After diving into what grace is and why we need it, what it means to be justified by grace, and how grace abounds in our lives, we must bring it all together to realize how to also be good stewards of God’s grace. Knowing how to be good stewards of God’s grace is vital to the life of every Christian because it helps us to understand the calling we have all been given.
Having a grasp on what grace is and how God uses it in our lives, we then turn to how we should be good stewards of God’s grace. Each follower of Jesus Christ receives the same calling to follow Christ; abide in Him, obey His instructions, and love as He loves.
34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
By following Jesus we live like Christ. We display His attributes, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, and draw others to Him by His love and grace pouring through our lives. To be good stewards of God’s grace is to imitate His grace, pouring it out onto others as Christ did and does for us.
4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.[a]
We do not become more like Christ by our own efforts or power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, indwelling us by the grace of God, transforming us from the inside out. His Spirit works in us as we choose to follow and learn more about the ways of Christ throughout our lives. By investing time with God in prayer, in His Word, and with His people, we can come to know Him more and therefore become better examples of Him to others.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]
Remember, grace is undeserved. We likewise don’t deserve forgiveness from God, and we often believe others don’t deserve it from us. If we hold to and act upon that belief then we are neglecting the grace we have been given that we likewise do not deserve, and we fail to imitate Christ. While you, me, and that person you don’t want to forgive are all sinners who deserve punishment for our sins, Christ died and paid that price for every one of us.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the[a] glory of God;
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
Christ died for all people, not just the ones you like or agree with, or the ones you think deserve it – all. This is all by God’s grace that any of us are offered this free gift of salvation and can repent and be forgiven of our sins, to then be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit within us who leads us to Christ-like, godly living. By forgiving others, we are being good stewards of God’s grace, and obedient to His commands.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
All we do should be done for God, with a heart of willing and obedient service, out of love for our Creator and Savior. We are instructed to love as He loves and forgive as He forgives us. Love others as God defines love, bear with one another, encourage each other, build others up, and serve in the ways with the blessings and resources which God, by His grace, has blessed you with.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
To be a good steward of God’s grace is to use the blessings, resources, skills, position, talents, and all that we have been given to follow Christ, live like Him, forgive, love, and serve God. All that we have is by the grace of God, and should likewise be used to display His grace in all areas and relationships in our lives.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
God blesses us with everything we need and more to complete the work He has prepared for us to do. He gives us opportunities to love and serve people in order to honor and serve Him. By serving His people with the desire to serve and bring Him glory, we are good stewards of the grace of God. Nothing we have is of our own making or doing. All of it is a gift from our Heavenly Father by His grace alone and should be used in the ways He instructs and prompts us.
35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.[a]
By believing in and following Jesus, loving and obeying Him, forgiving and serving others out of love, and recognizing that all we have is from and for God, we can be good stewards of God’s grace in our lives. By these things, we can pour out His grace into all areas of our lives, as well as to the people around us, which can plant seeds in the hearts of others and draw them closer to the Truth of the Gospel and faith in Jesus as well.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
God extends His grace to every human who has ever and will ever live, drawing them to Himself, offering them salvation through the blood of Jesus, and is graciously patient with each of us. None of us can come to Christ unless God Himself draws them, and it is His grace that abounds over us drawing us to Him to be saved.
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [a]Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
When we obey the call, listen to God drawing us in, and choose to enter into a relationship with Him through faith, we must repent of our sins, seeking God’s forgiveness. The amazing thing is, God does forgive us every sin.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Repentance is an essential part of abounding in God’s grace. If we do not confess and repent of our sins, we are not forgiven, and we will grow or remain distant from God. When we allow ourselves to drift and become distant from God, letting unconfessed sin pile up, we are rejecting His grace and failing to live within it.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
We need to confess our sins with a repentant heart, release our sins to our Heavenly Father, receive His forgiveness, and rest in right-standing with Him again. It is by His grace that we can come to Him, repent and confess, and receive His forgiveness which frees us from the bondage of sin.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, [a]to repentance.”
