Grace Part 48: Final Encouragement

If you have followed this Grace study from Part 1 to now, you have learned what God’s grace is, how it has come to us, that you are a new creation in Christ, His LIFE is now your LIFE, how to renew your mind and tear down the strongholds that the flesh relies on, you’ve begun discovering how your flesh’s self-sufficiency developed, its specific characteristics and the ways it manifests. Now it’s time to be a doer.

A good place to start is with:  2 Corinthians 10:5 (NASB) “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

Grace is not an excuse to be passive. Walking in the Spirit is not doing nothing. In fact, the REST we have been brought into for our salvation is to be diligently entered. (Hebrews 4:11 (NASB) “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.”)

The following verses would be good to begin meditating on and letting them do their work in renewing your mind:

Romans 5:15, 17-19

Romans 6:1-6

Romans 12:1-2

I Corinthians 15:3-4, 22

Galatians 2:20

Ephesians 2:4-6

Colossians 3:3-4

I Thessalonians 5:23

I John 5:11, 12, 20

This ends the Grace Study notes. I recommend you review it from the beginning. Remember, faith comes by hearing, present tense. You are invited to join our class if you are in the Denver, Colorado area. Email me at p.sharon6873@gmail.com for details and dates of the next session.

I strongly recommend you attend the Grace Life Conferences, Grace Life Workshop and Exchanged Life Advance Training. Exchanged Life Ministries, 7350 E Progress Pl #206, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303-770-5433, www.elmco.org Email: info@elmco.org

Thank you for following my blog. I do pray it has been a blessing to your spiritual walk and enlarged your relationship with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB) “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

Bibliography and Additional Resources List

The Normal Christian Life, by Watchman Nee (Christian Literature Crusade)

Classic Christianity, Life Too Short to Miss the Real Thing, by Bob George (Harvest House Publishing, 1989)

The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, by Hannah Whitall Smith (Spire, Revell Publishing, 2012)

The Rest of the Gospel (When the Partial Gospel Has Worn You Out), by Dan Stone (Harvest House Publishing, 2000)

The Green Letters, Principles of Spiritual Growth, by Miles J. Stanford (Zondervan Pub, 1975)

Handbook to Happiness, by Dr. Charles Solomon

The Bondage Breaker, by Neil T. Anderson, (Harvest House Publishing, 2000)

The Grace Awakening, by Charles R. Swindoll, (Word Publishing, Dallas, TX, 1990)

In the Grip of Grace, Max Lucado, (W Publishing Group, Nashville, TN, 2004)

The Grace and The Glory of God, by Dr. Ray Charles Jarman, (Logos International, Plainfield, NJ, 1968)

Amazing Grace, by Dr. James M. Boice, (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, IL, 1993)

When You’re Tired of Giving It All You’ve Got…Growing in Grace, by Bob George, (Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 1991)

Spiritual Burnout, When Doing All You Can…Isn’t Enough, by Malcolm Smith, (Honor Div. Harrison House, Inc, Tulsa, OK, 1988)

How People Grow, by Drs. Townsend and Cloud, (Zondervan, Detroit, MI, 2001)

Good News For the Believer, Resting in Our Identity in Christ by Sharon Mahoney, (Denver, CO, River of Life Publishers, 1994)

He Will Give You Another Helper, by Marilyn Hickey, (Harrison House, Tulsa, OK, 2001)

Renovation of the Heart, Putting on the Character of Christ, by Dallas Willard, (Nav Press, Colorado Springs, CO, 2002)

The Place of Immunity, by Francis Frangipane (Arrow Publishing, Cedar Rapids, IA, 1994)

Abide in Christ, by Andrew Murray, (Christian Literature Crusade, Ft. Washington, PA, 1974)

Freedom From a Self-Centered Life/Dying to Self, by Andrew Murray, (Bethany House, Minn. MN 1977)

Sovereign Grace: Its Source, Its Nature and Its Effects, by Dwight L Moody, (Fleming Revell CO, Chicago, 2011)

Destined to Reign: The Secret to Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living, by Joseph Prince, (Harrison House Publishers, Tulsa, OK, 2010)

The Salvation of the Soul, by Watchman Nee, (Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc, New York)

Grace Part 38: Walking After the Spirit

Let’s look again at Romans 8:5–13 (NASB) “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.⁹ However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.¹² So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

There is a great contrast between living according to the Spirit versus living according to the flesh. Each is focused on opposite things: The Spirit is set on life and peace, the flesh on death. There’s hostility between the two. Those living according to the flesh cannot please God. But those who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

Liberty from the Flesh -Walking After the Spirit!

The book of Galatians also deals with this subject and particularly chapter five.

Galatians 5:1 (NASB) “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

In Christ Jesus, we now have liberty from the law of sin and death, but to walk in that liberty, we will have to refuse to walk in the flesh and instead, continue daily to make right choices by the Spirit. In Chapter 5, Paul makes it clear we must choose between walking by the Spirit or falling from Grace back into living according to the flesh, our self-sufficiency.

Galatians 5:16–25 (NASB) “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.¹⁷ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,²¹ envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

From this we can know what is of the Spirit and what is of the flesh by the fruit each produces:

The Spirit’s Fruit (evident presence):

Walking by the Spirit is set against the flesh.  Led by the Spirit, we aren’t under the Law. The following are produced: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,    gentleness, self-control. Not under Law and results in crucified flesh!

But living after the flesh will not carry out the Spirit’s desires because the flesh is set against the Spirit. The deeds of the flesh (its fruit) are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissension’s, factions, carousing, etc.  This does not inherit the kingdom of God (righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit).

If we live (have Life) by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit, also.

NASB | ‎Ga 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

We let HIM live through us, live as us. People see us in human form but they see HIM living through us. HIS LIFE in us lives above the line!! We live seated in heavenly places. We live victorious. We live as HE lived on the earth, walking by the Spirit, walking in love, in peace and joy. We’ll need to renew our minds to this so we remember in the stress to trust Him and wait on Him for His ways so we can walk after His Spirit.

