Tag: Evangelism as Grace

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Do You Know How To Establish Your Priorities as a Believer?

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How To Establish Your Priorities as a Believer

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

2nd Corinthians 5:8-11

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, (whether we live or die) we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Introduction:

Last week we talked about what happens to believers when they die: (What happens when we leave these bodies?) We saw that God created us as eternal creatures, created as three-part beings: Body, Soul and Spirit. When our non-physical parts (Soul and Spirit) leave our bodies, we call it “death.” Our Soul and Spirit have separated from our body. And every time scripture addresses “death,” it has to do with some sort of separation. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body.

In Genesis 2:17, when God warned Adam “…in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die,” He meant it! But there was an instantaneous result, (Genesis 3:7) when Adam ate that fruit. God separated both Adam and Eve from spiritual fellowship with Him. Adam died physically, 930 years later. But he and everyone who proceeded from him (including Eve, and the entire human race) died spiritually at that very moment.

So, How Does God Save Sinners?

God offered a coming Savior, in Genesis 3:15…the “Seed of the Woman.” Adam believed that promise, (Genesis 3:20) and God re-established the relationship (Genesis 3:21) through the first blood-sacrifice, looking forward to the Cross. God offered Grace in the form of a Savior. Adam responded in Faith, and God accepted him on the basis of faith. I hope that sounds familiar to you all. God saved Abraham, in the same manner, though there was less detail about the promise. God offered Grace in the form of a Promise. Abraham believed God, instead of believing his own eyes, his own experience, or the evidence in nature. And (Genesis 15:6) God declared Abraham righteous on the basis of that faith.

That is the only way God has ever saved anyone in the history of the World. As someone famously said, long ago, “God saves us by Grace, through faith, plus nothing!” In fact, I tried to find out the source of that quote, using Google, and it took me straight to Ephesians 2:8, 9! (“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”)

Anyone who confesses he or she is a lost Sinner, and throws himself or herself upon the Mercy of God, provided by Grace, through the Blood of Jesus, is restored to fellowship with God, and permanently joined to Him by the New Birth.

But, What About The Future?

Can I lose that “Fellowship” with God? Well… temporarily, Yes! But not the Relationship.

As believers, though we are eternally saved, we can be separated from fellowship with God, through sin. In that condition, we are behaving as though we were spiritually dead. God offers to restore us to fellowship through a second promise: 1st John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That is the future of believers, in this life: We desire to walk with God in holiness, but we often fail. We admit our failure is sin, and we approach the throne of God with nothing to offer but confession. He then restores the fellowship so that we can go on walking with Him.

But, an unbeliever, who rejects God’s warning and promise, and thereby maintains their original separation from God, has never been born again. They have never become God’s child. If they persist, and physically die, as an unbeliever, they face eternal separation from God, in the Lake of Fire. God calls that Eternal loss the “second death.”

So, As Believers, How Does the Rebirth Change Our Priorities? (v. 8, 9)

2nd Corinthians 5:8, 9 speaks only to believers. As a believer, I can honestly say that I look forward to being eternally free from the struggles of this life: The constant struggle of trying to walk with God as a saved sinner. That is why verse 8 says, we would rather be with Jesus!

I have two natures: the one is a deadly enemy, and I long to be free of it. The other is the new person, created in the likeness of God in righteousness and true Holiness. (God says so, in Ephesians 4:24.) Do I feel righteous or holy? No! I am keenly aware of my old nature which is still attempting to regain dominance.

But as a believer, yes: I look forward to “going home!” And because I am aware of His presence, and I’m aware that His righteousness is perfect, I am anxious to live in such a way that, whether I live or die, I will not be ashamed, before Him.

What About the Judgment Seat of Christ? (v. 10)

Hebrews 9:27 says “…it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment.”

If that were the only teaching on the coming judgment, it would sound as though all people face the same judgment. But there are at least five judgments listed in scripture, that can affect people. Not all apply to everyone.

