Many people thought that the word ” Grace ” is related to salvation only, the Word of God clarifies that the Grace is a power to do changing in something or a challenge in front of the person to be according to God’s thoughts that delight humans, therefore after the change occurs, the situation turns to please the person and not to hurt him or make him sad! The Holy Bible says that God is delighted with humans which means He is pleased with them in the things that pleases them… exactly as the father that is excited to see his son happy.
The Holy Bible says that God chose us to be the praise of the glory of His Grace. If you understand who you are and what you have in Christ, this will glorify and praise God’s grace, as you and others will praise the glorious Grace and this is written in Ephesians 1 :6 “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
When the subject of Grace comes in our mind, we assume that we are talking about salvation, which there are many verses that talk about Grace in salvation and other verses talk about Grace that has other meanings than salvation and we will discuss it in a while; but we should know that the Grace topic is bigger than the word of salvation from the sin only, thus the salvation is a part of the Grace; the Grace has salvation and its results.
The biblical definition for Grace
There is a “definition” of the word Grace and there is a “meaning” for it as well, and we will see what the difference between “definition” and “meaning”.
The meaning of the word Grace in Greek: Charity and acceptance
The definition of the word Grace: The power for the changing to occur in the situation to match the Word of God.
Definition: The result of using the specific word in the Holy Bible.
Meaning: or the origin; the word and it’s meaning in the original language only.
We need to know the “meaning” of the word, later to have more clarifications, we should study its use in the Word of God and the timing of the use of the term, then we’ll know the biblical “definition”, because it is clearer than the linguistics meaning only.
For example: a car “means” a vehicle, but its “definition” says that it is a fuel-powered machine to move with it and carry out your affairs with it and take it wherever you want while it is characterized as being able to carry more than one person … etc.
Therefore, the definition of the word “grace” from its uses in the Word of God is not limited to charity and acceptance. It is the power of God to effect change in a situation or in any problem and because the Grace is the power to effect change; it is the solution when the problem comes: the healing for the sick, service for others to change their lives, to meet your needs and get all you need in abundance, the protection in danger.
The word Grace in Greek is (Charis) and is the root or the origin of the word anointing – (Charisma); and the anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit. The meaning of Grace: the power to effect change and this power is of the Holy Spirit.
Note: There is an incorrect definition of grace in circulation, which is: “Grace is a free gift to a person who does not deserve it.” It is an incorrect definition, and it could have been applied in the Old Testament, as the definition of a believer in the old testament is a sinner that his sins were covered but not erased because the sins were erased totally by the blood of Jesus, our sins are erased and don’t exist anymore, and therefore the correct definition of grace after the work of Jesus in the New Testament is the power of the Holy Spirit to effect a change in the situation, this grace does not need work from you, it was given to you, and all You have to do is to realize it only, and this awareness will make it increase in your life and this is the role of this article in order to increase in grace.
Grace is Free
Before we go into more detail in the grace and in the different corners and fields in the word of God, you must know that grace is free, and this is so that you do not wish it while you are reading what follows, but rather that you know that it is available to you from the waterfalls of the Holy Spirit, which is far from your works, because they are connected with your awareness and belief, all you have to do is take the part you want to effect change in the situation.
Reference Romans 4 :4 “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” Meaning: When you do a job, you get the return, which is the “wage”, which is not (a blessing), meaning it is not free, because the “wage” is your right when you do your work and you must take it.
But Grace is not because of a work you did and it is not related to what you deserve but it is the Lord who paid its price so it is given freely to you.
So, the word Grace is a strength or a power to make a change based on the Holy Spirit. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, the hands of the Holy Spirit, and your awareness is indispensable to do fullness of the salvation that is offered for millions but if they were not aware of it; it will not happen to their lives.
Note in the previous verse Ephesians 1:6 That is you were blessed (past), that means it is done, you are favored, yes you … you are favored, you are accepted, He is satisfied with you. You are blessed with the beloved; you are provided with all the grace of God to effect the desired change in the situation, to effect the change corresponding to the word of God.
When we read in the Old Testament that someone has found favor in the eyes of another person, this means that he has found favor and benevolence for this person and this results in a literal transformation of good.
You are on earth for the praise of the glorious Grace of God
Ephesians 1 :6 “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
What you are in your life on earth will tell and clarify to those around you whether you like it or not, the status of your Heavenly Father, either you will lead to the praise of God your Father or God slander to those around you, and this will either attract people to God or will alienate people from God.
For example, if a child came to his father and said that his friend takes pocket money every day from his father 100 EGP, so the father of this directly answers his child” for sure the father is rich…” this father didn’t see the other father but what he heard from his child, made him get a picture of the other father that he didn’t meet or see. The situation of the son is a reflection of the financial situation of his father; and as for us as well it is the same analogy because our picture reflects the glory of the Father because we praise his glory. So if we see a believer that lives a miserable life this will not praise the glorious Grace of God. There are people who abuse Grace, which we will discuss it later on.
