Obtaining Grace from Above
Text: Psalm 84:11, Heb. 4:16
Ps 84:11
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. NKJV
Heb 4:15-16
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. NKJV
Introduction
This life is a struggle, and remains a struggle until God comes to help a man. If God refuses to help a man, life can be full of unprofitable labours, unfinished tasks, and thorny pathways. To progress in life, you may need new methods, new efforts, new innovation of doing things. However, without grace, they all would leave us in much frustration until God comes to help.
You see, whenever God wants to help a man, what He does is to come first and show him the path of grace. Beloved, Grace is the only God’s instrument of helping a man out of all his struggles. In the scriptures and contemporary times, men who obtained God’s Grace accomplished impossible tasks with much ease. They moved mountains, shut the mouth of lions, fought a whole army to stand still and did other unimaginable ventures never known of men.
Let us trust God in this piece to open our eyes to see and receive great grace to help our lives at the present time of need. Amen.
A. Definition of Grace
Grace, scripturally speaking has two related definitions:
a. Saving Grace – This is an unmerited favour freely bestowed on all those who believe. It is the kindness and love that God in Christ Jesus freely bestows on a pertinent sinner – to pardon, forgive, justify and adopt into His own family. This is the grace that brings salvation. We are saved by grace (Eph. 2:9) forgiven by grace, justified by grace and adopted by grace.
b. Helping and Serving Grace – The Greek word for this is called – CHARIS. It is the ability that God puts into a man’s life to enable him accomplish what ordinarily he would not have been able to accomplish were he left to himself.
It is this grace that enables an ordinary man to do supernatural things. Grace in both power and an attribute of God.
Beloved, when this kind of grace comes, help from above has come. This kind of Grace can manifest in various ways depending on what God wants to accomplish in the life of the recipient. 1 Cor.15:9-10, 2 Cor. 6:1, 1Cor. 12:4-11, 1 Pet. 4:7-11. The manifold grace of God.
The Source of All Grace
Jn. 1:17 – Grace and truth come by Jesus Christ and in 1 Pet. 5:10, God is the God of all grace. According to James 4:6, God is the giver of more as He resist the proud. God given grace and glory – Psa. 84:11. However, men when inspired by God can become a source of grace to another man. E.g. like king Alezeus to Esther – Esther 2:17, Portipher to Joseph - Gen. 39:4, Boaz to Ruth in Ruth 1 - 4.
B. Enemies of Grace
There are 3 major enemies of grace in our lives.
1. The law of Moses – Rom. 3:20 – No one will be made conscious by obeying the law, for through the law we became conscious of sin
Gal. 5:20 – since we live in the spirit, let’s walk in the spirit.
2. Human energy – 2 Cor. 1:8-9
This is called natural strength = the inherent energy, power plus might in every man who is born of a woman. This kind of strength in man varies in degrees. This natural strength has its origin from our human nature = self Rom. 8:5-8. When a man resort to using his natural strength to accomplish a task, he is saying that he does not need God’s help – Gen. 3:17-19, Eccl. 2:26 when a man says this, God calls such man wicked and they are silenced in darkness – 1 Sam. 2:9.
The human strength can manifest through the following. In ordinate combination, acquisitive tendencies, and achievement consciousness. This is to make a name or build a tower for self – Eze. 14:12-16.
Also the use of human wisdom called common sense is human strength. The man who believes in his own strength sees himself as the architect of his own fortune and all his achievement as the works of his own hands. For this man, God believes, he is trying to share His glory as no man can make Himself.
3. Human characteristic – Isa. 64:6
Any good conduct or behaviour of man is a filthy rag when compared to the righteousness conduct is a hindrance to grace when man is dependent in these.
C. Obtaining and Maintaining Grace
The following are the ways that you can obtain and maintain grace
1. Repentance
2. Believe in Jesus Christ.
3. Live and walk in the Spirit – Gal. 5:5
4. Be patient in hope – Rom. 8:24
5. Lowliness of heart (Humility) James 4:6
6. Continue in Christ – Eccl 5:6, Heb. 3:14
7. Continue in faith – Gal. 5:6, Col. 1:23
Note- God give grace only to the humble according to Pro. 3:34, James 4:6, 1 Pet. 5:5. The word humility = humility of mind – Act 20:19, or humbleness of heart (Col. 3:12) or lowliness (Eph. 4:2) or lowliness of mind (Phil. 2:3).
