Grace, a Divine Influence

 

Transition is painful because transition is change, and we do not take to change very readily! Our newly born-again spirit has a desire for change and to bring glory to our Lord; but the carnal man or the unrenewed areas of our mind and the flesh or body/old-life habits are hard to die (Rom.7:7-25/8:1-39). Most if not all our resistance to change is found in this part of our life, which makes the devil's job very easy in overcoming the believer concerning spiritual growth and change. “Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” Heb.12:11. Always keep in mind, that true spiritual growth and development takes time, patience, pressure, and pain! These things are the fruits of righteousness; or rather, the fruits of the Work of the Spirit of God within the inner-man/ inner-life of those who believe! “…Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” Phil.2:12-13 (This is a Work of the Spirit). Most Christians are looking for a quick fix or simple answers to these important questions concerning sanctification and transformation. When the Bible speaks about the overcomer, the key characteristic found in those who overcome is endurance or perseverance. “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it”.  Num 13:30; Deut.3:18; Matt.11:12; Rev.21:7; 2 Tim.4:3; 2 Thess.1:4; Mark 4:17; 13:13; James 1:12; Heb.6:9-12; 2 Pet.1:3-4, 9-12. To overcome means to prevail over; to subdue and to conquer; to get the victory over it! ”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”, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you”, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live”, “…but they that are after the Spirit (do mind or put their mind on) the things of the Spirit” Rom.6:6; 8:5, 11; 13.

Unity

The real truth about unity is that if one is out of order it throws us all in a tail spin where it concerns God's perfect will. We cannot divorce ourselves from the Body of Christ because it is a spiritual reality! This means that all of us have and will fall short of God's glory where it concerns unity! So, long-suffering, mercy and grace, and prayer will go a very long way to bridge the gap where sins of all sorts have brought offences and division! All sin dilutes and weakens our unity; even the lack of love, faith, and hope will cause and create a break-down in unity! There are as well other factors that play a part in disorder and disunity. Paul’s statement in the word of God that he was the chief of sinners is less a humble statement and more a personal spiritual reality found within his own fallen human condition! To whom much is given, much more is required of that man/person. Paul could see and understand (2 Cor.12:1-13) the depth of his own sin and personal fallen human condition; thus the greater need for grace (His undeserved favor) and abiding (continuing) in the Lord Jesus Christ who is our personal righteousness and sanctification (I Cor.1:24, 30). It is no wonder that Paul was considered the Apostle of Grace and the most successful fruit producing and Holy Spirit Manifesting Apostle of His day! The message of God's Grace given to Paul was a head of its time! Today the Church is still trying to catch-up with this man's insight, revelation, illumination, and understanding of the Sovereignty of His Divine Grace (Eph.3:1-21). Even the Apostle Peter was greatly influenced by the message and ministry of Paul when speaking on the Manifold Grace of God (I Pet.4:10/2 Pet.3:15-18). The Power of God is found in personally identifying with Christ’s Righteousness and Sanctification as our own; and forsaking ourselves to Him entirely without reservation and without bringing along for the ride any trust whatsoever we might have in our own strength and ability to work-out and walk-out this Salvation or Christian life!

Opinions are many and real answers to real problems are few! Why? Because the Church has chosen to live by principles, without first choosing a daily individual and personal relationship/walk with the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:6; Eph.2:15; Col.2:14; Heb.9:1, 10). The OT Jew did this by keeping the Law and yet utterly failed in their relationship with the Living God! “But now we are delivered from the law (principles), that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter”, “Do we then make void the law (principles) through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (To establish in the Old English means to settle or fulfill permanently) Rom.3:31; 7:6; Heb.8:6-13. Today, just prior to the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church is making the same mistakes as National Israel during Christ's First Advent! WE ARE NO LONGER ABIDING IN CHRIST; BUT RATHER, ABIDING IN PRINCIPLES! Real answers to real problems are found in the revelations and manifestations of the Spirit and/or in the revelations of the mysteries of the life and person of the Lord Jesus Christ! The gifts, ministries, and fruit of the Spirit of Christ are given to the Church for the purpose of edifying and building up the Body of Christ into a holy habitation for God’s Glory to permanently reside (The spiritual gifts/graces, the ministry gifts/graces and fruit of the Spirit (a Work of His Divine Grace) are the supernatural life and service of the Body of Christ within the Church: I Cor.12:1-28; Eph.4:1-16; Gal.5:13-26; Eph.3:1-21). These things are just some of those things which the Bible calls the fellowship of the mystery of God’s eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord before the world began! To co-operate in, by, and with these things, the gifts, ministries, and fruit of the Spirit, is to begin to enter into and fellowship with the unsearchable riches of His Divine Grace (Eph.3:8-11).

The application of biblical principles has its place; but to neglect these spiritual graces, ministries graces, and fruit of the Spirit (Manifestations of the Grace of God) will reduce the Body of Christ to a mere system of man and dependence on the works of the flesh. This is why every believer has received a gift and a ministry and called to bear the fruit of the character of Christ! The voice of God and the will of God can and will be realized through the operation of these supernatural gifts, ministries, and fruit! The growth of personal spiritual fruit resulting from the Work of the Spirit within the inner-life of the believer is what makes hearing that small still voice possible! Adherence to mere principles is not enough! The hour that has come upon us will not allow us to trust in this system of man any longer if we are to survive! Trusting in and applying God's Principles apart from abiding in Christ and being led by His Holy Spirit has caused the Church to fall short and fail the great commission; and in some cases have changed the Message of the Gospel and the Ministry of the Church altogether! Pressing into Christ and abiding in the TRUE VINE and not neglecting the principles of God found in His Holy Writ in this time is absolutely imperative for true personal individual believing faith to survive! I do not want to make it sound as if I am taking anything away from the word of God the Bible! But how we understand and approach His word is all important to this question of what it means to walk after the Spirit! The Jews in the days of Jesus on earth and their approach to God and His word proved vital in understanding how one can search the scriptures for truth and life, yet at the same time miss all of these things entirely! “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent him ye believe not. 

