THE GRACE OF GOD DEFINED!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 03, 2020.

SUBJECT:  GRACE OF GOD DEFINED!

Memory verse:  "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." (Second Corinthians 8 vs 9.) 

READ:  Ephesians 1 verse 7 - 8:

1:7: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace,

1:8: which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

INTIMATION:

The common definition of grace known to us is "God’ free and unmerited or undeserved favor for sinful humanity." God showered His kindness (also known as His grace) on us. This is the voluntary and loving favor given to those He saves through faith in the substitutionary work of Christ. God voluntarily became man—the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The man Jesus was subject to human limitations by setting aside His glory and His rights, in response to His Father’s Will to limit His power and knowledge. Christ became “poor” when He became human because He set aside so much. Yet by doing so, He made us “rich” because by His “grace,” we are redeemed—we received salvation and eternal life. 

Therefore, the grace of God can be defined as His voluntarily setting aside His Deity—His glory, rights, power, and knowledge, for the love of sinful humanity, and bestowing on us unmerited or undeserved favor by redeeming from sin and Satan, and handing us the gift of salvation and eternal life. The study of James 4 vs 5 - 6 in the Bible, reveals that there is so much more to grace; “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

The verses in Amplified Version of the Bible is quite revealing, "Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says. The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcomed] with a jealous love? But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace (continually) to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it)."

The Amplified Bible says that grace is the power of the Holy Spirit to meet the evil tendency within each of us. What evil tendency is James referring to here? The evil tendency or desire is clearly stated In James 4 vs 4; "You are [like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world] and breaking your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend to the world takes his stand as an enemy of God." (AMP)

The evil tendency or desire is, like an unfaithful wife, having  illicit love affairs with the world. It is turning away from God and looking to ourselves or to others, rather than simply asking Him to meet our needs. That is a tendency of the flesh, and it is not the way God wants us to react. Whoever chooses to be a friend to the world takes a stand as an enemy of God.

The remedy to this evil tendency is found in James 4 verse 6 which tells us that in the midst of all our problems and frustrations, God gives us more and more grace, more and more power of the of the Holy Spirit to handle this evil tendency or desires, and all others things fully. That is why God sets Himself against the proud and haughty (Psalm 138 vs 6; Proverbs 3 vs 34; James 4 vs 6) who think they can handle things on their own without Him, but gives grace continually to the lowly, to those who are humble enough to receive His grace by simply asking for it.

God wants to give us the power to overcome our wrong motives and intentions, if we will be humble enough to ask for it and receive it rather than trying to handle everything ourselves by our own power and in our own way. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your grace lavished on me out of Your love. Endue me with the spirit of complete trust, and obedience to You that I may fully harness the benefits of Your grace upon me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!