GRACE IS

Grace is:

The love of God demonstrated to me, for me, on my behalf

The actual demonstration, the actual manifestation of God’s love for me

The releasing of His love (which is all He is, all His ability, character, holiness, everything He is and has)

God’s love sent forth on my behalf for me, to do what I can’t do

It is God doing what He loves to do.

In Ephesians 2:8 we read that we are saved by grace through faith unto salvation.  It is a gift of God lest any man should boast.  We are delivered by God’s love sent forth on our behalf (grace) when we believe God (faith).  It is a gift and no amount of work will bring it to us.  It is not received by good works.  It is received as a gift.  There is no other way to receive salvation.  It is given to us as a result of God’s grace.

I am so grateful that God loves me and released His grace for me to live free from the bondages of the law and its rigid requirements.  I am free to love God with everything in me.  I am free to enjoy life to the fullest.  I am free.  How about you?

GRACE!

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS

Yesterday we talked about the pathway of righteousness that Jesus has set before us.  He has gone before us and made a way.  He is the way.  His way is righteousness.  In that way there is life and no death.  We must remember that death does not just refer to separation from our physical bodies.  It can mean separation from anything.  Satan wants to separate us from joy and peace and love and blessing of any kind.  He is the king of death.  Jesus is the Lord of Life.  He is our Life.

That pathway of righteousness is a pathway designed for each of us individually.  I think it is so neat that God works with us personally on an individual basis and yet we are all one of the same Body of Christ.  He is interested in us personally.  He wants to help us fulfill the destiny that He has designed for us as His children.  Each one of our destinies has been divinely created or designed for us and given us or imparted within us when we were placed in our mother’s womb.  God had you and me in mind before we were ever born on this earth.  He has a special place in His heart for each one of us.  It was carved out before the foundation of the earth.  What an awesome thought!  Meditate on that for a while and it will take you out of your doldrums.

Ephesians 2:10 is one of my favorite verses.  It so clearly lays out what God has in mind for each one of us.  Let’s look at it in the Amplified Bible.  It is really self-explanatory.

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned before hand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

You and I are born again, or born anew by the blood of Jesus Christ.  He made it possible for us to become God’s children and be reconciled to our Heavenly Father once again.  We are restored to our rightful relationship with Him.  What a privilege and a blessing!  Now we are equipped and anointed to walk in the path that He has prepared for us to walk in.  The best part of all of this plan is that we live the good life which our dear Heavenly Father has already prepared for us.  Living with the Lord and living for Him is the best life.

I AM LIVING THE GOOD LIFE WHICH GOD PREPARED FOR ME AND WALKING IN THE PATH THAT HE LAID OUT AHEAD OF ME!

RIGHTEOUSNESS REIGNS

SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN!  REJOICE!  RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS COME!

When Adam sinned, death came and ruled over mankind as a dictator.  Then God sent Jesus as His gift of grace (His ability) to give us the gift of righteousness (Being right with God), and now we reign in this life, triumphing over sin and death through Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:21 and 17 tell us that sin reigned unto death.  Now grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life.  We who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness do reign as kings in this life through Jesus Christ.

Sin no longer has dominion over us.  It does not rule us.  Grace, righteousness, and life have the complete right of way in our lives.  We live by grace, God’s ability working on our behalf to bring about what we pray and ask.  We are righteous; we have been given the right to be God’s children with all the rights of the Father’s household.

Psalms 85:13, KJV

Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Amplified Bible—-Righteousness shall go before Him and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk.

Rotherham’s Bible—-Righteousness <before him> shall march along,–that he may make, into a way the steps of his feet.

New Living Translation—-Righteousness goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps.

Do you see it?  Jesus’ footsteps carve out a pathway for us, a road of righteousness.  Righteousness goes before Jesus and makes the steps of His feet the way in which to walk.  He is the way; He is the truth; He is the life (John 14:6).  His way is the way of righteousness because of grace.  Wow!

Finally, Proverbs 12:28 tells us this:  In the way of righteousness life and the pathway no death.

The Complete Jewish Bible states it this way:  In the road of righteousness is life; no death is in its pathway.

Here it is:  YOU HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHT WITH GOD.  ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ACCEPT THAT WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FOLLOWING HIM.  IN HIS PATHWAY IS LIFE AND THERE IS NO DEATH.  HE SAYS:  COME, FOLLOW ME!