Among the meanings of Grace is “Favor”, which we receive from Christ at the new birth; now the goodness is on us by the beloved; thus we can pray in tongues and in mind saying “Heavenly Father I thank you because I am favored and grace is on me; I thank you because now this has become my right”.
The areas of grace
Let us study grace in its following areas of scripture:
The Grace of Righteousness
A power to effect change in the human spirit to make it righteous.
Ephesians 2 :8-9 “(8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Justification is a part of Grace, the Grace is bigger than justification and it is the Grace that leads to justification, Grace is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Let us study and understand the part that is related to salvation Titus 3 :5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” Pay attention to “renewing of the Holy Ghost!!!” The word “renewing” is not specific in translation but it means “recreation” because if we take the meaning of renewing as it means there’s something spoiled and it was repaired and rearranged to be used again, and this will not happen because the spirit of man wasn’t rearranged but the spirit of man (the old man) died and a new one was born 100% of God and has his genes inherited from God.
Justification is included in the Grace Romans 5 :1-2 “(1) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” This verse is talking about the relation between the Righteousness and the Grace.
We can say after these verses that salvation is a Grace from God; the work of the Holy Spirit, which is the old spirit of man, which was recreated and became God’s righteousness. That is, it contains the power of God to do something correctly from the capabilities of the new spirit, because it is the carrier of God’s inherited genes. Grace here means power to effect change in the human spirit to make it the righteousness of God.
The word rejoices in Romans 5 :2 mentioned above means cheering. Why is he cheering? Because he is in or lives in it or resides in it… But he says: we have access!!! It means “I enter”!! How could this be? For example, if I told you go to your room where you actually are already; is this possible? It means be aware and know that you are in Him, and this is what this verse means that you have access by faith to the Grace that you are really living in it.
Here we see that the Grace is the power to change things; thus the changings that you needed in your spirit to become Righteous and here you are now; because the righteousness solved the sin problem, all what you should do now is to know that you became Righteous; thus the sin is not a problem anymore in your life and not even a part of your being. Every person feels pressure and the anxiety of fearing to sin will fall into sin deeper and deeper, why? Because he sees himself sinful and he commits the sin while he didn’t know that he became Righteous. Righteous means: You were made right and you don’t have anything to do with that. For more information, please read the Righteousness article.
Righteousness is the Grace that flows out of your life
Romans 5.18-21 “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered, that the offence 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.”
So from these verses we know that men were convinced that they took and inherited Adam’s sin so they became sinful in one man’s sin (Adam). We see also that men don’t have anything to do with this, they weren’t in the garden of Eden, but they inherited the sin, because the sin is inherited through the blood. We should know that like we didn’t have anything to do with the sin of Adam but we became sinful after our physical birth; the same by obeying the One Jesus Christ; we are made righteous, we were transformed and became doing what is right and we took God’s nature to do what is right and not to do sin; as born of God, we were born in righteousness and have been conceived in righteousness.
I repeat as we didn’t have anything to do with the sin but we became a sin because of first Adam’s sin, the same we don’t have anything to do with the righteousness that Jesus the second and last Adam did; and the result of our awareness of righteousness and what Jesus did for us; which is that we have become righteous, that is we have become right, we think in a right way and we speak in a right way.
But what do the verses that were mentioned in Romans 6 :1-6 means? “(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
The law is set of rules that men should apply; while Grace is given, a gift and you don’t have anything to do with, it doesn’t mean [ you are a sinful man but you are justified by Grace]. What the Holy Spirit tells us in this verse through Paul is that now after the second birth; we don’t produce anymore sin because it is not anymore from our current new nature, it’s the Grace’s work that made us the righteousness of God.
There is a difference between these two sentences: “The sin is taken away from you” or “you are free from sin”
To understand it more I will use examples around us:
A product is written on it Skimmed Fat and other is written Fat Free
Skimmed fat: It contained fat, but it was removed.
Fat free: There was no fat in its ingredient originally and none has been added…
We are now free from sin; we became Righteous; No sin, it’s not from our nature; because we are now new creation; because the new man that was born from God don’t have sin in him, and cannot produce sin anymore because the old man was crucified and died with Christ.
The majority of people say: You are the righteousness of God in Christ because yourself you are a sinner; but the truth is that you are new born; you are born right; the righteousness is now in your nature, you are righteous in Christ and if you are separated from the Holy Spirit alone as a human spirit born as a new creature after your second birth; we will found out that you are really without a sin because it was born from God.
Sure, that doesn’t mean to be independent from Jesus but I’m discussing above as a study.
You became right and correct and righteous because of the work of God’s Grace because your new man’s spirit is born from God and has God’s life Zoe.
