Today we continue our new series entitled, “It’s already done!”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” I received a flurry of feedback from yesterday’s message. I am thankful this message is resonating with you. Yes, it’s already done. But this is the type of message that requires continuous clarification, because people take things to the extreme. I will attempt to provide some of that clarity today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Don’t take grace to an extreme, thinking you don’t have to do anything.
a) Taking anything to an extreme leads to error. If you take your part to an extreme, you leave God out. If you take God’s part to an extreme, you obviate yourself from your responsibility in the process.
b) You must grow to the point where you understand the balance between God’s sovereignty and your responsibility.
2. God predestined you according to His foreknowledge of your decisions.
a) God does not have to wait until you make a decision to know what you were going to decide, but He still honors your decision when you make it.
b) The Bible says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29). When you read that God “predestined” you, what that means is that He already planned out your life. He made plans for you before you were born. You are not a mistake. You were born when you were born and where you were born, because of WHY you were born.
c) God planned out your life and He did so with the foreknowledge of your decisions. So your decisions matter, because God took them into account when He made the plan. This means you have a part in His provision. You have a role in plan! Your decisions matter and you will have to live with the consequences of what you decide.
3. You still need to pray, believe and fight the fight of faith.
a) When I preach, “It’s already done” or “God has already provided”, invariably someone will say: “Well, since God already did everything, then I don’t need to do anything,” or, “If everything is already planned out, then it does not matter what I do.” No! These people missed the point altogether. God’s grace (the fact that God has already provided) is not a license to DO NOTHING! It’s actually an empowerment to DO ALL THINGS!
b) The fact that God predestined you does not mean you don’t have to pray, it may mean you will have to pray more than you ever have before. It just means God knew what you were going to have face along the way. God knew what you would have pray for, and He still requires you to pray.
c) Jesus said, “The Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:8). After making this statement, Jesus went on to teach the disciples how to pray. He was basically saying, “The Father knows what you need before you ask, but He still requires you to ask.” Why? Because He wants His performance in your life to be an act of your will and not just His.
d) You are not puppet and God is not a puppet-master. He is not pulling your strings. He is not forcing you to do anything. He made you a free moral agent. He gave you the right to choose. He told you what you should choose and He is pleased when you choose what is right. While God does not have to wait until you choose to know what you were going to choose, He still honors your choice when you make it.
e) Don’t mistake the message of grace to mean that you don’t need to pray, believe, release your faith, confess your scriptures, or stand on the Word. Once you understand God’s grace, you may have to do all these things more than you ever have. Because to whom much is given, of him much will be required (Luke 12:48). Once God knows you can handle more (because you are relying more on His grace), He will allow you to do more. This also means you will have to face But don’t get frustrated, God will never allow you to face what you cannot handle. If you are facing it this morning, it is because God trusts you with it. So get excited, the size of your mountain is a validation of your growth in Christ.
*** God would have not allowed you to face it 10 years ago, because back then it would have destroyed you. But today, He is able to be glorified through it! That’s growth!
*** I am facing a big challenge right now. I am in the middle of a faith-fight. So this message was for me!
That’s enough for today.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I know it’s already done. You have already provided. You already mapped out my life. You already made the plan. You included my decisions and actions in that plan. So I make decisions that line up with Your Word. I pray the prayer of faith. I fight the fight of faith. I believe I receive when I pray. I decree what You have already declared. I stand on Your Word and I shall never be moved. I have the grace to face what I am facing and I know You have already prepared me to come out on top! Because You are ON me, IN me, WITH me and FOR me, I always win! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
