GRACE THROUGH FAITH

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One of the keys to understanding

the truths of the New Covenant is

having a revelation of the gift of grace.

The apostle Paul gives us clear insight

in this matter in Romans, Chapters 4-6.

Romans 4:13 says, “For the promise,

that he should be the heir of the world,

was not to Abraham, or to his seed,

through the law, but through the

righteousness of faith.” Verse 16,

“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be

by grace; to the end the promise might

be sure to all the seed; not to that only

which is of the law, but to that also

which is of the faith of Abraham; who is

the father of us all.” Here Paul indicates

the way we enter into grace is through

faith.

We have all heard that grace is

unmerited favor. Well, that is true, but it

is much more than that. Grace is God’s

willingness t o use His power a n d His

ability on your behalf, even though you

don’t deserve it. This definition of grace

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Grace Through Faith

will challenge you to study the

Scriptures concerning grace. Paul tells

us that it is through faith that we are

able to enter into grace.

Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore being

justified by faith, we have peace with

God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By

whom also we have access by faith into

this grace wherein we stand...” In other

words, the only way that we have access

into God’s grace (His willingness) is

through faith in His Word and the blood

of Jesus His Son.

We cannot merit favor with God

through good works as they did under

the Old Covenant. They were under the

law and they had to keep the whole law,

or the curses came on them, and no one

could keep the law to the letter. But

under the New Covenant it is no more

the works of the law, but it is of faith

that we might enter into the promises

through grace. Under the New Covenant

(the days of grace), it is through mercy

and grace that we are justified by faith.

We are not justified by what we have

done, or what we haven’t done. We are

justified by faith in the blood of Jesus. It

is through faith that we access the grace

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Grace Through Faith

of God for the remission of sins.

Now we know that what things

soever the law saith, it saith to

them who are under the law: that

every mouth may be stopped, and

all the world may become guilty

before God. Therefore by the deeds

of the law there shall no flesh be

justified in his sight; for by the law

is the knowledge of sin. But now

the righteousness of God without

the law is manifested, being

witnessed by the law and the

prophets; Even the righteousness

of God which is by faith of Jesus

Christ unto all and upon all them

that believe: for there is no

difference ... Therefore we

conclude that a man is justified by

faith without the deeds of the law.

(Romans 3:19-22, 28)

You will notice in every letter that

the Apostle Paul wrote, he says, “Grace

to you and peace from God the Father

and the Lord Jesus.” You find that it is

usually in the first two or three verses,

but no further than the seventh verse.

Paul wanted us to receive God’s

willingness toward us. That is where

many people miss it today. They have

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trouble receiving God’s willingness; oh

they believe God is able, but they are

not sure He is willing. They need a

revelation of the gift of grace.

Peter also refers to grace in the

beginning of each of his epistles, giving

us more insight in this matter. He says,

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto

you through the knowledge of God, and

of Jesus our Lord.” (II Peter 1:2) Grace

being God’s willingness, is multiplied

through the knowledge of God. The

more you know about what God will do,

the more willing He is to do it because

that knowledge produces faith. God is

already willing but God’s willingness is

m

ultiplied w

hen y ou know what God

will do on your behalf.

In Ephesians 2:8 we find a very

interesting statement, “For by grace are

ye saved through faith; and that not of

yourselves: it is the gift of God.” What

gift is Paul referring to here? Many

believe it is the gift of faith that Paul

mentioned in I Corinthians 12:9, but I

am convinced that he is referring to the

gift of grace. In the third chapter of

Ephesians, verse 2, we find some strong

evidence. “If ye have heard of... the

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Grace Through Faith

grace of God which is given me to you-

ward.” Then in verse seven, “Whereof I

was made a minister, according to the

gift of the grace of God given unto me

by the effectual working of his power. ”

It seems rather obvious that the gift he

has referred to in Ephesians 2:8 is the

gift of grace. (see Ephesians 3:2)

Then in Ephesians 4:7 Paul says,

“But unto every one of us is given grace

according to the measure of the gift of

Christ.” I believe we make a mistake

when we say that the Scripture in

Ephesians 2:8 is referring to the gift of

faith. The gift of faith is a special gift

and is listed as one of the nine Gifts of

the Spirit in I Corinthians 12:9.

MORE EVIDENCE

The death of Jesus ushered in the

dispensation of grace. In John 1:14 we

see that “... the Word was made flesh,

and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his

glory, the glory as of the only begotten

of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ”

Jesus was full of grace. He was filled

with God’s willingness. Verses 16-17

say, “And of his fullness have all we

received, and grace for grace. For the

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law was given by Moses, but grace and

truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Acts 14:3 speaks of the Word of

God as the Word of Grace. Acts 14:2-3,

“But the unbelieving Jews stirred up

the Gentiles, and made their minds evil

affected against the brethren. Long time

therefore abode they speaking boldly in

the Lord, which gave testimony unto the

word of his grace, and granted signs

and wonders to be done by their hands. ”

Here it speaks of the Word of God as

being the Word of Grace.

