Concerning Grace

Ephesians 2:1-10
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

The new life in Christ is a work of grace - once we were dead in our sins, and operating in the same rebellious spirit as the world does, but we were made alive in Christ Jesus by his grace, even when we were dead. A dead man has nothing to offer; we had nothing to offer, but he revealed the majesty of his love and mercy by offering his own life as they payment for our sins.

And not only that, but upon placing our faith on him, we have received his own righteousness. Not of works, but by faith alone (Romans 9:30-33). Not only that, but he gave his Spirit as a seal of all that he has promised us (Ephesians 1:13-14). Having been made co-heirs with Christ, we now are guaranteed to share in Christ's inheritance from God the Father (Galatians 3:16-4:7).

We have passed from death to life, from being the object of God's wrath and justice to the object of his love and affection. As Zephaniah 3:17 declares,
"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

To those who are in Christ, the old self has been buried in Christ's death and the new man has been raised in the likeness of Christ. As II Corinthians 5:17 tell us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

All this is a work of his grace. It is a free gift given to us. As unworthy as we are, Christ has called us worthy. As sinful as we are, God called us holy, and replaced our heart and gave us his spirit (Ezekiel 11:19). All this is done through the work of Christ, which is given by his grace and activated by faith.

The new life we live in the body is lived by faith in the Son of God and what he has accomplished for us. We have his Spirit (who was given to us as a free gift), and we know that fellowship with the Spirit of God produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Ephesians 5:22-23). As we proceed in our journey, we are confident in our standing with God. What does 2 Timothy 2:14 tell us? "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

God's commitment and devotion to us is amazing! He saved us by his grace, and keeps us by his grace. And even if we are faithless, he will not disown us. He has identified us with his own righteousness, and he will not change his mind. This is the grace in which we stand. That is why Paul was able to say, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Nothing of ourselves or outside of ourselves can change the nature of the relationship that we have with God. This is the security in which we stand.

Therefore, we can be strong and courageous in the Lord, in the strength of His might. 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." The Spirit he gave us was one of power. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Not only has he given us this security and assurance, but he has equipped us by giving us his Spirit and his Word. We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. We can stand in this world with confidence and proclaim Christ crucified.

Romans 3:23-24 "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The Christian life is a work of grace, given and powered by Jesus Christ. In his power we can be strong and courageous.

The Spirit Within

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%202&version=NIV

Here is what I've been reading and thinking about the last few days. I've been hanging out in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and I don't believe I've been disappointed. More and more, I find out how little I really know the Bible. I know much about the Bible. I know many, or most, of the stories. I know what most of the books of the Bible are about, or I feel that way sometimes. But I'm finding my knowledge is not coupled with understanding. I know what it says, but do I really know what it means? Do I know what a scripture looks like with flesh on it? Not really. I've been a puffed-up and prideful young Christian, with a long way to go. That being said, here is what I have been looking at...

"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him?"

I've been married for almost a year now. The scriptures describes marriage as two becoming one flesh; two separate identities are joined in such a way that they cannot be identified without the other. They are one. While I've not yet been married a full year, more and more Hannah and I find we know each other more. I know her thoughts, she knows mine. We are moving towards a better picture of two becoming one. We know each others' desires and hopes without having ask one another, because we are inseparably joined together.

What does this have anything to do with that scripture above? "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him?" Before marriage, I did not know Hannah as well as I do now. But now, the two have become one. While this is still a work in progress, I see this at work. The two have become one, and I have a closer and deeper connection to her heart. I relate to her at an intimate level. I don't know what's going on inside her heart and head like she does, but I know better than anyone else. Here is where we make our transition to understanding the spiritual realities being presented here by the Holy Spirit.

"In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."

In order to understand the thoughts of God, we must have his Spirit. It is his Spirit that reveals the love and mercy of God to us. It is his Spirit that reveals what God has freely given us. Without the revelation of the Spirit, the natural mind perceives God incorrectly. For instance, this scripture tells us we have received the Spirit of God so that we may understand what God has freely given us. Yet, most of Christianity is works-based. Much of Christianity relates to God based upon how well they are able to walk a straight line and be "righteous" before God.

But the scriptures teach us plainly that "it is by grace, through faith, that we are saved. Not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, so that no man can boast."

Even more so, God withholds no good gift His children. To the man needing wisdom He says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." He is generous, and gives it out to his children unbiased and unashamedly.

Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, we are adopted as sons and daughters of the Almighty. As it says in Galatians, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." And God's promises are faithful.

This is why it is so important to "live by the Spirit." Walking with the Spirit really means to stay close to the heart of God, to know his thoughts and desires, and to know "what God has freely given us." Through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, God makes himself totally available to us. Because Jesus Christ paid the penalty of our sin, we can have an intimate relationship with God. He freely gives us His Spirit, freely clothes us in the righteousness of Christ (even though we are unrighteous), and freely calls us his children. This can only be realized through the Holy Spirit. For who knows the mind of God except His Spirit? Through faith in Jesus Christ, we who believe are being made one with Christ, sealed by the Spirit, guaranteed of the promises of God. Every promise is "yes and amen" in Jesus Christ, and by faith we receive all that God has promised.

If I examine myself, I have not been walking by the Spirit as I could. Even that is a free opportunity. There are no works, no way to merit the Holy Spirit. Jesus said ask and you will receive. So the only thing we can do is by faith believe his promises, and receive from God what he has freely given us in Christ Jesus.