  1. The General Judgment (condemnation) of the World. (John 3:18, 19; Romans 1:18, etc. This one affected all of us!)
  2. The Judgment of Sin at the Cross. (Colossians 2:14; 1st John 2:2 Jesus died for all the sins of the entire Human race, though not all respond in faith.)
  3. The Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:10; 1st Corinthians 3:10-16 This one affects believers only, and it is an awards judgment, giving reward to believers who allowed Jesus to work through them. He rewards us as if “we” were the ones who accomplished the work, when, by necessity, only He could do it!)
  4. The Judgment of Living Nations (Matthew 25:31-46 This one affects the living believers and unbelievers, after the Great Tribulation, when Jesus Returns to Earth.)
  5. The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15 This one affects only theunrighteous dead, and it is final.

All the Judgments are Fearful to Consider:

Original Judgment

As we look back and consider the Judgment in the Garden of Eden, we are sobered and chilled to see the permanent consequences of Adam’s sin. In fact, reading through the rest of Genesis, we see that very often, sin had permanent results. All the sons of Abraham that were produced in the flesh (by his own ability and choices) ended up being bitter enemies of his promised son, Isaac, later on. There are many other such examples. But Romans 5:12 says all the sin and death in the world was ultimately because of that one sin!

Judgment of Sin at the Cross

When we see the suffering of Jesus at the Cross, and His torments leading to the Cross, we are grieved to see the awful results of Sin, as it affected Jesus, our Savior.

2nd Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Jesus literally “Became Sin” for us, so that God could pour all His wrath upon Jesus at the Cross, thus allowing us to become the righteousness of God in Him.

But it also explains why Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken Me?” Yes, He was quoting Psalm 22, which is a prophetic Psalm, clearly predicting the Cross. But it was also a fact that God turned His face away from the monstrosity of our sin, completely personified in Jesus at that moment!

Judgement Seat of Christ (Judgment of Believers’ Works.)

The Judgement Seat of Christ is an awards ceremony of sorts. But we feel anxiety about it, knowing that everything I do (or fail to do) in this life will be considered and judged in that day. All the time I have wasted. The many wrong notions I have entertained, contrary to God’s Word. All of them will be exposed for what they are. How?

1st Corinthians 3:11-15 tells us that the things we have built into our lives, as believers, are either of eternal value, or are eternally non-valuable. And it says that the determination will be made “by fire.” The things that I found attractive, but were eternally worthless, will go up in a cloud of smoke. The things that originated in Jesus, and which He did, using me as a tool, will survive that test, and will be the cause for eternal reward.

Abraham’s nephew, Lot, stands as an example of one who lost everything because of his life choices, but who still was saved. We can’t see it very clearly, but God says he was saved. It’s possible for a believer to be just like him. They have gone their own way their whole life, and done things that felt religious and pious, but have not submitted themselves to Jesus as a tool in His hand.

1st Corinthians 3:15 tells us that we can lose our rewards through self-will and sin. We do not lose our position in Christ, but we escape God’s judgment as one escaping through the flames. I fear the results of this judgment. I know I am not a very consistent servant of Christ.

Judgement of the Living Nations

At the end of the Great Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will return (Revelation 19) and will set up His throne in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 14, among others.) But His first order of business, before the promised Kingdom Age can begin, is to sort out the survivors of the Great Tribulation. (Remember: According to Revelation 6:8 and 9:18, more than half of the world’s population will have died during that terrible seven years!)

The Lord Jesus will sort the survivors, according to Matthew 25:31-46, by how the people demonstrated faith in the way they cared for God’s people (or failed to do so.) It is a fearful thing to consider the judgment happening right there for everyone to see. Yes, if you are born again today, you will be absent during the Tribulation. But you will be present to see the Judgment of the Living Nations! How do I know? Jesus said that where He is, there we will be also! And Ephesians 2:6 says God has already seated us in the throne with Jesus.) I am not looking forward to witnessing these final two judgments!

The Great White Throne Judgment

In Revelation 20:11-15 we see the final judgment of Sin and sinners. All the unrighteous dead of all time will stand before that Throne for final Judgment. Who is the Judge? It is Jesus, again. John 5:22 says, “the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father.”

