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The goal of this study, then, is to learn how God thinks and
how we can have "divine viewpoint" in our own thinking.
With Jesus Christ as the "chief cornerstone", we develop
the "foundation" of the doctrine of Grace, from the
"apostles and prophets" by studying the Bible vocabulary
dealing with Grace, by developing principles of the doctrine of
Grace, and by illustration and application.
ETYMOLOGY: BIBLE VOCABULARY RELATED TO GRACE
This study contains a thorough review of all words in the Bible
which are related to the topic of Grace. The context of each verse
was studies, especially considering it with respect to etymology,
doctrine, and application. Word study and doctrinal source materials
include the following:
Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
Moulton and Milligan: The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament
Kittel's Greek Lexicon
Various references to the Greek of the Septuagint
Chafer, L.S.: Systematic Theology
Books and Tapes by R. B. Thieme and Chester McCalley
The Grace vocabulary of the Bible begins with the word (chara),
"joy; gladness". This word was widely used to express
the idea of a joyous response to something good; it sometimes
meant "festival" or "wedding". And chara
was widely used as a proper name!
In the Oxyrhyncus Papyrii [P Oxy VIII, 1162], a Christian man's
personal letter included the greeting, "Leon, elder, to the
elders and deacons, beloved brothers in the Lord, fullness of
joy (chara)." The word chara is used in the
following Bible passages:
Matt. 2:10, "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy (chara)."
Matt. 5:12, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad (chara): for great is your reward in heaven..."
Matt. 13:44 , "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hid in a field; when a man has found it, he hides, and for joy (chara) thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field."
Matt. 18:13 describes the Lord's joy (chara) at finding the lost sheep.
Matt. 25:21, 23, "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy (chara) of thy lord."
We begin to see the relationship between joy and that which causes joy, namely, the favor and bounty which we receive from the Lord.
Luke 2:10, "...behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy (chara), which shall be to all people." This emphasizes the idea of CHARA as an occasion of rejoicing.
Phil. 4:1, "Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy (chara) and crown, so stand fast in the Lord ..."
1 Thess. 2:19, 20, "For what is our hope, or joy (chara), or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his Coming? For ye are our glory and hope."
Related words are the verb (chairo), "to rejoice; to be glad; to be joyful" and the word (chaire), used as a greeting "Hail! or Health!" upon meeting or separating and used widely as a salutation or closing of letters.
Acts 15:23, "And they wrote letters by them after this manner: The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting (chairo) unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia."
Matt. 26:49, "Judas...came to Jesus and said, HAIL, master; and kissed him."
"HAIL, King of the Jews..." was shouted in derision
at Christ before His crucifixion.
"HAIL, Mary, highly favored..." was the greeting of
the angel to Mary.
A curious use of chairo is seen in 2 John 10,11, "If
there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive
him not into your house, neither BID him GOD SPEED (chairo):
for he that BIDS him GOD SPEED is partaker of his evil deeds."
That is, we are to offer no joy to false teachers.
The verb (charidzomai) is used several ways in the Bible.
It means "to gratify; to bestow in kindness; to grant as
a free favor." In each of the Bible passages below, try to
determine what it is that shows the Lord's Grace mental attitude.
Luke 7:21, "And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave (charidzomai) sight."
Rom. 8:32, "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?"
Charidzomai also has the meaning of "to remit; to forgive".
Luke 7:42, "A creditor had two debtors...And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave (charidzomai) them both..."
2 Cor 2:7,10, "To whom you forgive anything, I also: for if I forgave (charidzomai) any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes I forgave it in the person of Christ."
APPLICATION: FORGIVENESS
The word "forgive" is a Grace word, in the English as
well as in the Greek. An early meaning in English was "to
give or to grant". Then, forgive came to mean "to
remit a debt; to give up resentment or claim for requital; to
pardon an offense."
All of us are debtors to others, to society as a whole. And we
often feel that people owe us many things in our human relationships.
We feel we are owed courtesy and consideration. Sometimes we think
that we are owed reward or status or promotion in some enterprise,
or on the job. We are certainly owed fair treatment, justice,
restitution and many other things.
