Commit To God, Commit To Grace

Jesus says in John 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the Vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me”. We bear fruit by abiding in Him. But what does that mean? In part it means to abide in Who He is. John 1:14 defines Him as the Word of God “full of grace and of truth”. Abiding in Christ then includes remaining in the Word of God that is “full” of grace and truth; the truth about the kindness and goodness of God. Apparently, Jesus Christ and His message of grace are interchangeable. When Jesus said “Abide in Me” it can be read, “Abide in My Word”, the Word of GRACE and truth.

Acts 20:32 says, “And now [brethren], I commit you to God and I commit you to the Word of His grace “.  Paul’s implication is that as we commit to and continue in the message of grace, we will live more consciously in Him and He will live more dynamically in us. Acts 20:32 continues, “It (the Word of grace) is able to build you up”. Why is that Word so edifying? Because in that Word resides the grace of Jesus Christ, divinely influencing our hearts and minds. In the message of grace, the Lord reminds us of what He has freely given us. This adds His strength to us. It doesn’t religiously demand more from us. His grace immediately puts us into proximity of His unconditional love and promised blessing, empowering us, and effecting a natural, organic productivity.

Jesus says in John 15:3, “Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you”. Every time we get bogged down in guilt, trying to clean up our own act, the Word of grace mercifully intervenes. How? By reminding us that we have ALREADY been made clean by the performance of Another on our behalf. John 15:3 tells us to stop trying to get sin out of our lives and, instead, receive the Word of grace in our lives. You don’t see the Lord teaching the “branch” 10 principles on how to earn forgiveness, be perfect, and bear fruit. The branch is simply told to remain relationally “in” or connected to its source of nourishment, the Vine. As we can see, the fruit produced is not the fruit of the law, but the fruit derived from “branches” connected to the message of grace.

As we consume the Word of grace, His abiding in us will be as subjective a reality as it already is an objective reality, overflowing through us. Colossians 1:5,6 says, “the Word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you as it has also in all the world, is bearing fruit among you, since the day you HEARD and FULLY KNEW the GRACE of God in truth”.

The Obedience Of Christ

In Genesis 3 the devil made it clear that one of his key strategies for deception was integrating the thought patterns and belief system of the law into the minds of God’s people. Through tempting Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he introduced them to a law-based lifestyle and the knowledge of “right and wrong”. However in Genesis 3:21, we see God immediately respond, not by condemnation, but by grace, covering Adam and Eve in coats of animal skins, suggesting a sacrifice for sin. “For if by the offense of the one many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift of grace; which is of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many”. (Romans 5:15). And so it is today. God is responding to sin-conscious, performance-driven Christians by downloading and integrating the thought patterns and belief system of grace into their hearts and minds. The “poison“ of a law-based belief system is being flushed out by the reality of the eternal, free gift of God’s righteousness on our behalf.

Our mission is to stand on this incredible message of grace, to stand in the obedience of Christ, walking as people blameless in the sight of God.  Paul states in II Corinthians 10:3-5 that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (law based belief sytems) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”.  This warfare is primarily between the “law belief system” and the “grace belief system”.

And I believe the message of grace is thee most powerful weapon in our arsenal. The Lord Himself described the power of His grace as “sufficient”. However, the grace promised Paul in II Corinthians 12 was more than just “adequate” or a temporary antidote. In the Greek “sufficient” speaks of abundance, more than enough, not “just enough”. God’s grace to Paul was all-sufficient just as El Shaddi, “the All-Sufficient One” describes God’s nature. God’s grace is the means by which we “stand firm against the devil’s strategies”.

Since the battleground is between our ears (our minds), we are told to bring every thought contrary to God’s Word “unto the OBEDIENCE of Christ”. In other words, remembering that our righteousness before God is NOT based on our performance but on His obedience on our behalf. Every accusation, every thought that says we can’t be blessed, accepted, or loved by God because we haven’t met the demands of some law or standard is to be brought into captivity and “removed” by the obedience (the performance) of Jesus Christ. This is our spiritual war. We bring every law-derived thought captive in order to continue in the consciousness of His unconditional love, acceptance, blessing and forgiveness. Our perspective is irrelevant. It is God’s perspective that empowers; it is this grace that the Lord Himself calls “sufficient”.

 Acts 13:38, 39 says, “Therefore be it known to you, men, brothers, that through this One the forgiveness of sins is announced to you. And by Him all who believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses”.

Waking Up To Grace

I wanted to post some excerpts from an e-mail we recently received from a friend in North Carolina who had been reading some of the posts on our blog. Hopefully it will serve as an encouragement to all who are proclaiming the glorious message of grace and also help those struggling to receive it. The e-mail is also a great reminder of the miraculous nature of the seed of God’s Word: Jesus said, “So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings out fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear”. By preaching and presenting the grace of Jesus Christ, strongholds (law based belief systems built on religious principles and demands) are being pulled down over the minds of many people. Here is the e-mail:

“Hey Jim and Bobbi,

I trust you guys are doing well. I just wanted to let you know that I’m finally getting the message of grace you guys have been teaching, thank the Lord.

