Today we will continue our series entitled “God’s Grace & Our Faith.” We are looking at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. Our primary scriptures are John 1:14 & 17. We have also been looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit from Galatians 5:22,23. Let’s go back to those again today.
(John 1:14 New International Version)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:17 New International Version)
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(Galatians 5:22,23 The Passion Translation)
But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:
joy that overflows,
peace that subdues,
patience that endures,
kindness in action,
a life full of virtue,
faith that prevails,
gentleness of heart, and
strength of spirit.
Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.
For the past couple of days I dealt with four levels of faith:
1. Faith in the works (what you see).
2. Faith in the Word (what you read).
3. Faith in a rhema Word (what you hear).
4. Faith in God (the person).
I told you that the highest form of faith is rest. Let’s talk about that today.
All of this, by the way, is in my book, Level up Your Life, available at (https://rickpina.co/).
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Work on not working.
I love talking about “entering into God’s rest” from Hebrews 4. The writer of Hebrews told us that we have to LABOR to enter into God’s rest (Heb 4:11). Resting in what God said is not always easy. You have to LABOR to do it. You must WORK on NOT WORKING. You have to remind yourself, over and over again, of what God promised, so you can resist the temptation to give up on it or to do something else. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. He will remind you, as many times as you need reminding, that God WILL DO what He said He would do in your life!
2. God has already moved.
Remember, faith is not about you trying to get God to move. He already moved. God already did all He was going to do in eternity. As far as He is concerned, in heaven, it’s already done. But for you, on the earth, it is a matter of TIME. When you understand this, and God gives you a promise, you know you are not trying to get God to give you what He promised. If it’s part of His story for your life, it’s already yours. The key is not trying to get God to do it. The key is discovering what He has already done for you and then exercising faith to receive and experience that reality on earth.
3. God provided salvation 2,000+ years ago.
We don’t try to get God to save anyone today. God already provided salvation through Jesus 2,000+ years ago. All we do today when we preach the gospel is an attempt to get people to ACCEPT what is already done. Our faith accesses His grace. If someone ACCEPTS eternal life today, they are Born-Again. They get saved. But God did not have to do anything. He already did it. All they had to do was RECEIVE God’s finished work. This is how faith works for everything.
4. Healing is already provided.
We don’t have to get God to heal anyone today. God provided healing through the stripes of Jesus 2,000 years ago. While people are trying to get God to heal them, He is trying to get them to ACCEPT the healing He already provided. When you understand God’s grace and what faith really is — believing and receiving what He has already done — you can enter into God’s rest.
5. We must learn how to RECEIVE and REST in God’s finished work.
When the Holy Spirit prompts someone to accept Jesus as Lord, and they do, and they get Born-Again, to be clear, heaven did not move. Heaven had already moved, and all the human did was believe and receive what was already provided. When the Holy Spirit prompts someone to open their heart to healing, once again, it’s like God has to dispatch healing from heaven. Our healing was paid for by Jesus. What we are doing is receiving what has already been provided.
Now, remember, the promises of God have a timing component. So let’s say that God speaks to you about a business. He tells you that He wants you to start a business because you are called to do it, and He will use that business for His glory. You believe and receive it. As far as you are concerned, this business IS the will of God, and you are called to do it. However, this does not mean you don’t have to prepare, plan and then execute when the time comes. For years you prepare, and while it seems difficult at times, the Holy Spirit keeps reminding you of what God said, so you can enter into God’s rest concerning it.
Then you finally start the business. It is hard. Things don’t work out, initially, the way you expected. You thought that since God told you to do it, it would just be successful from DAY ONE. You go into your prayer closet, and God reveals things to you, about your business that have not happened yet. He is showing you, by the Holy Spirit, a level of success you have not realized yet. You tell God that you believe Him, and the Holy Spirit keeps telling you to enter into God’s rest.
But then things get hard. Your business looks like it may fail. You are thinking about giving up. This is where the life of faith, #TheGraceLife, and the Holy Spirit come in. You “feel” like you are not qualified. You “feel” like you have made many mistakes. You “feel” like throwing in the towel because satan is constantly telling you that you are a failure and the business will never succeed. At the same time, the Holy Spirit is saying, “Hey son/daughter, you have the grace for it, this IS the will of God, it WILL succeed, and it’s ALREADY DONE!“
If you believe God’s report, and you open your heart to the Holy Spirit, you will believe what God believes about you and your business, you will dust yourself off, and you will enter into God’s rest. If you believe satan, you will give up, close the business, and realize, when you get to heaven, that you missed out on God’s best. Entering into God’s rest is critical!
6. It’s already been decided!
I will close the week with an analogy most people can understand. I will give you a story of someone in the military believing God for a promotion. I served in the Army for 25 years, and my wife served 21. God graced me to get promoted quickly and to receive every promotion I was able to in my career. For that, I am extremely thankful.
When you are Soldier, and you have a promotion opportunity coming up, you attempt to do everything YOU CAN to ensure you get promoted. YOU attempt to “DOT EVERY I” and “CROSS EVERY T.” YOU attempt to check every block. YOU attempt to make it through every gate. Once you have done your part, you submit your records before the Board.
You know when the Board meets, and you know when the results will be published. When the results are posted, you were either selected or not. If you were SELECTED for Promotion, your name is on the list. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN! But it may take up to a YEAR (or more) before you actually PIN ON THE RANK!
In that year, you are waiting to get promoted, BUT YOU ARE RESTING WHILE YOU ARE WAITING… BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT’S ALREADY DONE!
Even though you are NOT WEARING the RANK yet, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE IT!
YOU KNOW IT’s DONE!
YOU KNOW IT’s FINISHED!
YOU KNOW IT’s PAST-TENSE!
YOU KNOW IT HAS BEEN DECIDED!
IT’s ALREADY DONE… and IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOU GET TO WEAR WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED!
You are not working on getting THAT RANK anymore.
YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN SELECTED!
YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN!
YOUR FUTURE HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED!
IT’s ONLY A MATTER OF TIME!
This is how FAITH works:
— Faith is not about you attempting to get God to put a “YES” on your plans.
— Faith is God attempting to get you to “REST IN HIS PLANS!”
— Faith is not you attempting to convince God to decide.
— Faith is God attempting to get you to REST IN WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED!
— Faith begins where the Will of God is known.
— You can’t be IN FAITH until you know what God has ALREADY DECIDED!
— But once YOU KNOW, YOU CAN REST!
— In heaven, IT’s ALREADY DONE!
— On the earth, IT’s ONLY A MATTER OF TIME!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You are a Spirit, and You speak to me, by Your Spirit, directly. I receive downloads from heaven daily. I receive revelation that far exceeds anything I could receive through education.
As You speak to me (in dreams while I am sleeping, open visions while I am awake, through the Holy Spirit, through Your Word, and others), I believe and receive everything You say. When You reveal something to me, I know it’s already done. I enter into Your rest where that is concerned.
I am not working to earn or deserve anything. I live by faith in what You have already provided. And I labor to maintain my rest. I am not moved, shaken, or stressed by anything or anyone. I enter into Your rest, I live in a stress-free environment, and I walk out every Word You reveal to me.
I am the just. I LIVE by faith! My faith taps into Your grace. In heaven, it’s already done. For me, it is only a matter of TIME! I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