And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” John 5:37-40. This applies to both Salvation (Justification) and Sanctification. To abide in Christ is as well a call to abide or continue in His Word: to be still meditate on God's Word waiting for God to answer! It is not information we are after but illumination and revelation! Information serves a purpose; but in and of itself is incomplete and lacks true spiritual power! The Church is always learning and yet not able to come to the knowledge of the truth: and the answers they give to real-life problems lack true deliverance and provide little freedom!

Balance

The KEY to teaching Bible Doctrine and as well to the application of all Biblical Principles is BALANCE! We need each other, and we need each one to walk with God! As we the Body of Christ supply those things that we receive from Christ as a member in particular; we as well are supplied by one another in the same! This is exactly how the Body of Christ ought to function. Only when the Church humbles herself and places her utter dependency on the Living God alone for edification and direction, will PRIDE that now exists within the Church system of man be forever cancelled out! Only than will one fear to speak for God unless they know it is God who is speaking! One of the biggest problems with the teachings on Grace is the lack of true spiritual balance. In the first century two extremes existed within the teachings and teachers of the early Church experience. Some, Identified as Jews, accepted the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, but had a major problem with the provision and message of God’s pure Grace. They continually found a need to add some work or some effort on the part of the believer to ensure HOLINESS (Acts 15:1-28 ,8-11, 19, 21:20; Gal.2:1-9; 3:1-14). The message of God’s Pure Grace which the Apostle Paul preached Identified entirely with the finished redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross “…Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God… But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord” I Cor.1:24, 30-31. These who hold to some doctrine, which adds to God’s provision of GRACE find themselves striving to work to please God and continually earn His favor; rather than, receiving God’s provision of grace as complete for salvation and sanctification, and yielding to the Work of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who labors within to bring the believer into the full perfection of Jesus Christ (The transformation of the believer; and/or the maturation of the bride/the manifestation of the sons of God or the maturing of sons). “And ye are complete in him…” Col.2:10.

The need to abide in the Vine is the key to receiving the full provision of God’s pure Grace! Only when we continue in Jesus Christ daily, will we have the necessary grace to co-operate with the Work of the Spirit bringing the believer into Christ’s full perfection (John 15:1-17). Personal holiness is not personal striving, effort, strength, or accomplishment! Now holiness is a personal matter; but no matter how hard we try to be holy, holiness is a fruit of the Spirit, and the fruits of His (Christ’s) righteousness! Righteousness is a free gift of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and sanctification (Rom.5:15-21; 2 Cor.5:21; Heb.10:14). It is true that one could lose their place in the Vine if they do not continue in Jesus Christ (Rom.11:11-24); but Continuing in the Vine is not a matter of Striving but yielding! Those who seek to be justified or be received of God through personal holiness by human means or effort will inevitably fall from grace or fall short of the grace of God (Gal.2:16-21; 2 Cor.6:1-2; Heb.12:15). On the other hand, there are many who preach an irresponsible and incomplete message of God’s grace! The Apostle Paul questioned those who believed they had received the provision of God’s grace with this statement: Now that we are under grace should we continue in sin? God forbid! Now that we have been baptized into Christ: sin no longer has dominion over us! The old-man is crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we might walk with a brand new life (Rom.6:1-23). Many in the early Church preached the grace of God irresponsibly as a license to free-living! A freedom or liberty without accountability to the word of God! These preach a message of grace free of striving; but fail to teach the people to yield and to abide in the Vine! This was a major problem found not in the Jewish Christian Church, but in the Gentile Christian Church (Jude 1-25; 2 Pet.2:1-22; Acts 17:22-34; I Cor.6:1-11; Col.3:1-17; Heb.10:26-31). The Gentile Christian Church was predominantly Greek speaking and influenced by a Greek way of living. Most new converts to Christ in the early Gentile Church were Greeks having little or no knowledge of the Laws of God concerning HOLINESS. As a result many Gentiles saw the message of His Grace attractive; but had no interest in changing their personal lifestyles. This incomplete message of the gospel of His grace was very popular in the early Church, especially among the Gentile Converts. These could believe in Christ for salvation; but at the same time continue to live in personal ambition, lust, and greed. This is why we find so many of Paul’s Epistles to the Gentile Christian Church confronting the personal lifestyles of believers. See, holiness is not you, but Him; but you have to yield to Him to bear the fruit of holiness! Hebrews calls it the “…peaceable fruit of righteousness…” Heb.12:11. It is God who writes His ways and laws on the hearts and minds of His people as a Work of the Spirit in Sanctification. There is a stark contrast between the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit of His holiness, and the works of the flesh, human effort or human strivings! Holiness is not a work of man, but a work of God! Holiness is not a work but a fruit! The work of His Grace in our lives starts out as a Divine influence upon the heart! Everything in God where it concerns the believer begins and ends with His Divine Grace impacting and working secretly and powerfully within those who yield and obey. This is why the Apostle Paul charged the believers under Timothy’s care to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1).