Grace Part 26: Law Living vs Grace Living

The following is a paraphrase from Lee LeFebre’s teaching on the Law Operating System from Exchanged Life Advance Training by permission. (Exchanged Life Ministry)

The scriptures verses referred to are: Romans 7:5; Romans 2:1-2; Romans 2:17-24; Galatians 3:1-3; Galatians 5:19-21

There’s a Law Operating System’s goal is for us to perfect ourselves. We’re motivated initially to receive acceptance so we will be loved, but subsequently to avoid the pain of failure, rejection, and punishment. The method is by achievement, powered by the flesh. The result is “fruit for death.”

Romans 7:5 (NASB) “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.” 
What are sinful passions: pride, anger, rebellion, selfishness, greed, lust, deception, lying, hypocrisy, boosting, envy, coveting, gossip, blame, hate, slander, revenge, and murder.
And what are the fruit for death (those things that weaken us): guilt, condemnation, regret, shame, fear, anxiety, despair, depression, psychosis, exhaustion, estrangement, feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, inferiority, instability, uselessness, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, unloved.
The Flesh resorts to solutions like escapism, more laws (disciplines), more punishment, to try harder, threats, religiosity (fear, guilt, punishment) or redefining deviancy.

The Law Operating System is one of achievement. But there’s another operating system, one out of Grace, that is a receiving system. Let’s look at it.
Grace Operating System
Scripture verses: Romans 5:17; 9:30-33; 10:1-4; Phil. 3:9; Galatians 2:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Matt. 5:48; Hebrews 7:11, 19; 10:14
There’s a Grace Operating System whose goal is still perfection. We’re motivated initially by the failure, death, and despair (of the Law system), but subsequently to receive acceptance, love and freedom. The method is by receiving Grace as a gift, powered by the spirit. The result is “fruit for God”.

Fruit for God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, brotherly love, devotion to one another, love without hypocrisy. These result in Good Works Toward Man as seen in Romans 12:10-21; 13:1-7: brotherly love, preferring others, meet needs, hospitality, rejoice with, weep with, same mind, humble and lowly, no revenge, be at peace, leave to God, feed enemy, give others a drink, overcome evil with good, be subject to authority, and render what is due.

Bottom line, living under the Law Operating System results in living by the flesh and the flesh only produces death. But receiving Grace as the gift that it is, and living in its operating system will always result in producing the fruit of the spirit, fruit for God and good works toward others.

Remember Jesus statement of what God expects of us: to be perfect as our Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48). The only way to be perfect, is to receive it as the gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus. The soul and the body are the source of the flesh, trying to make perfect decisions, thoughts, speech and action to score achievement, but it always bears fruit for death. God solved the dilemma of Romans 7:5. Forget the soul and body as the source. Instead look to the spirit. Put Christ’s Life in the spirit and give us the New Grace System. If you haven’t yet, are you ready to change operating systems.

Part 22: Three Part Salvation in Grace Exchange

In Adam’s fall, all three parts of man were affected. All three parts are redeemed in the exchange. The Fall caused the ideal relationship with God and ideal makeup of man, the spirit in control, the soul serving the spirit and directing the body in association with other human beings and with our physical world, to be radically changed, so that our salvation is three part and progressive.

The Spirit is reborn immediately and reconciles us to God so He may indwell and fill us.
II Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come.” We are new in Christ, with His LIFE living in us, and in that, have been made the righteousness of God in Christ, and many more wonderful attributes & benefits in Christ.

The Soul is put back into its original purpose of being the “joint,” the go-between, carrying and interpreting our spirit’s intents to the body. However, it was not immediately changed and needs to be “sozo’d” saved. The mind needs to be transformed by renewal through the Word, renewed to the new reality of this new life.
James 1:21 “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” 
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is…”
Hebrews 10:39 “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NASB) “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

The Body is made your slave unto God through the soul’s renewal and your choice to present your body to God as an instrument of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:12–23 (NASB) deals with the body so let’s look at it verse by verse.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts… You reign – not sin!
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Even weapons.
14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. Dead to sin, not your master!
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Choose who you will obey!
17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, The teaching of the exchanged life and your union in Christ.
18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Past tense, “you became.”
19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. As we present our member as slaves to righteousness, we are sanctified (ongoing).
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (past tense)
21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. GREAT QUESTION – ANSWER: NONE!!
22-23 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now our benefit of being enslaved to God is sanctification and HIS LIFE. YES & AMEN
Romans 12:1 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” 
And one day your Body will be completely transformed into a new spiritual body.
Romans 8:23 NASB “And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”
I Cor 15:51-54 “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed…”
Philippians 3:2, “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

Part 20: It’s a Real Good Thing

The following song “Real Good Thing” was written and sung by the Newsboys. If you want to hear them sing it, the link is at the bottom of this page. But I want you to read the words because they have caught the meaning of this Grace Exchange we’ve been talking about.
REAL GOOD THING (1994, Ariose Music) Lyrics by Steve Taylor & Peter Furler
“When we don’t get what we deserve – that’s a real good thing. When we get what we don’t deserve, that’s a real good thing. Born to sin and then get caught, all our good deeds don’t mean squat, sell the Volvo, shred the Visa, send the cash to Ma Teresa. Great idea, the only catch is – you don’t get saved on merit badges. When we don’t get what we deserve – that’s a real good thing. When we get what we don’t deserve that’s a real good thing, Doctor’s coming, looking grim, do you have a favorite hymn? Check your balance through the years, all accounts are in arrears. Guilt is bitter, Grace is sweet. Park it here on the mercy seat, When we don’t get what we deserve – that’s a real good thing. When we get what we don’t deserve that’s a real good thing”

Let’s review the main points of the Grace exchange:

A short sighted view of the Cross is that it proves God’s love for us and provides us forgiveness, but these alone are not enough to fix us.

Two lives needed to be exchanged. In Adam, the psuche life, the self-life, sin nature ruled with a dead spirit meant the soul & body had to create ways to cope with life. This coping is the flesh life.  In Christ, we receive Zoe life, a life ruled by Christ and a life that reigns.

