Rom 3:20: ..by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified or saved.
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU GO TO THAT WILL MESS YOU UP, ITS WHAT YOU GO BACK TO THAT WILL DESTROY YOU.
GRACE IS JESUS THE UNMERITED FAVOR OF GOD
Titus 2:11: For the grace of God that brings salvation all man
Salvation is the most important thing in the lives of Christians. It is a transition from death to eternal life, made possible by what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us at Calvary. It requires participation from two parties, the willingness and power of the One who is able to save, and the readiness of the other party to accept the gift.
Every Christian believes that salvation is an unmerited favor from God, given solely through His grace. Additionally, we always speak about God’s unconditional love. That definition is our understanding of His grace. In Ephesians 2:8-9 we are reminded that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works.
Our salvation is not something of which we can boast about. It has got nothing to do with us; it is not through how ‘good’ we have been, it is only through our identity in Christ, purchased by Him on that Easter Day 2000 years ago. But why is it that so many Christians are not able to appropriate this truth in their lives?
I BELIEVE, GOD WANTS TO MANIFEST HIS PRESENCE POWERFULLY IN THIS CRITICAL HOUR. THEREFORE IT’S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE POWER OF THE GRACE OF GOD IN THIS TIMEFRAME.
THE POWER OF GRACE WILL ENABLE YOU TO MOVE INTO THE NEXT LEVEL OF YOUR BLESSING. THE POWER OF GRACE WILL SET YOU FREE TO WITNESS AWESOME MIRACLES AND BREAKTHROUGHS IN YOUR LIVES. THE POWER OF GRACE WILL DRAW THE DIVINE INTERVENTION OF GOD INTO YOUR CONCERNS.
ALTHOUGH THE GOSPEL OF GRACE HAS BEEN PREACHED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD BUT SOMEHOW, PEOPLE STILL DON’T GET IT. SOMEHOW PEOPLE STILL STRUGGLE TO ACCEPT AND WALK IN IT. BECAUSE WE ARE EASILY BUYING INTO CONDEMNATION AND GUILT THROUGH FEAR WHICH THE DEVIL HAS BEEN SELLING US RATHER THAN BELIEVING IN THE WORD OF GOD.
BECAUSE OF THIS IGNORANCE CHRISTIANS ARE STRUGGLING IN THEIR LIVES. THERE IS NO VICTORY, THERE IS NO HEALING, THERE IS NO DELIVERANCE, THERE IS NO MIRACLE. GRACE IS THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL!
There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:1)
A lot of us know undoubtedly that the gospel of Christ is the truth of God’s word but do you realize that throughout the ages, we struggle with our head to accept it. Apparently we seem to live in fear and condemnation.
You know what? Condemnation kills and if you keep subjecting yourself from one level of condemnation to another, it gives birth to doubt and out of doubt it will give birth to shame and unbelief.
WE ARE KICKED INTO A PERFORMANCE MOOD BY THE ENEMY
Therefore, we become performance driven. We go back trying to prove to God that we deserve to be blessed. We want to work out our blessings. We want to earn our right standing with God. We don’t want to accept the truth that we are already blessed. We are unable to come to terms to enjoy this blessing.
Paul says in Gal. 2:21:
“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Many people are wasting their time begging God for what He has already given us. We are praying and praying and fasting and fasting and you know what? Nothing is happening. It’s not working right? You have been doing this for so long and you are not getting any results. Have you ever wondered why?
It’s nothing wrong to fast and pray to build yourself in the sanctification process if you understand that it’s an ongoing process. But when you do all this things with a wrong attitude, God is not impressed. Because you are trying to tell God that the finished work of the cross is incomplete and therefore let me justify it with my own works. In other words you are adding to the cross. But Jesus said it is finished!
Can I tell you something this morning? 98 percent of the churches in the world today never experienced the promises of God. You want to know the reason? The reason is they have lost their identity in Christ. And they are trying to earn it outside of Christ. “I can do it on my own!” That is rejecting Christ.
WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
Because the things that you don’t believe will not come to pass. The scripture says what you believe is what you will receive. In this new covenant of grace, you need to believe if you want anything to manifest in your life.
You see the understanding of the grace of God: which is the unmerited favour of God: the unearned favour of God: the undeserved blessing of God. It’s already written in our hearts the moment we became born again but it’s our head knowledge which is struggling to come to terms with this grace understanding. Many times you would realize that it is the enemy that has bewitched us into knowing the truth and walking in the truth.
