GRACE: GOD’S GIFT TO YOU
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7)
Romans 5:17 says, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
This lets you know you’re not to pray, “O God, give me abundance of grace”; rather, you’re to “receive” abundance of grace. The key word is “receive,” which is translated from the Greek word “lambano” and it means to take possession, to seize something and make it yours.
Those who take personal possession of abundant grace shall reign, not beg, in life. They’ll live victoriously every day, over and above circumstances. That’s what it means to reign. Sometimes, you hear people say, “That’s the reigning thing now,” referring to a trend, fashion, etc.; no, they’re wrong. Nothing else is reigning but you, because you’ve received abundance of grace.
The religious mind might question that and say, “How can you say that? Jesus is the one reigning.” Yes, but He’s reigning through you. The way He reigns today is through us the Church. Hallelujah! This is so powerful.
Many have only understood grace as the bestowal of divine gifts or “unmerited favour”; but grace means much more. It’s to be endowed with the presence of God. That means God has given Himself to you, thereby giving you all that He has.
God’s grace on your life is the outworking or outward reflection of an inward divine influence: the beauty, power, perfection, excellence, virtue, and glory of divinity in your spirit. It’s that divine influence and endowment that beautifies your spirit and saturates your life with favour, acceptability, liberality, advantage, joy, pleasure, and supernatural gift or ability.
Take advantage of God’s grace in your job, family, finances, health and relationships today. Paul admonished Timothy to take advantage of the grace of God (2 Timothy 2:1) and rule over the devil, sickness, disease, the world and its systems.
GIVING INCREASES YOUR GRACE TO RECEIVE
...“As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night”- (GENESIS 8:22).
One of the most profound principles in the Word of God that guarantees continuous increase in finances is the principle of giving. Your giving is a channel to facilitate your receiving, for there can be no receiving without you first giving.
2 Corinthians 9:8 gives us divine insight into what your act of giving propels: “And God is able to make all grace (every favour and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]” (AMP).
Another thing your giving does is that it helps to establish your righteousness: “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness…” (2 Corinthians 9:10).
Our lives as Christians should depict our heavenly Father’s character, who gave His precious Son, Jesus for our salvation: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Make up your mind today to be a big giver like your Father, and activate the grace for receiving in your life.
HOW TO GROW THAT BUSINESS WITH MORE GRACE
.......But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (JAMES 4:6)
Grace is the supernatural influence at work in you that causes everything you do to prosper; it’s a divine enablement that causes increase, promotion, and progress! However, the degree to which you let the grace of God in you reflect on the outside is up to you. The more you fill your heart with God’s Word and have the Holy Spirit work in your life, the greater the workings of grace in your life.
You can and should increase in that outward reflection of the Glory of God in your spirit, to such an extent that others would see it and testify to it. They might not be able to explain it, but they’ll glorify God for His excellence that’s resplendent in you, and in all you do.
Some Christians are asking God for more anointing, but there’s nowhere in the Bible where it’s stated that God will give you more anointing. All you need is more grace. More grace gives you more capacity to accomplish or do more. As you succeed and make progress, God expands your coast; He increases your ability. Hallelujah!
Perhaps you’ve been managing a business at a certain scale, and now you want to grow it to be ten times or even a hundred times bigger, you need more grace. Otherwise, you may not be able to sustain the new level of growth and increase, because you don’t have the capacity to manage the business at that level. Some people think that in such circumstances what they need is more money, no; they need more grace.
𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬
And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house... And it came to pass from the time [that] he had made him overseer in his house... that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field (Genesis 39:4-5).
I've heard of people who went for job interviews and were turned down because the panelists disliked them. I also know that they're people who have endless lists of sour relationships they've developed over the years. These experiences are absolutely unnecessary for the child of God who understands the working and power of God's grace; for grace brings acceptability.
The Bible lets us know that God has made His grace available to everyone of us (Ephesians 4:7). Grace is the lifting power of God which makes you accepted, preferred and celebrated everywhere you go; people just love and choose to favour you. Some people don't know this, that's why they whallow in self-pity when they think people around them don't like them. No! That's when to put the grace of God in you to work.
The grace of God will attract the right people, materials and resources you need to function in God's destiny for your life. This doesn't mean everyone will like you, but every well-meaning person will. Look at Jesus, the Bible says multitudes came to Him and heard Him gladly. Even the little children came to Him and heard Him gladly. Even the little children came to Him and He never turned them back. If grace is at work in you, you'll never have stories of depression or disappointment; rather, you'll have a divine aura surrounding you that'll attract the right people and situations to you. With this grace, you'll always rise above those who dispise you.
