G-R-A-C-E
God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense!
Grace is all that God is free to do for you through the finished work of
Calvary’s cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:6-8
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath
made us accepted in the beloved. In whom
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace; Wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
When we talk about grace, we need to keep in
mind that grace is freedom with
responsibility and consequences.
Religion thinks we are going to use the law to keep us from sinning, but
God’s grace is freedom to act responsibly--or not; however one can expect to suffer the consequences of unsound and unwise choices.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not
under the law, but under grace.
When God put Adam on the earth, God gave Adam total freedom to serve
him. Essentially what he said to Adam was I want you to be my regent in the earth. But, he gave him responsibility:
‘Adam, you can freely eat of all the trees of the garden.
But of the tree
which is in the midst of the Garden,
God said, ‘with your free will, you need
not sin [there’s the responsibility
to not sin] against me.
Then God said, ‘in the day that thou eat thereof, thou
shall surely die. There’s the consequence.
That is life as a human being. You
have freedom with responsibility, and consequences—whether good or bad. You
can actually do good things and get the good benefit as a grace believer. In your freedom, you are allowed to do evil
things, but you get the evil consequences.
Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God
is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Again, that is grace: God’s riches at Christ’s expense; it’s freedom
[as opposed to bondage].
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
(This makes me think of prisoners—people incarcerated in prison. That prison is to show them that their
morality is ‘dead.’ Prisoners can’t be out in society anymore. What put them there is bad morality.)
When Christ says “free,” he says Whom the Son sets free is free in deed [John 8:36 KJB]. As you grow in Christ, you become more and
more free. As your morals get worse (as
in making wrong decisions/choices), you start to be more in bondage of
sin. But, as you grow in Christ, the
bondage of sin comes off you and you have more freedom. That is what God wants; he wants to free you
up through the grace message (that message given to the Apostle Paul to give to
us in this present disposition).
Ephesians 3:3-4
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for
you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is
given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery;
(as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge
in the mystery of Christ)
As you grow in Christ, your life will be more free—in spirit, soul and
body—to allow Christ to live out his purpose through you.
Galatians 2:19-20
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might
live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray
God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hopefully this helps!
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