But, many people in America are spiritually, ethically, and morally
bankrupt. They simply cannot pay society what they owe! They are
thoughtless, selfish, ungracious. What should a Christian do about
all of the debts owed to him. Answer: forgive them, as
Christ forgave you.
A Christian who practices Grace thinking (divine viewpoint) will
become a forgiving person. To forgive means "to give up a
claim; to cease bearing resentment".
The rich man in Luke 7 was able to forgive the two debtors because
he was prosperous. He gave to them out of his prosperity. A person
can only give to others out of what God has already provided in
the way of prosperity. In terms of money, the principle is "Let
him that stole, steal no more; rather, let him labor, doing with
his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to
him that needeth."
As a growing Christian, you have many other kinds of prosperity,
by the Grace of God. You have intellectual prosperity (divine
viewpoint). You have spiritual prosperity (peace with God).
You have emotional prosperity (relaxed mental attitude).
You have financial prosperity (mastery of details of life).
You have social prosperity (stable marriage, stable family
life, etc.).
Wherever in your life you find that someone else owes you something,
you have the wherewithal to forgive him! Because you are a rich
person. God has forgiven all of us who are absolutely without
resources of our own. And He is not expecting or demanding some
kind of payment in return for His Grace gifts. And we are to be
channels of Grace to the world. "Out of your innermost being
shall flow rivers of living water."
Another Grace word is the noun (charisma), "a free
gift; a benefit; a spiritual gift." An interesting use is
seen in Romans 1:11, "For I long to see you, that I may impart
unto you some spiritual gift (charisma), to the end you
may be established." This is not a spiritual gift from the
Holy Spirit, but a spiritual benefit which Paul wished to share
with the Roman Christians. [ For the uses of charisma as
"spiritual gift", see 1 Cor. 12:4,9,28,30,30 and Romans
12. ]
Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift (charisma)
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
But how did this happen? How can God give such a gift to us?
Rom. 5:15, "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.
For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the
grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus
Christ, hath abounded unto many."
To comprehend this fully, you must study the context. The complete
context of Romans 5:15 ranges from Romans 2:1 to 6:2 (at least)!
A very important Grace word is (charis), which has a variety
of translations in the New Testament, including "favor; pleasure;
gift; benefit; liberality; and gratitude" as illustrated
in the following scriptures.
Luke 1:30, "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor (charis) with God."
Luke 2:52, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor (charis) with God and man.
Acts 24:27 and 25:9 use charis with respect to pleasure.
2 Cor. 8:4, "Praying with us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift (charis), and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints."
2 Cor. 1:14,15, "As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are out's in the day of the Lord Jesus. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit (charis)." This usage emphasizes that the benefit, or gift, is the effect of the gracious disposition of the benefactor.1 Cor. 16:3, "And when I come, whoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring you liberality (charis) to Jerusalem."
It is in the idea of gratitude, as the response of the one who receives a Grace benefit, that we begin to see the means by which God causes the correct response in people. A free gift brings a joyous, thankful response.
Rom. 6:17, "But God be thanked (charis) [that is, `grace to God'] that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you."
2 Cor. 1:14, "Now thanks (charis) be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place." See also 8:16 and 9:15.
1 Tim. 1:12, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."
1 Pet. 2:18 to 20, "Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unreasonable. For this is thankworthy (charis), if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable (GRACE) with God.
READ also Luke 6:32 to 36
Other common Greek words for gratitude or thankfulness are (eucharistia)
and (eucharistos), which are derived from charis
as well. There are very few examples of these in the papyrii,
but there is a copy of a letter written by the Emperor Claudius
expressing his gratification at games performed in his honor.
The Latin word gratia is brought into the English in the
words "grateful" and "gratitude), etc. The Greek
eucharistia is brought into the English in "Eucharist",
still used, but mainly by the high church, to refer to the Lord's
Supper or Communion service. In modern English, the connotation
of Grace is barely visible in "Eucharist."
