True Grace to Persevere the Journey

Ever wonder why God chose to place the essence of the Godhead into a human being and then have Him (the God Man) pay the price for sin with His life for the world?  Although we may not understand the mind of God, He has revealed much about Himself in Scripture including His human incarnation which was God’s plan from before the foundation of the world.   Not only would Salvation need to come from a perfect representative of humanity; the ability for humanity to stand firm in the grace of God’s provision of salvation would need to be of divine origin for free will to be permitted.   Have you recently meditated on what “Christ in us” means to us – The Son of God, The Son of Man in us?

Like us, these believers did not know the hour of Christ’s return and their world was growing more and more turbulent.  From the garden of Eden to date, all of humanity has had to make choices about yielding to or overcoming the same types of temptations, compromises, and pressures.  Jesus Christ also was tested in every way a human being could be tempted (Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:18; Luke 4:2; 1 Corinthians 10:13) and yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). 

• What does the bible say about the true grace of God?
• What enables us to hold on to a long-awaited promise?
• What does grace have to do with perseverance?
• Is grace equally measured to each believer?
• Why do some seem to have more of it?

The answers to these question will become apparent as we consider (1) what the true grace of God is; and (2) how true grace strengthens.

What Is the True Grace of God?

From Scripture we observe grace is associated with forgiveness, strengthening, and perseverance through difficulty.   The term Peter uses in 1 Peter 5:10,12 is χάρις cháris which in Strong’s Definitions G5485 includes the following description: the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life including gratitude, favour, gift, joy.  Grace is definitely unmerited favour and a free gift!   God’s grace is what caused us to be able to believe in Jesus Christ and thereby be regenerated and reconciled – and it was His choice to extend His grace to us. 

• For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV). 

It is God’s influence on our hearts that first draws a person to believe, and then this same grace sustains us.  This grace of God is what grows our love for and knowledge of our LORD; helps us in times of weakness to continue to walk out the sanctification process; and gives us the strength to endure tests, trials, and suffering.    In Peter’s concluding remarks in this first letter, he encourages the believers that God of grace will perfect them and make them steadfast because it is His desire to share His eternal glory with them – in and by Christ. Compare 1 Peter 5:10 from three interpretations:

The God who freely deposits His incredible and perfect influence over our hearts guarantees to work with us and thereby enable us to enter His glory starting now and into forever.  His glory is His goodness.

• So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” … And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. (Exodus 33:17-19, 21-22 NKJV)

Based on the context (1 Peter and Exodus 33) and the definition of grace, in this earthly existence, we can not void the difficulties that necessitate God’s grace in our lives in an effort to enjoy only the benefits of His grace.   Sin originates in thoughts that arise from desires that are in opposition to God’s perfection; desires that fall short of God (James 1:13-15; Genesis 2:16-17).  Since grace is a part of God’s character, those who abide with God naturally experience His goodness. Sin separated us from Holy God and resulted in unbelief and disobedience. Sin is what necessitated God’s pouring out of His grace towards humanity in order to reconcile us to Him. In our lives regardless of who sinned, it is sin that results in the difficulties we experience. It is often the experience of overcoming these very difficulties that make us better and more like Christ. 

• And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)
• Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV)
• But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9 NKJV)

While we may not like difficulties and pain, without them we would not develop the endurance required to become Christ-like.  This is hard work and frequently is trying emotionally. This does not justify the terrible things that happen to people; sin and its effect on people is horrible! Thank God for His grace that brings forgiveness, healing, peace and joy.

Scripture informs us that grace is manifold (diverse, more than one side to it):

• As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10 NKJV)

The true grace of God permitted sinful people to crucify the only perfect human being who was not guilty of a crime so that imperfect human beings could enter into God’s goodness.  Grace was not offered based on how good or bad a person was; God’s gift was given to all of mankind to pay the penalty of sin once and for all.  Praise God!  This included all future sins, because we were not yet born when Jesus paid the price for our sins.  Then on an individual basis, God draws us through His Word (the Son of God incarnated into the son of Man – John 1:1-4, 11-14, 16) extending grace (divine influence) enabling us to believe resulting in spiritual new-birth.