When a man is humble, the following happens to him:
a) Riches and honour follows them – Pro.15:33
b) They are able to fellowship without restriction – Isa. 57:15
c) He enjoys soul rest – Mt. 11:29
d) Greatness – Lk. 22;26
e) Unity – 1 Pet. 5:5
f) Victorious living – Rom. 12:10
g) Live a life a faith – Mt. 8:8, Jn. 4:50
D. The One Dozen Capability of Grace
Grace of God is capable and can do all things. The following are obvious:
1. Gives all good things – Psa. 84:11
2. Impact great blesses and riches – Acts 4:33, Eph. 2:7
3. Gives faith and Hope – Acts 8:22, 2 Thess. 2:6
4. Helps to overcome sin – Rom. 5:20
5. Gives boldness – Rom. 15:16
6. Gives power and strength – 1 Cor. 15:10, 1 Tim. 2:1
7. Inspire liberality (giving spirit) 2 Cor. 8:1-2, 6-9
8. Grants one endurance spirit – 2 Cor. 12:9
9. Gives and changes lives – 1 Pet. 3:7, 1 Cor. 15;10
10. Gives ability to teach/preach – Tit 2:11-12, Eph. 3:8
11. Gives and help in suffering – Heb. 2:9
12. Inspire singing/speech – Col. 3:16, 46
E. Forms of Grace
This is the manifestation of grace to help men:
1. Grace for hospitality – Job 31:32, 1 Pet. 4:9, Rom. 12:13
2. Grace for giving – 2 Cor. 8:1-2
3. Grace for singing
4. Grace to bear burden of others in prayers and in helping others carry their load.
5. Grace for ministering as God’s oracle – 1 Pet. 4:11
Note: “The Will of God will never take you to where Grace of God will not perfect you”
F. Those Who can’t obtain Grace
God does not give grace to just anybody. There must be reason, and you must satisfy conditions to receive – The following are not qualify to God’s grace.
1. Those who plot evil against others e.g. Joseph’s brethren in Gen. 37:8-23 and Daniel’s enemies in Dan Chapter 6.
2. Those who are listed in Prov. 6:16-19
3. Those who use false weights or divers measures – Prov. 11:1, 20:10, 23
4. Those who think evil – Pro. 15:26
5. Those that condemned the just and or justified the wicked – Prov. 17:15
6. Those who refuse the gospel – Prov. 28:9
G. Those who received God’s Grace – Rom. 9:15-16
a. Jacob: For many years, he struggled with his natural strength for the fulfillment of a promise. But God deliberately frustrated his efforts until he got to Peniel and His son shone upon him – Gen. 32:24 -12. He obtained grace by letting God have his way in his life.
b. Abraham: In Gen. 12:2, God gave him a promise, yet he was childless for years. He struggled using his natural strength and had Ishmael. This fruit of his struggle later become a snare for them and generations till now. Gen. 16:1-3, 17:15-19, 21:9-11.
c. Paul: Gal. 1:11-24, 1 Cor. 8:10. Paul struggled to please God through the rely in and traditions of his fathers.
He did all he could to keep the law of Moses, yet he could not be made perfect and discovered that ministry can’t be done with human strength, for the ministry that God approves is the one done with strength that God supplies 2 Cor. 4:1-2, 2:9, 1 Pet. 4:10-11
Beloved, have your thought why God should make Solomon king over Israel considering the way he came to being. It is simply grace with God bestows on a man to help him – 1 Chron 22:18
Conclusion:
There is nothing like unconditional grace. God can’t give grace to man who disobey the gospel message. However, God is under obligation to His saints when they walk in the light and remain truthful to the scripture.
Graces teaches us that man should deny ungodliness and worldly lust and live soberly righteously and godly here and now till He comes. (Tit 2:11-12). Grace is a teacher as well as a Saviour. It saves the lost and teaches the saved. Grace teaches only the saved, for all its pupils must be saved. If you are not genuinely saved, you will find it difficult to proceed in the school of grace.
You can grow in grace (II Pet. 3:18) if you will take time to receive the Word of His grace, by building on your must Holy faith and walking in the light of His Holy Spirit. Shall we plead for God’s hand to sustain and uphold us in His grace, for without it, we can do nothing.
Confessional Prayer
I confess that by your grace. I am what I am today and by your grace I will reach my goal and achieve my destiny – 1 Cor. 15:10.