Romans 6:1-11 tells us we were united with Christ in His crucifixion and is the reason we no longer live in sin even with grace abounding. There was a great exchange at the cross; what was in the temporal is exchanged for what is in the eternal. To be baptized into Christ at the cross brought us into union with Him, puts us in Him. With Him we were crucified, died, buried, resurrected, raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places. This is not just a declared thing or a cover, this is an actual reality for us we believe!
Romans 6:2 “We who died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?” We are not who we once were. The past is past at last!

What does that mean for us personally? Well, let’s just take the Ten Commandments for example. Don’t have other gods before Him, don’t make idols, don’t profane His name, keep the Sabbath (don’t be a workaholic), honor your father and your mother, don’t take another’s life, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, and last but first to be broken, don’t covet. You don’t have to break all of them; you just have to break one of the commands to be guilty of the whole law. James 2:10 (NASB) “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” Ouch! Before I was born-again in my mid 20’s, I had broken ALL of these. This is not new news to those who have been in my classes. I’ve confessed this for years. And it is the very reason why the message of Grace and this great exchange is so precious to me!

“When we don’t get what we deserve – that’s a real good thing. When we get what we don’t deserve that’s a real good thing”

Part 17: More on The Great Exchange

Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”
Why was the Blood Shed? ___________  If you said for forgiveness of our sins you would be right. But what if I told you that forgiveness of sins was not enough to cure us who were born in Adam?
Hebrews 9:27, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”
In His great wisdom, God knew we were totaled, completely ruined and needed a new beginning. The life of the old “man” had to be done away with and life for a new man furnished in its place. Let’s take a closer look at the need for this.

There are two different Greek words for “life” used in the passages we are going to look at here. The word psuche, though translated “life” here, usually is the Greek word for “soul.” The other word, Zoe, is always translated “life” and many times “eternal life.” It is speaking of the God kind of life we have been given in our spirit at our new birth.
Matt. 10:38-39, “And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life (psuche) shall lose it, and he who has lost his life (psuche), for My sake, shall find it. He who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me.” (Repeated in Matt. 16:25-26; Mark 8:35-36; Luke 9:24)
A psuche life is a life controlled by the soul as referred to above and in this next verse:
Matthew 6:25, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life (psuche), as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Jesus spoke of His own psuche in John 10:10, “I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down His life (psuche) for the sheep.” He expresses what should be done with the psuche: It is to be laid down or lost .

John 12:23-28, “And Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life (psuche) loses it; and he who hates (wants to be separated from) his life (psuche) in this world shall keep it to life eternal (ZOE). If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me, and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. Now My soul (psuche) has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’ But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. There came therefore a voice out of heaven: ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’”

In contrast, Zoe life is eternal life, God’s kind of life. It is the Spirit-born, Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled life. Look at the following scriptures on this kind of life.
John 1:4, “In him was Life (Zoe) and the life (zoe) was the light of men.”
John 3:15-16; 36, “…that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life (Zoe)…He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life (zoe); and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life (zoe); but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life (zoe) and that they might have it more abundantly.”
We are going to look at covenant making shortly but there is one point I must mention here. The key principle of covenant making is the exchange of everything: All that is mine becomes yours…all that is yours becomes mine. In light of exchange read the following from Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:4–12 (NASB) “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
The Great Exchange of Isaiah 53 included the following:
In Adam we were:
Spiritually Dead
Ruled by the power of Sin & Condemnation
In Sickness
In Poverty
Foolish
But in exchange, now In Christ we have:
Eternal Life
Righteousness & Justification
Healing and Health
Provision
Wisdom

What a deal? God took all the bad stuff in Adam and gave us all the good stuff in Christ! That is Grace!

Part 14: Common & Saving Grace

Common Grace from God comes to all peoples regardless of their belief in Him. It is His goodness poured out to all mankind daily.

Matt 5:44-48 “But I say to you,, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax gatherers do the same?  And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Let’s read Paul’s Sermon to the Gentiles at Lystra from Acts 14:15-17:

Acts 14:15-17 “…and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.16 “And in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Paul’s Sermon to the Athenians:

Acts 17:24-27 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is he served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him though He is not far from each one of us..”

From these verses how many things can you name which are commonly sent to all peoples out of God’s common Grace?

Isaiah 26:10 Though the wicked is shown favor (Grace – from chen), He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the Lord.

Here are some questions to think about concerning God’s common Grace:

With such favor extended, such good things freely given to the wicked, why can’t they see the goodness of God? Why don’t they repent and turn to Him? Do you remember any common Graces coming to you before you were born again that did not lead you to God?  Do you remember what you thought about those things at the time?

Saving Grace

There is a specific type of Grace which is sent to save Man. Salvation by Grace was unknown until Jesus came to earth. Saving Grace must be discussed in the context of the New Testament revelation, which was preached by and recorded in scripture by the Apostle Paul. In fact, the message of salvation by Grace was the gospel God entrusted to Paul. Before Grace and faith, people looked to the Law and the Prophets for salvation. These two very different means of salvation, “Keeping the Law” or “Through Grace by Faith” will be contrasted here. It is because of the difference of these two belief systems that most Christians, knowingly or more often, unknowingly struggle in their walk.

Many believers find it difficult to remain in relationship with God by Grace and to rest in the finished work of Christ. They are often “bewitched” (Gal 3:1) into being perfected by keeping the Law, which is legalism. On the other hand, some believers stop at initial Grace and never grow in holiness because they only understand freedom from the Law. The fullness of Saving Grace is not appropriated in their life for change. This is known as antinomianism. As we study Grace we will learn how to grow in Grace and continue by the Spirit into perfection.

There are a few very important words we must come to understand at this point before we continue. The study of Soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, involves a basic understanding of several key terms. Use whatever means you have at hand to find definitions to the following terms:

Sin: _____________________________________________________________________

Salvation: _________________________________________________________________

Condemnation: ____________________________________________________________

Justification: ______________________________________________________________

Alienation: ________________________________________________________________

Righteousness (or Right Standing) ____________________________________________

Identification or Union with Christ: ____________________________________________

Sanctification: _____________________________________________________________

“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thess. 2:13)

“Now may the God of peace (salvation, wholeness) Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit, soul and body be reserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:23)

I know I made you do all the work today but I knew you would learn so much by looking these words up yourself. These are the key words having to do with our salvation. In lessons ahead, you will see how God answered His own requirements through Grace.

