FAITH  AND  GRACE

Understanding what faith and grace are can help us see Jesus. His help and blessings can also become more and more visible in our life then.

SALVATION

Eph. 2, 8-9. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"

In this verse Holy Spirit emphasizes that faith and salvation (salvation= sozo in Greek= redemption of sins, healing, fruitfulness of all areas of life, fertility, favour with God and people, prosperity, righteousness… ) also come by grace. These are His gifts to us, we cannot force others and ourselves to believe or prosper. We can seek God, speak the Word, persevere in seeking Him and His truths and all His blessings flow divinely into our hearts, body, circumstances. Through the channel of faith. By grace, not through human efforts.

What is faith?

Bible experts say: 

In my understanding faith is our love relationship with our Heavenly Father. A divine channel of revelations.

What is grace?

Grace is Jesus Himself.

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. " John 1, 17.

Joseph Prince wrote in his book that grace is Jesus Himself, because the Bible says grace "came" and only a person can come.

I really like the following explanation story by Joseph Prince, as it took the burden off my shoulder. It helped me believe that I cannot ruin or hinder what Jesus has bought for me with His precious blood. I already have the healing, the necessary breakthroughs by grace:

A STORY ABOUT GRACE

Imagine that you see 2 Hebrew families. They are in their house at the night when all Hebrews left Egypt. They have already put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost. One family spends the night worrying: "Do I have enough faith in the blood? Will the angel really spare my life?" The other family praises the Lord all night and expects the best. Which was saved????

Both!!! We are also saved and blessed (blessings, healing, prosperity) thanks to the Finished Work of Jesus. His blood is on our bodies, relationships, objects and life.

WORRY <-> TRUST

At the same time, of course, I want to praise the Lord and rejoice, enjoy my relationship with God instead of worrying. Too much worry can lead to harm, injury and if we entertain worries too long, it can greatly harm our relationship with God and on the long term it can make us even run away from Him and His blessings. We base our salvation (sozo: place in heaven, healing, blessings, righteousness, prosperity…) on Jesus' Finished Work, the blood. I have faith in Jesus, not in my own efforts to believe. When I focus His grace, it helps me keep my eyes on Jesus, the truth and exercise faith.

GRACE STRENGTHENS

Let us not judge our own faith and think that we do not have enough faith to see our prayers answered. We have been given perfect faith by Jesus Christ, which is just like apostle Peter's faith.

2 Peter 1, 1. "I am writing to those who have been given a faith as equally precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." TPT

Let us not allow the devil to make us believe that "our lack of faith, doubts, unbelief are the hindrances in the way of His blessings" or "the amount of faith is not good enough". Jesus' Holy Spirit is dwelling in us! 

As we are focusing on our Heavenly Father's grace and love, it gets easy to believe the Word.

Hebrews 13, 9. "It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace."

As we are focusing on this grace, it gets easy to believe the Word.

But we should not try to grow in this relationship, because we are anxious to lose His blessing if we do something wrong or if we do not do our best, if we do not pray or fast enough. Instead, we seek God because we enjoy Him and know we already have His blessings.

STIRRING UP OUR FAITH

As we hear the Word and confess it out loud, our faith starts to operate and be effective!

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10, 17. NKJV

BLESSINGS

Heavenly Father thank You for Your gift of faith and sozo! We are here to celebrate You and we are ready to see more of Your goodness, Your Works in us and in our bodies and families and all parts of our lives! Thank You that You have prepared all these for us long ago, in advance! Eph 2, 10. You are working mightily in our life! Reveal to us more of Jesus, His undeserved grace surpassing all human imaginations and of our wonderful faith in Him!