Anthony Connell shares the prophetic revelations he received on grace.
WHY GRACE?
There is so much teaching today on God’s grace, and so there should be. John Newton’s powerful hymn declares, ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.’ The Apostle Paul says in Romans 5:8 NKJV ‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’
Again we read the irrefutable word of God in Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.’
What concerns me is hearing, even from some ‘leading lights’ in Christian circles, that the only difference between Christians and those who ‘aren’t saved’ is that we are forgiven sinners and they aren’t. Wow – what a pitiful testimony to the grace of God that is!
Many Bible Teachers still say today, ‘once saved, always saved’ – and it doesn’t matter what your behaviour is like – you’ll still get to heaven. They quote Jesus words, ‘No-one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand.’ That is so true! The Apostle Paul says that the Holy Spirit that God has given us, is the guarantee of our inheritance. How good is that!
So if these teachings of ‘once saved always saved’ and ‘cheap grace’ are true, how do we reconcile the following scriptures?
Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.’
How could we understand the scripture in Romans 6:22 NKJV ‘But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.’ or Hebrews 12:14-15 NKJV ‘Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;’
LET US EXAMINE WHAT GRACE IS:
We know that grace is the unmerited favour of God through Jesus Christ as expressed in the earlier scriptures that I quoted. I also found this definition of grace in Wikipedia. ‘Grace is the help or strength given through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. … Grace is a gift from the Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ. The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ.’ (https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki – Grace in Christianity – Wikipedia
I want to focus on these few words: ‘The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power…’
God will not say to people on the judgment day, ‘well done, good and faithful servant’ if they haven’t been ‘good and faithful’. Grace has afforded us the power to live a righteous, holy and ‘God-pleasing’ life. The Apostle Peter tells us that we are partakers of the divine nature, through the great and precious promises.
Am I experiencing God’s nature flowing in my soul? If not, all we have to do is repent, then go to ‘the great and precious promises’, and then receive the manifestation of God’s love and His peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
WHAT ABOUT FEELING CONDEMNED?
I have heard people say “I am just a sinner, saved by grace” or “God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. I would feel such a failure or feel condemned trying to be like that.” My thoughts on these statements are – What a load of nonsense!!”
In the Beatitudes Jesus ‘lifted the bar’ for those who were to have the Kingdom of God living in them. Jesus declared in Matthew 5:27-28 NKJV – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
And in Matthew 5:43-44 NKJV – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
Regarding the law, the Apostle Paul cried out, “Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24
THE GOOD NEWS??☝️??
If we fall short of the fulfilling of the law, which of course is love, then we have God’s solution – 1 John 2:1 NKJV – “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
and 1 John 1:9 NKJV – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are cleansed from ALL unrighteousness, not 97% of what we have confessed! We don’t have to ‘beat ourselves up’, – No unrighteousness – no sin – no condemnation!! This is the power of the cleansing blood of Jesus! We don’t have to confess our sin twice!! We choose to believe the integrity of God’s word; that the moment I confess my sin it is gone. We immediately look up and say, “Thank you, Jesus, for ‘washing me in your own blood.“
We overcome Satan, the accuser of the brethren, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
We can say with Jesus: “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (John 14:30 NKJV)
God’s grace is free, but definitely not cheap!! Jesus paid a horrific price for our eternal salvation and declares: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” (Revelation 2:11 NKJV)
We overcome because of the empowering life-giving grace of God which flows to us and from us. As the scripture says in Romans 5:17 NKJV: “much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
This is the enabling power of God’s grace, through our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. This is ‘Amazing Grace!’