Embracing the Power of Grace

by Connie Witter

“Most surely will those who receive God’s overflowing grace and His free gift of righteousness reign as a king in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:17 Amplified

What is grace?

.... Hebrews 10:29 calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of grace.” In James 4:6, the Amplified Bible defines grace as “the power of Holy Spirit to meet this evil tendency and all others fully.” And in II Corinthians 1:12, the Amplified Bible gives another wonderful definition of grace: “the grace of God (the unmerited favor and merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, and keeps, strengthens, and increases them in Christian virtues.)

.... The gift of grace is righteousness; and when you accepted Jesus, your Spirit became perfect in the Father’s eyes. However, you also have a soul, which is your mind, will and emotions. We have all experienced fear, worry, anger, resentment, judgemental and critical attitudes, and discouragement in our souls. When this occurs it’s because we have taken our eyes off of Jesus and are not seeing ourselves as righteous and holy in Him. Therefore, we need the power of grace to influence our souls, turn our thoughts toward Jesus and increase us in Christ-like Character. The power of grace enables us to really believe that we are righteous and empowers us to overcome every evil tendency of our flesh. Grace is not an excuse to live in sin, but rather the power to live free from sin.

Obedience is a Promise

.... In the Old Covenant, obedience was the requirement and you depended on your own ability to be righteous. But in the New Covenant, obedience is a promise. When you rely upon Jesus, the Spirit of grace brings out the fruit of righteousness in your life. James 4:6 says that God gives grace to the humble. As you turn to Jesus every time you are tempted to sin, the power of grace will help you overcome.

.... Phillipians 2:13 was a life changing Scripture for me. It says that God will create in me the desire and power to do what pleases Him. Through this verse, I realized that I didn’t have to try to change myself anymore. I began to embrace God’s grace to create in me the desire and power to bear the fruit of righteousness. Once I got my focus on Jesus, I began to see a transformation of my soul. I found myself empowered to really believe what Jesus had done for me. I began to experience love, joy and peace in my soul.

.... Have you ever felt weak in faith? Have you ever felt overcome with feelings of fear, worry, guilt, condemnation, resentment, offence or anger? The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:16 to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help you believe what Jesus says about you and the ability to overcome every negative emotion.

.... So begin today to focus on Jesus; ask for His grace to help you overcome any negative emotion you may be experiencing in your soul. Ask Him to help you to really believe who Jesus has made you. II Corinthians 12:9 says that God’s grace is sufficient for all your weaknesses. In your weakness, the power of God’s grace makes you strong!