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. Yesterday we also looked at 2 Peter 1:1-4. We will look at these 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.
(2 Peter 1:1-4)
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Today I will focus on this line: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him…”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Discovering what God planned and then seeking to walk it out can be very exciting and rewarding.
When you understand what I am teaching in this series, your life becomes an amazing journey of discovery. You live your life discovering what God already planned, and you get to walk out the destiny that is already IN you!
If you truly believe God already made plans for you before you were born, then it is prudent to check with Him before you make any major decisions. Before you make a major purchase, before you decide on the next career move, before you marry the person you “think” you’re in love with, before this or that, it is paramount that you seek the counsel of God. Something that was a blessing for someone else can be a curse for you if you make a completely “human” decision that takes you away from the path God established for you. Conversely, as you seek the wisdom of God and you are led by the Holy Spirit, not only will you be able to tap into God’s grace to do what He is leading you to do, but you will have tremendous peace along the way. Grace and peace will be multiplied to you!
2. You are not seeking to earn God’s blessing but rather to discover the path that is already blessed.
— The things of God are not earned by human performance. God already gave you all things that pertain to life and godliness. You are not living to earn God’s blessing. You are living to discover God’s will and to deploy into your destiny!
— When you launch out to do what you believe the Holy Spirit is leading you to do, then you don’t have to ask God to bless it. The fact that it is HIS WILL means the path is already blessed. As you walk down it, you will receive what He has already provided.
3. Your future is God’s past.
— God has already been to your future. He has already seen it. So now, when God looks at you, He is looking for what He saw. He is looking for history (or HIS-story) to repeat itself in your life (see Ecc 3:15).
— Your destiny was mapped out by God before you were born. But whether or not you fulfill it is up to you. God will not force you to become the man/woman He destined you to be. He leaves that decision in your hands. This puts you in a position to do three major things:
a) discover God’s plans,
b) choose them over your own, and
c) launch out into them by faith.
— God sets the end from the beginning. God never begins anything at what we would consider to be the beginning because He is outside of time (in eternity), so His paradigm is different than ours. To put it in human terms, we can understand, God sets the end first, and He then backs up and starts the process. This means all you need to succeed in life (to become the man/woman you are called/destined/designed to be) is already planned and prepared. Your journey is a journey of discovery and deployment. You discover what God reveals, and you then deploy into your destiny [when the timing is right,] knowing you already have the grace to do what you are called to do.
4. Walking with God is an exercise in the OUTWORKING of the INTERNAL.
— Looking at things from God’s point of view, the future (as we consider it) is the end, trapped in the beginning. So from God’s perspective, your future is not ahead of you per se; it is trapped inside of you. The oak tree is IN the acorn. The chicken is IN the egg. The 7ft. wingspan of a bald eagle is trapped within the 2.5 inch egg. God’s future for you is already trapped WITHIN you! You are already gifted with all it will take to manifest your destiny. God has already blessed you with all you need. It’s already inside of you, and AS YOU GO, what is IN you will be developed and demonstrated. Living this way, your life becomes an OUTWORKING of the INTERNAL!
— God finished you before He ever started you. He mapped out your entire life before you were born. Everything you need internally has already been provided (although it will need to be developed). Everything you need externally has already been prepared (although it will not show up until the right time). When you understand this, you stop worrying and stressing, and you live your life by faith in what God has already provided.
— God has given you all things that pertain to life (what you will need externally) and godliness (who you need to become on the inside). So if you are stressing over an internal need, it is because you believe you don’t already have it. If you are stressing over an external need, it is because you believe God did not already set up the conditions for you to receive it. Both of these conditions are an affront to God. They demonstrate the fact that you don’t believe God. God did not send you into the earth to fail. You were not born to lose. You were born with everything you need internally “planted” inside of you and everything you need externally “prepared” for you before you were born. If you truly believe this, you will have no need to stress, worry or fear.
That’s enough for today. What I covered today is something you may need to meditate on.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith.
Everything I need has already been provided. If it is an internal matter, I believe You have already gifted me with it. You placed IN me all I would ever need to become the man/woman I am destined to be.
If it is an external matter, I believe You already set up the conditions for me to receive it at just the right time. When the timing is right, I will encounter the right people, and I will gain access to the right resources.
I have no need to stress, worry or fear. I believe You, Father! I know I am already gifted, I am already blessed, and I am already prepared to fulfill my destiny! You gave me all things that pertain to life and godliness. Therefore, GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
