An understanding of grace will help us enter into God’s rest and multifaceted blessings without stress. A misunderstanding of grace may lead to conceit, pride, prejudice, delusion, deception, death and ultimate destruction.
The Meaning of Grace – the Hebrew word for grace ‘Hesed’ was used 38 times in the Old Testament and the Greek word for grace ‘Charis’ is used about 122 times in the New Testament. What is Grace? Grace is the expression of God’s love to man in saving and blessing man with blessings that man does not deserve. To that extent, grace is undeserved or unmerited favour and it flows from divine benevolence.
In the Old Testament, we see the demonstration of grace in the sovereign election and blessings upon people like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, Ruth, Deborah, Samuel, Daniel, Esther and so on. All these were men and women who experienced direct benevolence of the Almighty; they all experienced the expression of grace in their lives.
Rom. 4:4-6, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” Verse 9 says, “Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.” In Israel when people got circumcised, they believed that they had attained righteousness while their heart was not circumcised, they would start living anyhow ”saying we are the children of Abraham as long as we are circumcised, we’ve already made it”. It is not correct. Abraham believed and it was counted to him for righteousness that is why he is the father of faith. My greatest definition of faith is – faith is placement of value in our relationship with God; it is worthship. There is a close relationship between faith and worship. ”That was what God saw and said, this man trusts me. I can make a nation of faithfuls; a nation of those who worship me, out of him, I can work with him in spite of his idolatrous background”. That is the origin of the Church. The Church is nothing but ecclesia; those whom God has called to worship him. Today, a lot of people have twisted grace to what it is not because of erroneous theology. That is why if you have the call of God, you need to go to a good Bible School as this will make you understand that you don’t know enough and so that you don’t begin to propagate ignorance and raise a lot of confusion.
Rom. 11:6-7, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” This scripture is emphasizing the difference between works and grace. Man always wants to work to be justified – giving a set of rules that if you follow religiously, you will obtain salvation. The devil likes it that way because he capitalizes on it. He is not afraid of any religion. Religion is fallen man’s attempt to know God but true Christianity is not religion but a living God’s attempt to seek fallen man and reconcile man to himself.
Some people are still in the habit of asking people to bring things to offer sacrifice. Christ has already died once and for all, he has offered the sacrifice; it is not about your works. The tendency to get into works is always there and if you are not careful, you will fall for it. It is not by works, if it is, then it is no longer grace.
You need to have a revelation of the cross to the extent that whenever you look at the cross, you will see a finished work. Jesus said, ‘it is finished.’ It is finished, just take it. You can stand from there and enforce righteousness, you can enforce dominion over sin, over self, over satan and over all his works, and over all his schemes, and over all his manipulations, over all his agents and all the kingdom of darkness. You can enforce dominion over sickness, over disease, over death and over hell. You can enforce dominion over scarcity, over lack, over poverty, over penury and over everything. You can download limitless blessings because of the greatest display of grace on the cross. The Bible says, there remaineth no more sacrifice. Your connection determines what you receive. For every connection, there is a flow. You need to cultivate fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
Eph. 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Psa. 103:1-5, Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me bless his holy name. bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all is benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” This is divine benevolence. The Psalmist understood it. Out of his divine benevolence does he renew your youth, heal all your diseases and satisfy you with good things. We are all beneficiaries.
John 1:16-17, “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” If you know only the grace side and not the truth side, you don’t know the cross. That is why the cross is the greatest way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6). If you missed the cross, you have missed the way. Show me the cross and I will find my way home.
Many people emphasize grace to be a licence to live anyhow, once you say the sinners’ prayer, you are saved forever – they call it grace revolution. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Mercy comes from divine benevolence. Mercy and grace are very related. Mercy is the judgment you deserve that God decides to waive while grace is the blessing you don’t deserve that God decides to give you. The equation of love is never balanced until you know the truth. The truth side of love is always the problem with man. The love that does not correct people is lust. The truth side of love must judge sin and that was why God sent his Son who is Truth, who is Mercy, and Grace to die on the cross to show you the way. Add truth to your understanding of grace otherwise, it will be skewed. Also add mercy to your understanding of grace otherwise you will miss the way.