For the past few months the Holy Spirit has gotten me to take off my doctrinal, denominational glasses and approach His word with only His guidance. Man, what a wakeup call! It is so hard to receive truth from teaching such as yours or any other good teaching, if one continues to filter it through wrong mindsets. The biggest lesson the Lord has taught me is I have to diligently study His word (with the guidance of His Holy Spirit) so that I know His truth so well that I will immediately recognize any counterfeit.

The deeper I study His word the more I see a resemblance of the church today with the Galatians. I never realized the sin I should be most concerned about is setting aside my faith in Jesus (regarding what He finished on the cross) and going back into bondage of the law (flesh). So many Christians are continuing to make sacrifice as under the law therefore doing away with faith in what Christ has already done.

Continue to speak what the Lord has given you, His church needs to hear it. I know a lot of people like myself are a little hard headed and slow to receive, but continue anyway. I’m proof that the Holy Spirit will use it for the glory of Jesus.

Thanks for your faithfulness, Darrell.”

Ephesians 2:7 says, “that in the ages to come God might (continue to) show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”. The divine influence of God’s grace upon the hearts of men; His unconditional love and acceptance, is even now supernaturally impacting those hearts for His glory; a work of grace from the inside out. People are waking up. Rather than “revival” we are seeing a revolution; a great supernatural shift to the sufficiency of God’s grace in Christ.

The Dispensation Of Grace

We are coming to the end of 2008 and entering into 2009 with great expectation. A revolutionary theological shift towards a New Covenant emphasis is underway. As a result, I believe we are about to witness a great change in the “face” of Christianity as more “able ministers” of the New Covenant are launched into the harvest. God’s love, mercy, faithfulness, and forgiveness is going to be seen in a visible, inclusive, grace-driven missional community.

Many times Christians get a wrong concept of the New Year; they resolve to self-improve and get in on what all the prophetic prognosticators are claiming God has prioritized for the next twelve months. For example, in 2008 there were teachings on the number “eight” and a year of new beginnings. And though many new and wondeful things may have occurred in 2008, we cannot forget that 2000 years ago when Jesus came in the fullness of time, He made everything new. We as believers are already living in a new dispensation, an incredible time-frame called “the dispensation of the grace of God”. (Ephesians 3:2). The great truths of this are piled one on top of another in Ephesians 3. God does not have some big secret up His sleeve for 2009. He is not playing hide and seek. Scripture tells us that the “mystery” has been revealed through the Gospel and the open display of God’s grace on the Cross of Calvary 2000 years ago. As a result, today (and everyday) we can walk in newness of life, in an ever-increasing awareness of His unconditional love and acceptance!

Galatians 4:9-11, “But now that you know the true God, or rather since God knows you, how is it that you turn back to the weak and beggarly elements to which you again desire to be servants? You observe days and months and times and years. I am alarmed about you, lest I have labored among you to no purpose and in vain”. Paul is saying to the Galatians that by observing the particulars of days and months and years, they risk falling away from God‘s calendar and the dispensation of His grace. Many times the prophetic emphasis of a New Year infers the sun has set on the day of grace. Instead of digging deeper into that which has been freely given, we observe the current ”days and months, times and years”. This is, in part, why we are in this revolutionary theological shift BACK to the New Covenant - the better covenant. The sun is still shining on God’s free gift of righteousness - ”the righteousness of God is revealed from FIRST TO LAST”. (Romans 1:17).

Despite the many warnings, predictions, and emphasis coming our way in 2009, the Word of God promises “that in the ages to come God might (continue to) show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”. (Ephesians 2:7). In 2009, we can continue to be enlarged in our understanding of the goodness and kindness of God and overflow His peace, joy and righteousness outside the “four walls”.

So, do we want a “happy” New Year? Then know this: by His love, kindness, goodness, and mercy, everything has been paid for and all our needs have been met. By His grace, all our sins have been forgiven, and He has provided for our entire future. Rest and receive absolute peace. Philippians 4:19 says of 2009 and the ages to come, “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.

Trees of Righteousness

“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.” -(Isaiah 61:3)

The word “appoint” in Isaiah 61:3 means in the Hebrew “to set, to establish, to plant, to put, to make, to turn. To establish a new relationship; to assign something to someone; to bring about a change; to set aside for a special purpose.” God desires to bring about change, to turn those that mourn in Zion and establish a new relationship with them based on the Truth of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus. He wants ALL of His sons and daughters walking in joy, not in mourning, and wearing His garment of praise by the Holy Spirit, not carrying aroound a spirit of heaviness. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 that when we come to Him overburdened and loaded up with ceremony or spiritual anxiety that He GIVES us rest. He takes our heavy yoke and GIVES us His yoke which is easy and kind and gracious. This great exchange absolutely evokes praise and thanksgiving in us – the receivers of this great grace. It absolutely turns sorrow into joy! Then as Isaiah 61 states we are called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and He IS glorified! We must see what the Lord has done for us and join ourselves in reality to the Truth of our righteousness in Him. We are REALLY trees of righteousness planted by the Lord because he has freely given us and clothed us in His righteousness. We can stand confident and tall in His finished work on THE Tree knowing that in doing so He is greatly glorified.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” (Is.61:10-12)

-Submitted by Bobbi