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In His grace, He is ever-present in our lives, revealing Himself in all of creation, providing for us, loving us, having mercy on us, and correcting us all the time. God’s grace pours out upon all of us as His creations whom He loves and desires to have a relationship with.
4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s[a] faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
In His grace, He equips us and provides for us throughout our lives. God has work He has prepared for us to do and whatever He calls us to do, He will equip and provide for us to do. In His grace, He lavishes us with Spiritual gifts, necessities like clothes and food, and countless other blessings throughout our lives.
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
The Lord teaches, guides, and provides for us. It is up to us whether we obey the instructions or use the blessings for the work He has prepared for us, but it is by His grace that we receive any of it. Each of us has a part to play, work to do, and an impact to make for the Kingdom of God. Even when life hurts, circumstances are tough, or we are in a time of great suffering He will not leave us without anything we need and more to do what He calls on us to do.
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Service can mean a lot of things. For some it may be helping in the local church, others take missionary journeys around the world, and there are endless day-to-day ways to serve the Lord.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Ask others how you can pray for, help, or serve them
There are truly endless ways to serve God. It doesn’t have to be big elaborate things. Serving God is often done in the mundane daily tasks, turning those tasks into work for God versus for self. Not allowing ourselves to be distracted by the world, by the culture, by problems or contentment, but living in God’s grace allows us to see the world through His eyes and see everything as an opportunity to serve God.
9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
God’s grace uses us to display His love and share His truth
God equips us and provides for us so that we can serve God, fulfill our calling, and be good stewards of His Word. We are called to go out into the world, be examples of Christ, display His love, and share His Truth with the world around us. We are all members of the Body of Christ, each given our personal callings which God prepares us for, and also given a shared calling which He likewise provides and equips us for.
19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.
All of us are called to share the grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation which we have received so that more people may know and trust in the Truth as well. We have a beautiful role in planting seeds in the lives and hearts of others that God may water and grow them, leading them also to be saved as we have been saved. The grace of God abounds when we display it to the world around us and share the Truth of His grace in the ways and opportunities which God will provide for us to do.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
By accepting God’s grace, having faith in Jesus as our Savior, and entering into a relationship with God we welcome the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We then have the full grace, love, and power of God Almighty in us, and He begins a new work in us.
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament[a] shows [b]His handiwork.
God’s Spirit works in us, transforming us from the inside out, teaching us to live in God’s grace, how to please God, to become more like Christ, and to worship Him in Spirit and truth. We are justified through faith, and then sanctified by the Spirit of God living in us.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The Holy Spirit takes root inside of us, and as we grow in our faith, continuing to live in the grace of God, we will display the evidence of our saving faith. This evidence will be seen in the way we choose to live. The fruits of the Holy Spirit will spring up in our lives, we will have true desires to please God, to reside in His grace and share His grace with others, and we will become more like Christ.
Our faith will be evident by the fruits we bear. If we are growing in the fruits of the Spirit, others will see this, sense it, and be drawn closer to God through your genuine faith, hope, and love of God. We will be more patient, more kind, gentle, loving, have self-control, be faithful to how God teaches us to live. We will be filled with God’s peace and joy even in times of pain and suffering.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
As we abound in grace, and God’s grace abounds in our lives, we will begin to delight in the Lord and our desires will match up with His desires. We will put off the old self and embrace the new creation God is working in us to become for His honor and glory.
To abound in grace we must live within the grace of God, allowing our very selves and lives to be transformed by Him. We must have a willing heart to be used by God for His works to bring Him glory and honor.
7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.
What areas of your life do you need to reside in the grace of God more?