Titus 2:11-15, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world, looking for that blessed hope … these things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” Today, if you try to rebuke people, you be labeled judgmental. If you love the flock, you will show them the way regardless of what they think about you. Grace is never a licence for you to live anyhow. It is an empowerment; an enablement to say no to every appearance of evil. That is the true meaning of grace – an empowerment to do that which ordinarily you are incapable of doing. Grace is an acronym for – God’s richest ability committed eternally to me – so that I can do the things that are pleasing to God and be all he wants me to be and accomplish all he wants me to accomplish and return to him in glory. That is the true meaning of comprehensive success. You miss the way if you miss the cross.
Be careful of the lion/eagle theology. Read Rev 21:14 & 27, Isa. 35:5. The nature of Jesus Christ is the nature of the Lamb. In the final analysis, every creature will worship the Lamb.
Grace is never a licence to sin, grace is an empowerment to live righteously and soberly in this present world. Grace is a teacher.
Pray – Psa. 25:21 “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.”
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- Ask God to forgive you the sin of unbelief. (Unbelief is a very serious limitation that stops people from benefiting from the grace of God).
- Plead the blood of Jesus.
- Re-dedicate everything that concerns you to Jesus – your life, your family, your business, your finances, your resources, your career, your transactions and so on.
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Meditate/Confess the following scriptures: Gen. 39:21, Exo. 33:12-14, Psa. 5:12, Psa. 23:6, Rom. 9:16, Eph. 2:8-9, 1 Cor. 1:27, 2 Cor. 9:8, 2 Cor. 12:9, Titus 2:11-14.
PRAYER POINTS
Confess your sins and repent of them one by one (especially the sin of unbelief).Plead the blood of Jesus.
Rededicate your all to Jesus.
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your Grace in my life, in Jesus name.
I use the power in the name of Jesus to remove and destroy all barriers placed upon my destiny as a result of my place of birth, in Jesus name.
I command every wall of limitation placed upon my finances to collapse, in Jesus name.
I command every satanic embargo placed upon me by whosoever to be lifted, in Jesus name.
Every theological barrier placed upon me by whosoever at whatever time of my life, I command you dissolve and disappear, in the name of Jesus.
By the authority of the name of Jesus Christ, I destroy every satanic architecture working against me, in Jesus name.
I uproot and destroy every faith-destroying seed planted in my mind by false teachers, in Jesus name.
Let every mental blockade placed upon me through religious bigotry, disappear, in Jesus name.
Let every ungodly hand that seeks to manipulate my mind be paralyzed, in Jesus name.
Every limitation placed by myself through autosuggestion, wrong confession etc, I command you now be removed, in Jesus name.
I can do all things, in Jesus name. I am more than a conqueror, in Jesus name. I will prosper, in Jesus name. I am a success, in Jesus name.
The law of multiplication is working to my advantage, no stagnation, no retrogression, no barriers, in Jesus name.
Dear Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to live above sin all the days of my life, in Jesus name.
I ask and receive the grace to live by faith, in Jesus name.
Father, shower your favour upon me, in Jesus name.
Heavenly Father, may your presence ever be with me all the days of my life, in Jesus name.
I thank you for your grace is abundantly available for me in your word, in Jesus name.
Father, I now enter with you into a Covenant of INFINITE GRACE, let your grace keep me, provide for me, sustain me and keep me on the victory edge all the days of my life, in Jesus name.
This Covenant, which is sealed with the blood of Jesus, covers me, my wife/husband, my children and children’s children to ten generations, in Jesus name.
Pray in tongues (10 minutes).
Worship God (10 minutes).
Pray that God will make the Holy Ghost fellowship a place of signs, wonders, and creative miracles here on earth, in Jesus name.
Ask God to send committed workers and keep fake ones away, in Jesus name. Amen.