But, we will be there, sitting in the throne with Jesus! I really am not looking forward to this experience. All the unsaved folks I knew will be there! It will include those to whom I had the chance to share the Gospel, but who never received His forgiveness. It also includes the ones with whom I failed to share. And I will watch their judgment, and it will be too late to intervene!

Therefore, Knowing the Terror of the Lord, We Persuade Men

This is one of our motives for Evangelism! All of the Judgments mentioned in scripture are worthy of our dread! Yes, Jesus took away our sins, at the Cross! But even if we no longer have to fear God’s eternal judgment, others still face that judgment!

We are made manifest unto God; and also made manifest in your consciences.

We also seek to be transparent to one another. Paul said he was “made manifest” to God, and sought to be “also made manifest” in the minds of the believers in Corinth.

Ephesians 5:13 says, “whatsoever maketh manifest is light.” God’s light is shining in our lives. We want to be “transparent,” so His light can shine through us to one another, and to the people in the world around us.

God does not want us “putting on a show” of piety or religiosity. We are sinners saved by Grace, and we offer that Grace to one another, and to the people all around us. That is why we enthusiastically support missions, and we look for opportunities to share with those nearby.

Lord Jesus, please cause Your Words to soak into our consciences and to soften our hearts toward those around us who still face the Judgment of God. Give us Your tender Heart of Compassion toward all around us, in Jesus’ Name.

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How to Understand Why The Gospel is Not of Us, but of God

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The Gospel: Not of Us, but of God; Not Pride but Humility.

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

2nd Corinthians 4:5-7

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Introduction:

As we attempt to share our faith with others, we are plagued with the sense that it’s not “Normal” to talk to people about Jesus. We shrink from doing so, because it is socially unacceptable, and potentially offensive. We fear the rejection of our fellow humans.

There are several ways to address that fear:

First, We All Evangelize About Everything Else!

We tell people about a great restaurant we really like: “Great food, great portions, great prices, friendly staff, etc. ….” And no one is offended! They are glad to know about that place.

We tell people about the great recipe we tried recently, and we offer to send it to the other person: They are glad to receive it, even if they never actually use it. Or we tell them about a great book we just read…or where we got our shoes, or the effectiveness of the new medication for (whatever the ailment)…and no one is offended.

But if we tell them about the Great God, the Creator: If we tell them of the Savior…Then we are seen as transgressors, and proselyters. They see us as zealots at best, and false witnesses at worst. Many people take offence at such talk: And we fear their disapproval.

We can observe, then, that evangelism is not the problem. The Person and Message of the Gospel is the Problem.

Second, The World Habitually Rejects the True God

Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

Because the Human Race does not want to think of God, and does not want to see Him for who He is, (The Creator, the Lawgiver, the Judge, and the Savior,) God has allowed them to follow their natural trajectory away from Him and to reap the inevitable results of their rebellion.

From a Biblical perspective, the reaction people have to the Gospel is completely predictable.

Consider The Following:

I have read, many times, that when a horse barn catches fire, the panicked horses will fight against any attempt to lead them out of the barn. The barn is their “safe place.” The fact that the barn is now burning around them does not translate in their minds to “GET OUT of the Barn!” Without intervention, they will stay there and burn.

The only way to calm them, so that you can lead them out of the fire, is to cover their eyes with something: A cloth, or a gunny sack, or some other covering, so that the only thing they can now trust is the hand on their bridle. Then you can lead them to safety. They no longer see the Terror around them.

So, Where Are We Hiding, as Humans?

Our “safe place” as humans, has been our ordinary life, among ordinary people, neighbors, friends, and co-workers: It includes our usual experiences, and our usual, habitual responses to those experiences. We have been taught by our societies (all of them) that we, as humans, are sufficient in ourselves. But Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” And the universal result of that folly, according to the following verses, is that we turn away from God, preferring virtually anything else.