Never struggle to be accepted at work, in school, at home or anywhere! All you need is recognize that the grace of God is upon your life. Instead of saying "Nobody likes me in this place," change your confession to "Everyone I meet likes me because God's grace is at work in me."
When God's grace is at work in your life and you're conscious of it, even your detractors would notice and not be able to ignore or deny that there's just something excellent and beautiful about you.
MULTIPLY YOUR GRACE
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:1-2
James 4:6 says God “gives more grace....” That should make you shout for joy! You can enjoy more and more of God’s grace! Don’t be satisfied to be at the same level of grace for too long; press for more. Always desire new levels of His glory and grace in your life.
In our opening verse, the Apostle Peter was addressing Christians who had already received the grace of God, and he said, “Grace and peace be MULTIPLIED to you.” You can have grace multiplied, not just added. That is grace multiplied many times over! How does this happen? It’s “...through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (KJV).
The Greek word for knowledge is “epignosis,” which means exact or precise knowledge; full knowledge with intimacy to the object of this knowledge. This means that the more you get to know God through the Word, the more you experience quantum leaps in grace—exponential grace.
Without “epignosis,” your grace will be stagnant. Don’t let that happen to you; go for more of God’s Word. Meditate on the Scriptures, and the grace of God will be multiplied in your life. Also, walk in humility and love. The Bible says God resists the proud, but gives more grace to the humble (James 4:6).
With multiplied grace, you can accomplish more for the Lord! His beauty, glory, and goodness are released in and through you in a way that impacts everything and everyone around you. Glory to God!
𝐆𝐎𝐃'𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒
The Lord is doing something beautiful in our day.
We’re in a new phase in the move of the Spirit, and in this new phase, tremendous things are happening.
The glory of the Lord is everywhere. His righteousness has taken over. His grace has multiplied upon the earth.
Here’s what you need to know: The Bible says: “…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).
— Yes, we hear on the news, some of the most terrible things happening in different countries around the world today.
— But the truth is: Satan isn’t more wicked than God is gracious.
If Satan can go to high levels in his wickedness, God can go higher in His grace.
God’s grace is greater than Satan’s wickedness.
Even though the iniquity of man has so increased (Matthew 24:12), right now, in the realm of the spirit, there’re angels the Lord has dispatched that are more powerful, working with God’s people in leading men to righteousness.
Because Satan has become so ruthless in his wickedness and evil, God also has thrown away the limits in these nations, in His pursuit of souls.
Zechariah 4:6 says, “…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
We’re currently in an unprecedented move of the Holy Ghost, such as has never been witnessed in the earth.
God’s people are going to be passionate about Christ, about the Holy Ghost, about the written Word more than ever before.
There’ll be such insatiable hunger in God’s people for the things of the Spirit.
Many today who are invoking calumnies against the Church, and persecuting Christians, are going to turn to Christ like Saul of Tarsus did.
He went after the Church, but the Holy Ghost went after him.
Though we’re engaged in a warfare, we’re on the winning side.
Ephesians 6:12-18 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
But He giveth more grace… (James 4:6).
Satan can’t stand the move of the Spirit that’s going on in our day.
So be bold and encouraged to preach the Gospel without fear.
The Word of God in your mouth is God talking; nothing can stop it. Hallelujah!
THE THRONE OF GRACE
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16).
In the Old Testament, there was a place called the Mercy Seat; it was the place of grace. When the High Priest came into the Most Holy Place where the Ark of God was, he consulted with God from between the cherubim of glory, which sat over the Mercy Seat, where the blood was offered.
But in Hebrews 4, writing to the Jewish Christians to help them understand what God had done in the New Testament, Paul said, “…we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…” (Hebrews 4:14). Jesus is our High Priest. While all the other priests ministered in the first sanctuary, the High Priest alone went into the inner sanctuary.
But Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” That Mercy Seat in the Old Testament is now called the throne of grace, meaning that grace has now been enthroned! Hallelujah! Romans 5:2 says we have access by faith into this grace.
The word translated “throne” is the Greek, “thronos” and it means seat. Our underlined portion in our theme verse can read as “Let us come boldly unto the seat of grace!” We don’t need an intermediary anymore. We now have access in Christ Jesus into this “throne of grace,” to obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need.
The throne of grace is the place where grace reigns like a king! In that place or seat of grace, you don’t ask God for anything; you “obtain” what you want. The word translated “obtain” is the Greek, “lambano”, which means you come in there to collect or obtain grace!
Do you require grace for anything in your life today? Collect the grace you want; you’re already in the throne room where grace reigns; so boldly obtain the grace you need for that assignment, and for your next and higher level of glory in your walk with God.