The grace of God is the power and
ability of God actively operating through us so that we can effectively work in
whatever He will be calling us to do for Him. This same divine power is also
needed for us to be able to be properly sanctified in the Lord, along with
helping us overcome different types of sins, addictions, and temptations.
In other words, we need the power of
God flowing and operating through us if we are going to achieve any real
success in the Lord with whatever He will be calling us to do for Him in this
life.
Without God’s divine power and ability
operating through us, we will never make it to the tops of mountains that He is
calling us to climb for Him. We will never be able to reach the goals, the
aspirations, and the finish lines that God has in store for us unless we have
the power of His Holy Spirit working in us and through us.
Too many Christians are trying to
reach all of their goals and aspirations operating out of their own strength.
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“And with great power the
apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great
grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33)
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“… but grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
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“You therefore, my son, be
strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:1)
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“And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have
an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
WHAT
GRACE CAN DO FOR YOU:
1. Grace
can save the world:
Genesis 6:8 AMP - But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of
the Lord.
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, 9 not of works, lest
anyone should boast.
2. Grace
can give one all good thing:.
Psalms 84:11 NKJV - For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The
Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who
walk uprightly.
3. Grace
can bring men to repentance:
Zechariah 12:10 AMP - And I will pour out upon the house of David
and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor
and supplication. And they shall look [earnestly] upon Me Whom they have
pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall
be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn.
4. Grace
can impart great blessings:
Acts 4:33 AMP - And with great strength and ability and
power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly
upon them all.
5. Grace
can impart faith:
Acts 18:27 NKJV - And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the
brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he
greatly helped those who had believed through grace.
6. Grace
can justify:
Romans 3:24-25 NKJV - Being justified freely by His grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation
by His blood, through faith.
Titus 3:7 NKJV - That having been justified by His grace we
should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
7. Grace
can overcome sin:
Romans 5:20 NKJV - Moreover the law entered that the offense
might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.
8. Grace
can reign in life if permitted:
Romans 5:21 NKJV - So that as sin reigned in death, even so
grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
9. Grace
can make one God's elect:
Romans 11:5-6 NKJV - Even so then, at this present time there is
a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no
longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it
is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
10. Grace
can give boldness:
Romans 15:15 NKJV - Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more
boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to
me by God.
Case
Study:
Daniel
Daniel 1:1-20:
1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim
king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged
it.
2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah
into his hand, with some of the articles of [a]the house of God, which he carried into the
land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the
treasure house of his god.
3. Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master
of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s
descendants and some of the nobles,
4. young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom,
possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might
teach the language and ]literature of the Chaldeans.
5. And the king appointed for them a daily
provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three
years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
6. Now from among those of the sons of Judah
were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he
gave Daniel the name
Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah,
Abed-Nego.
8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he
would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with
the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs
that he might not defile himself.
9. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and
goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.
10. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel,
“I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should
he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.”
11. So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief
of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12. “Please test your servants for ten days, and
let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13. Then let our appearance be examined before
you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s
delicacies; and as you see fit, so
deal with your servants.”
14. So he consented with them in this matter, and
tested them ten days.
15. And at the end of ten days their features
appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion
of the king’s delicacies.
16. Thus the steward took away their portion of
delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
17. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge
and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all
visions and dreams.
18. Now at the end of the days, when the king had
said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in
before Nebuchadnezzar.
19. Then the king interviewed them, and among
them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they
served before the king.
20.
And in
all matters of wisdom and understanding
about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the
magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.