The above scripture explicitly shows us God's will for His family. From the day Adam was created in God's Own Image and Likeness, Grace, Truth, righteousness and peace were made God's will for His family. Many opinions have sprung forth from the fall of Adam, making Truth lose out to man's speculations. No father has ever sired children, with plans of torment, fear, and failure for those children. Throughout time, many children have been fathered, without having those fathers caring for them. This wasn't God's intent for any child or adult either.
God's will from the beginning, was to provide everything His children would ever need, both Spiritually and physically. Everything that Heaven and earth could produce, was to Bless His children. After Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden, there was and continues to be, a Curse from satan's ruler ship over the earth. This Curse is still working in this earth, but God has by His Grace, activated the Blessing by Jesus Christ. The Blessing must be activated by faith in God's Love and His Goodness. This is called, "Grace." Man's idea of what is meant by "Grace," has lent to much misunderstanding what God's Grace is. Grace is simply God doing what man cannot do on his own or man's trying to make his own provision without God.
Jesus speaks about this grace to His followers in Luke 10:3-6,9 (Amplified) saying, "Go your way; Behold I send you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse (no provisions bag), no change of sandals, refrain from retarding your journey by saluting and wishing anyone well along the way. Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this household, freedom from all the distresses that result from sin be with this family." Jesus continued in Verse 9 saying, "And heal the sick that are in the house and say to them, The Kingdom of God has come close to you." Later, when His followers returned, Jesus asked them in Luke 22:35,37 (Amplified), "When I sent you out with no purse or provision, bag or sandals, did you lack anything? They answered, NOTHING."
This was the picture of Grace, that was to come through Jesus' death and resurrection. Verse 37 continues, "For I tell you that this scripture must yet be fulfilled in Me. And He was counted and classed among the wicked (the outlaws and criminals); for what is written about Me has it's fulfillment, has reached its end and is finally settled."
By His Own authority, Jesus anointed and sent these men and women out to operate in His Own Grace and provision. This is now a reality of His redemption and Grace, for all who will believe. Like God's Grace provided for every need of the Israelites in the Wilderness, God's Grace has been sent forth fro all who will dare to believe His provision by the Blessing through Jesus Christ. we haven't walked in the Blessing that Jesus preached about in Luke 4:18-19, but we've mostly walked in the Curse that came by the Law instead.
For those who choose to believe like Abraham did, Grace will meet every need. This Grace is an all-out demonstration of God's Love for mankind. In order to understand God's will and Grace, we must first understand His Love. We've judged God's Love, by our own understanding and perceptions about "love." We fall in and out of love, love our cats or even love pizza. This is a love based solely on emotion and the five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. This isn't the Spirit of Love that has been shed abroad in our heart, by the Holy Spirit. We've measured our love for God and His Love for us by the carnal aspects of what we think love is.
Grace came through Love in the form and Body of Jesus, according to John 3:16 (Amplified) which says, "God so Loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son." John 1:17 (Amplified) says, "For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved, favor, Spiritual Blessing) and Truth came through Jesus Christ." Under the Law, God had His way into the lives of men, based on man's own performance. Through Jesus and Grace, God has His way into man's lives based simply on faith in what Jesus has done. This is Grace. Romans 4:16 (Amplified) tells us, "Therefore, inheriting the Promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith, in order that is might be given as an act of Grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his (Abraham's) descendants."
We've failed to understand how our covenant, isn't based on what we do, but what we believe. When we're taught "Grace," we "cease from our own works, and enter into rest," according to Hebrews 9-10 (Amplified) which says, "So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the true people of God. For he who has once entered God's rest also has ceased from the weariness and pain of human labors, just as god rested from those labors, peculiarly His Own."
No comments:
Post a Comment