Fellowship is an important part of every Christian’s life. Together we can learn, grow, and become more of what God is working in us to become. How can we encourage you and come alongside you in your faith journey? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, and hear from you how you have been encouraged in your faith to abide and abound in God’s grace.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more aboutsalvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
I used to hear the word “justified” and think I didn’t really need to understand what it meant. I felt like it was one of those big fancy words that only theologians with years of Biblical study behind them understood. I was content for a while with the milk stage of understanding, but over time God has worked on my heart and taught me how important it is for all of God’s children to understand what it means to be justified by grace. The deeper concepts, truths, and theological topics found in scripture are not only for scholars but are for all of God’s people to know and understand.
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
We have studied what the grace of God is and why we need it, and to understand grace deeper we should also strive to understand justification. Justification is hard for us to grasp on our own, but with God’s help, we can soak in the glory that is God’s wisdom given graciously to us.
Grace is a free and beautiful gift from God for all mankind. Through God’s grace, we are offered salvation through Jesus Christ. By this salvation, we are made right with God. By our faith in Jesus, believing in His great works for the redemption of mankind, God “passes over” our sins, demonstrating His righteousness by forgiving us our sins.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the[a] glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat[b] by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.
The original Greek word for justified in Romans 3:24 is dikaioō(G1344). This word is found all over the New Testament and means to declare or regard as righteous or guiltless, to be acquitted of charges, freed, and absolved. Justified means to be judged acceptable by God.
Why do we need to be justified?
Sinners cannot be in the presence of God, but through justification, our sins are forgiven and we are deemed acceptable to God and able to enter into a relationship with Him through faith. This redemption is a display of God’s grace and mercy. Once justified, God sends us His Holy Spirit, who will then work in us, transforming us by His grace for His glory, sanctifying us for the works God has prepared in advance for us to do.
26 But the [a]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may[a] have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way:[b] He gave[c] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Through our justification, we can enter a relationship with God and receive His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then works to sanctify us, transforming us to become more like God and less like our old selves. Justification adopts us into the family of God, making us co-heirs with Christ, and gives us the promise of eternal life with God. All of this is only by the grace of God, not by our own doing.
17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
Being justified by grace we are forgiven of our sins, made right with God, enter into a relationship with Him, and receive the Holy Spirit who begins the work of sanctification, making us new creations for, by, and through the glory of God.
Have you accepted the grace of God?
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
Grace can be difficult for us to grasp. It is complex to understand, and likewise difficult to give. Did you know that you have been offered grace? Every day, God showers His grace on all of us. Every day we are given the gift of grace and are also commanded to show grace in our lives. What does this mean? What is grace, and why do we need it? Why should we accept it, and why should we give it? I’ve heard, read, and seen so many different definitions for grace, but today we are going to look at what the Bible teaches us about grace.
What is grace?
Throughout the New Testament, the Greek word charis is used for our word “grace”. According to Strong’s Concordance and Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, charisboils down to undeserved favor bestowed on believers by God through Jesus Christ. It is loving-kindness, goodwill, and mercy from God given to sinners who don’t deserve it. Grace is a gift to humans who could never earn it. It also has to do with the spiritual condition of those who have been given grace.
Therefore, grace not only initiates the means of salvation but is also continuously poured out to sustain believers and lead them to become more like God. God’s grace is sufficient to save sinners, and then to transform and sustain them through sanctification.
