Godly-Tips: WALKING IN GRACE

 

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The gift of grace to all men has set God aside as the Supreme among other self-acclaimed gods that ever existed on earth. While the other gods operate the principle of an eye for an eye, our God has in His possession, so much mercy and grace, Ephesians 2:4, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us". 

Even in our darkest days as unbelievers and when we were headlong deep in sin, God has already forgiven us and He's ever stretching His hands of fellowship towards us as long as we are alive. 

Ephesians 2:5, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" God prepared a provision for our salvation a long time before we ever thought about it and started waiting patiently for us to realize what He has done. 

What a Father!

In the days of old, serving God was such a difficult task that, even few that serves Him do so with a lot of fear and trembling. His rules can not be broken, protocols must be duly observed, there was zero tolerance for mistakes and grave penalties when the instructions are violated. Grace was not so available in those days, that is why it is always written that people found grace as though it was a scarce commodity. Genesis 6:8, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD".

Genesis 39:4, "And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand".

Jeremiah 31:2, "Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest".

But, today, you don't need to search for grace, it is readily available to everyone except you reject the offer. Hebrew 4:16, " Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need". 

2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me". 

WHAT IS GRACE?

1. I will like to define grace as what I call Mercyplus (Mercy+). Mercy ensures you are not paid in your coins. It ensures you do not get what you deserve for a wrong deed. For instance, after a criminal has been apprehended, tried in the court of law, and found guilty, setting such a criminal free is an act of mercy. However, when a criminal is forgiven of all his committed offences, set free from captivity and still given a gift he's not qualified to receive by any standard, such an act has gone beyond mercy but grace. That is what we have received from God as Christians.
2. Grace comes to play when you are not qualified to be in a position or possess a thing, and yet it was given to you regardless of your demerits. Luke 23:39-43, "And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40, But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost, not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41, And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42, And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43, And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise". Many of us who are perfectionists would have a problem with this story. But, God can not be questioned; the truth is, there are still rooms today for as many people that will be sincere to themselves, who will open up to God and confess their sins and ask Him to help them just as this malefactor did to Jesus. If I were you, I will stop to deceive myself, stop the struggle with sins in my life, and take advantage of the grace that is already made available to me by God. Please hear this, You can never merit salvation by your work of self-righteousness, it has to be by His grace. Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9, Not of works, lest any man should boast". 
3. As an acronym, GRACE is simply interpreted; God’s Riches At Christ Expense. Therefore, grace can further be described as divine assistance rendered to man for the sake of Jesus Christ.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE WALKING IN GRACE? 

To walk in grace means you are ready to surrender to the will of God for your life. It means you have forgone your own will for His own. It means you are ready to follow Him just as He leads you. 

Therefore, when you do all these and walk in His grace;

1. Your sins would be forgiven, Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. 16, Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need". 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.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.
2. Your steps will be ordered by God, 2 Corinthians 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen". As you step out during this festive period, the Lord will order your steps to success in Jesus name. You shall not board an accident-prone vehicle, you shall not follow the path of kidnappers, arm robbers will miss the track to locate you in the name of Jesus. Rapists' will be caught before they get to you in Jesus name.
3. Everything will work together for your good, Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose". From now on, everything that comes your way shall be for your advancement. Even, government policy will work for you, community decision will work for you, every decision taken in your place of work shall be to your benefit in the name of Jesus.
4. Every labour of enemy over your life shall be in vain, Deuteronomy 28:7, "The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways".
5. The wisdom of God is made available unto you. Ephesians 1:7-8, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 7, Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;"
6. You will pleases God without struggles, 2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God can make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" From now on serving God shall become your uttermost priority in the name of Jesus.

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR GRACE?

1. FAITH, Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9, Not of works, lest any man should boast". Romans 5:2, "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God".
2. HUMILITY, James 4:6,  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble". 1 Peter 5:5, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble". Proverbs 3:34, "Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly".

CAN GRACE FAIL? 

Yes; 

1. When taken for granted. 
2. When abused, Romans 6:1-4, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2, God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3, Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4, Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life".
3. When rejected. 

CONCLUSION

The grace of God is still available today, be opened to God, confess all your sins, accept the offer of grace and cease to struggle in your life.