By Pastor Victor Anjorin

Acts 20:24 “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God”.

WHAT IS GRACE?

Grace is typically defined as unmerited favor, which is correct. But to further define it, grace is an inclination to understand the limitless provision and the possibilities contained in God, which can only be accessed through Jesus Christ. Everything that God has made available to us is in the grace of God. When we have an understanding of the limitless possibilities in God, we have the grace of God! God’s blessings NEVER run out; they are unlimited!

 ​James 1:17 says “whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” The grace of God provides us with good and perfect gifts. His grace continuously blesses us even when we don’t receive it. When the grace of God is upon us, we become a carrier of all the heavenly blessings embodied in the person of  Christ.

​Jesus Christ is the only way to access God’s genuine grace. We have to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior for us to receive this grace that he has promised us.

​The grace of God is the consciousness that everything we need for life and godliness comes from God. We are spiritually empowered when we truly have an understanding of who God is. God empowers us but we have to be willing. He is looking for the heart that is ready to receive. God is constantly reconstructing and remodeling us to be better and more like Him.

​ 2 Kings 4:1-12 teaches us about the importance of acting on our faith and God-given grace. We have to be ready to grow in our understanding of grace so as to really expand our blessings and favor. God is never tired of blessing us, we are the ones who put God in a box and have little expectations. We must be willing to put in the work. The grace of God does its part, but we must do our part as well.

GRACE REQUIRES OUR PARTICIPATION!

When we are empowered by his grace, we will receive instruction. We are then expected to act on the instruction. We must find out God’s instruction for us in every situation. The manifestation of the grace of God requires our action. Acting on our faith is the way to activate grace. This is why grace requires our participation. Knowing that God has provided His grace shouldn’t then make us lazy. We have to still do our part and carry out instructions. Fulfilling this instruction comes with discipline. Sometimes we’ll have to pull away from anything that might cause us to deviate from the path God has set us on. There can be no distraction when we’re called.

Faith is acting based on the condition tied to the promise given to us. This requires us to understand the instruction given. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says “ Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Obeying God’s word is the key to receiving his blessings. When we do what is pleasing to God, he exalts us. Whenever God gives us an instruction, the grace to carry it out is available. We just have to discover the condition that activates the fulfillment of that grace.

In Genesis chapter 22, Abraham and Sarah were praying for a child for a long time. They only had one child named Isaac. Abraham was instructed by God to give his ONLY son as a sacrifice. Abraham didn’t doubt God or even hesitate. He did as he was instructed. He brought his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Just as he was about to sacrifice his son, an angel stopped him. This proved to God that Abraham was diligent and obedient. He didn’t withhold even his only son from the Lord, so God granted him his heart’s desire. When we obey God wholeheartedly, there’s nothing he won’t do for us. Abraham did what God said, even when it seemed outrageous or beyond human thinking. We have to blindly follow God. We might not know the end from the beginning, but He does! We just have to put our faith in him. He will never put us to shame.

Pastor Victor Anjorin is an associate Pastor at Fountain Of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.