It may involve literal idolatry: The worship of false Gods and bowing to their images. Or it may be the humanistic idolatry of believing that, somehow, WE have all the answers, or at least we will soon find them. But the literal idols have never replied to the prayers of their worshippers. And humanism can’t even cure the common cold. We are not nearly so “self-sufficient” as we want to believe.

So, God offers to take our eyes off of the surrounding devastation, and to turn our eyes to Him as our only hope. We are not “brute beasts,” like the horses, but we do have some of the same tendencies. We focus so completely on the insurmountable dangers and tragedies of our fallen world, that we fail to see the sovereign hand of God. He offers us eternal safety and peace in the Person of Christ. Because we fail to see Him, we are still trapped in the destruction of this world.

We Must Understand Where the People of the World are Living

Remember that the people of the world are not “just waiting for you” to tell them how to have eternal life. They have been trained to see themselves as having no need for help from God. They see themselves as being “just as good as anyone else,” (which doesn’t particularly help.) Or perhaps they see themselves as “beyond help.” I have had people tell me that they are too much of a sinner for God to save them.

This is where it is critical that we see what Paul says in verse 5. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

We don’t have the answers, any more than they do! Jesus is the only answer. He alone is God’s solution for the lostness of the Human Race. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the Life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” So, we have nothing to offer except Him!

Remember Why He has Ordained Us to Shine for Him

Verse 6 says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The same God who originally spoke the physical light into existence is the One who has commanded us to shine in the Darkness of this World. And, He has shined in us, enabling us to shine for others. In Matthew 5:15-16, Jesus commanded us to shine for the Glory of God. In Philippians 2:15-16, He says we are doing it!

And right here in 2nd Corinthians 4, He says how that is even possible: He first shined in us, so that we could shine for Him in this dark World!

If God’s light has taken root in your life, it not only ordains you as a holder of that light, but it also commissions you to shine as a reflection of His Glory: He commands us to Supernaturally Shine, in three specific ways:

  1. The Supernatural Agape love, abounding in our lives. (John 13:34, 35)
  2. The Supernatural Unity of the Spirit, demonstrated among us. (John 17:21)
  3. The Supernatural lifestyle of Spirit-driven Good Works, evidencing God’s Presence. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Remember Where You Came From!

Sometimes we forget that we are just “saved sinners,” and we begin to evidence our unregenerate ego, our old sin-nature. We become proud and self-righteous, rather than humble and only Righteous in Christ. Paul warns us against that trap:

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We may be tempted to think that “we are Fine China, of the best raw materials available!” There are two answers to that idea:

  1. God says we are “earthen pots.” We are cheap clay vessels, available in any marketplace. The treasure inside these “cheap clay vessels” is what is important!
  2. Suppose you do have some sort of “evidence” that you are “a cut above:” You are convinced that you are different, that you are “Fine China!” You should bear in mind that (ironically) toilets are made of fine china, too! Whatever “special stuff” you think you are made of is not necessarily an indicator of your superior status with God.

We have a few “fine china” plates at home that are made to hang on a wall, as decorations. Some of them actually have holes cut in them as part of the design. You can’t use such a plate for much of anything practical. They are just ornaments!

My Choice?

I’d rather be a plain vessel, consecrated to God’s use, and willing to actually do the job He has ordained for us, as opposed to a “classy-looking, but useless” ornament. I want to actually be useful to Him, not just “look good.”

When we do what He tells us to do, we are being practical. When we pray for the lost souls around us (and for one another,) we are being practical. And, when we share with someone else the good news that they can have Eternal Life today, we are being practical, too!

The people with whom you share may or may not respond well to your offer. But if you continue to love them, regardless of their response, that is a further evidence of practicality. Let’s try to take a practical, active stance, regarding the Word of Christ and the Work of the Gospel.

Lord Jesus, please clear our minds of the baggage and debris of human opinion, and the fear of human rejection, and allow us the privilege of sharing Your Love with the lost souls around us.