You are now a wonderful born; and I don’t ignore Jesus’s work in your life, but the blessing is due to Jesus who made us so.
Example: you are a wonderful seed; but it needs to be put in a good ground and be well prepared to bear fruit; that is the same as the new born; he becomes wonderful in his new nature but he needs to be filled always with the Holy Spirit in order to bring out the awesomeness within him.
Man needs to grow but he won’t change to another creature; he will stay human, that is what you are now; you became Righteous and this will not change. But your awareness will grow and increase when you don’t walk by your natural five senses, but you walk by the spirit it means that you walk by what the Word says about you. Thus, so righteousness is the state in which you have become, and all believers are equal in it, but not all the believers have equal level of awareness of what they have in common.
Note that the language in some psalms “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?…” etc. is different from the language that is in the letters, because in the Old Testament there was no salvation in Jesus, they couldn’t become God’s righteous. If we have a look into Peter’s and Paul’s letters, who have tasted the righteousness of God we don’t find this language because of the Grace in which we reside and which the prophets and the angels have in the Old Testament have enquired and searched diligently; we read this in (1 Peter 1 :10)
Prosperity of Grace means: A flood of financial in abundance
2 Corinthians 8 :9 “(9) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
We realize from this verse that Grace is of knowledge and not emotional; it is perceived by your spirit and not by your feelings, even if you didn’t feel that you are graceful, you became graceful in this Grace and other more.
You shouldn’t say: I feel the Grace!!!
Maybe once upon a time God revealed something to you through your feelings but this is not God’s way in communicating always, if he went down to your childhood level (Brephos your childish spiritual level) it won’t continue always as so.
If you read the verse before; you will find half of it talks about financial poverty and not spiritual poverty or richness.
Do you know that Jesus wasn’t poor on earth?
You can study this article: Did Jesus lack money?
Jesus wasn’t poor in his life on earth, but he became poor only when he was on the cross because he lost his relationship with the Father that included all types of poverty.
When he said Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? Or “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” This is what he was crying for in the garden of Gethsemane and not because of the cross… because He never left the Father and got separated from him, but He did so in order to reconcile us with the Father.
Thus the Grace is the power to change things in your financial situation even if you were in a bad situation or there is a lawsuit against you; for you can by the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome all that, only you have to know and realize how you experience this material prosperity that you have and how to activate the spiritual laws so that the needs are met in fullness and abundance. You can read the biblical study regarding that matter from the site: “God’s thought about money.”
Grace is the power to make a change in your body so you can enjoy healing
2 Corinthians 12 :9-10 “(9) And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. …” That is, the apparent weakness in front of people in beating, just as Jesus mentioned that he was crucified from weakness in the same letter 2 Corinthians 13:4 “4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.”
The continuation of the verse 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “(9) …Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
We see the Grace of healing and the health recovery during the persecutions that Paul faced; and to save time in proving that Paul’s thorn was not sickness but persecution in 2 Corinthians 12 I advise you to study it in the article: “Paul’s thorn.”
What happened to Paul such as violent persecution and later you’ll see that he was not broken; is the Grace of healing in his body or the power that brought changes in his body.
If any ordinary person is hit by someone and whipped and stoned and his bones broke; it will take a lot of time for him to be healed and to regain his strength again. And this is the contrary of what happened to Paul in Acts 14 :19 we see him that he was hit and stoned till they thought he was dead and they dragged him out of the city to rot… this kind of violence lead to death; the Holy Bible tells us that he has risen – (most of the scholars of the Book say that Paul died and the disciples came; pray for him and was raised from the death) – he entered the city and traveled the next day to the city of Derbe. This proves that he is in a good health and that the Grace of God worked good in his body or the power to effect change worked in his body; and in a very short time, (just in one day) he was recovered.
The whips or bruises or persecutions did not have any power to stop Paul’s service because God’s power was working in his body always.
Medically: the least bone in a human body needs 3 weeks to be healed…
It was normal to think that Paul will take few weeks to be healed because they hit him till death, but we see him arise, went to another city, traveled and served in a very normal way… Glory to God.
Note!!! The Lord said: My Grace is sufficient, that means you have inside of you the Grace that is enough to make changes in your body.
The word weakness in Greek means: Subservience, weakness and outward submission or outward surrender or nonresistance or non-self-defense during persecution.
When we read the list of persecution in 2 Corinthians 11 :26 “In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;” We find that Paul didn’t resist at all, just like Jesus exactly; and we don’t find anything mentioned regarding any sickness but all what was mentioned is about how much he was hit; about persecutions and pressures.
Because Paul was the person who enters lands for the first time, and breaks through lands for the first time, and offers the biblical teaching and the message of the Gospel, he faced many persecutions and the resistance from the people of Israel for which the message was supposed to be… and we find him facing tribulations and injustice from nations and churches for which he was serving … he was facing tribulations on every side …
the violence of the Roman, the rage and anger of the Jewish, rage and heavy beatings were poured on this person, as it happened in Acts 14:19 “And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.”
