Lesson 1 Covenant of Grace and Faith

     As new covenant believers, we have a covenant that's not under the Law of works and rituals, but under the gift of God's grace.  This covenant of God's grace has provided everything the child of God will ever need for here and in heaven.  Ephesians 2:5-6 (Amplified) says that, "Even when we were dead (slain) by (our own) shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; (He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him for) it is by Grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation)."  Verse 6 goes on, "And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in heavenly sphere (by virtue of our being) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed
     In Verse 8 of the same chapter, we find that in order to obtain what grace already provided, we must accept what God has done by faith.  Verse 8 says, "For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through (your) faith. And this (salvation) is not of yourselves (of your own doing, it came not of your own striving) but it is the gift of God."
     This covenant we have with our Father is something so new and completely different that we've had a difficult time understanding it.  We've had so many teachings about faith throughout the years.  And, that's good.  It brought faith back into the Church's focus.  For many years we'd lost faith in so many of the things God had in store for us.  In many instances, we'd lost faith in nearly everything He had for us here in this realm.
     We settled into a place where we'd "hang on until we die and then go to heaven."  We believed that all the things that were offered through Jesus were for when we passed away and not for today.  Or, we believed that these things were only for the early Church, died with the Apostles, not for everyone or even from the devil.  Our faith had been so undermined over the years, that our prayers weren't relevant because of our uncertainty of God.
     Once the faith message was introduced back into the Church, we overshot and returned to trying to make things happen "by our own works."  Faith almost became a thing to avoid in some circles.  And, we once again went back to the same place we started.  We tried being good and then we would go to heaven once we died.  We did exactly what Paul spoke to the Church in Galatians 3:1-3(Amplified) which says, "Oh you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom-right before your very eyes-Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?"  Verse 2 says, "Let me ask you this one question; Did you receive the (Holy) Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing (the message of the gospel) and believing (it)? (Was it from observing a Law of rituals or from a message of faith?"  Verse 3  says, "Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? having begun (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) Spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependence) on the flesh?"
     Once again, we've become like the Galatians who tried being justified by the works of their flesh.  We believed if we'd do enough good works and had strong enough faith, then God would bless me and answer my prayers.  Once again, it came down to "my faith, my works."
     Then entered the Great Debate concerning faith in the Church.  Some called it hyper faith and some called themselves faith people.  So, the thing that should unite the Church became a source of division once again.  Some said that it was up to God whether or not He wanted to bless or heal you and that faith had nothing at all to do with it.  Some even tried making God do it out of obligation to His Word.  Both groups were wrong.
     Were we to believe anything anymore?  Should we teach about healing and have some who would not be healed and then be disappointed?  Or, should we simply preach about going to heaven when you die and leave it at that?  Afterall, it was up to God anyway, right?  So, we coined the simple solution that you needn't believe anything and you'll still be okay.  "Lord, if it be Thy will, and if not, not my will but Yours be done," we prayed as if God would perform anything that wasn't His will anyway.
     1John 5:14-15 (Amplified) says, "And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him; (we are sure) that if we ask anything (make our request) according to His will (in agreement with His Own plan) He listens to and hears us."  Verse 15 goes on, "And if (since) we (positively) know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know (with settled and absolute knowledge) that we have (granted us as our present possessions) the requests made of Him."
     Then comes the great questions of the Church of "Does faith have anything to do with answered prayer or requests," "Do we have an obligation to know what God's will is when we pray,"and "Does God still heal and deliver and do things for His people or are we just on automatic pilot until Jesus comes?"
     Now comes the message of grace.  Once again we leaned to our own understanding instead of listening to the Holy Spirit and we decided that grace meant that if God wanted us to have it," "You can never be sure God wants you to have it," or that God "may have pity on us and do something."
     Somehow, grace and faith became opposite things.  One group in the Church became those who were going to make things happen by their faith.  The other group decided that if God wanted us to have these things, then He would just do it by grace.  And, once again, both groups were wrong!
     Now comes what God has desired for us ever since Jesus rose from the dead and put forth this new covenant of grace and faith.  Everything God has for His children is now by grace.  And, everything that grace has granted must be received by faith.  Romans 1:5 (Amplified) says that, "It is through Him that we have received grace (God's unmerited favor) and (our) apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His Name's sake among all the nations."
     Through Jesus, we have been granted this grace (the unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor of God).  This grace was granted through God's love for us when He sent Jesus to pay our penalty.  We didn't deserve to be forgiven, but grace forgave us.  We didn't deserve to be made righteous, but grace made it possible through Jesus.  We didn't deserve to be saved at all, but grace made it possible through the cross. 