Now let’s put it together. In the

beginning was the Word, and the Word

was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word was made flesh and dwelt

among us—full of grace and truth. The

Bible is the Word of God’s willingness

toward us.

II Corinthians 8:9 says, “For ye

know the grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for

your sakes he became poor, that ye

through His poverty might be rich.” It

was through God’s willingness that

Jesus became poor that we might be

made rich. That includes financially,

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Grace Through Faith

spiritually, physically, and every way.

Now lets look at II Timothy 2:1

where Paul admonishes Timothy to “...

be strong in grace.” That is why so

many Christians are in trouble; they are

not strong in grace. They are strong in

knowing that God is able, but so many

are not strong in God’s willingness to

do it for them.

I Peter 3:18 tells us to “... grow in

grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord

and Saviour Jesus Christ...” Grow in

grace—don’t stay where you are, as far

as God’s willingness for you is

concerned. As you grow in the grace of

God, you will realize that God wants

you to have the things that He has given

you. Peter said:

Grace and peace be multiplied

unto you through the knowledge of

God, and of Jesus our Lord,

According as His divine power

hath given unto us all things that

pertain unto life and godliness,

through the knowledge of him that

hath called us to glory and virtue:

Whereby are given unto us

exceeding great and precious

promises: that by these ye might be

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partakers of the divine nature,

having escaped the corruption that

is in the world through lust. (II

Peter 1:2-4)

“But without faith it is impossible

to please him; for he that cometh to

God must believe that he is, and that he

is a rewarder of them that diligently

seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) The reason it

is impossible to please God without

faith is because God is not pleased when

you don’t have faith to enter into the

grace that He has already given through

the exceeding great and precious

promises.

I believe Hebrews 4:16 brings the

whole thing into focus by saying: “Let

us therefore come boldly unto the

throne of grace, (don’t come begging,

hoping to God that something will

happen, but come BOLDLY) that we

may obtain mercy, and find grace to

help in time of need.” We shouldn’t try

to come on our merits. We certainly

don’t want what we deserve. It is

through faith that we can come boldly

to the throne of grace and obtain.

Under the Old Law they were under

a law of works. In Galatians 3:10-11

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Grace Through Faith

Paul said: “For as many as are of the

works of the law are under the curse:

for it is written, Cursed is every one

that continueth not in all things which

are written in the book of the law to do

them. But that no man is justified by the

law in the sight of God, it is evident:

for, The just shall live by faith.” Under

the New Covenant, we are not justified

by works (we receive reward because of

works) but we are justified by faith.

Justified means just as if I had not

sinned. Therefore, you can come boldly

to God’s throne of grace and obtain

mercy and find grace (God’s

willingness) to help in time of need.

In Galatians 3:21-29 Paul asks a

question and answers it:

Is the law then against the

promises of God? God forbid: for

if there had been a law given which

could have given life, verily

righteousness should have been by

the law. But the scripture hath

concluded all under sin, that the

promise by faith of Jesus Christ

might be given to them that believe.

But before faith came, we were

kept under the law, shut up unto

the faith which should afterward be

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revealed. Wherefore the law was

our schoolmaster to bring us unto

Christ, that we might be justified by

faith. But after that faith is come,

we are no longer under a

schoolmaster ... For as many of

you as have been baptized into

Christ have put on Christ. There is

neither Jew nor Greek, there is

neither bond nor free, there is

neither male nor female: for ye are

all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be

Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s

seed, and heirs according to the

promise.

The conclusion of the matter can be

found in Romans 5:20-21: “Moreover

the law entered, that the offence might

abound. But where sin abounded, grace

did much more abound: That as sin

hath reigned unto death, even so might

grace reign through righteousness unto

eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

So where sin did abound, grace does

much more abound. In other words,

grace swallowed all our sins. Where sin

once did reign, now grace reigns

through righteousness unto eternal life

by Jesus Christ our Lord. “For if by one

man’s offence death reigned by one;

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much more they which receive

abundance of grace and of the gift of

righteousness shall reign in life by one,

Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)

You can allow sin to reign or you

can allow grace (God’s willingness) to

reign in your life through righteousness

unto eternal life. The choice is yours

and time is short. Enter into His grace

through faith and trust Him and His

Promises today.

MARANATHA!

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Document Outline

- Grace Through Faith

- 1 Grace Through Faith

- More Evidence

Table of Contents

Grace Through Faith

1 Grace Through Faith

More Evidence