But God’s power or Grace was enough to heal his body.
Grace is God’s ability to effect change in service
Paul says in the Holy Spirit that he is so effective and so influential because of the grace that is upon his life:
1 Corinthians 15 :10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me and in Galatians 2 :9 we find that the people in the church of Galatia noticed and realized the Grace that was on Paul.
And Paul talked about the Grace of God that was obvious on him in all its audacity; and the prove is that the people noticed it; this noticing that exceeds the five senses; like we read in this verse; it comes in knowledge and understanding and it is not sensual but spiritual – (Ginsko-perceived) – and in this later verse “…perceived the grace that was given unto me,…”
Remark: (Paul mentioned this because of having people serving motivated by their jealousy of Paul and not to show off.)
A successful man is not the failure of others around him, Paul was happy that the others were serving but their motives were incorrect and were resisting him. But despite of that Paul defended himself without hurting anyone. This is what made Paul grow in Grace.
The respect of a person who serves the Lord no matter if he is different from you in doctrine or from another church that differs from you is very important, you should respect him because he is born of God.
The Holy Bible says: don’t say bad about your leader of your people; God put him in this leading position, and you should respect him.
These things are what makes a difference between one person and another is his growing in Grace; not every servant is really effective, because it is the pure motives that makes the person special from another and makes him stand out from a hidden person to a person that shines his light in a special way, because he walks in love and a correct way and in pure motives, and this gives a room to the anointing.
The Bible encourages us to grow in Grace, 2 Peter 3 :18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ….” Growing means that the person might be delayed in growing because of his sins, God has anointed Jesus more because He loved righteousness and hated sin Hebrews 1 :9 “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore, God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” as we have studied, Grace is the root of the word anointing, so what applies to the anointing applies to grace.
So there are ways that makes you delay in growing in Grace like:
Criticism: Your criticism of the servant in the church or place or equipment or the performance; stops you from developing even though you may have more mental information. The person who sits beside you in the church and does not criticize, the spiritual information will reach his spirit faster than you, even though you possess a greater biblical knowledge.
Partisanship : Partisanship to a specific person or group or leaders, these things are an example like small foxes that spoils the vines. The bible says
“Where your treasure is, there is your heart,” that is, where your interests are.
Not knowing the Scriptures: Not knowing what God gave you through the work of Jesus
, the Holy Spirit tells us in 2 Peter 1 :2 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,”
The word “grow in grace” implies that you can delay yourself in growing in grace, and you can increase your growth, this is in your hand, and we will learn more in a little while about how to delay or increase your growth in grace.
Let’s go back to the Grace in the field of service, Grace is the power to do the changes in the minds, then in the hearts of the people. Because the effect of the Word of God in a sinful person starts in his mind then in his heart; and this is the role of the Grace to do the changes.
We read in Ephesians 4 :7 “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
Arise and rejoice in what is for you; the Grace was given to you in your life but start making it grow… and don’t be satisfied by a little because the Grace is opened to you in abundance and you can take more and more of it.
Romans 5 :17 “For if by one man’s offence 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.)”
The Overflowing of Grace is for you, there are some people who take a lot from it and some takes a little, and this is for you to decide.
Like in the Righteousness topic:
You are righteous and right, and there is no difference whether or not you pray that your righteousness will increase, in both cases you are righteous, but you pray because you love the Father and want to effect change in situations, but not to increase God’s satisfaction with you. Because this satisfaction is constant.
As for Grace can increase or decrease in a person; thus you should grow in Grace or increase the Grace in your life day after day, from week to week; from month to month and more than the one before…this depends on how you receive and how much is your hunger.
Don’t pray to obtain Grace but discover it and obtain it.
Hebrews 4 :16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Find = Obtain after discovery
When you pray: Ask yourself what I have in Christ or what are my rights in Christ or what Christ has given to me and it is my right now and not what I want from Christ?! Say that: “What Christ gave and became my right is to be happy in every domain of my life and he gave me victory to live victorious and gave me freedom to live free in Christ without depression or failure or sickness or need… I thank you my heavenly Father for everything you gave me in your Son Jesus…By your words and by knowing that this is your right, you will find that Grace has come in touch with you.
The previous verse says we find Grace to help in time of need… the word in time means the time that you choose and not God.
For example: if you heard a bad report from a doctor what do you do? how you receive the situation will determine what you will do regarding it. In this situation, receive Grace, (the power to change), arise and be against it and this is related to how much knowledge you gained from the Holy Spirit in divine revelation when you meditated on God’s Word…
But if you faced the situation and allowed for frustration, then the Holy Spirit is with you and will raise and encourage you, but in that situation your ability to receive situations will be difficult.
