Abundance of Grace: Not of Yourselves

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Romans 5:17 NKJV

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

Grace is God's unearned and undeserved favor. In essence, it is God's free gift, something that cannot be earned. Grace is God stooping down to our level because of His Goodness, not our goodness or merit.

 The cross of Christ demonstrated the majestic mercy and grand goodness of the Father. It revealed a love that is matchless and unparalleled. It also showed us that grace is a gift that must be received and something that can't be achieved. 

 Paul was granted the privilege to receive the revelation of God's Grace. He dedicated many chapters and verses in his Epistles to the Grace of God. Look at a key statement he made under the direction of the Spirit concerning Grace; 

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

 Look at this in Weymouth Translation;

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit—Ephesians 2:8 WEY

 This passage plainly defines the true nature of God's Grace, it is unearned, unmerited, and undeserved. It is free of any boasting or claims of earned favor. It is all about Him and has nothing to do with us.

 Yet even with passages like this given by the inspiration of God, we still find ourselves clinging to works and performance-rooted traditions. We think and feel we must contribute something. It can't really be that free, that sounds irresponsible.

Why is this? Because we are conditioned to the natural realm more than the spiritual realm. Paul tells us this natural realm is temporal and subject to change.

Yes, in the practical, natural world, merit can be a good thing. 

 All things being equal, we award the promotion to the one who is the best-suited and qualified candidate. In the athletic realm, we award the trophy to the one who endured and scored the most points. This is okay in the natural, it is a way to be fair and equal. 

 Guess what, though, the athlete who scored the most scored their best that day. That doesn't mean they will score that well tomorrow or the next day. Merit has a place in the natural, but even then, it is fallible and rooted in personal strength alone. 

 This is why God cut the New Covenant with Jesus and not with fallible man. Jesus is perfect and flawless, but we aren't. 

 We may score the best one day but could also score the worst a few days later. This is why personal merit, performance, and performance are faulty grounds to base our relationship with God. 

 God, in His wisdom, knew this. 

 Consider three words that can revolutionize your relationship with God: not of yourselves. Paul, under the Spirit’s inspiration, captured the heart of grace in these simple yet profound words. They sum up the Gospel: it’s all about Jesus, not us.

On the Cross, we saw the great exchange. Jesus took and bore all our sins and the death sentence and exchanged it with His forgiveness, Righteousness, and new life.  This exchange was not of ourselves, but only through Jesus and His perfection. He was the spotless Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

 Grace is completely about Jesus alone. Grace is not of ourselves; it is of God, not any achievements, deeds, or abstinence from sinning we could accomplish. 

 If it is not of ourselves, then on whose shoulders does it bear to get it perfectly right? Is it us or Jesus? If it is not of ourselves then it can only be Christ alone. Isn't that the Gospel message summed up? Christ alone bore the penalty and paid the price in full.

 If it is not of ourselves, then what are we doing attempting to enter God's presence based on our merits? 

 If it is not of ourselves, why are we petitioning God for answered prayers based on our behavior, our good deeds, or our performance? 

 If it's not of ourselves, We come to the Father based on Jesus, and nothing we have done or could do.

 It is not of ourselves, it is totally and completely based on Jesus alone. We pray in Jesus' name. That means we are coming to the Father based on Jesus' goodness, Jesus' Righteousness, and His acceptance. 

 In summation, Abundance of Grace means embracing the truth that it’s entirely about Jesus, not us. To receive Grace is to receive more of Him—His righteousness, His goodness, His sufficiency. Jesus is more than enough, covering every shortcoming and meeting every need.

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Abundance of Grace

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Romans 5:17 NKJV

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 WEY

 Grace, what is Grace? Is Grace just a doctrine or a topic we study? Is Grace merely an abstract or fleeting concept we don't consider much? Grace is not a doctrine or a topic. Grace is the unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor of God lavished upon us.

 Grace is the very heartbeat of God’s love, expressed through Jesus Christ.  Grace is the heartbeat of divine Love demonstrated in and through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's Jesus' victorious work of redemption, a free gift fully and freely received into our lives, never earned. 

 Paul tells us through the direct inspiration of the Spirit that when we receive the abundance of Grace, we will reign in this life. We reign in life, not fear, inferiority, shame, guilt, condemnation, or sin. We will not be timid but bold. All of this is based on Jesus' work and not our own.

 Grace is an inexhaustible truth. Biblical truths such as Faith, Love, hope, and Grace are truths we continue studying and growing in deeper understanding. God dedicated whole Epistles to teach us Faith and Grace and reveal His Love. 

 Grace is also something we must continually feed on because the default setting of humanity is earning and achieving. No matter how often we hear about the Cross, some still come away believing there is a part they must play in redemption and eternal salvation. The Cross reveals the Grace of God.

 The Cross of Christ stands as the ultimate revelation of God’s grace. It declares that no human effort could pay the price. It was the only work that could bring right standing with God and redeem us from the curse of the Law. 

 Yet, with the witness of the Cross, we still have ministries and churches proclaiming that it is the work of the Cross, plus our own works. Apparently, the Cross alone is insufficient to bring about healing, deliverance, receiving provision, and answered prayer. Their teaching is if we want to receive, we must live completely upright and engage in much spiritual discipline. This undermines the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, supplementing Christ's work with our own.

  I have actually heard ministers teach that our behavior is the measure God used to bless us. That if our act isn't just right, God won't heal us. If healing, blessings, provision, and answered prayer are contingent upon the believer's behavior then what is the purpose of the Cross?

 The Old Covenant functioned in this way. The children of Israel did offer sacrifice for their sins annually, but they had to obey the Law to be blessed and healed. They had their work to do and Moses told them if they weren't following the Law then they wouldn't be healed and blessed. 