10 By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
By the grace of God, believers receive salvation, are given spiritual gifts, empowered to love the way God loves, and display His grace to those around us. Just like God bestows love and grace on us while we do not deserve it, we are called and empowered by His Spirit to do likewise.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation[a] for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This grace, and this salvation, is not “of yourselves”. This is a gift from God. We cannot earn it, we don’t deserve it, but God offers it freely as a gift to each of us. His grace then sustains us and leads us to become more like Him as we wait for Christ’s return.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
As we receive grace from God, we are to share in this grace by living in it, living it out, and bestowing it on others. We must remember that we don’t deserve this beautiful gift, and neither do others, but we have received it and are instructed to give it as well in love. We must show grace to others, loving others as God loves them, and loves us. Accept this gift with a grateful and humble heart and then live in it, not rejecting the grace of God.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit;[a] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
If I speak human or angelic tongues[a] but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
There are many callings a follower of Christ may have in their life, but one, in particular, is shared between us all. This shared calling is so important, so special that we should all long to band together to tackle it with the utmost importance in our lives, and the utmost care to do it properly. We should have a true desire to grow in our wisdom and faith in order to ensure we’re doing the best job we can and utilizing every bit of resource and knowledge available to us. We should be so filled with gratitude, awe, and unexplainable love that we can’t help but press forward in this calling no matter what. This is the way each follower of Christ should approach obedience to the will of God.
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
The unfortunate truth is that we live in a fallen, broken, sinful world that is filled with temptation at every turn. This sinful lawlessness is deceptive yet alluring to our humanness. This sin separates us from God, but because of sin God sent Jesus Christ to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind allowing those who choose to accept Him as their sacrifice to come into a relationship with God and no longer be separated from Him.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
And said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
God calls on us to come to Him with a repentant heart and to atone, or be reconciled to God, through the forgiveness of our sins. This forgiveness is made available through accepting salvation offered by the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. When we come to God in love, obediently bringing our sins to Him for forgiveness with a truly repentant heart, desiring to be in a right relationship with Him, and accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, we are then justified by faith, which comes from a heart of submissive obedience to the Lord.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
It is through Christ Jesus that we have salvation, and through the grace found in Christ Jesus that we are saved. There is only one mediator between us and God, only one way to heaven. His grace is not something that we can earn and can only be obtained through faith in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Obedience to God also includes the constant and mindful study of His Word. It is through His Word that we find help in times of trouble and encouragement when we are feeling low. His Word is alive and active, teaching, correcting, and speaking to us.
The Holy Spirit promises to bring to memory the lessons and messages we are taught and to guide our lives to be in obedience to God but we must learn to listen to Him. Learning to turn aside from our own understanding and lean into God to provide for all our needs is an act of obedience and one that strengthens our relationship with Him as well as causing our faith to grow exponentially.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’
How does my relationship with God grow with my obedience?
Our relationship with God grows as we learn to come to Him in all things, through prayer, and work to align our hearts with His will. Scripture promises us that when we are aligned to the will of God that He will provide for the desires of our hearts. God is not a genie that we can simply ask for wishes and He will grant them. God does what He knows is best for us. While we can ask for all things, we need to understand that if God is saying no, or wait, it is because He knows what is best for us.
Learning to submit to God’s will is another form of obedience as we learn to cast aside the desires of our flesh and place God on the throne of our hearts, His rightful place. The peace that we receive is beyond human understanding, is not related to our circumstances, and can be obtained as we live in obedient faith.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Faith, hope, and love are at the heart of Christian values. We receive them from God and are called to continue to live in obedient faith by sharing God’s truth and blessings with the world.
Our relationship with God begins with faith, which helps us to recognize that we are freed from the sins of our past by Christ’s death and resurrection. Hope grows as we learn more about God’s love for us, that He has promised to be with us in all things, and that this life is not all there is.
We can rejoice in the fact that no matter the trials that come, nothing can separate us from the love of God when we place our faith and hope in Him. Jesus provided us with the greatest commandments of all time; the first is to love God with all our hearts, minds, and strength. The second is to love others as Christ has loved us.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Developing and growing our faith is an exercise of obedience that God calls for from all those who are known by His name. We must learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and to respond to the promptings that He provides which requires effort and intent. A personal relationship with God, through Christ our Savior, facilitated through the Holy Spirit is the only way in which we grow in obedience as faith is obtained through willful submission to God’s will.