Let us take Jesus as an example for us: when he received the news of Lazarus sickness, we see his direct reaction, it was words of faith: “This sickness is not unto death, …”, let us study together quickly, it was written for us in John 1 :16 “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
Remark : Jesus didn’t delay to go to Lazarus to do in front of them a big miracle, but he expected from Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha to practice their faith against this disease and Lazarus would receive his healing, and he went late because he had a service in the place where he was because they called him to go to them, he didn’t except to leave this big service for one person but at the same time he didn’t neglect him, because he uttered words of faith from his place ; and Lazarus was excepted to practice his faith too and get healed.
Imagine with me if you were one of the people that were next to Jesus when he said this phrase this disease or sickness won’t lead to death, you will 100 percent say Lazarus won’t die because the Lord Jesus said “This sickness is not unto death, …”
But after few days you heard the news of his death and because you were next to Jesus and you don’t know the end of the story; you will say Jesus declared words that didn’t happen because this disease led Lazarus to death.
This story stirs me spiritually because it’s one of the things that make you stand up and continue your good fight of faith despite the counterfeit reality.
After this, Jesus chose not to say any negative words, we see him saying to his disciples our beloved Lazarus sleeps… and later he found a need to explain to his disciples about the death of Lazarus but he was careful not to confirm the counterfeit reality.
After going to the grave and to make the story short, Jesus wept but he wept not because of Lazarus death but because of seeing people feared death, scared and defeated by death and this was clear in his prayer right after it in John 11 :42 “And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.” Later we see the Lord Jesus fighting death in His Spirit so He sighed and groaned in the Spirit. The word groaned used in the bible 3 times meaning to roar and not groan as it was mentioned in Romans… it came here as attack and roaring and to be ready for the attack.
We find in Mathew 9 :30 “And their eyes were opened …,” and Jesus straightly charged them = (stood firmly against…), saying, see that no man know it.”
Mark 1 :43 “charged” = (stood firmly against…) “and forthwith sent him away;”
Mark 14 :5 “they murmured against her. (That is, they attack or abuse her)”.
My dear reader these verses were used from Mathew 9 :30 and Mark 1 :43 and Mark 14 :5 to assure that the Lord Jesus wasn’t subservient or sad in any of these situations, rather in each of these verses, the Lord Jesus was full of vigor, faith, and readiness to attack to effect change in the situation.
The word groan = roar or be ready to attack or I will attack the situation.
Very important to meditate on how the Lord Jesus stood in faith regarding the death of Lazarus and didn’t surrender to sadness, and because he didn’t surrender in front of the counterfeit reality; he was able to perform the miracle, we should understand that the Lord Jesus was a man and walking as a man like us, giving up his power as a son of God in order to be equal to us and entitled to him to redeem us and save us for that was by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the Grace upon Grace mentioned in John 1 :16, he was doing miracle, and after he was ready to attack and groaned, Lazarus was risen by the power of the spoken word. This is Grace of God to effect change.
You must know what delays your growth in grace and what increases it… and this is what is left from our topic.
Don’t resist the Grace
I feel a deep sadness when I see people hoping to be cured of illness, even though they knew that the Lord is the Healing God and they have grace in their hands, but they use it futilely or in vain 2 Corinthians 6 :1 “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”
That is, by not using it even though it is available to them. This is an example of someone who resists grace.
How can you nullify grace, the power to effect change? Here’s what you should watch out for:
- By neglecting grace and not using it: 2 Corinthians 6 :1 “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”
The apostle Paul said to his student Timothy to be strong in Grace 2 Timothy 2 :1
- By considering your spiritual life by works and not by faith:
Apostle Paul said I will not resist the Grace Galatians 2 :21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” This means walking by sight and taking into consideration the sight more than the consideration of the word in all corners of your life.
- Don’t resist the Word because the Word is the Word of Grace
Acts 20 :32 “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.”
You could be a person who resist the Grace or Holy Spirit in His teachings on a specific subject or on his correction, or it is in your hands to be the flexible person who responds directly to the Word and confess that you won’t wrongly use the splendor that you are in, because it is in your hands to benefit yourself and benefit those who are around you.
There are two wonderful people in the Bible in the way they dealt with grace: the Lord Jesus and Moses the Prophet because they looked at the unseen, the head and source of our grace and the God of every grace. Paul also said that he would not take grace lightly or resist it.
After these warnings; please do not resist the Grace and the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, and now you’ll have the biblical way to receive and welcome the Grace.
How do I receive and get more Grace?
Romans 5 :17-18 “(17) For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive (receive by their own will) abundance (a lot of unlimited abundance) of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”
The sentence (reign in life) in the Amplified translation (AMP) is you prevail and dominate in this life and not in other life, and the verb here comes in the “present” which means the continuous in Greek. There are proves in many other verses showing that this has really happened.
