Discover Grace: Focusing on Grace

  9 God saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. He gave us this grace in King Jesus before all time and ages, 10 but has now made it visible through the appearing of our saviour King Jesus, who abolished death and, through the gospel, shone a bright light on life and immortality. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 NTE 

Grace, God's Grace, is not just a doctrine or a minor aspect of the Faith. Grace is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is the person of Christ manifest on earth. Grace is never earned, merited, or deserved. It's all about Jesus.

 Grace reveals Jesus and keeps Him as the central theme and figure for all we do in God's name. Grace reveals that we need not confess our flaws and failures in order to receive forgiveness for our sins. Grace reveals our sins are completely forgiven.

  What are we focusing on in light of this perfect redemption and the price wholly paid for our total forgiveness? Are we still focusing on our failures and flaws and sins? Or are we focusing on the Grace of Christ?

 Do we still have a sin consciousness or a Righteousness consciousness? Do we have a Grace awareness? Or are we more mindful of our sins and misdeeds? 

 In light of the perfectly purchased redemption Christ died and rose again for, and the Grace of God revealed in Jesus, are our sins actually hindering and creating a barrier between us and God? Does our sin cause the blessing of God not to flow in our lives? Does sin stop the rain of God's Goodness and favor and abundance?

 The truthful answer according to the New Covenant is no. We must agree with what Jesus actually accomplished. We must honor His Finished Work. We must align with the revealed Word of God.

 Sin is not a barrier between the believer and the Father. Sin is not blocking the blessing from manifesting in our lives. Sin is not hindering our prayers nor is it stopping the rain of the free favors of God. Why? Because Jesus' offered a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Why? Because Jesus perfectly procured and purchased our eternal redemption and forgiveness through His sinless, spotless Blood.

 Look at the New Covenant in its fullness. In light of all Jesus has done and the Father's acceptance of Jesus' once for all sacrifice for all time, how can we now claim our sins are greater than Jesus' Finished Work? Our sins and shortcoming hinder the flow of what only the Blood could pay for? In essence, Jesus' Blood could provide salvation regardless of our sins, but anything else; joy, peace, answered prayer, healing, provision, and protection all are only procured by our good behavior. This is wrong believing and thinking, the Blood is greater than our sins. 

 But exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13 MEV

  Now this passage seems to indicate everything I just said is incorrect. Let's take a closer look. Look at the context fully.

 This passage is dealing with the hardness that comes from rejecting God which produces even more unbelief. This passage is not instructing us that our personal sins cause the promises of God to be kept from us. This passage is dealing with stubborn, hard-hearted, unbelief in those who hear the Gospel of Grace, the Good News of Jesus but reject it for their own sense of goodness and what's right and wrong. 

 Jesus and His perfect redemptive work have fully procured every promise, every blessing, and every good thing the Father has for us by His Blood. Let's honor the New Covenant. Our sins are forgiven forever. He said He would never remember our sins again. He said our sins are no longer imputed, or charged to our account. Jesus is enough.

 Now we don't rejoice in sin. Sin is not God's best for us. Sin can put us back into bondage, or service to habits or thoughts, or addictions. Like the master ringing a bell, and the servant dutifully reporting, sin can become a "master" if we allow it to dictate our thinking and believing.

 In summation, Jesus is more than enough. His Blood is more than enough. Grace is an ocean and we are overcome with His kindness and free favors. The blessings are ours, always through Jesus alone. Let's focus on Grace and not our works. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay