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."
Throughout Christianity's history, much misunderstanding has developed about Truth and Grace. We've heard and believed many things that haven't always been Truth or Grace. Even the Truth about Love has been misconstrued. The world's idea of love and God's idea of Love aren't always the same thing. Grace wasn't to mean that, "You can do anything you wish to do and still be alright with God" Grace was meant to cover the mistakes we make, while growing and learning in our walk with God.
Truth is as it always has been from the very beginning and Grace was always God's intent. Law was brought in, because of God, but because of man. God still exercised Grace that now had to come by the Law, in order to be able to Bless and move in men's lives. It was actually by Grace, that God gave the Law, because without His Grace of accepting sacrifices, Law would exclude man from God's Blessing altogether. Many couldn't and didn't keep the Law. Without Grace to accept sacrifice for failure, man had no way to walk with God.
God no longer needed to depend on man because of Jesus' Sacrifice and Grace could once again do what God had intended it to do from the beginning. The Word tells us that the Law was simply a "Guide" to lead men to Christ, until His Sacrifice could be made, which would fulfill the Law in Galatians 3:25 (Amplified) which says, "But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer, the guardian of our childhood."
In the beginning, there was no Curse, no sickness, no death, but only Blessing and Grace by Truth. There was no Law to be "guardian" over God's family. God's Presence and Wisdom by His Grace, brought all His children into maturity, like He intended. When God brought His family into the earth, they didn't know "how" they were to walk before Him like they should. They had never anything about life, until God gave them life. The Father intended to raise His family in life, as they grew into maturity.
It's a lie from the enemy, that "God planned from the beginning, to bring His family to transgress, die and under the Curse." Those who believe that God deliberately and purposefully designed the fall of His children in the Garden, have no understanding of God at all.
When we read and hear about faith today, we associate it with only a certain crowd of Christians, whom we view suspiciously. All of humanity was to walk by faith and in association with The One in Whom our faith was to be in. Our faith was never to be in ourselves, but in Him. Our faith was to be an expression of knowing God's Love and our depending on His Love to provide everything we would ever need. This is faith. Paul speaks clearly about this in Galatians 5:6 (Amplified), saying, "But if we are in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through Love."
Our faith is to be in Him and our understanding of His Love for us, is what makes it work. If you don't understand God's full Love, then your faith can only work to the point of your understanding. If you don't believe that God's Love for you includes healing for your body, then your "faith can only work by Love," NOT HIS LOVE, but your understanding of His Love. How far do you trust in the Love, God has for you? Your faith will work to that extent, by knowing His Heart. We've been taught from the old covenant and believe that was God's Original Plan A. God's Plan was always Grace and Truth, by Love.
We've come back to God's Original Intent through Jesus. He brought family into God's Kingdom of Love. Adam's transgression resulted in man's growing up in disobedience and without understanding God's Love and provision. God's family today, no longer needs or requires the Law to teach us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit Who guides and brings us into maturity, by Grace and Truth. If we try walking with God by the Law, then that reveals how we don't understand Grace and Truth.
Carnal thinking has led to man-made laws for walking with God. They're external customs and rituals that remove Grace from it's full purpose. If we believe we can do it our way, then Grace doesn't work like it should in our lives. We then, become dependent on ourselves, instead of having faith in God's Grace. Remember, FAITH WORKS BY LOVE. 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in Love (dread does not exist), but full grown (complete, perfect) Love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and so he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of Love (is not yet grown into Love's complete perfection)." Faith works by Love. When we're in fear of punishment, then we're not yet in the perfection of Love and Who Love is.
Love isn't a feeling. Feelings change in a second. Love is God Himself and God isn't out to punish us, but to save us from punishment. Fear won't hold you to God, only His Love will do that. When you love God and understand His Love for you, then you'll never think of leaving Him for anything. Paul wrote about the husband and wife relationship and the Great Mystery of Christ and the Church in Ephesians 5:32. The wife doesn't stay with her husband because she "has to," but because she chooses to. This is a choice of Love and not fear. No one has ever made my wife of 58 years to stay married to me. I can trust her to be there at home, because she chooses to remain with me. She chooses this because she loves me and not because she'd afraid to leave home.
Coming to understand God's Love, might be one of the great Revelations to come to the Church today. When the Truth of God's Love is made known to His family, the entire world will see His Glory in and on and through His family. You can't express the fullness of God, until you know the fullness of God and that God is Love. When you know His Love for you, like Jesus did, then you'll not only be fearless, but you can allow Him to live through you in this Love.
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