Thanksgiving is the expression of joy towards God by a person
who has been the recipient of God's Grace. The mature Christian's
gratitude, therefore, is a part of the joy that is the fruit of
the Spirit; thus it increases with edification.
Col. 2:7, "Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (eucharistia)."
2 Cor. 4:14,15, "Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving (eucharistia) of many rebound to the glory of God."
1 Thess. 3:9, "For what thanks (eucharistia) can we render to God again for you, for all the joy (chara) wherewith we joy (chairo) for your sakes before God." Grace on the part of the giver; gratitude on the part of the receiver - an illustration of the Doctrine of Reciprocal Grace.
READ 2 Cor. 9:10 to 12.
Eph. 5:4, "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate, but rather, giving of thanks (eucharistia)." This leads us to a discussion of ...
The Greek word (eucharisteo), a verb which has the basic
meaning of "to give thanks."
From the early Greek eucharisteo meant "to do a good
turn to" or "to oblige", as in the Flinders Petrie
Papyrii, "by doing this you will oblige (eucharisteo)
us", or in Grenfell and Hunt on the Hibeh Papyrii, "so
that you shall not oblige me to no purpose."
In later Greek, this passed easily into the meaning of being grateful,
or for giving thanks for something received. So in [P Oxy I (AD
303)], "so I shall be enabled to recover my property and
acknowledge my gratitude (eucharisteo) to your excellency."
Paul gives thanks (eucharisteo) for his readers in his
greetings of Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and Thessalonians.
He gives thanks in Phil. 1:3 for fellowship shared with him. And
he gives thanks in 1 Cor. 1:4 for God's gifts to the Christians.
This word is used by Paul to remind believers to give thanks.
"Giving thanks (eucharisteo) always for all things
unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Eph. 5:20)
The word is used negatively in referring to the unthankful heathen.
"Neither were thankful, but became vain in the their imaginations...",
(Rom. 1:21).
GOD'S OPERATING PRINCIPLE
Ephesians 2:4-7 discusses Grace as God's operating principle.
Verse 4 starts with certain facts on God's side God is the possessor
of infinite resources; He is "rich in mercy", and He
has "great love". Man, on the other hand, is described
as "dead". Man has the deepest need; God has the greatest
resources. And God has a plan for linking our need to His resources
(Eph. 2:5).
Romans 4:4 states plainly that Grace is the opposite of a merit
plan. Two principles of operation are stated here, a "debt"
principle and a "grace" principle. In a "debt"
plan, reward is given in return for effort of some kind. A "grace"
principle is one in which reward is given on the basis of the
merits of another, Jesus Christ. The two principles are mutually
exclusive; they cannot be combined or mixed.
Romans 6:16-23 points out the contrast between "wages"
and the gift principle.
Romans 4:13-16 explains that if the Law (debt principle) will
make us heirs, then faith (grace principle) "is made void."
This allows for no compromise. Verse 16 says "It is of faith
that it might be by grace." Faith is the only action on man's
part that can appropriate blessing without ruining the Grace principle.
Satan is always eager to add something to faith, because that
would ruin Grace and negate divine blessing.
Romans 3:23-31 shows that, while in Grace salvation is free, yet
the Law is established and upheld.
So "Grace" is the word used in the Bible to refer to
all that God is free to do for mankind because of the Lord Jesus
Christ's sacrifice for sins, the Work done for us on the Cross.
Grace means that God has done the work and God receives the "credit",
the glory. Man, who is unable to produce acceptable works, receives
the free benefits of God's work. Grace means that man has received
from God that which he has not earned or deserved; because nothing
that we are and nothing that we have is sufficient to qualify
us for any of what the Lord gives to us or does for us.
Grace, or graciousness, is the most outstanding quality of the
mature believer in Christ. The new believer has "tasted Grace".
As he grows in Christ, he learns to "think Grace" (outward)
rather than thinking pride (inward). He thinks Grace in time of
doubt, in time of poverty, in time of prosperity, in suffering
and pressure, and even in persecution.
The advanced Christian is gracious, forgiving, unassuming. He
is uplifting, not depressing. Out of his innermost being flow
rivers of living water; he is a conduit that brings Grace to a
thirsty world.
