Grace is Greater

In my study of grace over the last year, one of the things God has revealed to me and is teaching me is that His grace is greater than all my fear, my inadequacies, and all my sins.

We all have heart problems. We all battle:

Selfishness (I want what I want)

Pride (Life revolves around me)

Lust (I know it’s wrong but I want it)

Greed (I deserve it more than anyone else)

Insecurity (I don’t feel worthy)

Anger (I hate you)

Fear (Help! I can’t survive this)

Loneliness (No one cares)

And Many Many More

1 John 4:4

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Jesus, the one in us, is greater than the one who is in the world, Satan. None of our weaknesses or inadequacies or sins is greater than God’s grace. My weaknesses, my inadequacies, my sins can never overcome or overpower God’s grace.

Grace qualifies me when my inadequacies tell me I’m not good enough.

Grace forgives and cleanses me when I sin.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living with the reality that God’s grace overcomes our weaknesses, our inadequacies, and our sins.

We will face being hurt by others, even those we admire and love. We will be betrayed by those who should have protected and cared for us.

The Bible talks about the Gospel. The word gospel means good news. The good news is that God loves us.

Romans 8:37-39

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The awesome truth about God’s love us is that:

Nothing can separate us from His love

Nothing can change His love for us

His love is not based on us or our performance but on His will to love us

Others may let me down or disappoint me or even betray me, but God will never do any of those to me.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing God’s love and knowing that nothing will change His love for us or separate us from His love.

The names of God show us how the grace of God has become more revealed to us over time.

In the Old Testament the primary names of God are:

Elohim meaning God

Adonai meaning Almighty God

Yahweh meaning, I Am that I Am

The last name, Yahweh, is God’s covenant name. It is a very personal name that God reveals to Moses.

Based on God’s name, we see more who we are. We are:

God’s creation

God’s subjects

God’s people

When we come to the New Testament, the primary name for God that Jesus gives us is Father. Then Jesus goes a little deeper in intimacy and gives us the name Abba. Abba means dad or daddy. It is the name that only you as his child you can call your father. Only my children and grandchildren call me Pops. I am no one else’s Pops but theirs.

God as our Father and our Abba means that we are His beloved children. Nothing will ever change that.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing God as our Abba and knowing we are His beloved children.

God’s grace overcomes my weaknesses and my inadequacies and sins.

God’s grace gives me total security in the knowledge of His love for me.

God’s grace establishes God as my Abba and me as His beloved child.

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

                                        Joe