Part 13: What Is Grace Anyway?

The simplest definition given for Grace is “unmerited favor.” But that has extensive meaning theologically and even more important, experientially.

The following explanation of the Greek word for Grace, charis, comes from the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. It reports that the word is translated into English as gracious, gratifying, of manner or act, abstract or concrete; literal, figural or spiritual, especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude: acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, Grace, gracious, joy, liberality, pleasure, thank, thanks, thankworthy.

The following scriptures show how this word is used in the New Testament:
Favor: Luke 1:30 “…for thou hast found favor with God…”
Gracious: Luke 4:22 “…wondered at the gracious words which…”
Thank: Luke 6:32 “…what thank have ye?”
Thanks: I Cor 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory”
Liberality: I Cor 16:3 “…to bring your liberality to Jerusalem…”
Benefit: II Cor 1:15 “…that ye might have a second benefit…”
Gift: II Cor 8:4 “…that we would receive the gift, and…”
Acceptable: I Peter 2:20 “…this is acceptable with God.”

The Old Testament uses the Hebrew word chen (Strongs 2603) in the Septuagint. It too is translated graciousness, kindness, favor, Grace, pleasant, and precious. This is the Hebrew word that equals the New Testament Greek word for Grace, meaning unmerited favor. It is used only fifteen times in the Old Testament for that which comes from God as we looked at in the post.

Moses appealed to God’s Grace nature in Exodus 33:12-17 where he used the word chen five times to approach God. I find it interesting that the writer of the Law appealed to God’s Grace when he drew near and wanted to know Him better.
Exodus 33:11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.

The following scriptures demonstrate how chen was also used in the Old Testament:
Genesis 6:8 Noah found favor (chen); Gen. 19:19 Lot found favor; Judges 6:17 Gideon was favored; Psalm 45:1-2; Psalm 84:11; Prov. 3:34; Prov. 22:11

This word really demonstrates the idea of unmerited favor in the following prophetic verses that speak of God’s salvation of Israel in the end time:

Jeremiah 31:1-5 “At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people. Thus, says the Lord, the people who survived the sword found Grace in the wilderness…Israel, when it went to find its rest. The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Again, I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, A virgin of Israel! Again, you shall take up your tambourines, and go forth to the dances of the merrymakers… Again, you shall plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; The planters shall plant and shall enjoy them…”

Zechariah 4:6-7 “Then he answered and said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of ‘Grace, Grace to it!’”

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born.”

God’s Grace poured out upon Jerusalem enables them to look longingly and beseechingly toward their pierced King. God’s Grace will result in Israel’s seeing Jesus as someone of infinite beauty. His goodness enables them to repent.

The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of Grace” in Hebrews 10:29, a title no doubt inspired by this reference in Zechariah. Also (2 Cor. 12:9) (khar-ece); Strong’s #5485: From the same root as chara, “joy,” and chairo, “to rejoice.” causes rejoicing. It is the word for God’s Grace extended to sinful man. It signifies unmerited favor, undeserved blessing, a free gift.

If you have not had a revelation of God’s Grace, His unmerited favor, or we would say, “His being for you, on your side,” stop here and pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to this heart of the Father. Ask Him to dispel all the lies the enemy has told you about God’s nature and His attitude toward you. And like Moses, ask God to reveal His true nature to you right now.

Part 12: Saved by Grace Through Faith

Ephesians 2:1-3:”And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

The separation from God by man’s sin has been described as a great chasm set between us that had to be bridged to reconcile us to God. Man was totally incapable and had nothing in himself to bridge that chasm. The only one who could bridge that chasm was God. It is here that we meet the word GRACE in its essential meaning.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by Grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Grace is first of all God’s attitude toward us. He favors us and does good toward us not because we deserve it, for indeed we deserve condemnation from such a Holy God, but all because Grace is His very nature. He is Love. He is gracious and compassionate.

Grace is the very means by which God has saved us unto Himself and out of our “totaled” condition. Grace is what God extends to us to cover the past, present and future. It has been extended individually to each of us for salvation and corporately to fallen mankind, to all who will believe. It historically has been, is and always will be extended to me, and you, individually as we trust and depend on Him.

Eph. 2:4-7 continues, But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by Grace you have been saved) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His Grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

There is a crisis between God’s holiness and His graciousness and we must never think that forgiveness was cheap. Punishment had to be paid for the condemnation of sin against every man. Someone had to die to pay the debt. Because He loves us so greatly and wishes to have fellowship with Man, rather than destroy him, God chose to pay it Himself and extend Grace to reconcile us to Himself.

I could do nothing to save myself. The word for this is depravity. The only thing fallen man has left to do is the ability to choose to respond to God’s Grace. In God’s wisdom of creating us He placed in us free will. The will of fallen man stands between a dead (separated from God) spirit, a sin-ruled, selfish, in-control soul that is at enmity with God and a body under the rule of the power of sin. The dead spirit longs to be restored to its life source and have fellowship with God but is unable to do anything about it. The will acts like a judge hearing a case. It receives input from both sides and decides in favor of the side with the strongest case.

We may collect information about God, our lost condition, and Jesus, our Savior, for a long time in our life before we actually act on it. Some receive sooner than others. Some hear the Gospel and the word of God preached early in their lives which prepares their heart to believe. Then at the moment we are finally willing to receive salvation, the Spirit of God gives the gift of faith, enabling us to respond with faith. When we are enabled with faith, we then can receive new life.

