Identified by Faith Kept by Grace

When I think about how hard I struggle with sin and giving glory to God, I have so much trouble accepting Paul’s statement from Romans 5:1a, “Therefore, having been justified by faith. . .”

 As you think about the definition of Justify, do you have trouble applying the definition to yourself? Justify means, "just as if I never sinned, or ever will sin again.” Does this definition define your life? For most believers and followers it surely doesn’t.

Yet, Paul writes about justification and applies it to your life. The only way you can gain favor with God comes from your spirit person being perfect. God doesn’t remember your sin(s). He has removed your sin, and he has put those sins into the middle of his great big nowhere. Doesn’t it amaze you that a sovereign God who knows everything can’t remember your sin? God isn’t a man who can lie. He’s God! He knows everything but he can’t remember your sin. He said he can’t. Accept his justification and be empowered to do ministry.

Peace with God

Another thing Paul tells you in verse 1, you have peace or favor with God. God is never out to get you. He plays on your team. He wants only good to happen. That’s why he sent Jesus. However, you live in a fallen world where Satan controls some of it. So things of the world may enter your life occasionally. Knowing that you are kept by grace gets you through the rough spots.

World peace may never happen, but your peaceful relationship with God can and does happen every minute. You can know that even in death you have peace. When your physical eyes close, your spiritual eyes open and you’re in the presence of greatness. You see yourself transformed into the image of the Trinity.

Guess what? That’s how God sees you NOW!

Gracefully Made

You chose to believe, had faith, that Jesus is who he says he is. He is your peace. It is in him you placed your faith. He. or his Spirit, becomes the one whom you follow without question. You give yourself completely to him, or do you? You know Jesus doesn’t want only weekend visits. He wants full custody. He’ll take your weekend visits, but full custody gets you all the benefits of his kingdom.

Your faith brings you into his grace. Here’s what most do not understand about grace.

GRACE GIVES YOU THE POWER AND DESIRE TO DO GOD’S WILL.

Your faith brings you to Christ by his wonderful grace, but it is by grace that you do your ministry. You are gracefully made. You have all the power you need to perform your ministry regardless of age—young or old. God, through his grace, gives you the desire to do ministry, too.

Paul says it this way, “the grace in which you stand.” That’s the power! You can stand firm planted in grace. Nothing can come close to you. You can only be defeated if you think you can. You have the power to stand.

However, and along with the power to stand, grace gives you the desire to serve. If you preach, you could preach for hours. You love it. But then, grace’s desire in you allows you to take the time to send text messages to a lonely teenager who has just lost a mate to suicide. That’s not a fun thing to do. However, grace gives you the desire to complete the task.

Grace goes with you as you visit a loved one in the hospital who is dying of cancer. That’s never fun or exciting. However, grace accompanies you, brings you through and lifts you beyond the pain and suffering caused.

You are gracefully made!

Kept by Grace

Not only does grace bring justification, right standing with God, grace keeps you justified. God’s grace keeps him from remembering your sin. God's grace allows him to cast your sin into the middle of his great big nowhere. It is because of his grace that you are able to stand in the hope of his glory.

Every second of your life as a follower of Christ, you are kept by his grace. The fiery darts of Satan bounce off you when you arm yourself with the knowledge of his grace. You are able to stand against any trial or temptation. Even when you cave in to sin, you still have grace on which to stand firm in your conviction that God has justified you.

If you are breathing, God has a purpose for you. His grace will give you the power and desire to carry out the mission he gives. His grace keeps you out of yet into. His grace can keep you out of temptation and sin. His grace keeps you into your ministry, his kingdom and ultimately into his heaven.

No matter what else happens in your life, you are kept by grace.

Rejoice in Glory

You walked into grace by your faith. Your grace causes you to rejoice in God’s glory. Grace brings you into a place of favor through your justification, and grace allows you to stand firm in belief and ministry. Further, knowing the power of grace allows much rejoicing in God’s glory.

You know God has glory, but do you know that you too have glory that you can rejoice in. Grace gives you hope that you can obtain to the glory of Jesus. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Because your eyes are veiled, now, you can only see God’s glory by your faith. However, as you mature and stand in grace, you begin to look like Christ. Every time you do something Christ like, you show the glory of God to those around.

Putting It Together

Your faith identifies you as a believer of Jesus. Your faith allows you to enter the grace of your Lord. His grace gives you the power and desire to do the will of Christ, and his grace allows you to walk hand and hand with Christ’s Spirit.

It is by God’s grace that you stand victorious over the enemy. Regardless of what the enemy tells you, you have won! Death has no hold on you because you have peace with God.

You are fearfully, wonderfully and gracefully made. You can stand confident in your abilities to do ministry, and you know his grace keeps you forever with him.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me. If you have questions or comments, please leave them below. Until the next time,

Blessings,

Howard

PS: two things I would love for you to check out:

1. My free study on REST. Go here and ask for my free study.

2. My new novel, The Red-Haired Master Shepherd. Go here.

Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.