Grace is the secret

Last fall I accidentally discovered a Christian radio station. I began listening to it whenever I took the kids to school or picked them up, and I confess it was rather distressing, discouraging, and draining. “What??!! Aren’t these preachers Bible-believing?” Yes, they are. So what's the problem? Well, for many of the ones I’ve heard the Christian life is all about psychology or trying harder (being more sincere, more committed). It seems the secret to living the Christian life is me trying harder. That is wearisome. And actually, not gospel.

In the past few months the Lord has been refreshing my spirit with the news of his grace, and I’ve had a few opportunities to share this.

The first time I was at a Bible study I was leading at the time. I shared the frustrations mentioned above and then we looked at the chapter for the day, which was Ephesians 3. Paul explains his ministry:

Ephesians 3:7-8 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. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Paul was a minister by the gift of the grace of God – it was a work of God in him, grace that is given to me of God.

The second time was at the church I’m attending (Resurrection Church). They announced a special meeting one Sunday night in April, they called it Soaking Prayer. Sounded interesting so I went. We sang, prayed, were individually prayed over, and then had a sharing time. I shared my story and this verse:

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Yes! He gives grace. Here is the secret to living for Jesus – he giveth more grace.

In June they (Resurrection Church) also began a once a month prayer meeting the first Friday of the summer months (they call it Corporate Prayer). I liked the sound of that as well, so we went. The pastor shared a few verses for us to think on and pray from, among them:

Romans 15:15-16  Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles,

This is the same truth as in Ephesians, Paul was a minister of the gospel because grace was given to him to be an apostle.

Ephesians 1:16-17 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 

This is cool and refreshing indeed! Paul did not pray for the Ephesians and Colossians to be more faithful in reading their Bibles, or to attend theology class more often, no, he asked God to give them something they didn’t have (spirit of wisdom and revelation) and to fill them with something they couldn’t get on their own (knowledge of his will). This is grace.

And a few more verses
1 Thessalonians 3:12  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 

1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

I have to walk in love, but God will make me to abound in love; He will teach me how to love my brother. At the Corporate Prayer meeting a sister shared an example of how God had taught her to love a family she otherwise wouldn’t have been friends with. Grace.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
Amen indeed! What is the true secret of the Christian life? God working in me what is wellpleasing in his sight. I have to live the life, but God gives me grace to do it.

2 Peter 1:2-4 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 partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Look at this! According as his divine power hath given unto us; exceeding great and precious promises; partakers of the divine nature ... He giveth more grace!

Grace is not simply an attitude of God toward me, it is something he gives me. He provides me what I need to live for him, he works in me what I need to please Him. While I do the living, the secret to successfully doing so lies not in me, but in the grace which he gives me. I’m commanded to love, be kind, rejoice, be at peace, be humble, pray, endure and more, but the amazing truth of the gospel is He fills my heart with love, and joy, and peace; he helps me pray; he makes me humble. Amen! There is nothing he asks of me that he does not first work in me. The secret then to successfully living the Christian life is to go to God first and ask him to work in you what you need to live for him. And his grace will enable you. This is good news!

There is an A.B. Simpson hymn that I never taught to any church I pastored, but which I regularly used in my own prayer time, and I believe it captures the essence of what I’m saying. If you can read music, then sing with me!