and what we are doing for Him. Off course, we are quick to confess our dependence on Him, but our prayers, conversations and actions speak otherwise.

Some Christians do not like to discuss the Grace of God because they believe it is a license to sin. This mindset is really a pointer to me of the fact that such people do not understand the subject of the Grace of God.

The truth is that we are in the dispensation of the Grace of God. If you prefer not to rest on what Christ has done for you, but to struggle to keep the commandments of the Old Covenant or to impress God by your acts of self righteousness, you will not be able to withstand the waves and storms when they come. Why? Because your acts of self righteousness and personal efforts do not build you up spiritually. They only make you happy and satisfy you in the flesh. And you cannot build a firm foundation by sowing to the flesh.

The commonest definition of the Grace of God is that it is the unmerited favour and mercy of God towards man. Grace is the love; the generosity; the faithfulness; the mercy; the sacrifice; the blessings of God to us which we do not deserve. When you are struggling and working so hard to receive the love and blessings of God because you  deserve them, you are rejecting the Grace of God. Instead of impressing Him, you are isolating yourself from Him. The grace of God is absolutely free! We do not have to earn it—indeed we cannot earn it. This truth is not an easy one to swallow because some of us have come to doubt that anything can really be free and our sense of pride and ego makes us want to take credit for the blessings of God.

The Bible makes it clear that we do not earn salvation by good works. Ephesians 2:4-5

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.”

While verses 8-9 state

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9.

The basis for our salvation is the work of Christ, accomplished through His blood. Many Christians believe that they gained salvation through the Grace of God. But that having obtained salvation by grace, they have to work hard to keep it and to earn a place in Heaven. They believe they have to pray, read the bible, go to Church, pay their tithes and so on to earn a place in Heaven and to receive God’s blessings. But you cannot mix righteousness from God and your own righteousness.  We are saved by grace; and we are to live and walk by grace and faith in the finished works of Christ!

Apostle Paul was very angry with the Galatians when they started mixing grace with works. He had this to say to them in Galatians 3: verses 3 and 5

“ Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” 

Once you try to combine grace and works, you pollute what God has done and it is no longer grace. So even after we are saved, we can only have victory if we depend on Christ’s accomplishments at the Cross of Calvary obtained through His Grace.. As Romans 11:6 states- “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 

The Grace of God is not only manifested in the forgiveness of sins and gift of salvation. Having saved us by His Grace, He went ahead to provide awesome and incredible gifts and privileges to us again by His grace. He has provided everything we require to live a life of victory-not because we deserve it, but because of His grace.

I keep repeating that in order to have a clear understanding of the grace of God, we need to appreciate the difference between the way God related to His people under the Old Covenant and the way He relates to us under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, God’s blessings depended on a man keeping the commandments of the law 100%. But under the dispensation of His grace, the blessings of God depend on the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, not on what a man does.  Unfortunately, most Christians continue attempting to operate a hybrid of the law under the Old Covenant and grace under the New Covenant. The result of this posture of one leg in the Old Covenant and one leg in the New Covenant is a life of defeat. Because Romans 5:17 makes it clear that we can only reign in life through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. We do not reign in life by keeping the provisions of the law.

I said earlier that the mindset that discussing the Grace of God is a license to sin is a pointer to me that many people do not understand the subject of the Grace of God. This is because the grace of God also includes the power and ability of God in us that sets us free from the dominion of sin. Romans 6:14 states-For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

The grace of God is a package of unmerited gifts and favour. It includes forgiveness of sins and the gift of salvation. It includes God’s promises of blessings and privileges. It includes the power and ability of God operating in us to enable us accomplish His plans and purposes for our lives. The grace of God operating in us gives us the ability to live lives that glorify the Lord. Titus 3:11-12 declares-

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

The message of this Episode is to make us grasp the revelation that God has provided everything we require to serve Him; to live a life of victory and to reign with Him in life. Our salvation is complete. It is a package that includes everything we require in life. It is already accomplished. God has completed His part in our relationship with Him. His part is a product of His Grace. He did not play His role in our relationship with Him because of our hard work. Or because we are deserving.

What we need to do now, in order to build our spiritual foundation is to play our own part in the relationship.  Our role in our relationship with God is to believe and place our faith in what He has done by His Grace and to act accordingly. Our role in our relationship with God is to respond positively to what God has provided by grace.

Our part in our relationship with God is to be fully persuaded that He has accomplished all we need in life; to be fully persuaded that God has done what He says He has done; to respond in faith to the Word of God; to mix the Grace of God with our faith; and to keep our faith in the Grace of God alive.

Understanding the Grace of God and the fact that God has accomplished everything we need to live victoriously is an important building block in the construction of a firm

spiritual foundation. If we do not understand His Grace, we will continue struggling and working hard to impress God to bless us and getting the more frustrated. But when we get a revelation of the Grace of God, then we are able to move on to fulfill our part in our relationship with God,

I pray that you are getting a better revelation of the Grace of God. Because if you do, you would want nothing better than to be intimate with Him, and to please Him, not because you are afraid of Him or because you want to please Him but from a heart of love and gratitude. A friend likens our reaction to the grace of God to the reaction of a poor man who receives a Rolls Royce as a gift. Obviously the recipient of such an expensive gift would not treat that gift carelessly. He would preserve it and take very good care of it because of its value. 

Father, we are grateful that you saved us by your Grace, through our faith, not because we are deserving but because of your love. Because of your Grace on our lives, we say No to ungodliness and worldly passions and dedicate our lives to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in Jesus Name.