Grace is enough.
Believer, Grace saves from sin. This is why He came. Matthew 1:21 says of Him:
"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 (TPT) says of Him:
"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."
Verse 14 of the same Titus 2 says of Him: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast."
“Saved” above isn’t just saved to go to heaven. It’s translated from the Greek word sṓzō which is used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sins and into His provisions. See the definition below:
Grace came to save us from our sins. In fact, this is the core of His job description. This is why Satan and his ministers in many churches are so quick to attack the gospel of Grace, twisting Scripture such as "Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound , saying Grace is not enough and insisting that you must save yourself from your sins using your non-existent ability to keep the law and overcome sin and death. They know that this is how to make sin have dominion over you-
“For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under Law but under grace.” Romans 6:14.
They know that this is how to get you cut off from Christ: "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." Galatians 5:4.
Christ came to save us from our sins! How can the One who came to save us from our sins use those sins that He gave His life to free us from as a reason to allow us to fall away? This is akin to an oncologist dad casting out his own beloved child who has cancer...because the child has cancer. No friend. God's eyes burn at and destroy sin while radiating perfect love for the sinner who believes.
But these wolves in sheep's clothing have redefined "fall from Grace" to mean something that happens when you sin! Believer, the default mode of man is sin! God's word says there is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10.) Of ourselves, there is no good in anyone of us. But there is something about the arm of flesh (dependence on human effort at obedience) that wants to be relevant in the story of our salvation. That something is Pride. God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot: Romans 7:18-
"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."
But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort) that will fail says: "No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law and do good things in order to be godly." Until as it happened with Peter, circumstances become unfavourable.
The spirit of the antichrist is not anti-God. It preaches VERY STRONGLY on godliness, but its own way of attaining godliness is through what YOU must do by HUMAN EFFORT (law-keeping) and not what CHRIST has done. It tells you: "You will be godly (be like God) if you keep the Law and do good things." It appeals to the non-existent "good" in man, deceiving man into thinking he has the power to do things that will make him godly (be like God.) The same strategy was used on Eve in Eden. Believer, Christ died to make us godly. Isaiah prophesied about the suffering of Christ in Isaiah 53. See the result of His suffering for us in Isaiah 53:11-
"After He has suffered, He will see the light of life. And He will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what He will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins."
Believer, by Grace, let's not fall for this deception of Satan that tells us that our ability to be godly/live a life of godliness rests in our puny arm of flesh (human effort) that will fail. By Grace, flee from any pastor or preacher that speaks along the lines of: "Now that you are saved by Grace, you have to do your best to keep the Law so that you don't fall from grace." Law and Grace don't mix. This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ spoke of in Revelation 3.
Romans 5:9 says of God: "And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."
This verse is true for all who believe in Jesus. Every believer is RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S SIGHT and thus "Rapture-ready" the second he believes. We will never experience God's wrath, not because we kept the Law, sowed seed or did good things but because of the sacrifice of Jesus. As believers, we are imperfect of ourselves. Christ is our perfection. This is what He says He is doing as we await His coming at the Rapture: John 6: 43-46 (MSG) -
"Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End."
Many think we Grace children just sit idly doing nothing apart from indulging in sinful activities:) Not so! Rest in Christ is not inactivity. Rest in Christ is Holy Spirit-directed activity. In Him, we get to love more, proclaim Jesus more (It is agony for me not to talk about Jesus!), give more, do exploits and live right. In Him, we get to live a life of moral excellence that exceeds that which the law demands- yet not us but Christ in us. But depend on yourself and the arm of flesh will fail.
Satan's ministers who are pretending to be of Christ preach dependence on human effort (law-keeping) in the bid to attain righteousness/godliness and "Rapture-readiness." They know that this is how to make sin become and remain an increasing factor in your life: Romans 5:20 -
“The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more.”
Try to keep the law in order to be godly or for whatever reason and sin will increase. The verse: "But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more" does not mean that we can continue to wallow in sins because of Grace. God's abundance of grace stamps out sin and causes us to live right. It is akin to quenching a lit matchstick (sin) with billions of gallons of water (abundance of Grace.)
We see God’s abundance of Grace at work in the life of Peter who denied Christ three times after swearing that he would not (the arm of flesh- human effort - will fail.) He didn’t try to right his wrong by his own efforts as we are told to do in some places of worship. Judas tried to right himself by attempting restitution and he died. But Grace transformed Christ-denying Simon into pillar of the church- Peter, as He transforms all who, by grace, surrender their will to Him today.
The earlier we see that, of ourselves, we are powerless to keep the law or overcome sin, the better. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is our Righteousness and our Strength. Only in Him do we get to bear "fruit," "more fruit" and "much fruit." He said so (John 15.)
Only by receiving God’s abundance of grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we GET TO live in triumph over sin and death:
"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17
Right Believing always produces Right Living
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