LESSON 4 POWER FOR LIVING: THE GRACE OF GOD

Saved by grace:

Grace—Gift, favor, graciousness; especially, the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life. (James Strong op cit.)

Grace—Divine influence, or the influence of the spirit in renewing the heart and restraining from sin. (Noah Webster op cit.)

Grace—Merciful kindness by which God excerts His holy influence on souls and turns them to Christ, keeping and strengthening them. (2 Corinthians 1:12 AMP)

How is grace received?

Through Christ:

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:4

Through the Word:

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Those consecrated purified and transformed of soul). Acts 20:32

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:2–4

Do you need more grace in your life—that divine influence that renews you in the inner man and empowers you to resist sin? It is found in the knowledge of God as His thoughts, and character and will for us are revealed in the Word of God.

All that is needed to successfully fight life’s battles and to live a life of godliness and virtue, a life lived to God’s glory is in His word of precious promises, His word of grace. Through partaking of God’s word of grace and knowing Him we partake of the Divine nature and escape the moral decay and corruption that is in the world.

Conclusion: Grace grows and is multiplied in our life by the reception of the mind and will of the knowledge of God through His Word. This brings divine power into the life to escape the world’s corruption and to live a life of godliness.

Grace for obedience:

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:5, 6

Conclusion: Jesus who was raised in power and holiness has given to us grace for obedience.

Justified by grace to declare His righteousness:

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. Romans 3:24, 25

Justified—Innocent from equitable (in character) by implication, innocent holy.

Conclusion: Through the death of Christ He has purchased or redeemed us by His blood. His sacrifice has purchased our sins so that we stand justified, pardoned and made holy, solely by faith and God’s unmerited favor and Divine Spirit renewing us.

Thus grace, God’s favor and power accounts us as innocent despite our past life of rebellion and sin. And more, it renews us day by day in the inner man. God does this that He may declare His righteousness or goodness and that we also in turn declare by life and deed His righteousness. Thus we are doers of the law, as only doers of the law are truly justified.

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. Romans 2:13

Grace empowers us to be doers of the law declaring its righteousness.

Standing in grace:

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1, 2

Not only does grace justify as we accept it by faith, but faith gives us access to grace, thus showing grace is an on going work in our life. What does it mean to have access or admission to grace?

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, [for our failures] and find grace to help in time of need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Hebrews 4:16

Conclusion: Faith gives us access to grace, God’s forgiving love, but also an empowering in our times of need to give us strength and victory over the lust of the flesh, the lusts of the world and the evil about us.

With an abundance of grace comes the gift of righteousness:

For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Conclusion: Grace is to reign or rule over us and not sin. As grace rules over us then it is that righteousness rules in our life. And what is righteousness? All God’s commandments are righteousness. (See Psalm 119:172.) The righteousness is the law fulfilled in us who believe in Christ. (See Romans 8:1–4.)

Grace abounding:

Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20, 21

Conclusion: Grace which super abounds over sin leads to obedience to God’s moral law of Ten Commandments, not as the means of salvation but is the fruit of abounding grace.

Therefore Paul says in Romans 6:1, the purpose of grace is not a clever way of continuing in sin [transgression of the law] and yet be saved, it is rather to be dead to sin. The grace of God in the life is victorious over sin.

For sin shall not (any longer) exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law (as slaves), but under grace (as subjects of God’s favor and mercy). What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God’s favor and mercy? Certainly not! For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Romans 6:14, 15, 20, AMP

Conclusion: Being under the law is being a slave not to the law, but to the sin the law points out. Being under grace is being empowered by the love and mercy of God that renews us in the inner man and gives a power to resist sin and leading us away from rebellion to God’s will and way.

Saved by grace unto good works:

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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8–10

Conclusion: Grace, the power of God, draws us to Himself that we might be justified. In justification there is a change of character. This grace working in us creates a new creature in Christ; creates good works.

God’s grace sustains us in our physical weakness:

And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Conclusion: Grace is a practical power that even in distress we can have assurance and peace and the abiding presence of God. Not alone in miraculous healing is God’s grace known, but in submission to His will.

Grace delivers us from the evil of this world:

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Galatians 1:3, 4

Deliver—Tear out, select, figurative to release.

Conclusion: The grace of God was manifested in the death of Christ for our sins, what’s more the text says by this same grace we are delivered from this evil world. For this is the will of God. Thus grace is mercy, forgiveness, and the power of deliverance from evil in the life of the believer.

Grace is to control our song and speech:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:6

Conclusion: The divine influence of grace and God’s love and mercy experienced will even affect our songs and speech.

The work of grace is to grow in our life:

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen 2 Peter 3:18

Conclusion: Grace we see is not merely God’s attitude toward us, but is a divine force within us, that is to grow from faith to faith and glory to glory.

Grace teaches us holiness of life:

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, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:11–14

It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world. Titus 2:12 AMP

It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul, which creates in man enmity against Satan. (See Genesis 3:15.) Without the converting and renewing power of grace, man would continue to be held captive by Satan, a servant to sin and ready to do his will. However grace in the heart creates conflict with sin where previously there had been peace. The power of grace, which Christ gives, enables us to resist the devil. Whoever in heart and life is coming to hate sin instead of loving it, and seeks to resist and conquer the lusts and sins that have held dominion within, demonstrates the work of the grace of God in the life.
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