Grace Is It Misunderstood and Incorrectly Defined?

[tsth]

I am now convinced that we have neglected and misunderstood the Amazing power of God's grace to work His will in us. We have misunderstood what has been in front of us all along. We have denied the grace that Jesus Christ purchased and made available to us on that Cross. It is truly an Amazing Grace that is so much more than just mercy.

Grace Works. Grace is effectual. Grace is sufficient for us to live in victory. If we will have ears to hear and have faith to walk in this power that He, the Lord Jesus possesses to overcome even death itself, which is of the enemy. If we walk according to His Power/His Grace, then the enemy has no more dominion over us.


The Effectual Working Power of Grace

Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

2 Peter 1: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Cor. 12:8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

1 Peter 4: 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.


1 Peter 5:5……………."God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

James 4: 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."


1 Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.


Grace Given

1 Peter 1: 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

1 Cor. 3: 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me,

Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:

Romans 15:15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,

Gal. 2:9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me

Ephesians 3:2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

Ephesians 3:7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

1 Cor. 15: 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.


Power of Grace to Overcome

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'

Col. 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Hebrews 9:17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.


Origin of Grace

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

Acts 14:3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.


Grace In Vain

2 Cor. 6:1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain

2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Jude 1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.


Grace can be Frustrated, Gal. 2
Fallen From, Gal. 5
Failed of, Heb. 12
Received in Vain, 2 Cor. 6
Be Done Despite Unto, Heb. 10


Frustrated: Paul was speaking concerning believers being persuaded to go back to following OT things that are not any longer required such as circumcision, observing days, etc. These things are not the truth by the NT standard. John 1:17.
So in principle, frustrating grace could also be done by Gentile believers by leaning on their own understanding and doing things they think are right to please God but which in reality are not in line with the NT teachings and enlightenment.

Fallen from: This is also written in the same strongly worded rebuke and exhortation to the Galatians. Similar to frustrating grace, falling from grace is again with relation to being out of touch with the will of God by the NT light and going about to making effort, but not according to His actual will as revealed by the greater and better New Covenant. Following after the wrong thing such as trying to become wealthy as a testimony to the world of what it means to be a Christian. That is not the testimony Christ wants the world to see. He wants the world to see the resurrected overcoming life of Christ manifested in the lives of his followers. Wealth is often the very enemy of that testimony. 1 Tim. 6. If a Christian wants the world to see something they should humble themselves and seek the grace of God which can be seen in a persons life (Acts). ***. 2:11-14

Failed of: Since the very evidence of grace in a persons life is a life of self denial and actual righteous living, to fall into the state of, let's say, a sexually immoral person, is directly opposite of what grace does in a person's life.
In Heb. 12, Paul is referring to Esau who sold his birthright and who was a fornicator. He makes reference to being profane and bitter. This is being used to warn believers that they can fail of the grace of God and lose that which they have been saved to inherit. Remarried persons (while their first and lawful mates still live) are unaware that they are in a state of having failed of the grace of God by that lifestyle of adultery and disrepect for the words of Him who is full of grace and truth. Mark 10:2-12

The purpose of grace is to get us to do something. If we don't yield to let the grace of God have its way in our day to day behaviour, then we've received it in vain.

Grace reigns through righteousness. Rom. 5
It will cease to reign if we do not respond to its promptings of leading us into righteousness.



Grace Unto Righteousness

Romans 6: 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.





Revelation 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Amen.

In His Love,
Suzanne

[ozell]

Hi

Grace Is It Misunderstood and Incorrectly Defined?

BOTH

The Preacher don't teach grace in it correct way.

This grace or free gift as it is also called is given to us as all gifts are. What have we done to deserve it? What have we done to for a GOD to lower himself to man status, not commit any sin, and die for this man? I don't deserve this, but I am very thankful that he has given me the chance to get it right.
Heavenly Father thank you for the mighty Lord Jesus.

Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ

Rom 5 8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11: And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14: Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15: But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16: And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17: For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18: Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19: For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Rom 7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15: For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16: If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17: Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19: For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20: Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21: I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22: For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23: But I see another law in my members, warring again
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

ozell

[tsth]

Take a Closer Look!
Examining and Defining Grace:

Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

2 Peter 1: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.


In His Love,
Suzanne

[tsth]

GROW IN GRACE
(so that you do not fall from your secure position)

2 Peter 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

In His Love,
Suzanne

[daffodyllady]

these days, grace is used as an excuse for bad behavior.

My ex-husband said that he knew it was wrong for him to abandon his family, but he believed God understood, and that His grace would cover his sin.

Ummmm.... can ya'll pray for him, please?

[Be still]