John 1:16-17 (Amplified) tells us, "For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
These Graces, Spiritual Blessings, favors, and Gifts have all been granted to us in our receiving Jesus as Lord, Savior and Final Sacrifice for us. We only need to accept them, by faith in His Truth and God's Promise in Jesus. All these things are ours, even though they are unearned and undeserved. Grace and Truth are God's Gift to us in Jesus and are the fulfillment of God's Promise to Abraham. We no longer have to look to the Promise, because we've received the Promise by faith in Jesus. Once the Promise is fulfilled, it's no longer a promise to those in Jesus, but it's now our's in Grace and Truth.
We're living in the Promise when we're in Jesus, because the Promise was made to "thy Seed," which is Jesus. Galatians 3:29 (Amplified) says, "And if you belong to Christ, are in Him Whom is Abraham's Seed, then you are Abraham's offspring and spiritual heirs according to Promise." When you're in Christ Jesus, then it's no longer just a Promise, but is Truth by Grace. A promise is something we're waiting to come to pass. Once it's come to pass, the Promise has become a vital Truth in Jesus.
The confidence we have in prayer, intervention into our lives, answers to questions, knowing God's will, along with favor and acceptance in His sight, are all based upon our accepting His Truth and having faith in His Word. God Promised these Gifts, favors, Spiritual Blessings and different Graces to Abraham and his Seed, Who is Christ Jesus. This has been fulfilled in our lives and we're heirs according to the Promise.
As believers, these things are now ours according to the Promise. If we don't have the revelation of the Grace and Truth that came through Jesus, then we will continue trying to make these things comes about by our works and deeds. We'll continue believing we need to do this, in order to gain favor with God, even though it's unearned, undeserved favor by Grace. We only need to believe what God has said and done. When we received Jesus, we received the fulfillment of all the Promise for here and hereafter, in Him. We don't have any problems believing in what God will do after we leave this earth, but we struggle believing in the intervention and His Spiritual Blessings and favor are for here and now.
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 through your faith. And this salvation is not of yourselves (of your own doing, it came not through your own striving), but it is the Gift of God." We have been saved by faith through Grace, just like John 1:16-17 says.
We accept this part of God's Promise, but shy away from the rest of it. If this part of His Grace and Truth and Promise is fulfilled, then the entire Promise has come to pass by the same Grace and Truth. We can read the Promise and believe God's Word is True, we don't "feel righteous," don't always act righteous or always have righteous thoughts, so we continue trying to feel the Promise, instead of believing the Promise.
If we allow our senses to dictate our faith, then we will never allow ourselves to enter into full fellowship and right standing with our Heavenly Father. The carnal mind (flesh) is in enmity with God and cannot be reconciled to Him. Our prayers and the confidence in God's Promise, have been controlled more b our feelings, instead of our faith. We keep trying to feel our righteousness, rather than accepting it as a Gift of God and walking it out by faith.
Ephesians 3:11-12 (Amplified) says, "This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness, courage, and confidence of free access and unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear." This can only come to pass in our relationship with the Father, by our acceptance of His Grace and Truth.
When we hold back in our relationship with Him, we're saying that we don't believe His Promise and His Word is Truth for us. How can we say we believe we've been "saved by faith through Grace," and that, "This isn't of ourselves, but it's the Gift of God," while denying that this same Grace and faith don't work in any other areas of our lives? If one part is true, then it's all true. We've allowed unrenewed, carnal minds to rule over Truth in our lives. You are righteous because of Jesus, not because you "feel" righteous.
When you understand that your right standing with the Father is established, condemnation will become revelation. You will no longer be held back by condemnation and will be brought in, by revelation. This revelation will bring the carnal thoughts, feelings and condemnation into check, so we can finally enter in with confidence of fellowship. Understanding will allow us to have faith in our prayers being answered and will open the way to revelation knowledge, instead of carnal knowledge.
Paul writes in Romans 4:16 (Amplified), "Therefore, inheriting the Promise is the outcome of faith and 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 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."
Our "access" into all the Promise, is only guaranteed by our faith, like it was for Abraham. Even though the Promise is now fact in Jesus, you will only access as much of it as you allow Grace to lead you in, by your faith in His Guarantee through Jesus. It's already yours, but you must allow Grace to lead you and make your way by faith. You can't receive it by any other way, even though it's already yours. It's your inheritance, but you must be willing to allow the Spiritual Blessing to bring it, instead of carnal striving and workings of the flesh. You need to receive the Truth of your being righteous before the Father, because of Jesus' righteousness, by faith into your spirit. Then, the knowledge of having right standing with God, will bring your carnal mind into subjection to God's Word. This will give you the peace Jesus said was ours in Him. It will shut down the condemnation and guilt of the old man and allow us to bring the flesh under control of the spirit.
Romans 8:14 (Amplified) says, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." There is the way by Grace, Truth. Having faith in these and being led by the Spirit of God, while we're still in this earthly body, will bring our carnal mind and flesh into subjection to the spirit. It doesn't come by our struggling, but by allowing the Truth to guide us, instead of the senses. As long as the senses rule, the spirit isn't free to guide and direct us, because our feelings will never allow us to be comfortable in God's Presence. It only comes by faith or confidence in His Word.
Romans 8:1 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation, no adjudging guilty of wrong for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."
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