26 July 2016

THE GRACE OF GOD

By John Ollis

Do you ever ask yourself the question “where would I be today, but for the grace of God? I have been meditating on the “Grace of God” for sometime in my life, and I feel it is time to comment make some comments.
You may have picked up, that I am concerned about the extreme teaching that is currently around (coming out of S.E.Asia) on the topic which seems to raise its head in every generation since the first century.. I trust what I feel is a righteous indignation towards this potential heresy. it has been said that heresy can be 90% truth, but it is the other 10% that causes all the problems. I can say that I am not reacting with a closed mind, but have been seeking to have better understanding of this awesome truth.
Grace is defined as GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOUR AND MERCY. I thank God for it EVERY DAY for without it I would utterly fail.

LET US START RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING

In 1 Corinthians 1:4 Paul speaks of the Gift of Grace God had given them, then in 1 Cor. 3:10 that Gift being given to Him. It all starts here, unless God gives us the Gift of His Grace we cannot be restored to Him. We deserved the lowest hell, but Paul declares in Romans 3:24 We have been JUSTIFIED, (declared not guilty) FREELY  by His grace through  the redemption (brought out of the slave market of sin) that is  in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul again says, it is by God’s grace we have been saved (born again), through faith, (that God puts in our hearts, it is exclusively the Gift of God, so we cannot boast.

Inn 1 Cor. 15:10 Paul’s testimony is that What he is and has become is all because of the Grace of God. He had learnt as the writer to the book of Hebrews tells us to continually come to the “Throne (source) of Grace”. Which causes us to “grow in grace” as Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 1:18, and James 4:6 tells us  we can continually receive more grace, James tells us “we have not because we ask not”.

Speaking  personally, I am overwhelmed at this awesome thing called the “Grace of God”, I don’t deserve it but it is available to me as I reach out to it, IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE.Recently I have experienced a very special answer to prayer, something I have been praying about for at least six months, and daily now I am experiencing the outworking of God’s Grace in this particular area in my life. In a few months time I will share the whole story with you.

One awesome revelation I have received regarding grace is this, every sin I have ever committed, and will ever commit, was dealt with on the cross of Calvary by our Lord Jesus Christ, as a ten year old boy, I experienced the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that drew me to God, and experienced God’s grace in forgiveness, and the burden of sin was rolled off my life. Of course, sadly, I have failed the Lord many times since that day, and for years I struggled to know the peace of God and forgiveness from present sins. I sure still have to confess and repent, I cannot even remember all my sins, so like the Psalmist I pray “Search me o God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting psalm 139:23-24, and then claim my forgiveness, that was purchased for me 2000 years ago. Then to experience the joy of knowing “it is well with my soul”. I am sorry that it took me so long to come to this realisation, some of my readers will smile and say, “I have known and experienced that truth for many years”.

God’s people must realise  the grace of God IS NOT a licence to sin, but the power to live a holy. victorious pure life. We must lay hold of it continually.

I sadly, have some friends that have been beguiled by the “cheap grace teaching” and still attending church, but now living in immoral relationships. Jude 1:4 tells us, there were people if his day, that had “turned the Grace of God into lasciviousness, other translations say, sensual, lawlessness, lewdness etc. That is abusing the grace of God.

Paul writing to the Colossians in 4:6 tells us our speech must be “seasoned with grace” we are living in a generation of believers who see no problem with swearing, that is as Paul says in Galatians 2:21 is abusing and frustrating the grace of God. CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT AND NEED NOT TO SWEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EMBRACE AND EXPERIENCE THE GRACE OF GOD