GRACE HAS COME TO YOU - PART 2

FRIDAY 05 JANUARY 2024

Grace is the beauty of glory embedded in divine nature. Nothing ever excited great wonder or won the souls of men, until grace was disclosed by Christ. John 1:16 reads, "For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (ESV). No concept can engage the soul by transforming and purifying it but the grace derived from the Lord Jesus.

Reference: 1 Peter 1:10-12 New International Version (NIV)

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things."

Grace has been an empyreal plan in the mind of Supreme Deity; it was formed in the councils of eternity. Through the power of grace, God made permanent "peace" with His people, which laid the foundation of the assurance of eternal life. To that effect, Romans 5:1-2 reads, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God" (NIV).

According to this Scripture (Romans 5:1-2), we gained access into GRACE by faith, and the result is that we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace will always take effect through our Lord Jesus. Why? This is because of the blood of the everlasting covenant - The blood He shed to ratify the everlasting peace between God and His chosen ones.

In a nutshell, this is what happened as a result of Adam's fall:

Romans 5:18-21

"Consequently, just as one trespass (Adam's sin) resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (NIV).

In accordance with the above Scripture, you can notice that Pauline epistle used a very clear expression to reveal that the law was brought in, so that trespass might increase. But by Christ, grace was introduced as He made the public atonement or expiation of sin. By sacrificing His own life on the cross, He bore the sins of mankind, removed them and utterly abolished them, and this is what the priests under the law could not do for mankind, the law which is also where the ancient Jewish sect based their point of view and their self-convincing religious devotion. This grace came as the light of interest which inclined the angelic beings to be in awe of God's love for mankind.

Romans 6:14 (NIV) reads, "For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." This means that in any case of man's genuine belief in Christ as Saviour and Lord, that man automatically comes under the umbrella of grace. If I had more time to expound or enlarge upon this concept, I might express more of how the grace of God was nobly conceived and processed for mankind, when we think of the great salvation as having its origin in the finished work of Christ, which reveals the underlying depth of His perfect sacrifice. Stay tuned for part 3. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7; Romans 5:15.

Guided Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the ability to be earnest in seeking after your heart and receiving abundance of grace that is in Christ Jesus. My prayer is that you will continue to bless and upgrade the spiritual understanding of all those who approach the throne of grace with an open and a willing heart, as they come boldly to draw from the well of salvation with an unspeakable joy, in Jesus' Name, Amen!