By Grace Through Faith
You can’t do it alone… It’s probably time to get that sentence through your thick skull…. Is what I’ve been telling myself lately. Ha! you didn’t think I’d start a blog calling you out like that. Did you?!
Seriously though, it’s not always easy for me to let go and let God. Let me explain, (see what I did there?) I wouldn’t say that I’ve always been a people pleaser, but I’ve never wanted to be the weakest link in the chain, and that has led me to become someone who figures things out and doesn’t ask for help. Over the years this mindset has turned me into a very independent person, probably too independent sometimes.
I never ask for help, and I normally prefer to work alone because I can do it, and I can do it right. I’d often rather crawl in a hole than ask for help. Now, if you’re familiar with the passage of scripture Ephesians 2:8-9, you can probably tell where I’m going with this.
Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV says:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This is one of the most comforting verses in the Bible, but it is also one of the hardest pills for me to swallow. As I stated before, I think of myself as a pretty capable person, but that doesn’t mean I’m capable enough of saving myself. When it comes down to it, the truth is I am unable to grant myself salvation and a ticket to Heaven. None of us have that ability. Only a perfect person could do that for us.
Luckily, I know one! Our God loved us so much, even before we were born, that He robed Himself in flesh and walked amongst us. (John 1:14; John 3:16)
In doing so, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for our sins and opened the door for us to have an individual relationship with him.
That statement may lead us to the question: why do we need faith to have a relationship with God?
First of all, as humans, we are born into sin, and in order to access the kingdom of God, we must overcome this sin through our relationship with Him. (Psalm 51:5)
Second, we cannot have faith in God if we do not understand who He is and what He has done for us. (Romans 10:14-17)
Third, without faith, we are unable to please God because a lack of faith is a lack of belief in Him, and to have that relationship, we must believe that He is who He says he is. (Hebrews 11:6)
A relationship is defined as this: the way in which two or more things or people are connected;the state of being related or interrelated. I believe a relationship is built on two things: knowledge and respect.
Knowledge of the inner workings of each other’s mind and life, and respect for their cares and even hurts.
A strong relationship takes these two things into consideration and implements changes to behavior as things come up that could harm it. All of that being said, we can conclude that our relationship with God, if we nurture it will bring us to a place of understanding that we truly can’t make it without him. Sometimes it can be surprising to look back on all of our mistakes, shortcomings, and stubbornness and wonder how we went so long without surrendering to Him.
Now back to our original thought. We must ask the question: What are works?
Works can be described as our human capabilities to perform tasks for the kingdom and what we are able to bring to the table before God. This is where we tend to get things backwards. It’s very easy to learn the Bible and the operations of your local church and become a “perfect Christian.” If we’re not careful, we begin to go through our spiritual checklist of what we’re doing for the Lord and forget to involve Him in any of it. Kingdom work becomes exactly that, work. However, God never designed our relationship with Him to look like a checklist. Our abilities and self reliance will not get us to Heaven, but the realization that we are wholly dependent on Jesus will. It’s by his design and grace that we are as capable as we are, but at any moment the course of life could leave us uncapable. (Matthew 7:21-23, Job 1:21)
James 2:17-18 says:
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
You see, works are a byproduct of our faith. Faith allows us to take a step out through our actions and allows God to fill the gap that comes with the limitations of our capability.
Faith in God cannot exist without action on our part. Faith in God calls us to action and is reflected in living a life that is pleasing to Him and spreading the gospel of who He is to the world around us. This faith will not only help lead us to salvation through God, but others around us.
As I stated earlier, we are unable to bring salvation to ourselves through our works, but it is a gift from God. We can seemingly do everything right, but if our heart remains unchanged by our relationship with Him, we have missed the mark.
Our works or actions play a tremendous part as we strive for Heaven, but at the end of the day, only God can truly save us. To make my point: If our faith is genuine, and our works flow from a heart after God rather than a checklist, spiritual fruit will naturally follow. We will begin to sin less and overcome more because our eyes are set on the King and not our own goals. Yes, God desires our actions to reflect His Word, but only he can grant us grace unto salvation. (John 15:1-5, Galatians 5:22-23)
It’s important that in our desire to do many things for God that we don’t forget He wants to do for us as well. Sometimes we must allow ourselves time to sit in His presence and absorb that grace that he is freely giving. God knows our end from our beginning and he knows exactly where we are in our times of need.
Luke 10:38-42 says:
38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
In this passage we find Jesus visiting the two sisters Martha and Mary. Immediately we can tell that the two are very different. When Jesus arrives Mary decides to sit at his feet and listen as he taught, but Martha continued serving her guests. She quickly notices her sister has taken a seat, and visibly upset with the lack of help she stops Jesus and asks him to tell Mary to get up and help.
Jesus responds by saying, “Martha, you’re worried about all these things, but at the moment this is what’s most important. Mary is right where she needs to be, and I’m not going to tell her to leave. This will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus is not condemning Martha in this response, but He is inviting her to also sit and take in the things that he has to say. Neither sister was wrong in their decision to sit or serve, for they both were giving reverence to Jesus in the best way they knew how, but in this moment it was His desire that they sat at his feet and listened.
