Grace, Grace, Grace!

It has been an enlightening experience over these last several months to study the grace of God. In studying grace, I have come to see how important grace is, how extensive grace is, and how much grace humbles us as human beings.

In the study of grace, God has shown me four important truths.

Truth #1: My efforts at saving myself or of making myself righteous are of no value.

Isaiah 64:6

But we are all like an unclean thing, all our righteousness is like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Our human efforts at being righteous are like filthy rags before God. Filthy rags are useless. Filthy rags cannot make anything clean just as our efforts at being righteous cannot make us clean or righteous.

We are made righteous by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was 100% righteous and when we accept Jesus’ death on the cross to pay for our sin, then we receive Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus who was righteous became guilty of our sin and we who are sinful got Jesus’ righteousness.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is relying on Jesus’ righteousness, not my own efforts to be righteous.

Truth #2: I can do nothing apart from Jesus.

John 15:1-5

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

In my own natural desires and in my own natural abilities I can do nothing of eternal importance. It is only when I am connected with and abiding in Jesus that I can produce eternal spiritual fruit. I cannot produce love or joy  5:22-23. Neither can I be used by God to minister to or help others apart from abiding in Jesus. Producing spiritual fruit is all by the power of Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is abiding in Jesus and, through abiding, producing godly fruit.

Truth #3: I cannot fulfill the law.

James 2:10-11

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

For me to be able to use my ability to obey the law as my basis for salvation and righteousness, I have to keep all the law all the time. Jesus is the only person who has ever kept all the law all the time. I can’t and you can’t.

God declares us righteous based on Jesus’ righteousness and based on nothing we have or can do.

Paul tells us in Romans 2:13 that it is not hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. It is not just knowing the law but doing the law that can make us righteous, and we have to keep all the law, which is humanly impossible.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is depending on grace not works to make us righteous.

Truth #4: Grace provides us with all we need for a life lived in relationship with Jesus.

2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence.

Salvation is based in God’s grace.

A daily relationship with God is based in His grace.

Our eternal life with God is based in His grace.

GRACE, GRACE, GRACE

In God’s Grace Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                           Joe