The word (abundance grace) in the Greek language: abundant, unlimited Grace, overflowing.
While the word (the gift of righteousness) is unified for all; it will not increase or decrease, the righteousness is the way the man is right after his new birth. But the knowledge between believers in this new condition is not equal. But the Grace is opened for all. Come on get what you want. Glory.
We read in Romans 5 :1-2 “…we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand,…”
By faith you enter and receive this Grace… but how can this happen practically?
First: The way you think
Acts 20 :32 describes the word as Word of His Grace, so to get grace turn to the word. So, after you study about grace in the matter that you want to increase in it, for example: prosperity or influence in the service … etc., think and contemplate on the word of God in this regard, and give your thinking to the word to dwell inside you regarding the subject in which you want to have more grace.
The Grace grows when the knowledge grows; in 2 Peter 1 :2 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,” Hold on to the verses that specifies this topic that you want to make changes in it, example: if you want the Grace in spiritual growth; study the Word and live it and confess: “the Word of Christ dwells richly in me, I know the Lord more, I go deeply in the knowledge of Him, Thanks to you my Lord.”
When you think of what the Word says; you make your thoughts matching to the Word and in this moment you are doing something called (Active Thinking) or thinking intentionally and actively and you make your mind busy in this particular thing on purpose.
Don’t say that the Holy Spirit will remind me of the verses, this is another thing that happens when the Holy Spirit talks to you but your role towards the Word is to think about the Word on purpose and when you forget it don’t blame yourself, call the Word again to your memory and let your mind gets busy in it on purpose. When you think on purpose in the Word thus you expose and open your heart and extend your passion to the Lord and you feed your heart.
The more you take the word and sow it inside you and place it more deeply in your spirit. And the deeper your roots will be, the more you will go deeper into the ground, and this will increase your stature in height and growth like a plant.
Thinking correctly is very important because your choices are based on your mind storage of thoughts you learned; thus keep yourself busy in the Word which is the Word of Grace. Choose that and refuse to watch movies or TV series and decide to increase in the Word of Grace and its knowledge. Say this to yourself: I want to learn the Word more and I want to run after the Word and I will invest my time and my energy the best way I can in the Word of God, I will expect lot of fruits because I will sow and understand the Word inside of me and thus the law of sowing and reaping will take place…”Because whoever sows with the spirit will reap life, respect, sovereignty and prestige because of the grace of God.
Your thinking will lead you to the place where you want to go. Hebrews 11 :15 says and reveals to us that the Israelites after going out of the land of Egypt; how they were thinking and how their hearts became calcified like stones. The bible clarifies for us that the Israelites thought a lot and were always remembering the land from where they left, and this shows us that if there was any chance for them to return there; they would have returned to land of Egypt…
Therefore, a lot of thinking produces a strong desire, and straight thinking produces a strong desire.
If you want to have a spiritual passion, do active and deliberate thinking in the Word. Think intentionally in a verse… if you want to rejoice in it and see it in your life. When you do that, you communicate and connect with the Holy Spirit and thus you will not refrain the Grace or resist it. When you respond to it, you’ll find that you will take from it more and more.
We uncover from all of these “the meaning of humbleness”
Humbleness: to go down under the Holy Spirit means accept him and respond to him and surrender to his voice and thoughts… for more about this topic read the article of humbleness.
Example: When you get an idea to develop yourself in a specific topic for example “divine healing”, study about healing when you are sick, or any other subject for worship or service etc… Study about that subject and the Grace will increase. Respond to whatever ideas the Holy Spirit will give you, study it and meditate on the related verses.
The thoughts of the Holy Spirit come via thoughts that come from within you, like a simple thought to which you will respond so you go to the Word. Do the active thinking intentionally; keep your thoughts meditating intentionally on the Word, in the verses that you have read concerning the subject that you are studying. Hold to the verses and do the research on the related topics in the Holy Bible, read spiritual books specified for this topic, in this way you satisfy the desire inside of you, and your spirit will be filled with the divine Grace. The divine Word that is in your hands has power.
If we go back to the same witness Hebrews 11:15, we find that if they were thinking about the country from which they left, i.e. Egypt, they had an urgent desire or had a repeated opportunity to return to it again. Meaning: If you are under pressure or uncomfortable regarding a specific matter you may decide to go outside to change your mood a little bit and take a walk; and also you may decide to refuse these pressures and to spend this time with the Word to receive the Grace while you pray in tongues and receive what you have in Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit starts to be show up in your life.
Remark: We have a wrong idea by waiting for the Holy Spirit to push us to do a particular thing, and this is not correct, but when you start to do a biblical matter, you’ll discover and find power and how easy it is, just start.
