The Grace of God

Jones · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:24 pm Post subject: The Grace of God

I would like to share a piece from an e-mail that addresses the Grace of God. I think it will be a blessing.

Christ's death on the cross provides the means for man's sins to be
forgiven. Christ's resurrection provides the means for man to live free
from sin. Jesus Christ is man's Savior and He is also man's Life!

Are you attempting to live for Him based upon the belief that He died for
you? Or, are you experiencing the power of His life living in and through
you. One produces continuous failures; the other produces the power of a
Life that has risen from the dead.

The two dominant men of the early followers of Jesus knew the importance of the grace of God. Paul simply stated that those who had received "abundance of grace . . . shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:17). Peter prayed that his readers would ". . . grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . . ." (2 Pet. 3:18 ).
The original word that grace is translated from occurs over 160 times in
the New Testament. The grace of God is the vital truth of early
Christianity.

The oldest root meaning of the word translated grace carried the idea of
"sweetness" or "attractiveness." It later evolved into meaning "favor,
goodwill, or loving kindness" especially when it related to the action of
a king to a subject or a master to a slave relationship. In the Old
Testament, it was primarily used to describe God's favor to man. In the
New Testament, it was developed one step further to indicate the favor of
God toward man that is unearned or undeserved, a gift.

How did the early followers of Jesus understand grace in regards to
day-to-day living? Paul stated to the Corinthians, "But by the grace of
God I am what I am . . . I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). A simple
statement by Paul to indicate that his labor was not of himself, but by
the grace of God; his labor is a product of grace.

The same principle is also given to the Colossians. It is stated
differently, however, which adds insight to the meaning of grace. Paul
wrote, "Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which
worketh in me mightily" (Col. 1:29). As indicated, previously, the labor
Paul was experiencing was "according to [God's] working."

To the Corinthians, the apostle stated his labor was by the grace of God.
To the Colossians, Paul proclaimed that his labor was by "[the Holy Spirit's] working." In both accounts, Paul affirmed that labor was
occurring. In one, labor is coupled with grace; in the other, it is
associated with the Holy Spirit. The grace of God and the working of the
Holy Spirit are connected.

Finally, Paul helps our understanding of grace by making a similar
statement to the Philippians. He wrote, "For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (2:13). "His good
pleasure" can be understood as the doing of the will of God. Something
that would be pleasurable to God would be His will. The verse could be
interpreted to read "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and
to do His will."

In pure Christianity, it is God who is active (literal meaning of
"worketh" in Philippians 2:13) in the believer, who produces His own
will. Only God Himself can do His will. Both the "to will" and the "to
do" of God's will are done by God Himself.

Just as Paul stated to the Corinthians and to the Colossians, he repeated
to the Philippians, that it is God who does the work and not the
individual believer. According to Paul in Philippians 2:13, the specific
work that God does in the believer is twofold. First, Paul says, "it is
God which worketh in you . . . to will." Second, the "to will" of the
believer or the "want to" of the believer is a work of God Himself.

Most believers attempt to create a desire within themselves for the
things of God. The truth is only God can create that "want-to." The
revelation of God makes that very statement, as Paul tells us in his
letter to the Romans: "So then it is not of him that willeth . . . but of
God that showeth mercy" (Rom. 9:16). There is no effort man can do to
create the desire to cause an individual to want to accomplish the
ultimate will of God. The motivators and manipulators who try to stir man
nto action may get an initial response. But, the end result will always
be the same, "so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal. 5:17).

Peter's life illustrated the dilemma of man's effort to commitment. Peter
said ". . . Lord . . . I will lay down my life for thy sake." Jesus
responded, "Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, The c.o.c.k shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice"
(John 13:37,38 ). A few hours later, Peter, when he was threatened, denied
Jesus three times (John 18:25-27).

Eventually, Peter would experience death, but it was not a work of Peter.
It was the work of the Holy Spirit: ". . . thou shalt stretch forth thy
hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest
not" (John 21:18 ).