• But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. … Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, (Romans 5:15, 20 NKJV)
• And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:2 NLT)
• … God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NKJV)

When the Son of God took on human form by being conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (Matthew 1:20-23), He became the first of His kind.  He became a human being that had a human nature and a divine nature.  Not to spoil the end of this message, but I can not contain my excitement at this point.  Praise God – we have the right to become of children of God.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the God Man	The Regenerated Man Indwelt by God
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NKJV)	But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 NKJV)

Praise God for His grace!  The essence of the Godhead was birthed into a human being using both supernatural (Holy Spirit) and human means.  When God incarnated the persona of the Son, the God Man had two distinct natures residing in Jesus’ physical body.  Neither nature blended (not the nature of humanity – nor the fullness of the Godhead); rather they both existed simultaneously in one physical body.  Praise Jehovah God! What hope! No wonder the angels long to look into these things.

Humanity	Jesus the Son of Man/ God-Man Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35	Jesus the Son of God Colossians 1:15, 19	Essence of God Deuteronomy 6:4; Zechariah 14:9; Mark 12:29
Body	Luke 24:39	Philippians 2:7-8	The Son is God
Mind	Luke 2:52	Philippians 2:5	The Father is God
Soul	Matthew 26:38	Judges 10:16 Job 23:13 Psalms 11:5 Isaiah 53:10-12 Acts 2:31	Holy Spirit is God

While human beings are created in the image of God, we are unable to desire sinless life without the indwelling of His Spirit.  Because Jesus Christ (the human) had the indwelling nature of the fullness of God from birth, our God-Man was able to overcome all temptation and live a sinless life.

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension, the Holy Spirit (free from physical form) was given to those who believed (Acts 2:1-4) which was the promise of the Father (“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— John 14:16 NKJV).  When God’s divine influence, His grace, enabled us to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit indwelled us imparting to us His nature.  If our minds grow in the knowledge of the LORD, we will think of accessing and yield to the One who lives in us more! What grace!

• Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4 NKJV)
• Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, …. the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. …, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. … For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:23-30 NKJV)
•  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (James 1:18 NKJV)
• But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. … Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28 NKJV)

Praise God for His masterful plan wherein:

1. the Holy Spirit conceived a human body for the Son of God to manifest the 2^nd persona of the Godhead (the essence of God) WITHIN (John 1:1, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16); so that as
2. the only perfect son of mankind (the God Man, Jesus Christ) begotten of the Father (Colossians 1:26-27; Romans 16:25; Ephesians 1:9; Galatians 4:4) paid the penalty of sin for the human race (made atonement) – our Kinsman Redeemer (Job 19:26-27), the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-47); and then,
3. the Spirit of God resurrected Jesus Christ as the firstfruits of humanity from the dead; so that as
4. the immortal Son of God within this perfect (now-immortal) human body was again glorified (John 17:3-5, 24; John 3:13; Hebrews 1:3) and has ascended to His throne in Heaven with God (Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 10:12; Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 3:21); who sent
5. the Holy Spirit to dwell within the hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5; Ephesians 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:14) of those who God extends His grace – the influence on hearts to believe on Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11; Hebrews 2:9; Ephesians 2:8); and then
6. this grace strengthens, teaches, and guides the human heart (1 Peter 5:10) in the sanctification process (John 17:17, 19; 1 Thessalonians 5:23) until time for glorification (1 Corinthians 15:53-54); after which
7. God will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). This perfect true grace of God is His unmerited favour, goodness, power and strength that is WITHIN us that will enable us to stand fast regardless of any circumstance.  Praise God for His manifold wisdom and manifold grace!

How does True Grace Strengthen?

Peter experienced grace having been forgiven for betraying the LORD and being restored (Luke 22:31-34 and John 21).  If an additional a study tool on Peter’s failure and restoration is desired, please feel free to review our blog:  Guaranteed Security Within the Boundaries.

After receiving grace, Peter became a strong leader and highly effective at evangelizing (Acts 1:15-26; Acts 2:14-47; Acts 4:5–31; Acts 10:42-48; Acts 15:6-12); remembering the grace we have received inspires us to tell others because of our love for the LORD. Peter had been imprisoned, beaten, threatened and all the while he became stronger in the perservance of his faith given him by the grace of God/influence of the Holy Spirit in his heart.

