rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
The secret to Christian life is God's Spirit - called the Holy Spirit - living inside our heart. Without Him, Christian life doesn't work. We can try all our lives to be good Christians by ourselves, but we will fail. God's standards are too high. God has designed Christian life to work only by the power of the Holy Spirit working on the inside, helping us to live up to God's standard.
The Bible uses a very special word for this inner power - "GRACE". Grace means God doing what we can't do yourselves. God's grace is God's energizing power in our lives, working from the inside out.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
This is a beautiful example of God's grace. We didn't deserve to be "saved". In fact, the Bible says we deserved to be judged for sin. But God's grace saved us from that judgment, because of God's love and mercy. When the Holy Spirit brought us to birth into God's family, that was His grace in action. But grace didn't just stop there. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men".
"It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age," (Titus 2:11-12).
The "Grace Factor" is the secret to our whole lives with God. It is God energizing us to live a life that pleases Him. Not just every now and again, but every day.
As we walk with God each day, we constantly meet new trials of our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). Our response to God is faith, which is believing what God's word says despite what the circumstances might indicate. God's response to our faith is His grace.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).
Like Paul, we too can discover the daily outworking of God's grace in the midst of our weakness and inability.
"...My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9).
The Bible uses a very special word for this inner power - "GRACE". Grace means God doing what we can't do yourselves. God's grace is God's energizing power in our lives, working from the inside out.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
This is a beautiful example of God's grace. We didn't deserve to be "saved". In fact, the Bible says we deserved to be judged for sin. But God's grace saved us from that judgment, because of God's love and mercy. When the Holy Spirit brought us to birth into God's family, that was His grace in action. But grace didn't just stop there. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men".
"It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age," (Titus 2:11-12).
The "Grace Factor" is the secret to our whole lives with God. It is God energizing us to live a life that pleases Him. Not just every now and again, but every day.
As we walk with God each day, we constantly meet new trials of our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). Our response to God is faith, which is believing what God's word says despite what the circumstances might indicate. God's response to our faith is His grace.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).
Like Paul, we too can discover the daily outworking of God's grace in the midst of our weakness and inability.
"...My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9).