 The Cross of Jesus reveals the new and living way to receive from God. The Old Covenant was following Moses, sacrificial offerings, and our behavior as the means to receive from God. The New Covenant is Jesus plus nothing. 

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain Galatians 2:21 NKJV

 Do we really believe it's Jesus plus nothing? When I pray for healing, in whose name am I asking to receive healing? Jesus' name or my own?

 Most would say well, Jesus, of course. Yet, when religious mixture of Law and Grace lists rules and precepts we must do so we can receive, we are not actually asking in Jesus' name any longer. We may be verbally saying in Jesus' name, but in reality, we are actually asking in our own name. 

 We are, in essence, saying to the Father, see God, I have done this and that and kept these rules here, now can I be healed? When we do this, we are unwittingly demanding the Father to base our answers to prayer, receiving healing and provision on our personal achievements, work, performance, and behavior. This is perhaps why some fail to receive.

 We want to reign in life not live defeated and not receiving from God. To reign in life means walking in Christ's victory for us—victory over sin, sickness, lack, and every form of bondage. It is living boldly, knowing we are deeply loved, fully forgiven, and richly provided for through Jesus. We can only reign when we receive the abundant Grace of God. 

So, let us stop striving and start receiving. Let us boldly lay hold of the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, knowing that Jesus has already accomplished everything for us. His victory is our victory; His life is our life. We don’t reign by earning or achieving—we reign by believing and receiving. 

 Grace invites us to step out of fear and failure into the fullness of God’s favor, provision, healing, and love. The Cross is proof that it’s never about what we do but about what Jesus has already done. Through Him, we reign—not as slaves burdened by the weight of performance, but as kings walking in the light of His finished work. Grace is the key to reigning in life—receive it, walk in it, and reign boldly today!

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Living the Victorious Christian Life: Established in the Gift of Righteousness

But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 corinthians 15:57 AMPC

But thanks be to God, who is always leading us in triumph in · Christ, and through us is making known the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14 MOUNCE

 Winning, who gets tired of winning? Seeing your team or favorite athlete win stirs excitement and jubilation. I have some good news. In Christ, we have already won the victory.

 We have been delving into the truths we must know to walk in victory this side of Heaven. We have seen how wisdom, hope, Faith, and understanding the creative power of words assures us victory. Today, I want to continue and look at a vital truth for believers to walk in continuous victory.

  For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:17 NASB

For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Romans 5:17 AMPC

 When we receive of the Gift of Righteousness, we will reign in this life as a King. What does a king do? He rules and reigns. He stands upright and fearless not shrinking back with fear or timidity.

 What is Righteousness? Righteousness is God's beautiful and perfect gift that gives permanent right standing with the Father. It is that gift where one can stand in the presence of the Father without any sense, feeling, or impression of fear, guilt, shame, or inferiority. It is that gift where we have been accepted and approved by the Father. It is that gift David himself spoke of, where sin is never again imputed to us. 

 That is, no sin we commit is charged to our account. This gift brings non-imputation of sin. This is why Paul tells us in Romans 5:17 that those who receive abundant Grace and receive OF the Gift of Righteousness reign as Kings in this life. We must receive of this Gift of Righteousness to benefit from it.  

 When we receive of this gift we walk in peace. Romans 5:1 tells us we have peace with God because we are declared Righteous. The work of Righteousness is peace. Peace brings us to a place of certainty and surety.

 Peace brings rest to our souls. We have the confident assurance we are loved by our Father. It brings security, anchoring us in the ever-present reality of abiding in Him, and He will never let us go or forsake us.

 Receiving Righteousness reminds us that we are accepted and approved by God. This is all because of His Righteousness, not our performance. Often, we engage in all kinds of activity to gain a sense of acceptance or approval. 

 When we receive of the Gift of Righteousness we begin to understand we don't have to do something to become approved. We begin to come to God based on Christ's work, not our own. We can come to our Father knowing He is always pleased with us.

When we receive of this Gift of Righteousness, we will not cower under the pressure of condemnation, accusation, and guilt. We will walk free from the lies of the enemy. The enemy accuses us of never measuring up and says we need to do more to gain God's approval.

 The beauty of receiving of the Gift of Righteousness is that we hold on to the truth that we are already accepted, approved, and pleasing to the Father, all because of Jesus. We can't become more loved, more approved, or more accepted. Our actions, deeds, and performance don't make us more approved or loved by our Father. The Father is already pleased with Jesus' Finished Work; what more can we add to a finished work? 

 How do we then receive of this gift? We receive of this Gift of Righteousness by Faith alone. We can't earn it, we can't work for it, and we can't eventually achieve it. It is a gift, a free gift, and a gift can only be received. 

 If we can earn it, achieve it, or work for it, then it is no longer a gift but a wage earned. Righteousness is a free gift—a gift we can't work for; it is only received by Faith. To take full advantage of the gift, we must fully understand what it is, meditate on its truths, and actively lay hold of what is already ours because of Jesus. 

 Beloved, remember righteousness is not something you earn, but a gift you receive. It’s a divine exchange—Christ took your sin and gave you His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Imagine standing before God, completely unashamed, fully confident in His love for you. That’s the reality of righteousness in Christ.

Today, make this truth your anchor. Declare boldly, 'I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! I reign in life because of His abundant grace and righteousness!' Watch as this revelation transforms your walk with God, bringing peace, joy, and victory every day

  In summation, receiving wisdom, His wisdom, clinging to hope, walking by Faith, speaking in agreement only with Christ's redemptive work, all that He provided for us through Grace, and receiving of the Gift of Righteousness is how to walk in victory. This is the victorious life in Christ. 

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