Faith is what I receive with; it is how I respond to Him for what He has done: extended His Grace to reconcile me to Himself. Even faith to respond and receive is a Gift (charis, the same Greek word used for Grace) from God. So our reconciliation is something God desires, planned for, longs for, initiates and makes possible. His love for us is so beyond our comprehension. How many of us would, for a moment, even consider making the ultimate sacrifice for someone who hates us and fights against us. “But God, being rich in mercy,..” It is His very nature to love us and be gracious to us. He is love and cannot but love us. Someone has said He cannot love you more than He always has and He cannot love you less, because He is LOVE.

Part 11: Introducing Grace

Scripture Reading: Romans 5

Romans 5:1–2 (NASB) 1 THEREFORE having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Let’s look at the meaning of the highlighted words here:
Justified (Strong’s #1344) dikaioo (from dikaiosyne)– simplest definition is to pardon, acquit. Also: justify, vindicate, treat as just, pronounce or treat as righteous, make or set free from. Justified and made righteous are closely related, synonyms of each other. Justified here means to have received by faith forgiveness and a pardon for the due punishment of our sins, past present and future, those sins having been paid for by Jesus death on the cross. As we go along from here, we are going to become aware that forgiveness and justification are only one side of the cross, the side that deals with our sins. Justification is then the benefit received from the blood Jesus shed on the cross.

Faith (#4102) pistis – meaning conviction of truth, belief, a firm persuasion, to trust in and have reliance upon. In the above verse, it means a conviction, belief, a reliance upon the shed blood of Christ being the payment for all my sins, past, present and future, that has made it possible for God to pardon me, acquit me, justify me.

Peace (#1515) Eirene – (from eiro, meaning: to join) meaning peace and implying prosperity, but more importantly meaning one, to set at one again, quietness, and rest. I think we often come short of the real meaning of the phrase “peace with God” because we think of it in worldly terms instead of its biblical meaning. The world thinks of peace as the absence of hostilities, war, and conflict, with a sort of “cold war” mentality. But the peace we have with God through Jesus’ shed blood is more like our historical relationship with England. At one time, we were enemies, rebels to England, declaring and fighting for our independence. But in a similar way that our relationship with God has come to peace, the US is now an ally, joined with England and at peace.

God demonstrated and proved His Grace while we were in Adam, living according to the flesh, rebels, fighting to be independent while yet trying to earn His favor through our own effort. GRACE was always there for us. When faith came and we believed Jesus’ shed blood forgave us and justified us, then we were received into His Love and experienced GRACE; we were introduced to His Grace.

This ongoing problem of earning favor with God, usually to get Him to do something for us, can be subtle. Have you ever been seeking God to get something and thought or felt like if you prayed a little longer, maybe one hour instead of half an hour, He would send it to you? Or, when not feeling so spiritual, you know if you praise Him a little harder you will again experience His presence? These are forms of “works of the flesh” to earn His favor and an indication we aren’t experiencing His LIFE within us.

How sad we do not know Him any better and realize He has already given all this and more to us. It is all in the LIFE we already have in Christ. Our part is simply to believe it and not act according to the flesh to get the same results. The problem is the kind of relationship we want to have with God, either knowingly or unknowingly; one of dependence or one of independence.

Romans 5:6–8 (NASB) 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Grace or favor is definitely a loving attitude and affection held for another. Favor is extended for who the other IS, not for what they do. God’s Grace is that and much more. He has more than proven that by giving His very own life for the object of His love: US.

The following MUCH MORE verses illustrate how much more Grace has been given in the face of mankind’s sin. The writer of “Pilgrims Progress” John Bunyan, related in his autobiography, “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners,” he had discovered that no matter how great his sin was, the Grace of God proved greater.

When we look at this section of Romans 5 we find the phrase “much more” in the following verses:
• (9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him…
• (10) Much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
• (15) Much more did the Grace of God, and the gift of Grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
• (17) …much more those who receive the abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
• (20) It reaches the height of the contrast saying: “And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, Grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so Grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The first “increase” here referring to transgression is the word “pleonatzo” conveying the idea of numerical increase. It may well be pointing to the fact that as the human population increased so did the number of people sinning.

The second word for “increase” speaking of sin, is very different, “perisseuo,” and means “to abound, to overflow,” “have more than enough,” or “excess.” As time went on, not only were there more people in the earth but they also learned to sin in many more ways. In this way sin multiplied in such quantity that it reached “excess.”

But the third word “abounded” referring to Grace is the word “hyperperissuo” or what we would say is super-excess or super-abounding. Though sin has been in excess, Grace has outnumbered it to super-excess. Some other translations say it even better:
NEW ENGLISH BIBLE: “Where sin was thus multiplied, Grace immeasurably exceeded it.”
JB PHILLIPS: “Yet, though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God his Grace is wider and deeper still!”
JB ROTHERHAM: “But where the sin abounded the favour greatly superabounded.”
WJ CONYBEARE: “but where sin abounded, the gift of Grace has overflowed beyond (the outbreak of sin)”
TCNT: “But, where sins were multiplied, the lovingkindness of God was lavished the more.”
MOFFET: “…sin increased, but Grace surpassed it by far.”

Grace is not withheld because of sin: The first and foremost important understanding we should get from this passage is that Grace is not withheld because of sin. It is, instead, released all the more. In fact, it is because of sin that Grace has been given, not measure for measure but superabundantly.

In the face of sin, Grace is not withheld; it is lavished on all the more.

Adam feared God’s wrath, hid from Him and even answered defensively, trying to put the blame back on God when he sinned. The result was devastating to the human race but God had something greater to give. He did not withdraw His love but instead, set out to prove it in the form of Grace: abounding, super-abounding Grace. Have you ever been tempted to run away from God when overcome in sin? No matter how fast you run, Grace has already outrun you and will be there waiting for you to arrive.

Like the Prodigal son’s Father, Grace is waiting on the road ahead of us, with open arms, waiting to bring us back home!

Part 10: God’s Faith Answer Foreshadowed with Abraham

Gentiles (in Adam) who are without the Law are under sin and Jews (in Adam) who have the Law are likewise under sin; all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. What will God’s grace do that none of the other helps did?
Romans 4: God introduces Faith as the “new” means of being saved (being made whole) and introduces Abraham as the father of believers:

God approaches Abraham by Grace, Abraham responds with Faith. Foreshadow New Covenant

Abraham believes God when He speaks promises to him and his faith is “reckoned” as righteousness to him. (In contrast to Adam’s disbelief of God in the garden)

He believes God before the Law was given.