CATEGORIES OF GRACE
In the following paragraphs, the subject of Grace is discussed
under four headings.
COMMON GRACE, or Grace which is common to all mankind, saved or
unsaved , such as the rain which falls on the just and unjust.
SAVING GRACE, the "gift of God, lest any man should boast",
namely, Grace applied to the lost sinner.
LIVING GRACE, the provision of God the Father for the needs of
the believer for the rest of his lifetime. God provides everything
that is needed for a prosperous, happy life for any believer who
has "tasted grace" and avails himself of "more
grace".
SURPASSING GRACE, the Grace of God in eternity; what we will receive
from God because of Salvation; what we will receive from God as
crowns or rewards to be laid at the feet of Christ.
COMMON GRACE
Every human being is born under the complete watchfulness of God.
God provides each person with an awareness of the existence of
God and with a bonafide opportunity to exercise a choice with
respect to God.
Romans 1:18-22; Acts 17:22-30; Psalm 19:16
In Grace, God has provided many blessings common to all people,
whether they are Christians or not. It rains on the just and unjust
alike; and Bible history shows us that material prosperity is
often given to unbelievers as a demonstration of God's Grace to
all people. MATT. 5:43-48
God has provided Divine Institutions for the protection and preservation
of the human race, and everyone profits from this. The Lord intends
that people live under conditions of freedom and morality.
The institution of Volition makes it possible, among other things,
for everyone to have a free will choice in all spiritual matters.
The institutions of Marriage and Family provide for the orderly
preservation of the human race and the growth of families in a
protected, nurturing environment. The institution of Nations gives
a simple structure to society so that personal freedom and individual
morality are preserved. The topical notes on Divine Institutions
provide more information on this subject.
God the Father provides gospel information to any person who shows
any positive inclination toward Him when the individual become
conscious of God. And God the Holy Spirit makes the gospel clear
to the unbeliever so that he can accept Christ if he wants to.
ACTS 17:26,27; JOHN 7:16,17
Meanwhile, by Grace God withholds His judgment and wrath from
mankind. He is longsuffering, giving everyone ample opportunity
to repent or change his mental attitude toward Christ. 2 PETER
3:9
SAVING GRACE
The term "Saving Grace" covers the categories of doctrines
which deal with all that Christ did for us on the Cross. The general
topic of Saving Grace includes salvation and all of the teaching
regarding Positional Truth, the dozens of things God does for
believers at the moment of salvation. Read the notes entitled
Salvation Doctrines for a complete listing of these topics.
You can get an appreciation for the extent of what the believer
receives at salvation, by reading Ephesians 1. In just the first
few verses you have the following blessings:
1:2 "Grace to you and peace..."
1:3 "all spiritual blessings in Christ"
1:4 "chosen in Him"
1:4 "without blame before Him"
1:5 We are adopted by Christ
1:6 We are accepted in the Beloved
1:7 We are redeemed, forgiven
1:8 God's wisdom and prudence are available.
1:9 God's will is made known
ROMANS 3:24 says that justification offered on the Grace principle
is "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Grace can be extended freely to us because of the price paid by
Jesus Christ. The cost of salvation was the death of Christ on
the Cross.
Grace is the only way that God could save man and still be consistent
with His perfect character. ACTS 4:12 The Grace basis for salvation
is seen in the following verses:
EPH. 2:8,9; PSA. 103:8-12; ROM. 3:23,24; 4:4; 5:20; 2 COR. 8:9;
HEB. 2:9; TITUS 2:11; 3:7
LIVING GRACE
Every Christian has experienced Grace at least once in his lifetime.
He has "tasted Grace." 1 PET. 2:2,3. The believer is
said to be a child of God, no longer an enemy. Christ did the
most for His enemies by bearing our sins when He died on the Cross.
Since he did the most for us when we were His enemies, how much
will He do for us now that we are His own children. The answer
"much more than the most". Grace is the concept of a
life in which God gives us the most then gives us much more than
the most.