2 Peter 1 :13 “…to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;” comes originally as “to stir you up and kindle you by remembrance”, and you i.e. your spirits because you are spiritual being in another word I can light up and kindle my life by remembering old things from the Word that was enlightened for me but now it’s extinguished and this happens to our spirit when we awaken ourselves to righteousness and to the biblical truth, so we kindle our spirits. This is what apostle Peter meant when he said in other meaning: I will make you increase and be lit-up and kindled by reminding you and make you think in words that you already knew before.
That is why when you give time and value to the Word, the result will be that you will be refreshed spiritually and the Word will have authority in your life and thus you will experience it in your life because it won’t happen just by itself, but it requires that you play your role. Example: when you accepted Christ, you didn’t accept Him as an obligation, and no one forced you to do it.
In the same way when you read the verse in the Holy Bible, example “…Christ in you, the hope of glory:” what would you do? you can repeat this verse and rejoice and say: “I thank you my heavenly Father, Christ is in me. His hands are in my hands, His feet are in my feet, His head in my head. He dwells in every cell of my beings; so I am not an ordinary person … Hallelujah Glory to the Lord.”
When you do this the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to a second and third issues concerning the subject because you have rejoiced in it and you have appreciated it so you will increase in its knowledge and therefore in the Grace.
Don’t respond to your mind when it tells you; (you knew this verse before); even if you knew it before but your responding and reaction to it is different.
The truth is that the most wonderful Biblical truths are found in the simplest verses. And the more you know and give more time for the Word, more and more it will lead you to life.
We see in Abraham’s story in Genesis 13 :15 when the Lord said to Abraham : “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, …”Lot chose Sodom and Gomorrah while Abraham used his spiritual eyes and not physical eyes, because if he chose his physical eyes ; he would have owned just a part of the land as much as he sees in his physical eyes but Abraham owned all the land yes ; all the planet earth, and this is in Romans 4 :13 where the Holy Bible says he owned all the land and this we will discover undoubtly that he saw in his spiritual eyes North South East and West of the whole earth, and this is exactly what you will see and conceive.
Example: when you see yourself with your spiritual eyes depending on the Word of God and praying in tongues using power in service, this will be shown to everyone around you and they will see it in you.
“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4 :13
Example: you were put in a work where you will face fanaticism, or you are being persecuted; what will you do? How you take Grace in this matter? Unfortunately, there are some who are so scared from this but there are others who are aware that they are in Christ sitting far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, and this includes the director, the president and the colleagues at work. Therefore, they know that they have more authority than them so they can pray and change the reality. The Holy Bible tells us to respect the authorities and all who have posts so in the midst of practicing your faith, do what is right and with faithfulness at your work and not for courtesy, and do not criticize but speak in love and respect those who offend you. In your hands to live in limitation and in your hands to pass through it like a lion and this will be so by taking Grace.
So it will be an apparent advance in front of everybody in everything 1 Timothy 4 :13, Apostle Paul says in this verse “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” Which means pay attention to the Word. Be ready in front of the Word.
How bad and dangerous would be that the believer lives and walks far from the Word, even if you didn’t find next to you a church in your country, you can learn correct biblical teachings, if you are really hungry to the Word ; so you will not let anything prevent you, only focus on the correct teachings from the spiritual books that are printed or on the website www.lifechangingtruth.org
Be careful if you are not exposed to the Word you are really in danger.
The Holy Bible says in Ecclesiastes 8 :11 “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
There are people who neglect the Word because they didn’t see the consequences of their negligence immediately, they think that their lives are stable but when the devil attacks they will discover how dangerous is to be far from the Word… Don’t be like this.
Neglecting the Word will slow your growth and you will not have any spiritual promotion, and this means that your heart will start to get hard. The Holy Bible is a catalogue with which you can live your life so pay attention to it and be in it so that your progress would be visible, this is up to you and within your hands. You can make your progress visible to everybody in everything.
Second: Praying in the Spirit
While you are thinking in the Word like we mentioned earlier in the first point, now pray in the Spirit, i.e. praying in tongues because it will help you to receive more Grace, “And of his fulness have all we received, …” John 1 :16
From the fulness of Jesus we all take Grace for Grace, but how was Jesus filled?
Every morning, the Lord Jesus goes out and charge himself, we find also Peter when he raised Tabitha from death, he kneeled on his knees praying and confessing spoken Words then Tabitha rose up.
No doubt he was praying in tongues to kindle his spirit and this is the biblical way to charge your Spirit,. Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14 :15 “…I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also:”1st praying in the spirit and then praying with understanding the word “also” means it is secondary. So that’s why when Peter prayed, he said to the dead body: Get up so the body got up. Your word will carry the power to effect the required change after praying in tongues.
