GOD’S GRACE IS IN OUR FAITH WALK!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2024.

SUBJECT : GOD’S GRACE IS IN OUR FAITH WALK! 

Memory verse: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." (Galatians 2 vs 16.)

READ: Galatians 3 vs 2 - 7:

3:2: This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

3:3: Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

3:4: Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?

3:5: Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

3:6: Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness."

3:7: Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

INTIMATION:

The Holy Spirit (the Spirit of grace) gives Christians great power to live for God. People still feel insecure in their faith because faith alone seems too easy. Some Christians want more than that. They want to live in a state of perpetual excitement. They still try to get closer to God by following rules. While certain Christian disciplines may help us grow, they must not take the place of the Holy Spirit in us or become ends in themselves. 

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul is asking the Galatian believers, "Did you receive the Lord through your own works and efforts or by hearing the Gospel message and saying, 'I believe that?'" He further asked them, "Are you really so foolish and senseless and silly as to begin your new life by the Spirit and then try to reach perfection by depending on your own weak human flesh?"

Then finally he concluded by asking them, "Does God supply your every need and work miracles among you because you keep the law perfectly or because you put your entire faith and trust in the message you heard?" The believers in Galatia received the Lord by faith, but were trying to perfect themselves by depending on their own flesh, trying to change themselves and their lives by human effort rather than by trusting in God, and His grace to live a changed life.

Now, effort has a place in the Christian life. It does have a part to play. But even then, anything done outside the grace of God will have no real lasting effect. The law is not bad in itself. Even the Scripture says, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good" (Romans 7 vs 12). The law can make us acceptable to God. 

Yes, the law still has an important role to play in the life of a Christian. The law (1) guards us from sin by giving us standards for behavior; (2) convicts us of sin, leaving us the opportunity to ask for God's forgiveness; and (3) drives us to trust the sufficiency of Christ, because we can never keep the Ten Commandments perfectly. The law cannot possibly save us. But after we become Christians, it can guide us to live as God requires.

Are you struggling with changes that need to be made in your personality? Do you ever get frustrated and confused, trying to believe and have faith and confess and do all the right things to bring about change in yourself and your life, yet it never seems to happen? You wanted to change everything you saw wrong about yourself and life, but for some reason you just couldn't do it. 

Most believers will blame the devil. They will spend better part of their time binding and casting the devil away, instead of turning to the Lord for help. I have learned that the Lord constantly requires us to turn to Him. Why? Because when we do anything apart from Him, we take the credit and glory that rightfully belongs to Him. For this reason He will frustrate any of our own efforts to do things outside of Him. Jesus said, ".........For without Me, you can do nothing." (John 15 vs 5).

The Scripture says, “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 vs 8 - 9.) The plan of salvation was initiated by God without any meritoriously devised good works of man or perfect law keeping. Because men could not live in a manner to save themselves, salvation had to be by grace in conjunction with man’s faith response. God extended grace to man regardless of the sin of man. The condition upon which the grace of God is made effective for the salvation of man is that one must receive or accept the free gift. 

For this reason, the effect of God’s grace in reference to the salvation of man must be conditioned on the response of man. If grace is without conditions toward all men, then all men would be saved without having to respond. All humanity would thus be saved while living after the course of this world. Therefore, the application of grace in one’s life must be based on some condition. The condition is obedient faith, and thus, we are saved by grace through obedience of faith. Our Obedient faith is our response to the grace of God. 

We are saved by grace (unmerited favor) from God, and only the grace we receive that empowers us to meet specific situations in life. Our duty then is to ask for the grace from God that we can receive. (See Matthew 7 vs 7 - 8). We are to do the asking and God Himself does the work. Therefore, turn to God in prayer, because only God can bring about changes that you desire in your life. But our duty is to ask in faith. Get your face before the Lord on a regular basis and say,

Prayer: Abba Father, I can't help myself. I am coming to You like a little child. I am totally helpless. I lay this whole situation before You, asking for Your grace. I don't deserve Your help, Father, but You are my only hope. Please do for me what I can't do for myself, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!