ROM. 5:9-17; 8:32; 11:12; HEB. 9:14
Once having tasted Grace, the believer can go on to have all of
the Grace he wants. To obtain all the blessings that God provides,
a Christian must exercise his free will by choosing the things
of God. The most important thing is the believer's attitude toward
the Word of God. The Lord provides believers with the capacity
to grow and be effective so that they can glorify God in this
lifetime. In fact, the Christian is commanded to grow in
Grace, 2 PET. 3:18.
Very little knowledge is required to accept Christ as Saviour.
But extensive knowledge is required during the believer's remaining
lifetime in order to profit from Grace. Every facet of a Christian's
life requires an applied understanding of the Word and orientation
to the Grace of God.
God's Grace is always available for the believer. In fact, the
Lord waits to pour out His Grace to us, ISA. 30:18-19.
Grace is sufficient for every problem.
Grace is greater than sin, ROM. 5:20.
Grace is greater than suffering, 2 COR. 12:9,10.
Grace is greater than Satan, JAMES 4:6,7.
A special provision of Grace is Dying Grace, for the Christian
who is in the dying stage of life, whether that stage lasts two
hours or two years, PS. 23:4. Dying Grace enables the believer
to enjoy dying even though he might be having great physical pain.
A Christian who neglects God's Word creates a vacuum in his own
spirit, that part of him which can understand and assimilate Bible
truth. Into this vacuum will come false teaching, religion, legalism,
and Satanic doctrines which further distort his orientation to
the Plan of God. Eph. 4:17 and following. Therefore, failure
to participate in the Plan of God is the believer's greatest occupational
hazard. HEB. 12:15; GAL. 5:4.
The following are some examples of God's Grace provision for the
Christian life:
SURPASSING GRACE
Surpassing Grace includes all that God is free to do for the believer
in eternity. This Grace is based primarily on the Christian's
relationship to Jesus Christ. In addition, the believer receives
rewards and crowns in heaven, which are a part of Grace provision.
Study the following Bible passages:
EPH. 2:7; JOHN 14:13; 1 COR. 9:25; PHIL. 4:1; 1 THESS. 2:19; 4:13-17;
2 TIM. 4:8; JAMES 1:12; 1 PET. 1:3,4: 5:12; 2 PET. 3:13; REV.
21:4
DISTORTIONS OF GRACE
As you can well imagine, Satan's main personal task on this earth
is to distort what the Bible teaches about Grace. There are two
basic ways to distort or pervert the idea of Grace (taking it
to mean or imply something that it does not).
First, Grace is sometimes taken to mean that is is permissible
to sin. Thus, Grace is used as an excuse for licentiousness, emphasizing
overt sins. This is always condemned by the Word of God. ROM.
6:1,2; 1 JOHN 1:9 TO 2:1; JUDE 4.
Then, Grace is sometimes taken as permission to be lazy (especially
to skip Bible study). This emphasizes sins of omission. But this
idea violates all of the Bible's commands to study, to be diligent,
to be oriented to Grace. HEB. 6:11,12; 2 PET. 1:5,10; 1 COR. 15:10
The greatest enemy of Grace is legalism. Grace and legalism are
mutually exclusive, ROM. 11:6. Grace means that God does the "work"
and receives the glory (credit) for it. Legalism means that man
does the work and receives the credit. [ Notes are available on
the doctrine of Legalism.]
Grace depends solely on the character of God and entirely excludes
human ability, human merit, human achievement, etc. Legalism,
however, depends on human activity and ability.
Grace and legalism have opposite emphasis. Grace emphasizes what
God does in the soul of man, free of charge. The production and
blessings in the Christian's life are byproducts of what is first
provided by God without cost. Legalism excludes the mental attitude
and emphasizes overt activity for the purpose of gaining credit
with God and impressing men.
Legalism hinders a person from accepting Christ as Saviour, GAL.
2:21.
Legalism neutralizes the believer in the Christian Way of Life,
GAL. 5:2 TO 4.