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Obedience is a personal choice
We cannot find obedience through the faith of our parents, our friends, or our church leaders. Faithful obedience is developed only through a willing heart and spirit to do as God commands. Faithful obedience is like a child submitting to the discipline of his father, not the actions of a slave submitting to his master. A slave does not know the coming and goings of his master nor does he understand the methods by which his master conducts his business.
When we submit to Christ, we are adopted into the family of God and become His children. God disciplines those He loves and when we accept that discipline with a willing heart we learn to be obedient in conforming to His will and are blessed. We will be disciplined in order to help us conform to the will of God and obtain His blessings, and we also will undergo trials and suffering that can test and grow our faith and obedience to His will.
Rejoicing in our sufferings does not mean that we celebrate the trials but rather that we can place our faith and hope in a saving God, one who promises to never leave or forsake us when we follow His commandments with obedience and trust. We can find hope in that God works all things to His glory and for those who love Him.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Endurance, or “perseverance”, is the ability to continue on without giving up, remaining obedient to the call and command of our loving Heavenly Father. It does not mean that life will be trouble-free, but that through our obedient faith in God, He will continue to strengthen us for the trials we will face.
God is using the trials and attacks that we face in this life to create a stronger faith within us which deepens our relationship with Him and instills an even greater sense of hope for the future. The more we submit to Him and His will in faith and love, the deeper He can work within us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Character, also translated as “proof”, is used in the concept of the purification of metal. As the metal is heated, the impurities found within are brought to the surface and cast off causing the metal to become stronger. Self-discipline is necessary for perseverance, which leads to a change in habits, a transformation of character, and becoming more Christ-like.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Through the Holy Spirit, we are intimately connected with God at all times, we can receive revelation and guidance directly from Him through prayer and the reading of His Word. Prayer is our personal communication with God and through the Holy Spirit, we can receive revelation and understanding of God’s desires and will for our lives.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Redeemer, the Holy Spirit comes upon us to dwell in us, guiding and helping us throughout our life. When we don’t know what to pray for, or we lack the words to express ourselves, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with wordless groanings. Through the Holy Spirit, we are convicted of our sins, allowing for us to humble ourselves before Him and seek forgiveness.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
According to God’s plan, in His scheduled time Christ came, died, and was resurrected so that all people may be saved and reconciled to Him. Christ died for all people, but in order to receive that salvation, we must faithfully accept His sacrifice for our sins out of love and obedience to Him, fully intent on turning from our life of sin into the new life He gives us in Him.
Through faith in Christ, being justified before God, we are saved from the wrath of God. Jesus stepped in and took the punishment that we should have received. Through accepting the resurrection of Christ, we are also raised again – saved from the eternal separation from God that sin requires. Just as surely as Christ took our punishment, He has secured our future in heaven with God if we choose to accept Him in faith, love, and obedience to Him.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Jesus taught us through a parable just how our obedient faith works. In this parable, Jesus is the Vine and God the Father is the gardener. We become the branches that the gardener prunes in and out of season, preparing us to bear more fruit in abundance. We cannot bear fruit if we are not connected to the vine and branches, and those that do not produce good fruit are cut off and cast into the fire. Jesus concludes that when we keep His commandments the fruits of the Spirit will become evident in our lives. We are not saved because of our works, but our works are evidence of our saving faith and obedience to Him.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The grace of God is something that will never fully be grasped and understood by human beings, but God shares with us throughout His Word what it is and how we receive it. There are some important factors to consider, several of which are defined by Easton’s Bible Dictionary.
What is Grace?
One of the most important facts we must come to accept in this life is that each and every one of us are sinners who deserve punishment for our sins. We were created by God, for God, and we constantly dishonor and disobey Him.
While this is most certainly true, God still loves us so much that He sent His Son to take our punishment and die for our sins so that we could be forgiven and be free of the power of sin and eternal separation from Him. He literally sent His Son to die in our place so we can be restored to Him, through His resurrection. This is the grace of God.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
Because of His grace, we are offered salvation, through which we can rest in the favor of God and be counted as His friends and children. His grace is not because of anything we could do or earn, but purely because of the works done by Christ because of the mighty grace of God. God favors us with His kindness and friendship, and in so doing gives us grace to reconcile us to Him.