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Christ the source of Grace and Truth

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Christ the source of Grace and Truth

© C. O. Bishop revised 2021

John 1:17 “…but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Introduction:

John has already identified Jesus Christ as the Word of God, the Creator God, the Life-giver (in fact, Life, itself), and the Light of the World in every sense. The total concept is so overwhelming that one might think, “What else could there be?” And yet, John is nowhere nearly finished introducing the person of Christ.

In John 1:14 (read it) John introduces the concepts of Grace and Truth, as associated with the Messiah, Jesus. He says that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us… And we beheld His glory; the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.” The fact that God would become Man at ALL is an incredible act of Grace. Stepping down from the throne where he had been worshipped throughout eternity (as far as we understand it—but who knows how long there have been angelic beings?), to be born as a lowly human being in a poor village, to a family that was poor even by the standards of that village, and then to allow the outrageous behavior of his creation to destroy him as a human…that was not a simple condescension, as if some rich college-kid were slumming in a poor country village, but real, Divine Grace, as He came to die! That was his purpose in coming at all. It was not a tragedy, but rather a victory

Grace from the Foundation of the Earth

We see the beginning of God’s Grace exhibited in Genesis (where else?), the book of beginnings. Adam and his wife had been warned of the consequences of disobeying the one, solitary commandment they had received. God could have simply wiped them off the globe and begun again with fresh clay, so to speak. But, having begun a good thing in the creation (remember, at every step of the way, God declared His creation to be good), God was not willing to abandon His work.

He revealed His Grace in the Law of the Substitute: God first declared that there was coming a person called the Seed of Woman, who would undo the damage done by Satan. Then upon Adam’s statement of faith, God clothed the fallen couple in the skins of slain animals—the first blood sacrifice.

The Law of the Substitute provided that if a truly Righteous person (try finding one!) were to substitute himself for the guilty person, the punishment, along with the guilt, could be transferred to the righteous person, and the sinner would go free, with the righteousness of the Substitute being imputed to the sinner. This concept was only partly developed in the Old Testament. The believers saw the Lamb of the Sacrifice, a truly innocent party, being killed in the place of the ones doing the killing. The true believers transferred their sin, by faith, to the innocent Lamb, and took his life, in faith that God would accept that sacrifice on their behalf.

Just as today there are people who recite creeds, but have never made it personal, there were folk then, who went through the motions of a sacrifice, but never personally acknowledged their guilt. They saw that they had done something “meritorious” by performing the ritual. This defies the concept of Grace. Grace is specifically unearned favor. If you think you have earned good treatment, then you are demanding wages. If you recognize that God not only owes you nothing, but that you deserve his judgment, then you are throwing yourself on the Grace and Mercy of God. Grace and Mercy are the “flip side” of one another. “Grace” is God giving me favor I do not deserve. “Mercy” is God not giving me the judgment I really do deserve. So, let’s think back:

  • Did Adam and Eve deserve God’s Favor and Mercy? Of course not—they had chosen to disobey a command for which the penalty was death. And they knew it.
  • Did Abel deserve God’s favor? Evidently not…he recognized his lostness as a sinner, and brought a blood sacrifice as a substitute for himself, looking forward, by the way, to the Cross of Christ. It looked forward to the time when the one known as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”, would die, to undo the work of the deceiver—the Liar, and Father of Lies.
  • Paul, one of the most powerfully used servants of God in history, declared his own unworthiness, and explained that Grace was unearned favor, using Abram as an example.
  • Mary, long exalted by the Roman Catholics as the “Mother of God” (among other titles), actually claimed Him as her Savior, recognizing that she too, was a sinner. It is important to remember that the only command Mary ever uttered was to instruct some servants to do whatever Jesus said. She claimed nothing for herself beyond God’s Grace.

When we finally get to the book of the Revelation (Revelation 13:8) we find that Jesus was the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the Earth.” Now…was he literally the animal that was slain to cover the sins of Adam and Eve? I seriously doubt it, as it specifically says “skins” (plural, not singular). But if it turned out that somehow it really was Jesus, it wouldn’t hurt my theology one bit. Jesus is the only substitute for the sinner, and there is no substitute for Him. All the sacrificial lambs of the Old Testament were simply pictures of the One Lamb of God in the New Testament.