He believes God before he is circumcised, which is the sign of the Old Covenant and a foreshadowing of the circumcision of the heart that the Spirit does in the New Covenant.

He believes God’s promise of an heir “in hope against hope,” contemplating (recognizing) his & Sarah’s sterility, (DEAD/TOTALED), their inability to make His will happen!

He believes God can raise the dead!

He believes God through it all over many years and gives God glory “being fully assured that what He had promised He was able to perform. Therefore, also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:21-22

We all suspect that David had a very special relationship with God yet when you look at his life he certainly was not a perfect keeper of the Law. Apparently he didn’t rely on that for his relationship with God. Paul quotes him in Rom. 4:6:
“Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered; Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.” (Ps 32:1-2)” David transgressed the Law in many ways, committing adultery, having a man killed, and disobediently numbering Israel. All of those were serious sins against the Law. Yet a repentant David, understanding and loving the heart of God and believing Him to be gracious, pursued Him for forgiveness.

Romans 4:3 (NASB) For what does the Scripture say? “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Most of Romans Chapter Four is about the Patriarch, Abraham, who also lived by faith in the Grace of God and was declared righteous because of it, apart from the works of the Law. Abraham was declared righteous through God’s Grace by responding with Faith. He believed God’s word to him:
• When he was uncircumcised (required by the Law) (10-12)
• When he became heir of the world without the Law (13)
• When he believed in the resurrection of the dead (17/25)

The key verses are Romans 4:15–16 (NASB) 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation.16 For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,”
God’s gift of Grace is received by Faith. It is not, it cannot be earned. It is a Gift for the receiving. All that is needed is faith in the Giver, trust in Him. I love to hear stories of people who didn’t believe in the existence of God but when they asked Him to let them know He was real, He proved Himself real to them. Willingness to believe receives the gift of faith. If this is where you are, ask Him to let you know He is real. He will absolutely prove He is not only real but is present, very near to you and willing to send the help you need.

Part 8: Why the Scribes and Pharisees Missed It

Scripture Reading: Romans 2:11-16
The New Bible Dictionary reveals another word often translated Grace in the Old Testament that does not have the same meaning as New Testament Grace. Chen, the equivalent word for New Testament Grace, is almost absent in the Old Testament, but Hesed is prevalent. This Hebrew word, sometimes translated “Grace,” is also translated “mercy” (149x), “kindness” (38x), “lovingkindness” (30x) and “goodness” (12x) in the Old Testament. But this word is not about unmerited favor. It implies a two-way relationship and was used of God and man. When it is used of man, it implies steadfast love to another human being or to God. It is often found in association with the word “covenant” and indicates an attitude of the faithfulness, which both parties are to observe, known as “covenant love.” But it requires “works” to earn favor, as Deuteronomy 28:1 literally says, “If you do this, then I’ll do that.” God said to Israel, “If you keep my Law, then I will bless you.” That is what a Hesed relationship is based upon.
In the second century before Jesus birth, a Jewish group came into prominence known as the Hasidaeans (plural for hasid, a cognate of hesed), coming to mean “God’s loyal ones”. These “loyal ones” were also called Hasmonaeans, zealots of the Law. It really meant those who were loyal to the covenant, a rigorous, devout, law keeping party in Judaism. They believed the Exile was a result of Israel’s failure to keep the Torah. So they meticulously studied the Torah, extracting every law in detail, all 613, 248 positive and 365 negative, from Israel’s covenant. They proceeded to train their followers that if they kept the law, then God was obligated to keep them in their land and bless them. The Jews who returned from the captivity in Babylon were determined not to break the law and be taken out of their land again. They took up the 248 positive laws or promises in the scriptures as their basis for obligating God to prosper and protect them. They systematically found all the promises with conditions and made sure they met the conditions. Then, on the basis of their works, they “earned” the blessings that were promised. Their religion became rooted in “If we do this/God must do that” theology. From their ranks later came the Pharisees. In addition to the 613 laws, the Jews added what they called ‘the hedge’ around the law, which consisted of specifics “do’s and don’ts” to keep the people from breaking the written laws.

A good explanation of this is here: The Scribes Built a Fence Around the Law (from http://www.bible-history.com/Scribes/THE_SCRIBESA_Fence_Around_the_Law.htm)
Every generation prior to New Testament times had its “sayings of the wise” and these writings were collected and regarded as essential to understanding the Torah. These writings were considered as equal in power to the written law and even considered higher and more valuable. It was even believed that the oral law had been given by God Himself along with the written law to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was taught that the written law cannot be understood without the oral, and therefore the oral law was more important just like water and wine, both are important but one is much more valuable in the marketplace. By building a “hedge about the law” or fence around the law, the Jewish leaders would be able to develop a system of rules and interpretations that would keep people as far from sin as possible. For example, if the law said not to work on the Sabbath day, they would make up volumes of rules that indicated exactly what actions constituted work. This made a huge separation between the so-called righteous and the sinners. It also made following God a burden that Jesus Himself said was to heavy to carry. It also allowed the leaders appear to be righteous, to approve and disapprove of people and to control all of the religious affairs within Judaism. Jesus was diametrically opposed to these leaders, their teaching and traditions, and He said that they “made the Word of God void” and they were “making disciples of hell.”
If the people did not break God’s written Law, He would be obligated to keep them in their land and to bless them. Now you can understand Jesus harshness toward these obligating demanders of favor, the original entitlement generation. You’ll remember, they were the ones who did not recognize God in their midst, opposed Jesus, and invalidated God’s words with their traditions. Of course, this kind of theology does not result in a relationship with God. They had missed the purpose of the Law.

