Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians. Let’s get into it.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians? ?9?:?8? ?TPT??
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
Galatians? ?5?:?4? ?TPT??
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans? ?6?:?14? ?ERV??
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.”
1 Corinthians? ?15?:?10? ?NIV?
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Scripture(s) we will study today:
Galatians 2:6 TPT
“Their reputation as important leaders meant nothing to me, for God is not impressed by titles or the status of men. Those influential leaders contributed nothing new to my revelation.”
Proverbs 27:17 ERV
“Iron sharpens iron, and people can improve each other.”
Proverbs 19:20 TPT
“Listen well to wise counsel and be willing to learn from correction so that by the end of your life you’ll be known for your wisdom.”
Setting the Stage:
In my last message, we learned how to honor spiritual authority without dishonoring your own calling. We discovered that we have direct access to God, but God still expects us to honor the leaders He has placed in our lives. We just have to learn to balance direct revelation with Godly counsel.
Today, we dive deeper into what Paul meant when he said those influential leaders “contributed nothing new to my revelation.” This statement has been misunderstood by many believers who think it means you should never receive input from spiritual leaders. That’s not what Paul was saying. Paul was protecting the purity of his divine revelation while still being open to wisdom and counsel from others.
There’s a critical balance here that every believer must learn: How do you treasure what God reveals to you directly while still being humble enough to receive wisdom from those who have walked before you?
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God’s Grace Will Help You Receive Direct Divine Revelation While Remaining Open to Wise Counsel.
When Paul said the leaders “contributed nothing new to my revelation,” he wasn’t being arrogant—he was protecting what God had revealed to him directly. Grace teaches you that your personal revelation from God is precious and non-negotiable, but it also keeps you humble enough to receive wisdom about how to walk it out.
How this applies to you:
— The revelation God gives you directly is the foundation of your calling, and no one can add to or take away from what God has personally shown you about His plans for your life.
— Wise counsel from spiritual leaders can help you understand timing, strategy, and application without changing the core of what God has revealed to you.
— You don’t need everyone to understand what God has revealed to you, but you can still receive input from those God has placed in your life to help you walk it out wisely.
— Your confidence should be built on what God has said to you directly while remaining open to practical wisdom about how to implement what He’s shown you.
— Grace gives you the discernment to know the difference between someone trying to change your revelation and someone trying to help you fulfill it more effectively.
— You can stand firm in what God has shown you while being humble enough to receive course corrections about your approach, timing, or methods.
— The Holy Spirit will often use mature believers to provide practical guidance about how to walk out the revelation He’s given you directly.
2. Grace Teaches You to Discern Between Revelation and Application.
Paul protected his revelation while being open to counsel about the application. Grace empowers you to distinguish between the WHAT (what God has revealed) and the HOW (how you walk it out). The revelation is from God alone, but the application can benefit from godly wisdom. Even when God uses a person to prophesy over your life, the revelation may have come THROUGH a person, but it is still FROM God!
How this applies to you:
— God’s revelation to you about your calling, purpose, and destiny is sacred, and once you know for sure that God has spoken, you don’t need any human to authorize you to walk in that truth.
— How to walk it out is different. The methods, timing, and strategies you use to fulfill your calling can be enhanced or informed by the wisdom of those who have walked similar paths before you.
— You can receive input about your approach without compromising the essence of what God has revealed to you about your identity and assignment.
— Spiritual fathers and mothers can help you avoid unnecessary mistakes in how you pursue what God has shown you, without changing what He has shown you.
— The grace of God will give you the wisdom to say, “This is what God revealed to me, but I’m open to wisdom about how to walk it out,” rather than being defensive about every detail.
— Now, if you are not sure, you can also approach your spiritual leaders and say, “This is what I believe God is saying to me. Is God speaking to you about it?” In this case, you are looking for confirmation. But Paul said what He said because He was not looking for confirmation. He was sure.
— If you go to a spiritual leader and say, “God said this or that to me,” then at that point, they are not going to get involved with the WHAT, but they can help you with the HOW. Why? Because, as leaders, once you say, “God said,” who are we to question it. This is why, if you are not sure, you should say, “This is what I believe God said.”
— In either case, you can be flexible about methods while remaining immovable about the mission God has given you.
— The revelation establishes your direction; wise counsel helps you with the execution of what God has already made clear to you.
3. Grace Empowers You to Learn from Others Without Losing Your Unique Voice.
Paul learned from other apostles without losing the distinctiveness of his calling and message. Grace teaches you to receive from others’ experiences while maintaining the uniqueness of your own assignment. You can be influenced without being controlled.
How this applies to you:
— You can learn valuable lessons from spiritual leaders who have walked before you without trying to duplicate their exact journey or calling. We can imitate their faith without imitating their lives.
— God has given you a unique assignment that requires your unique perspective and approach, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from others’ wisdom and experience.
— You can receive mentorship and guidance while maintaining the authenticity of your divine assignment.
— Grace protects you from both pride (thinking you need no counsel) and insecurity (thinking everyone else’s way is better than yours).
— You can honor the wisdom of spiritual fathers and mothers while still walking in the unique grace and calling God has placed on your life.
— The goal is not to become a copy of your mentors but to become the best version of who God created you to be with their help and guidance.
— You can receive correction, instruction, and wisdom while still maintaining the confidence that God has called you to do something specific and unique. If you ever reach the point where you are not open to correction, you are in a dangerous place.
4. God Will Give You The Grace To Know When to Receive Counsel and When to Stand On What He Said.
Paul knew when to seek counsel from the Jerusalem apostles and when to stand firm in what God had revealed to him. Grace gives you the spiritual discernment to know when you need input from others and when you need to trust what God has shown you directly.
How this applies to you:
— There are times when God will isolate you with Him to receive fresh revelation that no one else can give you or validate for you in that moment.
— God will teach you not to be so independent that you reject all counsel but also not to be so dependent on others that you can’t hear God for yourself.
— You can seek counsel for major decisions while maintaining your confidence in the direct relationship you have with God through His Word and His Spirit.
— Sometimes, you’ll need to move forward with what God has shown you, even when others don’t understand or agree with your direction.
— Spiritual maturity includes knowing when to listen to others and when to listen to God alone, and grace gives you the wisdom to discern the difference.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for speaking to me directly, by Your Word and Your Spiri, daily!
I declare that what You reveal to me is the foundation of my calling.
I will remain open to wise counsel from spiritual leaders about timing, strategy, and application without compromising the core of what You’ve shown me directly.
I declare that I can learn from others’ experiences while maintaining the uniqueness of my own assignment.
I will receive mentorship and guidance while walking in the authenticity of my divine assignment.
Your grace on my life protects me from both pride and insecurity, giving me wisdom to know when to receive counsel and when to stand firm in what You’ve revealed.
I will honor the wisdom of spiritual fathers and mothers while maintaining confidence in my direct relationship with You.
I declare that I am living #TheGraceLife, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen! This is
Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