In this first epistle of Peter, he identifies that to operate in the fullness of this grace or His divine nature within us, believers are to participate with the LORD.  The Holy Spirit will not force a believer to do anything because His love is kind and does not behave rudely nor seeks His own (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) above the will of the human being; this is where the LORD permits freewill to His commanded will. The consequence of being unyielded is a lack of peace and whatever trouble arises from persisting in one’s own way. The conflict experienced internally is conviction which is of the LORD but condemnation is of the enemy (Romans 8:1). His influence in us will convict us back into unity.

Throughout Peter’s letter, he reminds the believers of 5 key behaviours that are needed in order to successfully and joyfully complete our stopover in this place that has become strange to our reborn spirit.  As we review these categorized behaviours, let’s ask ourselves some questions:

• Who am I seeking to please in my daily life and long-term goals?  (Galatians 1:10)
• Am I fulfilling the will of God for my life? (Romans 12:2; Psalm 119:9)
• Am I armed with the Word of God and active in my prayer life to withstand the pressures of life and enemy attach? (Ephesians 6:10-14)
• Am I prepared to share the Gospel regardless of the outcome? (Ephesians 6:15)
• Do I love my brothers and sisters in the LORD more than I love others (Ephesians 6:15, 18-19; Galatians 6:10; John 13:13-17; John 13:13-15; Romans 15:5; John 17:20-21)
• Are the things that I do motivated by the love and grace of the LORD or am I trying to earn something? (Romans 4:4; Romans 9:11; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:14; James 2:14)

Key Behaviours for Joyful this Stopover

Prepare Your Minds for Action (Do Not Be Idle)

Hope Fully on the Grace of Jesus Christ (Do Not Function from Self/Works)

Be Obedient to the Word (Do Not Be Conformed to the World)

Love One Another the Body of Christ More (Do Not be Hypocritical nor Shallow with Fellow Believers)

Be Determined to Live Holy (Do Not Join in Worldly Behaviours and Customs)

Family of God, when I think about Peter’s life and even my own, I can see how the power of God’s grace gives us Christian liberty from the law and it empowers us to fulfill the perfect law.  It’s not one thing – it’s manifold.  As written in Scripture:  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. … But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22, 25 NKJV).

Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 7:18, 24) and yet glory to God, His grace is the strength we need, the perfect influence on our hearts, to help us be doers of the Word for it is His Word that He watches over to perform.  His divine nature if us, helps us to be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 1:30). What a marvelous mystery. We are in Him and He is in us; we are His body. Out of our love for the LORD and by His grace, we need to and can make decisive breaks from the former worldly ways of doing things.  Whatever we prioritize, we worship; and, we become like whatever we worship.  Let’s be strategic in the choices we make understanding where our permanent home is. 

The opposite and negative of being seated with Christ in His Kingdom is being an “earth-dweller”.  A simple search for this term provided the following cautioning Scriptures:  Revelation 3:10; Revelation 6:10; Revelation 8:13; Revelation 11:10; Revelation 12:12; Revelation 13:8, 12, 14; Revelation 14:6; Revelation 17:2, 8. 

The opposite of an “earth-dweller” is the positive “alien, sojourner, foreigner”.  Praise God; everyone who overcomes this world by being alien to it, inherits everything in the Kingdom (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; Revelation 3:5, 12, 21; Revelation 21:7)

As children of our Holy God, let us join with the Psalmist and Peter who were waiting for the LORD to come; they said Hosanna which is to say, “Save now, I pray, O LORD; …. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD“:

_{Jesus is the Spiritual Rock, Living Stone}

_{We are the living stones}

_{Matthew 21:42-44; Isaiah 28:16; Isaiah 48:21; Daniel 2:34, 45; Isaiah 8:14-15; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:7; 1 Peter 2:5; Exodus 17:6; Psalms 105:41; John 4:10, 14; Colossians 2:17; 1 Corinthians 10:4-7; 1; Corinthians 11:24-25; Revelation 22:17}

• I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 118:21-29 NKJV)
• Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5 NKJV)
• … since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29 NKJV)

Thank you, LORD, for Your True Grace!