When God is speaking we need to stop and allow the Holy Ghost to minister into our lives. It’s this grace that He offers, that even when our priorities get a little off, He still invites us to sit at His feet, because sometimes before He asks for our hands, He desires our hearts.
The awesome thing about grace though, is the fact that it can still reach us at any stage of life. If we look toward the Word, we can find it everywhere we look.
For the prodigal son, it was his father running to welcome him home.
For Peter, it was redemption after denial.
For David, it was the birth of Solomon after the murder of Uriah.
For Thomas, it was nail scarred hands after disbelief.
For Rahab, it was a scarlet cord hung in faith.
And for Paul, it was blinded eyes on the road to Damascus.
Let’s stop here and take a closer look at the story of Paul. In this passage we see Saul, also known as Paul, on his way to arrest any Christians that he may find. As he approached he was stopped in his tracks and transformed forever.
Acts 9:3-6 Says:
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Completely blind the men that were with him brought him into Damascus where he fasted for three days as he awaited instructions from the Lord.
Meanwhile God was speaking to a disciple named Ananias, orchestrating the call on Saul’s life and giving him instruction to minister to Saul.
Acts 9:10-20
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
It’s amazing to me how far the mercy and grace of our Lord is willing to reach for us. Paul goes on to later call himself the chief of sinners, but to God he was a sinner saved. Instead of temporarily blinding Paul, God could have ended his story there, but He had a plan!
What hell meant for evil, God had truly turned it around for Good. Ananias was skeptical of the task he was being given, but God had already marked Paul as a chosen vessel for the kingdom.
At the beginning of this story, Paul was on a mission he genuinely believed was righteous. Yet his confidence was rooted in zeal, not in a true revelation of Jesus Christ. That is why the Lord told him, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
Every step Saul took toward Damascus, though justified in his own mind, was only causing him to resist the very revelation God was trying to give him. The harder he fought against God's direction, the further he was from the truth he so desperately believed he was defending.
This is also explains the instant and radical change in his life after learning the truth of the identity of Christ. More than anything he wanted to please God in everything he did, so at this change he hit the ground running.
The grace of God had changed Paul completely, and his new life in Christ only enhanced the zeal he had for the kingdom.
Further along in Paul’s story we find Paul writing about a thorn in his flesh, being a constant reminder of his dependence on Jesus.
Jump over to 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
If Paul would not have experienced God’s grace first in Damascus, then he wouldn’t have been able to say it was sufficient to carry him through the pain caused by the thorn. As the reader we never find out if the thorn is something physical or mental, but we do find that the grace of God is sufficient to carry us daily.
Throughout Paul’s ministry he often found himself in situations and resolutions that could have only been orchestrated by the hand of God. Time and again, the same grace that met him on the road to Damascus proved faithful enough to sustain him through every trial, every hardship, and every victory.
As I stated earlier, grace can and will we meet every one of us exactly where we are no matter the situation.
"Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." ~Jerry Bridges
Before we can understand the privilege of God’s Grace we have to first experience it when we deserve it the least, but the thing about grace is that it isn’t fair and that’s what makes it so beautiful.
On our worst days God gives grace.
On our best days God gives grace.
When we’re unkind to others, God is kind to us.
When we withhold forgiveness, God is still forgiving.
When we’re unloving, God still loves us.
When we’re unfaithful, God remains faithful.
Grace simply isn’t fair, and for that I’m thankful.
If I received everything I deserved as a result of sin, there’s no telling where I’d be today, but there is a God that went and bore my sin on a cross in a wonderful act of grace, just so I could have access to a relationship with him.
The cross wasn’t fair, but when Jesus was hanging on it all those years ago, beaten and bloodied, you were what was on his mind!
The innocent became guilty just to save you, and if that isn’t grace than I don’t know what is. Grace is for all of us, and it is a gift that has been freely given.
Echoing back to Ephesians 2, I'd like to reiterate that this truly is a gift. As our faith in God grows, we choose to receive the grace He freely offers through the Holy Ghost. We cannot save ourselves, but He can. Only God can grant the eternal life that is found in Him.
Our measure of faith does not change the measure of God's grace. Instead, faith is the means by which we receive that grace with gratitude and reflect it in the way we follow Christ. Grace has never been something we could earn, nor is it something we can repay.
So, no matter your story He is offering this gift freely to you right now. Whether you’re a Mary, Martha, or Paul it is offered just the same.
It doesn't matter if you've been high up on the mountain or low in the valley. For the self-reliant, working hard in the Kingdom, grace is God meeting you in the midst of your limitations and saying, "I've got it from here."
For the person at rock bottom, thinking they're too far gone for redemption, grace is a hand reaching down, lifting you up, dusting you off, and pointing you in the right direction.
God has never expected us to be perfect, so we shouldn’t hold ourselves to a bar He never asked us to set. You don’t have to do everything alone. You can lean on Him in your time of need and He will always be there to support you.
I'll leave you with this: God's grace may not be fair, but we can thank Him every day for it by communing with Him. Through prayer, fasting, and the study of His Word, we can remain close to His throne.
God has given us the gift of grace with the hope that we will build a relationship with Him.
Will you accept?