God is perfect, and His plan is perfect. Man's work is excluded
from the plan of God because man is imperfect. If man were permitted
to make a contribution to the Plan of God, the plan would no longer
be perfect; it would be no stronger than its weakest link. Grace
eliminates all considerations of human merit.
Grace, then, in the antithesis of human arrogance. An awareness
of the full meaning of Grace is a giant step toward true humility.
Four types of pride are noted in those who are not oriented to
Grace:
*There is pride on the part of the believer who rejects the eternal
security of Grace. He thinks his sins are greater than the plan
of God. He thinks that Grace is not sufficient.
*There is pride in the believer who falls apart during suffering.
He thinks that his pressures and adversities are greater than
the provision and protection of God.
*There is pride in the believer who enters into a life of false
spirituality through legalism or religion. He thinks his personal
works impress God and are greater than His plan.
*There is pride in the emotional believer who thinks feelings
and emotions are greater and more real than the Word of God or
the Grace of God.
HOW TO GROW IN GRACE
Victory Over the Sin of Pride
As we have seen, one of the greatest enemies of Grace is native
human pride, one of the greatest evils since the Fall of Man.
It is the worst of the mental attitude sins because it amounts
to blasphemy. "I will be my own God." Remember the times
that Satan said "I will..." Grace opposes human pride
in every way.
There is great pressure toward arrogance in the United States.
Our country has a successful, affluent society with many opportunities
for achievement and rewards, from childhood on. Status and upward
mobility are available to everyone, and it's easy to get the big
head, to think that we have accomplished something, to have the
"self made man complex." Victory over this very subtle
and devastating mental attitude sin requires a thorough understanding
of the doctrine of Grace.
The first step in victory over pride (and growth in Grace thinking)
is to be aware that pride is part of everyone's Sin Nature. No
one starts out thinking Grace!!
The second step is to pray for victory here and to ask the Lord
for wisdom in the matter.
The third step is to confess sinful pride when you recognize it
in yourself.
There are many symptoms of pride. Indignation at someone else's
behavior, mistakes, shortcomings, lack of discipline, or failure
to measure up is an indicator of self-righteousness, whose basis
is pride. "Well, I never..." these are key pride words.
ROMANS 2:13 commands that we should not judge others as if we
ourselves had no areas of weakness. Self-promotion, and the demotion
of other people is pride, it is the failure to think Grace.
Another symptom of pride is lack of forgiveness, the holding of
grudges. Pride prevents a forgiving attitude. How many marriages
break up because of this? How many people would be happy on the
job instead of miserable if they could just forgive the boss or
a fellow worker for doing something dumb? Everybody does dumb
things, but failure to forgive is pride. Other indicators of pride
are complaining, griping, maligning, gossiping. Most of the sins
of the tongue have their roots in pride.
When you see sinful pride in yourself, confess it! If you see
it in others, pray!
The fourth step toward progress in Grace thinking is to "grow
in Grace"; actually this is the first and last step toward
maturity. Grace thinking overcomes pride, and the symptoms of
sinful pride will start to disappear. A person who was at first
totally filled with himself will find that as he grows in Christ
the symptoms will show up only under extreme pressure. At that
time, they will be recognized and dealt with immediately to minimize
the ill effects on himself and others.
GRACE ORIENTATION
The first step in Grace orientation is understanding the Grace
of God, the purpose of this study. The second step is to appropriate
the Grace of God through the use the techniques of Christian living
seen in the following sections. [ Each of the techniques described
briefly below has a complete discussion in the Bible Notes Library
studies relating to each topic. ]
Confession of Sin
Personal sin leads the believer away from the Christian Way of
Life. You must deal with sin on a daily basis by confessing and
moving on. If you don't do this, sin becomes a burden which clouds
your joy, drains your spiritual energy, and destroys your productivity
and vitality. The result will be that you will seek provision
for your needs and desires outside of God's Grace provision.
In privacy, make a list of mental attitude sins, verbal sins,
and behavior sins which bother you the most. Ask the Lord to make
you aware of the habits of your own life. Respond immediately
to the Holy Spirit when He uses the Word to spotlight your sin.
Name the sin to God; then rejoice in forgiveness and cleansing
and your renewed fellowship with God.
