Thursday, September 10, 2020

Abounding Grace: Abounding in Faith

   

 









You do well and excel in every respect—in unstoppable faith, in powerful preaching, in revelation knowledge, in your passionate devotion, and in sharing the love we have shown to you. So make sure that you also excel in grace-filled generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:7 TPT

But as you abound in everything—in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love to us—see that you abound in this grace also. 2 Corinthians 8:7 MEV 


  We've begun a new study looking at the abounding Grace of Almighty God. We saw that Grace is not just an entry-level truth of the Christian life. We saw that Grace is not just an excuse to never mature and never interact with other believers. God's Grace received produces empowerment and triumphant living.

 Today, let's look at how this Grace abounding toward us empowers our Faith. Let's examine how Grace makes walking by Faith fruitfully joyful and not frustrating. Grace and Faith were designed to function in unison. 

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

 Paul by the Spirit reveals so clearly the role of Grace and Faith. It is God's Grace, His Goodness, not our doing which purchased the blessing. His Grace provided all salvation and the Finished Work procured on our behalf. Life eternal, Righteousness, forgiveness, health, prosperity, provision, deliverance, protection, and wholeness were provided by Grace, but they are received by Faith. 

 Faith reaches out and takes what Grace makes. Faith doesn't sit around waiting just hoping that the provision comes. No Faith reaches out and takes what Grace purchased and provided. Faith isn't working or striving or attempting to earn anything. Faith receives what Grace provides, not by working but by believing and speaking and receiving it. 

 Too often Faith is presented as something that we must muster up in our own power and strength. That if we just get our Faith up to a certain level we will finally achieve the blessing. We can work our way to deserving God's Goodness. This is a mistaken idea. 

 Faith is in our hearts, our spirit man, and released out of our mouth. In other words, we believe what Grace provided is in fact ours now. We speak in agreement with Grace. We say yes to Grace and lay claim to what is ours because of Grace. 

22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. Mark 11:22-23 WEB

 Mark 11 in the WEB translation here is amazing. We must believe what we are saying is actually happening. Who makes it happen? Ourselves? 

 Is it our own goodness causing it to happen? Is it our personal holiness, that is abstinence from sin? Is it our ability to be nice and polite to people, to show love? Is it our ability to give and keep giving? Is it our church attendance? How many messages we listen to? 

 Certainly, it is good and right to walk out this holiness, to abstain from sin. It is good and right to walk in love and be the light and be kind to people. It is good and right to be a generous giver, to support the kingdom financially. It is good and right to go to church regularly and to feed on the Word taught. Yet these things aren't the source of the blessing and benefit and Goodness of God on our behalf.

 We believe what we are saying is happening because Grace made it. Grace has provided all things that pertain to life and godliness. We see what the Finished Work accomplished and we agree with that readily.

 So often we make the assumption that Grace only means Christ died for our sins and gives us the New Birth, eternal life. That Grace is only about forgiving our sins. That Grace is only about giving us new life when we were undeserving. Of course, Grace did that but there is so much more. His Grace provided for total redemption.

 Total redemption is ours through Grace. By Grace we who believe are a New Creation in Christ, forever forgiven and made the Righteousness of God in Him. Grace doesn't just save us, Grace also heals us, prospers us, protects us, and delivers us. This Grace makes us whole, spirit, soul and body. Total redemption through Grace and received by Faith.

 In summation, this Grace is abounding to us. This abounding Grace empowers our Faith. We can trust Christ to provide for all our needs because of His Goodness not our own. Victory is ours by Grace through Faith.


Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

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