Paul writes to the Church in Corinth, who had recently left the world and sin, saying in 1Corinthians 6:11 (Amplified), "And such were some of you once. But you were washed clean, purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin, and you were consecrated (set apart hallowed), and were justified (pronounced righteous by trusting in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit of our God)."
Paul makes a statement about God's will for His family and how salvation is a total act of God's Grace. Many Christians continue trying to earn God's Grace, instead of receiving it. Unknowingly, we've tried becoming "good enough," to be righteous, by establishing laws and traditions to earn God's Grace. Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) 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), it is not of yourselves (of your own doing), it came not through your own striving, but it is the Gift of God."
Everything we receive from God, must be by faith in His Grace. When we try being good enough to deserve it, we fail in our faith in His Grace and Goodness. Paul addressed this dilemma in Galatians 5:4 (Amplified), where those who received salvation, established their own rules and laws about how they were to continue in their salvation. Thus, Paul says, "If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from Grace (from God's Gracious favor and unmerited Blessing)."
Somehow, it seems impossible for mankind to view ourselves as being righteous in God's eyes, without our own works. I'm not sure about you, but I had many things that were wrong in my life when I got saved. This didn't stop God's Grace from working though, nor did it mean that I wasn't righteous before Him. It required many years of walking with the Father, before I accepted the Truth that Jesus' righteousness made me righteous in God's eyes. My own efforts held me back from entering into God's Presence. I was waiting until "I felt good enough" to enter in and I never did feel that good about myself.
This left me with the conundrum of trying to be good enough, while knowing that I could never be that good. I finally gave up trying to be righteous in myself and by faith, accept that Truth that Jesus already made me righteous in His righteousness. This Gift by was given by His Grace and I didn't need to work for it or accomplish it through my works.
I had been trying to be, that which God already made me to be, through Jesus. The things of the old, carnal man diminish as we mature in the Spirit, but we don't need to try and be righteous, because we've already been made righteous through Christ Jesus our Lord. Everything we will ever need in this life and the afterlife, has already been granted to us by His Grace. We receive our healing, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, tongues and Gifts of the Spirit, all by Grace.
We've concocted such ways of receiving the Holy Spirit as not wearing make-up, dressing in certain ways and pleading to God for it. All of these things are by works and man-made laws, instead of faith in God's Grace. We've determined that if one person is healed and another is not healed, that "it's God's will for them to be healed" or "that person didn't do enough to receive healing." Many have stopped believing God still heals or that God only heals certain people.
Remember Jesus' Parable about the Prodigal son in Luke 15:31 (Amplified)? This son was living in sin and was separated from his father, who could restore that son by his grace. There was a second son who believed he "deserved a feast, because of his actions." One wold receive by grace,while the other by his own works. Thus, Jesus says, "The father said to the one who was angry, Son you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours." The second son was angry and didn't what was always his to receive. We don't explain Grace, we simply receive it. If it's a matter of being "good enough" to receive it, then it isn't Grace, but is something owed to us because of our good works. We continue trying to earn what we receive from the Father. Grace is giving to us what God wants us to have instead of what we deserve. I don't want what I deserve (like the second son in the Parable of the Prodigal son) and thankfully this isn't what God has given me. I deserved death and separation from Him, but He gave me Life and right standing with Him.
Our faith isn't in God's healing, but in God's Healer, Jesus. We've tried using faith to believe in healing, instead of placing our faith in His Grace which declares "By His stripes, we ARE healed and made whole." In God's Kingdom, our healing was already done, even before we accepted His Gracious offer to be saved. We didn't need to do anything in order to be saved, except believe in His Grace. Why then, do we think we must earn His favor? We received His favor and His Love by Grace. Now, we must simply have faith that by His Grace, we have been saved, healed and made righteous through Jesus Christ, His Son.
God left nothing to change, when He sent Jesus to set us free. Our entire freedom and liberty is in His Grace and it's His will for us to enjoy these things.
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