Man may be able to "will it" to a small degree, but he does not have the
capability for the ultimate commitment. All the Christian hype in the
world cannot produce the "want-to" that is necessary for the
accomplishment of the ultimate will of God.

Regardless of how much someone may incite, push, pull, beg, plead, or
condemn with guilt, the "want-to," the "will-to," and the desire that is
necessary for Christians to see the will of God being performed in their
lives cannot be fabricated by human effort. The "want-to" that all
believers want to have is not a creation of the believer. The simple
preaching of Jesus produces in the heart of man the desire to live and to
work for God; it is a production of the grace of God.

It is also God who gives the "to do" of His will. The ability that is
necessary for the will of God to be accomplished is, again, a work of God
Himself. There is no effort by man that can cause the ultimate will of
God to be manifested in the believer's life.

Paul, again, revealed this truth in his letter to the Romans when he
wrote, "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that showeth mercy" (Rom. 9:16). Regardless of how many times
believers are admonished to do greater acts of determination and effort,
it is not "of him that runneth," but of God who works in man to do His
will.

See although man himself cannot do the will of God, the will of God can be in man's life. The will of God, the ability to do the will of God, is a production of God Himself. The ability, produced by God, is the
essence of what it means to be Christian.

A working definition for the grace of God can be formulated. Building
upon Paul's statements to the Corinthians, the Colossians, and the
Philippians, the grace of God can be stated as "the 'want-to' and the
accomplishment of the will of God" in the believer's life. Grace is the
divine provision that God gives to His creation to enable it to fulfill
its intended purpose. The Christian's life is not by man's works, but it
is God, through Jesus Christ living in and through the believer. The hope
of glory for man is Jesus Christ living in and through him.

Once again, Paul stated to the Corinthians, "I labored more abundantly
than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God." Paul labored by the
grace of God.

To the Colossians, Paul wrote, "Whereunto I also labor, striving
according to his working." Paul labored according to the Holy Spirit's
working. The grace of God is the Holy Spirit's working.

Finally, Paul wrote to the Philippians, "For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13) The grace
of God is the Holy Spirit's working, and the Spirit's working is the "to
will" and the "to do" of the will of God being performed in the life of
the true believer.

The grace of God is the "want-to" and the accomplishment of the will of
God being manifested in the Christian. The grace of God is a supernatural
enablement. The grace of God flowing through the believer is what it
means to be Christian.

This fundamental principle can be seen in another statement by Paul. He
wrote to the Galatians concerning his ministry, "(For he that wrought
effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was
mighty in me toward the Gentiles.)" He then added, "And when James,
Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship
. . ." (Gal. 2:8,9).

Paul is stating that grace "wrought effectually" in both Peter and
himself. After their conversions, Peter and Paul did not spend their
lives working for God. Grace was not bestowed upon them in vain. The
grace of God was not frustrated in their lives. They were great men of
God because they lived in and by the provision in which God does His own
will.

The Spirit of God in every believer will not only produce the "want-to,"
but He will also produce the power to experience the Father's will. All
that God asks of any believer is to be a vessel through which He can fill
and flow to accomplish His own will. God's will on earth will be done,
and it will be done as He works in and through true believers.

Christ's death on the cross provides the means for man's sins to be
forgiven. Christ's resurrection provides the means for man to live free
from sin. Jesus Christ is man's Savior and He is also man's Life!

Are you attempting to live for Him based upon the belief that He died for
you? Or, are you experiencing the power of His life living in and through
you. One produces continuous failures; the other produces the power of a
Life that has risen from the dead.

The grace of God is the divine provision in which God enables man to live
the life that God intended him to live. The grace of God is a divine
enablement. The grace of God is Jesus Christ living in and through the
true believer.

James Stone

Nobby · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 5:46 pm Post subject:

Hi James, That was an interesting piece.
I enjoyed it but boy it was long! Very Happy

James welcome to our board, glad to have you.
If you have any questions, I'll try to answer. Very Happy

Be looking for your posts.