We have all been offered something too good to be true, and more often than not, if it seems to be too good to be true, it is. However, in this letter, I want to offer some encouragement that will have you persuaded – it’s that good!
At the beginning of the year, the Lord spoke to my heart and said that 2025 would be a year of grace, the Spirit, and obedience. I have written and spoken on these subjects for the first two quarters of this year. I had the privilege of preaching at my good friend’s church Awaken Spokane in Spokane, Washington. I was led to minister and focus on the grace of God. I have never done this before but felt that God was giving me some simple but powerful thoughts that would assist the hearer in their walk with God and the assignment on their lives. After the service, we had several reports supporting this desire. (You can hear this message on most streaming sources at “Awaken at Home” podcast, or by the link provided on the MMI’s Facebook page.)
Ephesians 2:1-10 outlines the finished work that Jesus accomplished on the cross. I encourage you to read these to get the full weight of what I am expressing in this letter. Verse 8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
To find out what something is, it’s good to see what it is not. I want to dive into grace, as I believe it is part of what enables us to accomplish all that God has placed on our hearts and to finish strong successfully. Grace is not a big cover-up. Grace is not an umbrella that allows you to flounder in your failures, making it impossible for God to see what you are doing or not doing. Our sin was not covered by grace, but rather completely eradicated in the blood of Jesus, eliminating all sources of shame and guilt. Grace is better seen as an empowerment, a strength, an ability to live at the level, capacity, and potential that God desires for you in Christ Jesus. Like a coach, God does not see our insufficiencies and inadequacies, but rather the potential of Christ that lives in us. Grace is what draws that potential out of us, lifting us to our highest level in Christ!
Being saved by grace is not the conclusion, but the beginning of reinstating you back to God’s original design, the position He purposed so that you could fulfill your destiny and give Him glory.
I want to share three practical statements that will help you live by grace, God’s unearned and undeserved favor that always surrounds you like a shield and positions you to succeed.
God’s grace is a gift – you can’t earn it! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Notice the “not of yourselves” and “not of works.” Grace is exposed, revealed, and brought to life in Christ, not from anything we can do naturally. This is the tension that the devil uses to keep you chasing God’s presence instead of living in it, where strength for your life is made abundant and is acquired. If Satan can get you chasing grace like a carrot at the end of a string by focusing on your ability or lack thereof, you will forfeit your God-given position and possession of grace.
What do you do with a gift? You receive it, you open it, and you get into it – you discover it.
2 Peter 3:18 says, “But grow in grace…” By reading the word, you allow the strength of grace to elevate you to new heights in Christ, where you fully embrace God’s love and goodness.
God’s grace is sufficient – it’s enough! Just Jesus, nothing else. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (TPT) says, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and My power finds its full expression through your weakness.” This reminds me of a story I heard once. A young man runs inside the house and yells to his dad, “There’s a huge snake in the front yard!” The dad says, “Son, do you have the .22-gauge rifle I gave you?” The son says, “Yes, sir, but this snake is huge!” The dad replies, “The .22 rifle is sufficient!” No matter what you’re up against in life, God’s grace is enough! There is no trial, temptation, or hardship that God’s grace is unable to handle.
This is why humility plays a significant role in receiving all that God has for us. 1 Peter 5:5b says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” When we lose the “I got this” attitude in life and come to Jesus, grace is given and exalts us over the enemy’s tactics and lies.
God’s grace is abundant! Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The word “help” here symbolizes urgent help, reinforcement. Like a ship in a storm in Mark 4:35-41, where the disciples ask Jesus, “Don’t you care?” When we come boldly to the throne of grace, we will find urgent assistance and reinforcement for our lives in abundance. Truth be known, not only does God care about and for you, but He has also made provision for every area of your life. You may be in the storm, but the storm does not have to be in you!
I want to end with a thought from 1 John 1:9. When we confess our sins and faults, this is not when God first finds out about them. This is not a work to earn grace or obtain forgiveness. Confessing sin is when you expose the sin and its deception. It’s an act of revelation, it’s when you realize your true nature as righteous and step into the potential that God has given in grace through faith – IT’S THAT GOOD!