All the promises and provisions of God the Father are now available
to you. Make it a spiritual habit to confess sins whenever they
show up in your life and you will have continuous and immediate
access to everything that Grace provides.
The Faith Rest Life
Faith Rest is the believing of the promises of God and then entering
into the "rest" phase of Christian living by claiming
and enjoying those promises. Therefore, you must search the Scriptures
daily to remind yourself of promises and to learn new ones.
You must know who and what God is so that you will not hesitate
to believe that He can do what He has promised to do. Study the
attributes of God using verses about the Essence of God. Know
Him as He reveals Himself in the Bible. Believe Him when He tells
you what He will do for you. Count on it. Let your faith rest
on it. Cast your burden on the Lord. Everything you learn about
Grace will encourage and strengthen you.
Occupation with Christ
The technique of Occupation with Christ keeps your mind on Grace
because it gets your eyes off yourself, your spouse, your children,
your neighbors, your friends. Instead, as you move through the
day, you are thinking about the Lord Jesus Christ, His plan for
your life, the Father's provision for each incident in your life,
and His provision of wisdom for each decision you must make. Occupation
with Christ is a by-product of the Faith Rest Life. Disorientation
to Grace is a by-product of occupation with self, with life, with
problems.
Living in the Word
By Living in the Word you are constantly reminded of God's viewpoint,
of His Plan, of His provision, or His awareness of our spirit
of heaviness and what He want to accomplish in us with the testing.
Living in the Word gradually transplants you to a new sphere,
a new environment for your life, in which there is victory through
Grace.
The Filling of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit fills you and controls your life when you have
no unconfessed sin in your life. You can trust the Holy Spirit
to reveal sin to you when you commit it, or even before. When
the Holy Spirit in control, He produces His fruit (GAL. 5:12),
the product of graciousness which is such a blessing to others.
Agape love is a great Grace benefit. There is joy in living in
Grace. Peace does not coexist with disorientation to Grace. Longsuffering
gives the ability to wait for God's Grace provision. Gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are fruits of righteousness,
which is divine good.
Orientation to Grace
Grace Orientation gives the ability to look at people and see
them as God sees them. It is the ability to let them live their
lives as unto the Lord, and trusting God to make His way clear
to them. This technique lets people make mistakes without your
judging them. It enables you to accept criticism without hurt
or bitterness. It enables you to "esteem other better than
yourself", to "do nothing through strife or vainglory."
You will be a "conduit of Grace."
Mastery of the Details of Life
We are all involved with details of life. Either we master them,
or they master us! If you are a slave to one or more details of
life, your thoughts are devoted to them, and they drive you. They
dominate your thinking, your conversation, your decisions. Slavery
to the details of life leads to a search for happiness through
the non-Grace provision of the world and Satan.
Mastery of the details of life means that you look to the Lord
for every detail. Your happiness does not depend on people, circumstances
or things. You have the peace of God that passes understanding.
You have learned to be content under any circumstances. You can
wait for the Lord's timing in providing the details you want;
you can enjoy them when you have them; and you can stay happy
when the Lord sees fit not to provide some detail.
Relaxed Mental Attitude
A relaxed mental attitude is based on knowing God and on having
divine production in the soul that comes with the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. A relaxed mental attitude is one of the results of
Living in the Word, practicing the Faith Rest Life, and being
occupied with Christ.
Capacity to Love
There may be many disturbing details that surround our relationships
with other people or the circumstances of our lives. Love deals
with that depression by giving us the capacity to have a Spirit
produced love for God (1 Cor. 16:22); for spouse (Titus 2:4);
for others (Rom. 12:13). This is only one of the marvelous products
of Grace in the Christian's life.
Inner Happiness
Inner happiness is not possible for the believer who is occupied
with himself . Inner happiness is a state of rejoicing based on
knowing that God is everything He claims to be and that He can
and will do what He has promised. Inner happiness is the joy of
living where every provision for physical, emotional, and spiritual
well-being is being made by God in the life of a Christian who
is walking in daily fellowship with Him.