     Now comes the thing that's been such a division in the Church for all this time. Were we saved by grace or by faith?  It takes both according to Ephesisans 2:8 which says that, "We are saved by grace through faith."  Grace has made salvation available to everyone and faith has to receive what grace has made available.
     Salvation was made available to everyone "Both Jew and Gentile" at the resurrection of Jesus.  Romans 5:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us (grasp the fact that we) have (the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."  Verse 2 says, "Through Him also we have (our) access (entrance, introduction)  by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we (firmly and safely) stand, And let us rejoice and exalt in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God."
     Here we find that grace and faith are of equal importance when it comes to our salvation, deliverance, healing, peace or entering into the glory of God.  Grace has made everything available, but it must be received by faith.  We find that salvation came to all men two thousand years again when Jesus rose from the dead.  When I received my salvation, Jesus didn't need to come back and die again.  I had to have faith in what grace already provided two thousand years ago.
     Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) tells us that we have an open invitation to come boldly to God's throne of grace whenever we have a need.  The only way to come boldly to this throne of grace is by faith.  If we don't have faith in what we're doing when we approach His throne, then how could we come boldly?  We read in Romans 3:23-25 (Amplified) how these two attributes of God work together in the life of man.  Thus, it says, "Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives (All) are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously  by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus Whom God put forward (before the eyes of all) as a mercy seat and propitiation by His Blood (the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received through faith this was to show God's righteousness because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment."
     "All were made righteous and were justified by grace," but the sacrifice must be received by faith.  Our being made righteous before God, doesn't depend on what we do, but what we believe by faith in Jesus.  Everything God has offered to the world and the Church is by His grace.  All He has offered to the world and the Church won't help either unless we apply our faith in what grace has made available.
     Salvation was made available to all men through Jesus.  John 3:16 might by the most quoted and well known verses in the Bible that, "God so loved the world that He gave Jesus for our salvation."  By grace, this gift of salvation has been offered to "All who will believe."  The grace for salvation has been granted, but faith must reach out to receive it.
     If we don't put faith in the gift of grace (salvation), then men can still die in their sin and perish even though that grace was made available to them.  Hebrews 4:16 says that, "Without faith it is impossible to please God."  Now we see why faith is so important to God.  It is the doorway into grace He granted us by the very life of His Son.  We can only enter in by grace (not by works or deeds of the flesh), but grace can only be received by faith.
     We see that what we've learned about "being saved by grace" is true.  And, we've learned that it's true that "the just shall live by faith,"but not one without the other.  Everything in the whole of our new covenant was based on God's unmerited favor and mercy (His grace) and that all of it must be received by faith.
     Healing has been provided to all according to the Word which tells us that, "By His stripes we are healed and made whole."  Healing came as a gift of grace when Jesus bore our sickness and disease.  Is this scripture true?  Of course it is true.  This is a gift of healing to the new covenant believer by grace just like the forgiveness of sin.  What then, is the difference?  Grace provided both.  But, the faith of many only received the one, forgiveness.
     Romans 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Therefore (inheriting) the promise is the outcome of faith and it depends (entirely) on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor) to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his (Abraham's) descendants, not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is (thus) the father of us all."
     Although we confess we believe, we've had a problem actually believing we're righteous.  We can read it in the Word and say we believe it, but then still struggle with it.  This righteousness is a gift of grace that must be received by faith.  We read in Romans 5:2 (Amplified) earlier how, "Through Him (Jesus) also we have (our) access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace."  The grace or gift of righteousness provided by God through Jesus won't give you the peace in your own spirit unless you will accept it by faith.
     God has provided everything needed in our lives as His Own children by His grace,but only that which we receive and place our faith in, will work in our lives (even though it's all ours through Jesus).
     Some people have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the language of the Spirit (speaking in tongues).  Some haven't.  The same gift of the Holy Spirit is given by grace to all, but not all have placed their faith in it.  We can go through the Word in the new covenant and find this is true in one way or another in nearly everything whether it by tongues, healing, authority, deliverance, peace, righteousness, prosperity or grace.  No matter what comes up, we all seem able to accept some of what grace has made available and not other things.  All were offered by grace, but not all of us have put faith into the same things.
     Even the validity of the"Gifts of the Spirit" found in 1Corinthians 12 are debated in some churches, but not in other churches.  Even though all these things are ours by grace, we stumble in our accepting them because of lack of faith.