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.
There is so much to teach on when we deal with faith that I am not led to move on from this fruit yet. Let’s look at two more scriptures that pertain to today’s message.
(Hebrews 11:6 New International Version)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
(Romans 12:3 King James Version)
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. God gave you what you need to please Him.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Let that sink in for a minute. If you are not living by faith, it is not difficult for you to please God. It is impossible! Your initial reaction to this thought could be, “that’s not right,” or “that’s not fair,” if God had not GIVEN YOU the faith you need to please Him.
Romans 12:3 tells us that God has given every man “the measure of faith.” Now the question is: what are we going to do with it? Will you only pick up your faith when you need something from God, or will you literally LIVE BY FAITH every second of every day?
Further, when you were Born-Again, God placed His Spirit down inside of you. So God gave you His Word, His Spirit, and the faith to believe both. God has given you what you need to live a life that is pleasing in His sight!
2. God has done His part.
God made plans for you before the world began. These are good plans. Once you are Born-Again, God gives you His Spirit. The Holy Spirit then begins to reveal His plans for your life. God is so good that He not only made plans FOR you, but He then gave you the faith you need to access them. God offers you everything by grace, and you are supposed to accept, believe and attempt what God reveals by faith, even when you have no sense-realm evidence to support what God said. So, God gave His Spirit, His Spirit reveals the plans He made for you by grace, and God also gave you the faith you need to access His grace. God has done His part. Your part is to be crazy enough to believe the invisible and attempt the impossible.
If it were easy or believable, it would not require faith! Remember that. God won’t give you all the answers upfront. He won’t give you all the details. Because if He told you everything, you would not need faith. God gave you faith because what He planned for you FAR EXCEEDS what you could accomplish without Him. His plans are greater than your ability. That’s why you need faith to believe and receive them.
God did His part. He called you to an amazing life, He gave you the grace you need to perform it, and He gave you the faith you need to access His grace. Now, what are you going to do with it?
3. You don’t need more faith, but you need to develop the faith you have.
God gave you “the” measure of faith you need to live a successful life in this world (Romans 12:3). You have faith. You actually have the same faith Jesus had. God the Father gave you the same faith and the same Holy Spirit and the same faith He gave His own Son. But like a muscle, your faith must be exercised and developed.
Like anything else, faith requires practice. When the Holy Spirit reveals something to you, faith demands that you SAY SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING or SOW SOMETHING in response to what God revealed. The more you do this, the more natural it will become to you. This is how you live by faith. You are living in response, in the present, to what the Holy Spirit is revealing about your future. The more you do this, without regard for the present circumstances, the more you will develop your faith. You have all the faith you need. Even faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. The question is not: “Do you have faith?” God dealt you the measure of faith you need. The question is: “Are you willing to walk by faith and not by sight?“
4. Think about how good God has been to you!
Think about it. You did not pursue God without God first pursuing you. You did not choose God until He first chose you. You could not love God until God first loved you. You did not pursue the Word until God went out of His way to send people to bring the Word to you. God even gave you the faith you need to receive His promises.
God gave you His love. He sent His Son to die in your place. He forgave you of your sin. He filled you with His Spirit. (The Holy Spirit is ready to produce spiritual fruit in and from your life.) God also gave you His Word to better understand who He is and how He operates. His Word contains His character, attributes, and nature. Through the Word of God, you get to know the God of the Word.
Through the Holy Spirit, God reveals the plans He made for you before the world began. And since you cannot believe or receive God’s Word or His plans without faith, God gave you faith too! God gave you everything you need. Your part is to use the faith He gave you to access His grace. If you do, you will become the man/woman you were born to be. Not because you are so good, but because God is!
— God called you before the world began.
— God did not call you based on your works or your performance.
— God called you based on His purpose and grace.
— God gave you a purpose and the grace to fulfill it.
— God did all of this, in Christ Jesus, before the world began (see 2 Tim 1:9).
— God gave you His Word, His Spirit, a calling, a purpose, the grace to fulfill it, and the faith to believe it. When you think of all of this, you can never accuse God of NOT doing His part.
— God’s part is already done. Now, what are you going to do with all God has provided to you for the ONE LIFE you get to live?
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for being SO good to me. You have given me everything I would ever need to fulfill my divine destiny.
You loved me before I ever loved You. You chose me for my purpose far before I ever even considered choosing You. You sent Your Son Jesus to die for the world while we were yet sinners. Jesus died for our sin, even when we had no consideration for Him.
You gave me Your Spirit when I accepted Your Son as Lord. You gave me Your Word so I can get to know You and better understand how to function in Your Kingdom. And You gave me the FAITH I need to believe and receive what the Holy Spirit reveals.
Your part is done. Everything I need to fulfill my life’s assignment is already stored up for me. My part is to walk and live by faith. My part is to believe and receive what You have already provided. My part is to trust in Your timing and to walk in Your purpose. I declare that I do. I will become the man/woman I was born to be. I will do this by Your grace and for Your glory! Living this way, 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.
