The grace of God is the lubricant of the Christian journey and race. Divine grace is to Christianity what engine oil is to the engine of a car. The engine oil reduces frictions among the metal surfaces of the car engine; it improves efficiency of the engine and reduces wear and tear thereby prolonging the lifespan of the car. A car with an engine oil leak to the point that the oil finishes in the engine will soon suffer an engine breakdown. Believers who make shipwrecks of their faith are those who stop harnessing and enjoying the grace of God. Our Christian experience is enhanced, prolonged and enjoyable when we understand how divine grace functions and take steps to latch onto this grace.
We stand by grace (Romans 5:2) ; We are ultimately saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) ; Our destinies are fulfilled by grace (1 Corinthians 15:10) ; We are justified by His grace (Romans 3:24) ; The nation of Israel are God’s elect by grace (Romans 11:5) ; We are instructed and trained in righteousness by grace (Titus 2:11-13) ; Our hearts are established in God’s righteousness by grace (Hebrews 13:9); We overcome sin and our carnal desires by grace (Romans 6:14) ; We receive His blessings and inheritance by grace (John 1:16) ; We excel and are able to labor diligently by grace (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Below is a brief summary of what divine grace is and what it is not:
1. Divine grace is divine impartation: Grace is the power and force behind holy living. The power of grace is activated in individual believers by the Holy Spirit when they come to salvation through Jesus Christ. It is God’s power working in a believer making him willing to do God’s pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
2. Divine grace is spiritual endowment: “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us …”(Romans 12:6). The word grace in this context is the word charis in the Greek from where the English word charisma emanates from. The ability to perform a task excellently and creditably well is the work of divine grace. Grace and gifts are often used interchangeably in the New Testament.
3. Divine grace is an accomplisher of difficult tasks and assignments: When faced with the overwhelming task of building the temple in Jerusalem, the word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel that the work will be finished and accomplished by grace alone (Zechariah 4:6-8). The people were instructed to shout Grace, Grace at the site of the building! Are you feeling very weary to the point of quitting? Take the advice of the angel to Zerubbabel by singing ‘Amazing Grace’.
4. Divine grace is a lifter of men: Grace is God saving unregenerate man and putting him in a position of sonship and authority. Grace calls the unqualified and qualifies the called. Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, and grandson of Saul was relocated from a place called Lodebar (pastureless) to live with King David as one of his sons in the palace. He was lifted by King David (a dispenser of grace). Likewise, born again believers have been lifted from a lowly position to the uppermost in Christ Jesus.
5. Divine grace is not license to sin: “For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 4, NIV). The grace of God never excuses wrong behavior and does not lighten the awfulness of sin.
6. Divine grace is all about Jesus Christ: Grace can be rightly said not to be a doctrine but a person. Christianity is not about a set of rules and dogmas but about a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17, NIV)
CONCLUSION: Divine grace is harnessed by faith in God (Romans 5:2), through humility (1 Peter 5:5-6), through a genuine, undiluted and sincere knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:2), and through separating oneself to God( 2 Corinthians 6:17-18). Are you maximizing the grace of God in all of your endeavors?
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