“O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.
Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
God’s grace is also His forgiving mercy. This speaks to His loving-kindness which steps in on our behalf through the sacrifice and fulfillment of the Law in Jesus, and awards us salvation through His blood. God exerts His holy influence on us to turn us to Christ and increase our faith, love, knowledge and Christian virtues. Through His forgiving mercy we receive grace. We do not receive His grace by our own works, but the works of Christ.
But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. Romans 11:6 ESV
Strong’s G5485 – charis – of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10 ESV
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 ESV
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The gospel versus the law
In Galatians we see that believers were under immense pressure from legalistic Jews who rejected the gospel of grace and clung to the Mosaic Law for their salvation. Paul then took the opportunity to explain to the Galatians the differences between grace and the Law of Moses, and their approaches to God.
We receive grace through the works of Christ, and also through His works He fulfilled the Law of Moses. This does not mean that the Law is no longer relevant, but instead that the way it applies to us has evolved as we receive salvation through Christ and grace from God.
‘yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
There are specific Mosaic Laws that were very specific in detail to specific people in a specific time, and while the specific intentions are not relevant to us now because of the sacrifice of Christ, those Laws still provide wisdom for the current-day Christian life.
Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Paul is telling us, as well as the original audience of Professing Jewish Christians, that if you remain under the Law and sever yourselves from Christ, then you are rejecting or “falling away” from grace. In other words, if you reject Christ to remain in the Law of Moses, you also reject Christ and the grace that comes from accepting His works and salvation.
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
As we have covered thus far, grace is a gift from God through the acceptance of the salvation offered to us in Christ. Through this gift of grace, God also provides each of us with special gifts in order to further His mission and plan while we remain in this life. Each individual is responsible for their overall call as a Christian as well as the unique individual callings God blesses them with.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
God provides us with different gifts to use within those responsibilities in order to help us fulfill the callings we’ve been given. Some of the primary gifts an individual can receive are classified as the gifts of divine wisdom, exhortation, special teaching abilities, extraordinary faith, and even the ability to give liberally. All Christians are called to have faith, mercy, and discernment, live generously, as well as help, teach and exhort one another.
But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;
While God gives us these gifts out of His grace we must remember again that we could never earn them, we don’t deserve them, and we are called to use them for Him. Not everyone will share all the same gifts, or be called to use them all in the same ways. We must lean into His grace to discern how God calls us individually to use the blessings and gifts He’s given to each of us.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Through the grace of God and salvation of Christ, we are transformed by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and begin to live more like Christ and less like the world. We are then set apart, different, and begin to display and grow in Christian virtues, also known more simply as the fruits of the Spirit. As we grow in faith we grow more fruits.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you — see that you excel in this act of grace also.
From the grace of God also comes the hope of what is to come. Once we accept Christ and receive God’s grace, we receive a promise of the hope of eternity with God. This is the glory that is coming – that on the day of ultimate salvation when we are face-to-face with our Savior, we will be glorified in His coming Kingdom.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
The grace of God is a gift that none of us can earn, none of us deserve, and that we receive once we’ve accepted Christ and His works, as well as the salvation His works provide for us. His grace is a mark of His favor, kindness and friendship toward us, as well as a display of His forgiving mercy. Through His grace we are able to grow in faith and wisdom, begin to live out His callings for us using the gracious gifts we are given, and prepare for His coming glory. His grace is sufficient for all of our needs, and we are called to lean in and rely on His grace above all else.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I am a wife, mom, writer, crafter, and above all, a Child of God. I love to study the Bible, fellowship with other Christians, and serve God. I am thrilled to invite you to join me in seeking to satisfy our thirsty souls with the Living Water of Christ, which is what Water On Thirsty Land is here to do.
