Today we continue our series entitled, “Grace and Truth,” but with a different type of message. I keep driving home the fact that God does everything He does for us by grace and how we do everything we do for God by faith. As we close out the week this Friday morning, I will talk about God’s grace and our faith. Learning that we are no longer under The Law, but under grace, is one thing. But knowing how to respond to the grace of God with your faith is something else. Let’s discuss this today. We will cover lots of scriptures. Here we go:
God does what He does for you because He loves you:
(John 3:16 KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- God is love.
- Love gives!
- God gave His Son, Jesus gave His life, and the Holy Spirit gives you His commitment, simply because God loves you!
(Romans 5:8 NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- What did we do to cause the Father to send Jesus to die for us? Nothing!
- What did we do to cause Jesus to want to die for us on the cross? Nothing!
- God did it because He loves us!
- And once you are Born-Again, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, despite your flaws, because He loves you and He is committed to the plans the Father made for you before the world began.
(Gen 12:1-3 ERV) The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family and go to the country that I will show you.
(v.2) I will build a great nation from you. I will bless you and make your name famous. People will use your name to bless other people.
(v.3) I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you.
I will use you to bless all the people on earth.”
- What did Abraham do to deserve this? NOTHING!
- Who initiated the contact and the blessing? God!
- Abraham was an idol worshipper.
- God did not bless Abraham because He earned it or deserved it. God did this by grace, because He loved Abraham!
- God did it because He had made plans for Abraham before the foundations of the world!
- It’s the same with you.
(Exodus 3:10 ERV) So now I am sending you to Pharaoh. Go! Lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
- What did Moses do to deserve this assignment? NOTHING!
- Moses was a murderer! He was living in exile, in the wilderness, thinking that he had disqualified himself from his life’s assignment.
- God did not call Moses because he did anything to earn it or deserve it. God called Moses by grace, because He loved Moses!
- God did it because He had made plans for Moses before the foundations of the world!
- It’s the same with you!
(Acts 9:3-6 ERV) So Saul went to Damascus. When he came near the city, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shined around him.
(v.4) He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
(v.5) Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The voice answered, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.
(v.6) Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.”
- What did Paul do to deserve this? NOTHING!
- Paul was a terrorist! He was having Christians killed. He was too young to participate in assassination of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, so he held the coats of the men who did it. He was complicit to that murder and then to hundreds after that. But God still called him to preach the Gospel and write half the New Testament.
- God did not call Paul because he earned it or deserved it. God called Paul by grace, because He loved him.
- God did it because He had made plans for Paul before the foundations of the world!
*** Many of us were taught that God blesses us because of our faith. But He actually planned to bless us, before the foundations of the world, because He loves us! True faith is only a response to God’s grace!
What Faith is NOT:
- Faith is NOT telling God what to do!
- Faith is NOT trying to get God to put a “Yes” on your plan!
- Faith is NOT you commanding God!
- Who are you to tell God what to do?
What Faith IS:
- Faith IS God trying to get you to put a “Yes” on His plans!
- Faith IS you making an alignment with God’s assignment for your life!
Faith requires revelation: (You must hear from God FIRST!)
- Abraham did not come up with the plan!
- Moses did not come up with the plan!
- Paul did not come up with the plan!
- *** And you can’t come up with the plan either!
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. God’s plan for your life was established by grace. It was birthed in His heart before the foundations of the world. God did this because He loves you. Once God reveals His plans to you, and you embrace the face that He planned to use you and bless you by His unearned grace, you can then pursue God’s plans by faith!
2. Faith is not about YOU trying to get God to give you what you came up with in your heart. Faith is about GOD trying to get you to believe and receive what He came up with in His heart before the world began.
3. When God reveals to you what He planned to do by grace, you are then authorized to use your faith to lay hold of it. Faith is something you say or do in order to lay hold of what God has revealed to you that is already yours.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You made plans for me before the world began. You did this simply because You love me. Jesus died on the cross for my sin. He did this because He loves me. Now the Holy Spirit willingly lives in me, and He is committed to me — even though I sometimes ignore Him and do things that grieve Him — simply because He loves me. I am convinced that You love me. It is because of Your love for me, and Your tireless dedication to me, that I am able to walk in confidence towards You. I have unshakable faith, because You have imparted immeasurable grace. My faith says YES to Your grace. My faith is YES to the plans You made for me before the world began. By faith I will become the man/woman You destined me to be. And I will leave a mark in this world that will be felt for generations to come. Not because I am good. But because You are! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
