19/03/14

Grace and work

2 Chronicles 14:7 - Therefore he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.


Just a few minutes back I was discussing with a brother and he made a statement that 'by grace we go to Heaven' to which I was correcting him. And as I prayed to the Lord for today's message the Lord gave me this message and when I saw it, I saw the Lord wanted to be party to our discussion and had this beautiful scripture on the same matter.

Here we read of Asa who was a righteous person states to Judah that the Lord has given them rest on all sides. But yet we see they plan to make cities with walls all around, with gates and bars. We need to ask the question if the Lord had given them rest on all sides than did they need to build walls, gates and bars? These were not simple walls they were very large, thick and long walls running all round the city and took years to build. They were made to prevent armies from attacking the city.

Grace was there before Jesus (before God the Son came as man) like the Spirit of God was on a few before Jesus, so also was the Word of God given before through many Prophets yet we see Bible states grace and truth came through Jesus Christ and states we received the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ.

Grace is the necessary mercy to get a job done. Before Jesus grace was in the lives of a select few and not all did i.e. Abraham and David did not experience grace but Noah and Moses did that is why they struggled more. As far as truth was concern even though there were many very wise people like Solomon yet the Jews were far from the truth. Even Prophets like Moses who communicated with God face to face, still did not had the full understanding of what the Lord spoke through them, like Paul says it was Jesus Christ who reveals the promises made unto them. So Jesus was not only the fulfilment of many promises but also the one who revealed the promises of God.

Paul puts our spiritual journey very well in Romans 5. He puts it as a spiral stairs which starts with faith, faith that gives access to grace, grace that takes us through trials and pressure, these trials and pressure brings experience or proof, this proof brings hope and hope is the beginning of faith. Thus by this cycle we get more faith and thus climb up the spiritual staircase of spiritual growth. Fullness / growth of faith make us into persons of authority (Sons of God). Paul refers our efforts not as works of righteousness but works of faith.

It is by faith in Jesus Christ we are saved by grace. Jesus made peace between God and man. But that does not mean we go to Heaven. It only means we are saved from Hell. Going to Heaven requires us to go up the staircase of faith and this is possible only with the Helper - the Holy Spirit, which is why both baptisms baptism in Jesus Christ (faith) and baptism of the Holy Spirit (working of God in us) are required for us to go to Haven.

People before Jesus did works of righteousness and thus had no hope since they had no faith, but after Jesus Christ by our works of faith grow in the Lord and in the works of faith grace is a very important element.

In today's message we see the Lord gave them rest from many problems but that did not mean they could take their enemy for granted. They had to make the efforts to protect themselves from their enemies. If the Lord had not given them peace they would not have been able to make a city nor a wall to protect them from the enemy.
Even if we come in Christ and have peace with God and peace of God, yet our enemy does not sit silent, he works plans to destroy us. It is only when we grow spiritually in faith into persons having authority then we do not fear the enemy but our enemy fears us like the evil spirits feared Jesus.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, people who get admission to KG and pass KG think they have finished school. Lord, we pray they know by coming to know is just the start of our journey in You. That inheritance is not for the Children of God but only for Sons of God. Lord, You gave us your Spirit to make us into Sons. We pray your people realize they need to grow in You, to walk the Way which is You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
1 Corinthians 15:10 - But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

Hebrew 4:9-13
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations [pressure] also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience [enduring];
4 And patience, experience [proof]; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 15:8 - Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

John 3:5 - Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.



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