The truth is even more profound than something like “the lamb really having been Jesus.” I believe that literally, before the creation, God the Son (who is the Creator, you remember, and the same God who walked in the Garden in the cool of the day), knew exactly what was going to happen, and substituted himself in advance, for the lost race of Man. The only people who benefit by it, personally, are those who trust him as their Savior, personally, but He died for the entire race. He was literally “the Lamb slain” from the foundation of the earth…not just from the Fall of Man.

Grace in the Old Testament

We tend to think that Grace was invented at the day of Pentecost or thereabouts, as we call the Church Age the “Age of Grace”. There is nothing wrong with so calling it, but we should recognize that Grace is a personal attribute of an unchanging God, who we know primarily through the incarnation … God in flesh… Jesus Christ. Grace was demonstrated from Genesis onward, and described by the Prophets, including the Psalmist, David.

Psalm 32:1, 2 says “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity…” We still have the concept of imputation in our society, but we no longer call it by that name. In banking, they used to have a phrase, “Post it to my account”. It carried the idea that this deposit will be recorded as a credit to my account immediately, not waiting until some clerk gets around to it. We would rather not have debits posted to our accounts even though we accrue them ourselves, but we would like to have credits imputed immediately. The psalmist was saying how blessed the person was to whose account God would not post their sin debt…not “how blessed the person who had never accrued such a sin debt.”

Grace Extended to the Nation of Israel

In Numbers chapter 16, 14,700 people died because of sin. In Numbers chapter 21 “much people” of Israel died because of sin (no specific number). But in Numbers 23:21 it says, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.” The only way that can be true is Grace—God clearly DID see sin in them and dealt with it rather harshly, from human perspective. But regarding Israel as a nation, He chooses to see them in the light of Grace. He is not imputing Sin to his people.

Later on, regarding Israel, God said, “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25) and, “…I will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34), but each of these were future tense, and are specific to the second Coming of Christ and the subsequent Kingdom Age. Notice, though: it specifically states that it is not for the sake of the sinner that he chooses not to remember sin—it is for HIS sake—the sinner has NOT earned forgiveness…God forgives to satisfy His own agapé Love, and Mercy. That is Grace.

Positionally, God sees Israel, on a national basis, as being separate from sin. Conditionally, he says blindness has come, in part, to Israel. They are blind to the reality of their lost condition and position, on an individual basis. Those whose eyes miraculously open (and who see Jesus as their Messiah) become part of the Bride of Christ. Then, their sins are truly forgotten, and He places His Spirit within them, and their sins he remembers no more, just as he promised. And it is the same for us.

Grace in the New Testament

When Jesus went to the Cross, he took all our sins with him. 2nd Corinthians 5:21 (read it) states that Jesus literally became sin for our benefit; and the result was that we became the righteousness of God in Him. I have a hard time with that statement. I see my sin every day of my life. I am surrounded by the evidence of my sin and failures. I fail to see myself through the eyes of God. And, the truth is, I am a sinner. But God has declared me Righteous.

I certainly have not earned this precious standing: I am a sinner by birth, by predisposal, by inclination, and by choice. I was on God’s death row, and the only reason I do not now stand condemned, and lost before him, is that Jesus stepped in and was executed in my place. That is what Grace is all about. It is the fact that, utterly without my merit, God extended His eternal favor to me. So, what did I do to get it?

NOTHING! I did nothing. He did it all. I had no part in the work of Salvation…I received it as a gift from him, by faith. Faith is simply believing God…trusting His character, and His Word.

Jesus said, “He that heareth my Word, and believeth on him that sent me Hath everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death unto Life.” (John 5:24)

Grace and Truth

There are several aspects of the concept of truth:

  • No deception (God is light and in Him is no darkness at all…1st John 1:5)
  • Full disclosure (then shall I know fully, even as I am fully known…1st Corinthians 13:12)
  • Full self-revelation (a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart…Hebrews 4:12)

We like the idea that God will not deceive us. We like the idea that “…we’ll understand it all, by and by”. But we are not really happy that the intents and thoughts of our hearts are (and will be) revealed.