In fact, Jesus addresses this false theology in the first of His sermons, the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5-7. Notice that the blessings are pronounced for the condition of the reader, not what might be earned, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” etc. In Matt. 5:17 Jesus makes it clear that the Law is not being done away with, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” He proceeds from there to put His own “hedge” in, a hedge that once again brings the Law back to its purpose, to demonstrate the holiness of God, its impossible requirement and its ultimate use, to point to our need for a Savior. Check these couple of examples:
Matthew 5:21–22 (NASB) 21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Matthew 5:27–29 (NASB) 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’;28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.29 “And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
He makes it clear that the Law demonstrates the sinfulness of these actions and the required punishment. Then He tops it off with what is really expected of man from God’s perspective: Matthew 5:48 (NASB)48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
WOW! No person born into the earth after Adam could meet that standard, except Jesus! He is the only perfectly sinless man born into the earth then and since then.

So, how can we meet this standard? In contrast to hesed, the Hebrew word chen is not two-way. It is used of the action of a superior, human or divine, to an inferior. It speaks of undeserved favor, and in the Old Testament, it is translated “Grace” (38x) and “favor” (26x).
John 1:17 (NASB) 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
The law is an antithesis to the Grace described in John 1:17. While chen Grace was present in the Old Testament it wasn’t predominate and did not emerge to reveal its true intention until Jesus Christ came into the world. Titus 2:11 (NASB) 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…”
God approached man with Grace prior to the Law when He dealt with the Patriarchs with unmerited favor and unconditional promise, before He gave Moses the Law. In direct contrast, He dealt with the nation of Israel with the Law which emphasized the kind of hesed loyalty that God expected of His covenant people, Israel.  However, New Testament Grace is found in the Old Testament by the unmerited election of Israel to be God’s people, attributed to God’s free choice of their father, Abraham, the friend of God, and not attributed to Israel’s works or faithfulness to the Law.

The Law was one more opportunity for mankind to choose between acting independent of God to earn righteousness or to recognize his unrighteousness, throw himself on His mercy, trust Him to be true to His revealed nature of graciousness, and depend on Him. It remains a test for believers still. How often believers are born again and then fall back into trying to retain their relationship by “do’s and don’ts” instead of faith in the Life that has been set within their spirit, faith in the Life of Christ within?

Grace Study (Fall 2017)

Part 3 Creation of Temporal Realm – The Seen 

Scripture Reading for today Genesis 1-2 – the creation account.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NASB) “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Two Realms Revealed

There are two realms, the seen and the unseen; two different realms, each having very important characteristics. The first realm is God’s unseen realm and its nature is eternal. We’re going to refer to it as the eternal realm. Eternity and the word “eternal” must be defined. Most people think eternal means from now into forever, but eternal actually means “no beginning and no ending.” Aionios is an adjective that means without beginning or end and appears 70x in NT.

From the Collin Brown Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol 3 (p.832): In (ancient Greek) Homers writing. Aion is often parallel with psyche – soul, life.  The expression “eternal life” (zoe aionios) is to be understood primarily as life which belongs to God. It corresponds to basileia tou theou, the kingdom of God. John’s gospel, understands eternal life in relation to Christ through faith…The word eternal here indicates a definite quality; it is a different life from the old existence typified by hate, lack of love, sin, pain and death. Therefore, eternal life does not  just begin in the future, it is already the possession of those who have entered upon fellowship with Christ. Thus John 3:15 speaks of having eternal life in the present.”  “…that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.”

I John 5: 11-12 “And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the LIFE; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the LIFE.”

On the other hand, the temporal, proskairos, literally means “for a time” or “for a season” and should be understood as not eternal, and also as changeable. As our opening passage charges, it is the seen. From Genesis 1, it is what was brooded over by the Holy Spirit, and came into existence as the word was spoken, “In the beginning (of space & time) God created the heavens and the earth.”

A clear understanding should be drawn, what was created is temporal and changeable and as we look at the creation of man, this is especially true of the human soul and body and also what the Bible warns the believer of concerning the flesh.

On the other hand, what is eternal is of God’s eternal realm and His characteristics, unchangeable, holy, righteous, etc. The born-again spirit of man is also eternal and is a new creature with the characteristics of Christ, whose eternal life has given the new life to that spirit.

What is temporal has beginning and end, is under the bondage of sin & death, passing away, material, flesh ruled, and is where the body exists and the soul relates much of the time. We’ll look more at this as we talk about the creation of man and the fall.

Let’s look at some scriptures that help us get a revelation about creation from the word:

‎‎Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Ge 1:1 | IN the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Ps 33:6 | By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

Jn 1:3 | All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

2 Pe 3:5 | For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

‎Heb 12:27 And this expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Is 34:4 | And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away, as a leaf withers from the vine, or as one withers from the fig tree.

Is 54:10 | “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the LORD who has compassion on you.

Is 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.

Ro 8:19 | For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

Ro 8:21 | that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

1 Co 7:31 |and those who use this world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

Heb 1:10 |And Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thy hands.

To simplify this and discover what this means to us as we grow in maturity, we are going to draw a line between eternal and temporal and make our aim to live “above the line”.

Eternity and the things Eternal:

No beginning, no end, LIFE, ruled by the law of the Spirit of Life, spiritual, Spirit led, all that we are in Christ, where the new spirit man lives, where Grace comes from, where the Fruit of the Spirit originate (Gal 5: 22-23), where gifts of the Spirit are sent from (I Cor 12), where His callings, His plans & purposes for each human life have existed for eternity (I Tim. 1:9-10); the source of the word of God, all these and more are “above the line” in His Eternal Life (zoe aionios) the God kind of Life.

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Below the line: the Temporal Things are where the body lives, Psuche life, the deeds of the flesh, (Gal 5:19-21); the mind set on the flesh (Rom 8:5); where the Law operates (I Tim 1:9); where suffering is (2 Cor 4:16-17); The world and all it contains, its systems, governments, mind sets, philosophies, and knowledge.