Third: The spoken words
The Biblical way to release grace is to speak it, and this is what came in Ephesians 4 :29 “…that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” The spoken Word of God gives grace to the hearers. You can give grace (power to effect change) to a situation, thus the sins of the tongue grieves the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4 :26-31
When we speak biblical verses and correct words; you give power to do changes in the listeners because changes occur according to the word, and by this you can repeat the word to yourself and you will make a change in yourself as well.
James 3 :1-5 your tongue will take you wherever you want; it boasts great things, and this means in Greek: He does “great, huge and luxurious things.”, therefore, you can make and create in your tongue huge things as you can also create in your tongue bad things, it depends on where you direct your tongue; you will be taken to what you say. While you are talking there is power to change things, the believer who is silent is the believer that won’t see results in his life, even if you were silent in praising time or in your room; you should talk, even if you found yourself in a non-biblical praises place, don’t stay silent but pray in tongues in low voice that the others around you will not hear.
Learn to be obedient; because when you start to obey, you’ll find yourself loving to obey more and this is very important, the Holy Bible encourages the woman to obey her husband and when she does that; she will love it and will obey more and more, from here we discover the secret of how to learn to be obedient. The person who is not obedient is always found reluctant.
Let’s go again to the tongue in James 3 your tongue is the thing that will guide you to the place where you want to be.
James 3 :4 “Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.”
Use your tongue to bring out the grace that you have stored, by thinking according to the word and praying in tongues to release the Words of God on your life.
Fourth: Give Thanks and walk in Grace by faith
Corinthians 2 :7 the Holy Bible clarifies that you increase in anything by thankfulness and by walking in it. You can say: “Heavenly Father I receive from you Grace from your Word regarding – (specifies the topic that you need) ; it is for me and I will take of it in abundance, I thank you for the Grace that is in the Word and the Word is planted in my Spirit and I am Graceful by the beloved, I thank you Father, yes Grace and goodness are on me, thank you Father, I receive peace and Grace, even if I didn’t feel it ; I know that I received it in my spirit and will experience it in my day because it is in me now.”
Thanks is gratitude and recognition of the gift and the conduct of faith that it is already done, so thank God for His grace after you received it in your spirit.
Conclusion:
Meditate on the Word; run after the Word, the Word will take you out of the situation, thus your neglection to the Word is something dangerous, the world increases in darkness but we follow the light and experience the light greater than during the days of the apostles, yes this is what the Holy Bible says, we are in a greater glory from the days of the apostles, what came in Acts is something conventional and we will see much greater of it in our coming days.
It is as much as you dream, that your spiritual eyes will see; and you will take and receive things inside of you.
You may have received things inside you, use them in the right way, there must be a time when your spirit assimilates the word inside you; then you are loaded and filled with the Word, that is you are taking the Word and kindling it and you will be like a pregnant; (you’ll become like carrying something inside of you.)
This is because there has been a response to the Word in your spirit, and this response has led to a pregnancy within you.
Don’t share with others things that describes you before your become mature in it, sometimes you’ll find the Holy Spirit preventing you from saying it but you should speak it in your room, and pray fervently in tongues then the time will come to say it out loud, and this is the behavior of the mature persons.
The prayer in tongues makes you bypass a lot of things, for example when the Lord said to the Israelites to turn around the enemies and to avoid attacking, so they will not get weak, at the beginning of their exit from Egypt, but they are the same enemies that the people faced when they became mature.
The Holy Spirit will make you bypass a lot of things that seem like pincers that want to grind you but praying in tongues will let you be guided by the Holy Spirit and bypass a lot of things and you will be ready to attack after your maturity in the Word because you don’t have its Biblical knowledge in the present time, but by the help of the Holy Spirit and praying in tongues, you’ll avoid it and you will become mature ; this will make you walk in comfort and you will know how to walk by faith.
Hebrews 4 “For we which have believed do enter into rest…” and
This is because the Holy Spirit is in your life, any subject that has been worrying you for 4 years, for example, now because you got to know the Holy Spirit and the word you sleep and it happens smoothly and you are not afraid of something else negative happening, but you are used to walk by faith and seeing results and you are sure of your success and not like the previous times in which you were walking around with no results.
Important points:
If you are declaring the Word in a specific topic and you practiced your faith in it, and you didn’t see any results, know that you are not yet mature, and the solution is to know:
- You are in spiritual maturity phase and you are growing in the Word.
- Pray in the Spirit.
- Stick to the word and learn the stubborn faith. (For more, read the article Stubborn Faith).
The word says that God has made your face solid like flint, but there is a time when you must intentionally harden your face against the counterfeit reality.
Isaiah 50 :7 “For the Lord God will help me; therefore, shall I not be confounded: therefore, have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
Romans 5 :17 “For if by one man’s offence 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.”
Those who will receive and welcome the outpouring of grace and the unified gift of righteousness will reign in this life as kings and rule this life and live victoriously and not be a victim of life in Christ Jesus who saved them … take more Grace…take power to make changes right now.
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