The devil keeps us away from knowing the actual power of truth. Because he knows that when you know the truth, the truth will set you free into a new dimension of a victorious Christian life. You are going to enter a new level of blessing in your life that’s going to blow your mind off. And even though you have concluded certain problems in your life in the natural as impossible, even though you have buried certain dreams and hopes in your life that you don’t deserve such a breakthrough, such a blessing but because of the power of grace that has showed up in your life you can receive a breakthrough and smile all the way through.
You know what’s the problem? Religion has been feeding us with wrong understanding for too long. It’s what you have been hearing over and over again for too long that has messed up your thinking mind. It’s time for us to detoxify our minds from all the pollution the devil has been bombarding us with for too long.
Ignorance is a terrible human sickness which kills people. It can make you poor in the midst of plenty because of wrong mindset which has come about in view of wrong understanding.
That’s why Paul says in the book of Romans 12:2 that we need to renew our minds all the time with God’s word. What does God’s word say about our identity in Christ?
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW
Then why did God give us the law? God gave us the law to show us right from wrong and also to point us to Jesus as the only way to your salvation.
The law is a slave driver!
Look at what it says in Rom. 7:1: it’s dominating you, it’s subjecting you to serve God in a certain way. Under the law before Jesus came, the Jews were forced to follow the law.
Gal.3:23-24: before faith came, the law is your school master to point us to Jesus Christ. Because only through Jesus you find forgiveness of sins. Only through Jesus is your salvation. If you try to keep the law to earn your salvation you are denying Jesus.
Until you come to Jesus through grace you are not secured of your salvation.
But the scripture says clearly, you are not under law, you are under grace.
What is the Law by the way? Rom 3:20: by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified or saved.
By the law is the knowledge of sin. The law tells us what sin is and reprimands you not to do that which is against the law. How do we know what sin is except by the law?
The law is holy.
Rom.7:12
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
No one in human history was qualified to upkeep the law. Only the son of God was qualified and only He was able to meet the requirement of the law.
The law was given through Moses grace and truth came through Jesus (John 1:17)
The law is a curse.
Gal 3:10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
You are not saved by keeping the law, you are cursed.
Paul is addressing the Galatians church where the people who understood grace and they were saved by grace and so quickly they were slipping away from the truth, going into a performance mentality. Going into a performance mood. Trying to earn their salvation by good works. Trying to prove to God that they are not good enough for what Christ has done for them and therefore they were literally going back to the old tradition of performing under the law once again.
Gal.3:1
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal.5:7
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?
Are we under the law or are we under grace? There are a lot of people today from different backgrounds will say you got to keep the law. And most of them are ignorant of the word of God.
When you preach this gospel of grace which is too good to be true gospel, religious man are not going to like you. They are going to say all kinds of things to you. They are going to throw out some criticisms at you. They are going to attack you because this gospel will sound too good to be true.
The people with a religious mindset will tell you what about sin. They will never understand the BORN-AGAIN SPIRIT WHICH IS THE POWER OF GOD. They will never accept that you are the righteousness of God through faith and by grace. They can never see beyond the mindset of religion.
Listen! When you become the righteousness of God you are going to live right and you are not going to sin no more. Because under the law sin increases. Under grace sin will have no dominion over you because you are not under law but under grace.
Grace will teach you how to live godly and righteously and soberly. Please understand, GRACE IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN! GRACE IS NOT ADVOCATING SIN. IF YOU SIN UNDER GRACE THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO IT AND YOU NEED TO FACE IT!
Unfortunately the church by and large today, are sadly not teaching the actual truth of the gospel of grace. Many church-going believers are living in the pain of condemnation and guilt, kicked into a performance mood, going back operating under the law. Trying to work out their righteousness in the flesh.
IF YOU INSIST TO LIVE UNDER LAW YOU WILL STRUGGLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH
YOU THINK I CAN PRAY HARDER I CAN FAST LONGER to get God to do something for you
INSTEAD OF BELIEVING THAT JESUS HAS ALREADY DONE IT FOR YOU 2000 years ago and trust Him to get you there.
Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is a mission minded pastor who carries an apostolic anointing who preaches and teaches an uncompromising gospel with boldness. A member of ECCM (Malaysia) Spiritual Adviser & overseer to various ministries and churches. An itinerant speaker. He is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’ Currently he worships at C3 Subang.
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Rev Dr Jai Kumar
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