Living by Faith in the unseen is necessary while in the temporal. Romans 4:18-20 reveals that Abraham had to have above the line hope (eternal hope in the unseen) set against below the line hope (temporal hope in what was seen). Grace is God’s eternal plan to give us His LIFE to live in the temporal. So here’s two critical questions:

1) Where would you like to live? ________________________________________________

2) When will you get to live there? __________________________________________________

John 12: 23-25: “And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life (psuche, soulish life) loses it; and he who hates his life (psuche. soulish life) in this world shall keep (phulasso) (save, preserve) it to LIFE (zoe) eternal (above the line living).”  Jesus’ secret was in dying in order to have eternal life in this life. More to come.

Grace Study (Fall 2017)

Part 2 – If You’ve Seen Jesus, You’ve Seen God & His Grace

Scripture Reading Today:  Hebrews 1:1-3, John 8:1-11

The Nature of the God of Genesis 1:1, the Creator of all there is, is also Christ’s Nature.

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (John 1:1)… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of Grace and truth (1:14)… For of His fullness we have all received and Grace upon Grace (abundantly heaped on). For the Law was given through Moses, Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:16-18).”

From Hebrews 1:3 fill in the following blanks, “And He is ___ _________ __ ___ _______ and the exact ____________________ __ ____ __________, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” 

Christ’s gracious nature is seen in the story of the woman taken in adultery in John 8:1-11 where the test of Grace and truth is proven. To really appreciate this story you should know that it took place immediately after the Feast of Booths (John 7:2,37), a time when the Jews were to close themselves away with God. Their families lived in booths made of tree branches, as Israel had while in the wilderness. Even though the wilderness was where the Law was given, it was also where Israel had to totally depend on the Lord. There He faithfully and miraculously supplied their food and water everyday out of His Grace toward them.

The setting of this story is the morning after Jesus had spent a night in prayer at the Mount of Olives. He came into the Temple and began to teach. Engaging in an evil plot to discredit Him, the scribes and Pharisees unlawfully brought the woman before Him for judgment, outside of court and failed to bring the witnesses required by the Law (Deut. 17:6, 19:15).

In spite of this, Jesus allowed their attempt against Him to proceed. For Him there were other more important issues to consider. The life of the woman was precious to Jesus. Jesus had come to reveal the gracious nature of the Kingdom of God. How would He do that here? The Law of Moses, which was given by God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), could not be ignored and any infraction against it would have to be paid for in full.

There have been many suppositions about Jesus’ writing on the ground in this scene. Some believe He did it to think through the issues, wrote out the men’s accusations to show their gravity or wrote out the men’s sins, since he knew their hearts. He may have written out Deuteronomy 22:22-24 which was the Law against adultery or Deuteronomy 17:6-7, clarifying the Law required more than one witness (vs13), and that the witnesses were to cast the first stones. Or perhaps He wrote out the Law in Deuteronomy 22:13-21, the test of a virgin wife or Exodus 23:1-2, 7-8, which warns against bearing false witness.

Whatever He wrote, it made the scribes and Pharisees withdraw their accusations. But that did not set the woman free. The scribes and Pharisees may not have been “without sin,” but Jesus was! How could He uphold the truth and act in Grace at the same time? The woman was guilty of the sin of adultery and that sin would have to be punished. So how could He justify releasing her and let her go?

What do you think He had to do to meet all these requirements? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In our day, we would say “He paid it forward!” The Grace of God here placed the punishment of her sin upon the cross to which He was headed. In advance of the cross, He appropriated forgiveness to her right then, long before the day of His suffering and death. Jesus’ Eternal Life had already paid the punishment for her sin. The cross is the focal point of all eternity. Those who lived before it looked into the future for its forgiveness but we who have lived after it, look back to its provision.

This example of God’s Grace in Christ brings us face to face with three important facts in regard to our sin. First, sin we commit requires just punishment. Second, Jesus “paid it forward” for us as well. We must acknowledge Grace in Christ’s payment on the cross, confess and thank Him for forgiveness all of our sins. Third: remember the exchange at the cross, our sins for His righteousness and return to Christ’s Life in us. We will learn more about this in future classes but for now just realize that deliverance from sin comes by receiving His Grace, for forgiveness for sins, and Grace to live in Christ.

Every problem is based in a wrong concept of God!! From a young age, we are influenced by various people in our lives and their influence often shape our concept of God, whether right or wrong. Just consider how the following people may have shaped your concept of God:

What was your earthly Father like?

Your mother?

Sunday School Teacher?

Pastor?

School teacher?

Sibling?

In the same way events in our lives can influence our concept of God. What events in your life shaped your view of God?

We must have a revelation of the truth of His nature, who He really is, that redefines our concept of Him:

1 John 4:16–19 (NASB) ¹⁶ And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.¹⁷ By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.¹⁹ We love, because He first loved us.

GOD IS LOVE – New Testament clarifies His nature! Exemplified in giving us a New Covenant. Look at the contrast:

Old Testament covenant – IF/Then based – Law given, sin defined, punishment or blessing promised if you don’t or do keep it. Like the two trees in the garden of Eden, it was a test for Israel. If you can keep it, you’ll get blessed.  Trust was put in self-dependence & self-righteousness. Keeping it was really impossible because the sin nature in man could not and would not surrender to the Law.  Many Old Testament people recognized this and instead related to God in humility and put their in faith in His LOVE.  Abraham & David are great examples.

New Testament Covenant: Grace based: Jesus/the Cross/New Life – this was God’s plan from the beginning, before the foundation of the world. Man in Adam can never live up to His holiness. The Sin problem must be eliminated. Jesus took us to the Cross with Him to be crucified, where the sin nature in each of us died, was buried and has been raised to New Life. We are made new creatures, with Him living in us, His very nature imparted to us, His Life in us, living through us as us.

God is LOVE and He created man with the basic need to be LOVED; to be unconditionally accepted, and cherished, valued for being. All conditions that separated us from Him were eliminated on the Cross. He is not way out there some place. He is Present. He is I AM. All this was provided through the Cross of Christ. IT IS A GIFT TO BE RECEIVED. IT IS BY GRACE. When we receive this gracious gift of new life by faith, everything changes. God sees you holy and righteous, accepted in the Beloved.

How do you receive this acceptance? By trusting in Jesus and His Cross and His resurrection.

John 3:16 (NASB) ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”