TOPIC: RECEIVE GRACE THROUGH FAITH
Bible Reading: Isaiah 27–28; Ephesians 5
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:8 (KJV)
Salvation, including healing, promotion, protection, provision, preservation, and peace, is freely given to us by the grace of God. Grace is God’s love actively demonstrated towards us, irrespective of our performance. There is nothing we can do to earn or merit His blessings; it is His love that made Him give us Jesus Christ, forgive our sins, and provide for our needs. Romans 8:32 (KJV) declares, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Furthermore, 2 Peter 1:3 (KJV) tells us that His divine power “hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” God’s grace is His willingness to use His power on our behalf, not because of our achievements, but because of His love and goodness.
Although grace has freely provided all things for us in Christ, we must respond appropriately to receive what has been given. That response is faith. Faith is the hand that receives what grace has provided. Romans 3:24–25 explains that we are “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” and that Christ was sent forth as a propitiation “through faith in his blood”. Grace makes the provision, while faith receives it. This is why understanding grace helps us recognise what God has freely made available in Christ, while faith enables us to take hold of His promises. Romans 4:16 reveals that the promise is “of faith, that it might be by grace”. Faith is our trust in God and His Word, while grace is His generous provision and the expression of what He does for us.
In Joshua 18:3 (KJV), Joshua challenged the children of Israel, saying, “How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?” Although God had given them the land, they still had to rise up and possess it. In the same way, we must not neglect to receive by faith what God has made available to us in Christ. Faith is demonstrated by believing in our hearts, speaking with our mouths, acting on God’s Word, and yielding to the Holy Spirit. Our confidence is not in self-effort but in the finished work of Christ. Therefore, respond to God’s grace with unwavering faith, and take hold of all that He has freely given you in Christ Jesus.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your abundant grace and for all You have freely given in Christ Jesus, help me to grow in Faith to receive all in Jesus’ name.
Pastor Alfred Samuel