A prominent Old Testament word describing God's grace is chesed. This word speaks of deliverance from enemies, affliction, or adversity. It also denotes enablement, daily guidance, forgiveness, and preservation.
Grace is divine help and strength that we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through grace, we are saved from sin and death. In addition, grace is an enabling power that strengthens us from day to day and helps us endure to the end. Effort is required on our part to receive the fulness of the Lord’s grace.It is amazing that God should still send forth the good news of His grace in a world where His Word and will are increasingly despised.
John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Today’s opening Scripture tells us that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. There is a world of difference between the Law and Grace. Under the Law the people struggled to obey God, they exerted themselves to please God. They lacked a good understanding of God’s will for them because they were not spiritually alive to God. Therefore God dealt with them according to their understanding of Him. He dealt with them from outside in.
But in the New Testament, under Grace, the people are born again and are spiritually alive to God. The light of God’s will is bright within us to please God. We do not struggle to please God; we are helped by the Spirit of grace who lives inside of us. Our hearts are circumcised to please and to love God; for we are the circumcision that worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus; we have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). Jesus Christ came into the world to bring us into the reign of grace.
Now, we really can please God and fulfil His purpose without fleshly exertion, but by grace through faith or absolute trust in God, who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.Everything about our life in Christ is designed of God to function by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is why Philippians 2:13 says “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” This means that God is the One who is working within us to produce fruits that are of the new life. Bearing the fruits of righteousness, and living a holy life before God is not a product of struggle; it is the result of grace. The grace of God is so potent that it will remove in any man the desire for sin and unrighteousness. That means even when temptation comes, the man realizes that the desire to commit sin is no longer there. That is the outworking of the grace of God.
The grace of God can so help a man that there will be no trace of poverty around him anymore. Grace can enable you live above the weakness and limitation of the flesh to fulfill your God-given destiny.
Philippians 4:13;
KJV:I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Titus 2:11.
KJV:For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men...
If you can fully grasp what the Lord is trying to show us in these major power verses, you will then walk away with a full understanding of the basics of your own personal salvation in the Lord along with having the knowledge on how to get God to release more of His grace into your life so that you can then learn how to live this life as a good and mighty soldier of Jesus Christ.
Grace is a soul-thrilling concept; it must be deeply appreciated, but never manipulated or distorted.