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.”
Galatians 2:6 ERV
“Some of them seemed to be important leaders, but I don’t care what they were. God does not judge by what people appear to be. These leaders did not add anything to the message I preach.”
Acts 10:34-35 ERV
“Peter began to speak: ‘I really understand now that God does not show favoritism. God accepts anyone who worships him and does what is right. It doesn’t matter what country they come from.'”
Setting the Stage:
When Paul went to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles, he discovered that their reputation as important leaders meant nothing when it came to the revelation of grace he had received. God is not impressed by titles, status, or religious hierarchy. Grace is available to everyone equally. The newest convert has the same access to God’s unmerited favor as the most seasoned apostle because grace is unearned and mostly undeserved.
This is revolutionary because the religious system always creates hierarchies. When you get into a system of religious rites, rituals, and routines, there are always “important people,” “regular people,” “spiritual leaders,” and “ordinary believers.” The key is that God’s grace levels the playing field. In the grace realm, while God releases favor, He doesn’t show favoritism.
Paul says these influential leaders “contributed nothing new to my revelation.” Why? Because grace doesn’t come through human channels, it comes directly from God. You don’t need anyone’s approval, endorsement, or validation to access the fullness of God’s grace in your life.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Grace Gives You Direct Access to God While Honoring the Leaders He Has Placed in Your Life.
Paul didn’t need the Jerusalem apostles to validate his revelation because grace creates a direct connection between you and God. This doesn’t mean you disrespect spiritual authority; it means you honor the anointing on others while also honoring the anointing on your own life.
How this applies to you:
— You have the same access to God’s grace as any pastor, priest, prophet, bishop, or spiritual leader. Grace doesn’t come through titles or positions. It comes through Jesus Christ alone. Honor their anointing while developing a holy honor for the anointing on your own life.
— Your relationship with God is personal and direct. While God gives us spiritual leaders to help us grow, and we should honor the wisdom and experience they bring, you don’t need anyone’s permission to approach God or receive from Him directly. Further, you don’t need anyone’s approval to become the man/woman you are called to be.
— God’s grace is not filtered through human approval. You can receive counsel, guidance, and input from spiritual leaders while maintaining your direct access to God’s throne of grace.
— You can receive revelation directly from God’s Word and His Spirit. Honor the insights of mature believers while recognizing that the Holy Spirit lives inside you to guide you into all truth specific to your calling.
— Your worth and value are determined by God, not by people. This means you can honor and respect spiritual authority without making their approval the source of your identity or confidence. God is your source, and He will teach you to honor others while also honoring yourself!
— Grace eliminates spiritual CLASS systems while maintaining divine order. There are no “super Christians” and “regular Christians” in God’s eyes. There is no such thing as “She is just an usher,” or “He just works in the parking lot,” or “He is just a mechanic.” We all have different callings and anointings that should be mutually honored.
— You can pray directly to God, hear from God, and receive from God while also receiving input from the spiritual covering God has placed in your life. While Jesus is Your Lord, He has also given you leaders who can serve as His instruments. This means you must learn to receive from God directly as LORD while also receiving from the LEADERS He has assigned you to. My message today is about teaching you to balance both.
2. Grace Protects You from Being Intimidated by Religious Titles While Teaching You to Honor the Anointing on Others.
Paul said, “Their reputation as important leaders meant nothing to me.” This wasn’t disrespect—it was spiritual balance. When you understand grace, you honor the anointing on others without being intimidated, and you honor the anointing on yourself without being arrogant.
How this applies to you:
— You don’t have to feel inferior when you’re around people with impressive spiritual titles, large ministries, or religious credentials. Honor their journey while knowing your access to God and the anointing of God on your life is just as real.
— Grace teaches you to respect leadership without diminishing yourself. You can celebrate what God is doing through others while maintaining confidence in your own relationship with God and calling.
— Your value doesn’t decrease when you’re in a room with “important” people. Honor the anointing you see operating through them while honoring the anointing God has placed on your life, too.
— You can speak up and share your insights even when you’re the “least experienced” person in the room, but do so with humility and respect for the wisdom of those who have gone before you.
— People’s opinions about your spiritual maturity don’t determine your access to God’s power, but you can still learn from their experiences without making their approval your foundation.
— Grace gives you the confidence to be yourself around any level of leadership while maintaining the humility to receive from their wisdom when the Holy Spirit directs you to do so.
3. Grace Reveals That God’s Favor is Based on His Character and Purpose, Not Your Performance or Position.
The reason God doesn’t show favoritism is because His grace flows from His nature, not from human worthiness. This means you can stop trying to earn special treatment from God and start receiving the favor He’s already given you.
How this applies to you:
— God’s love for you is not based on how long you’ve been saved, how much you know about the Bible, or how many spiritual activities you participate in. His love is unconditional.
— You don’t have to work your way up to receive God’s best. Be careful not to bring the mindset of the world into the church or God’s Kingdom. When I was new to ministry, I saw my journey in ministry the same way I did in the military. It took me 4 years and 11 months to make it from Private to Staff Sergeant. So, I wanted to work hard to get “promoted” in ministry too. This is a dangerous mindset. You are not earning rank in the Kingdom. The newest convert can experience the same level of grace as someone who’s been walking with God for decades.
— Your background, education, or social status doesn’t qualify or disqualify you from God’s favor. Grace makes you qualified regardless of where you came from or how hard you have been working.
— You can expect God to do great things through your life even if you don’t have impressive credentials, extensive training, or important connections. Grace is your qualification, and it is, by nature, undeserved.
— God’s blessings are not reserved for a special class of super-spiritual people. They’re available to anyone who believes and receives by faith.
For the sake of time, I will stop here for today. I pray you received something powerful from today’s message.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I declare that I have direct access to You through Jesus Christ while honoring the spiritual leaders You have placed in my life.
I will honor both the anointing on others and the anointing You have placed on my own life.
I declare that I can receive counsel, guidance, and input from spiritual leaders while maintaining my direct access to Your throne of grace.
I will not be intimidated by religious titles or positions, but I will honor the wisdom and experience of mature believers.
I declare that my worth and value come from You, and I can honor spiritual authority without making their approval the source of my identity.
I receive revelation directly from Your Word and Your Spirit, and I will also honor the insights of those You use to speak into my life.
I will value both divine revelation and godly counsel, standing firm in what You have shown me while remaining humble to receive wisdom from spiritual fathers and mothers.
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!