Jesus said “I am the way, the Truth and the Life—no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” What part of Jesus do you not feel comfortable with? He says he is the only way to get to God. Are you comfortable with the fact that God has not provided a multiplicity of ways to approach Him? And, as He is the Word, as well as the Truth, we can look to Him to refute the lies of the Enemy.

He says that the Way includes the Truth about us and God, as well as a changed Life, which ours by imputation, but is also ours to actually live out on earth. Are you comfortable with the fact that He is THE truth? That he will not “wink at sin”, but will deal with us completely honestly, now and in the future? Our sins were dealt with at the cross, it is true. But complacency about sin will cost us dearly, in terms of lost reward.

He says he is “the Life”. For us to experience God’s love and power and guidance, we need to embrace Him as the Life. Not only our “get-out-of-jail-free card”, as if He were just our “eternal Life insurance”, but THE life—the source of our daily life, and the only real reason for our lives to continue at all.

In the Psalms (Psalm 85:10, 11) it says that “Mercy and Truth are met together; Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven.” I would suggest that this could only be fulfilled at the Cross, as the Mercy of God extended itself to the Truth of our sin through the person who IS the Eternal Truth. The Truth, in the person of Christ, looked up from the Earth, and Righteousness in the person of the Father, looked down from Heaven. At that point in history, the Righteousness of God could be at Peace with the fallen creature, Man. Righteousness and Peace truly embraced at the Cross.

Grace in Our Lives

So, how do I apply any of this to my own life? I needed Grace to be born again, obviously, but I also need Grace by which to live. Every Pauline epistle, except one, begins with the greeting, “Grace be to you, and Peace…” (and always in that order.) Initially, of course, we received the saving Grace of God in order to experience Peace with God. Romans 5:1 says, “…therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God” As believers, however, we need the sustaining Grace of God to experience the Peace of God. (Philippians 4:6, 7)

We were saved by Grace through faith, and we are encouraged to walk by faith: “as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” (Colossians 2:6)

We confess our sins daily: moment by moment, sometimes. We confess that we deserve nothing of His Love and Care…and He extends His Grace to us…unearned. We ask for wisdom, intending to walk by that light…and He extends his Grace to us: His wisdom and the will to walk in it.

Paul sought healing, (2 Corinthians 12:8, 9), but was admonished that “My Grace is sufficient for thee.” We may seek a better life, and may even receive it…but the admonishment stands: “My Grace is sufficient for thee.” God does not owe us anything, and the things we desire in addition to his Grace, may, in some cases, be contrary to his Will, as it was when Paul pleaded for healing.

Do you really want to experience the Grace and Truth of God in your life? The Grace and Truth of God came to us (and they still come to us) through the person of Jesus Christ. He is the only source.

  • Read his Word daily to seek his Grace by which to live. Remember Who really is the Word.
  • Pray, seeking His Grace, and His will. Make sure you decide in advance to obey it.
  • Give thanks for the Grace that he liberally pours out.  (He always does, even when we don’t recognize it.)
  • Depend upon the Truth of His Word, and the Truth that is His character, as you feed on His Word, and live in His Grace. His Truth is the foundation of our Security. (Ephesians 6:14)
  • Serve by his Grace. “…For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

Finally, be tender-hearted toward one another as fellow-heirs of the Grace of God.

Extend the Grace of God to those around you, through Evangelism, through speaking the Truth in Love, and through Mercy in your dealings. Forgive others as you have already been forgiven. Don’t wait for them to “deserve it:” Grace means giving when it is not deserved. Extend to others the Mercy, Grace and Truth that have already been extended to you.

And, in so doing, you will more deeply experience His Grace in your own life.

May the Lord bless us all and lead us to grow in His Grace.

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