I woke up this morning and saw a beautiful swan - gliding on a glassy lake. It was so beautiful - so effortless.
It made me think of the grace of God.
I know you all hear me all the time talk about grace. But there is so much religion around that you can't talk about the grace of God enough, even if you talked about it 24 hours a day.
A friend of mine said to me a while ago "some of those grace people go overboard." Well tell me really how can you can have too much grace? Grace is grace. Grace is 100%.
Jesus died on a cruel cross and rose again- Now He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. He did that for us. Did we qualify? No, so it's all grace isn't it?
In Romans chapter 6 it says "We were crucified with Him. We were buried with Him in Baptism and as He rose from the dead, we also rose in newness of life." The very same Spirit who came to the tomb and raised Jesus from the dead- dwells in our mortal body. THE SAME SPIRIT dwells in us. Did you do something to earn that? No of course no - that's ALL grace isn't it?
You can't improve what Jesus did? You can't take away from it either.
He paid for all your sins, your attitudes, your failures, God put a demand on Jesus and Jesus fulfilled every command because His heart was pure. When Jesus rose He was covered in righteousness which he earned here on earth- but when he went back into heaven he didn't need it because He was already the Beloved Son of God and part of the Godhead.
Righteousness for Filthy Rags
So in exchange for your filthy rags (your own righteousness and efforts) He gave YOU his righteousness, like a beautiful robe, He covers you with it. That's called "His robe of righteousness His beauty is my glorious dress" as the hymn writer put it. That's called Imputed righteousness. Did you do something to earn that? No it's His grace only.
Many of you have seen the movie "Annie." The story of Annie was about her being an orphan and living in an orphanage. The woman in charge was mean and selfish and kept all the little girls dirty, scruffy, smelly and in rags. They didn't have enough food to eat and the scraps they received were disgusting. A rich man named Mr. Warbucks was a Billionaire. So we could call him Mr. Big Bucks. He arranged for Annie to visit his mansion for a weekend. His secretary collected Annie from the orhanage and took her to the mansion. Before she presented her to Mr.Warbucks she took off Annie's raggedy old dress, gave her a bath and shampooed her hair. Then she gave Annie a lovely new dress to wear. When Mr. Warbucks saw Annie he eventually fell for her and finally adopted her. She then called him Daddy Warbucks. Now all his wealth was her inheritance and she was legally his daughter and heir as if he had been her biological father. In Romans 8 15 we read that "We did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but we received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry Abba Father (daddy) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children, then heirs --- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ . . "
So like Annie we were orphans, but Jesus came and washed us clean with his blood and then gave us his beautiful robe of righteousness and adopted us into His family.
He is going go present you faultless before His Presence with exceeding joy. (Jude 24)
You are His Trophy
He's going to say "Look Abba (daddy) what I've got" and he's going to present YOU faultless (as His trophy of grace and beauty.) But He will get all the glory because He did all the work
I watch sometimes the guys on TV who go looking for junk - hoping to find something that looks worthless but turns out, it has value. Sometimes they can fix it up and get it working again.
Well when Jesus chose you, you, were an old piece of junk- that had no possibility of value because it was broken and was irreparable
You see when you get born again you don't get a make-over. Jesus doesn't take the old piece of junk and polish it up and do a bit or repair. The old man is not repairable or brush-er-up-able. It's not fixable.
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE OLD MAN but Jesus found a way- He got rid of it. Rom 6 "You WERE crucified with Christ? You were buried with Him in Baptism, and risen again in newness of life."
The New Covenant promise is not the Old Covenant improved. The New Covenant is a heart thing- a brand new and living way.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."
We aren't trying to keep the commandments - because the law giver is now in us. And the law becomes a promise to you;
Thou Shalt not Steal
"Thank you Lord, that's a promise because if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh."
He puts his desires within you - A new heart remember. So when you fulfill the will of God it's delightful because it's in your heart. "I delight to do thy will of God." So the will of God is delightful because it's in your heart- your new heart
There is nothing more He needs to do for you today - He did it all - He broke every curse- He paid for every sin, and crushed every sickness and disease if only we could truly see who we are and what He has done.
We just have to learn to receive and believe what He says. "You are part of me now. You are my brothers and sisters, we are co-inheritors of His estate in heaven and on earth." Jesus said " I give YOU power" over all the power of the enemy." If the church really believed that the enemy would be pushed back a in few days
He's your portion, your strong tower, He makes your crooked paths straight, He is your rescuer, your victor, the captain of hosts. He extends His mercy, longsuffering, loving-kindness and healing and compassion.
Did you earn something? Excuse me, did you qualify in some way for of these great favors and inheritances?
I want to end with this- I could go on for days writing about the things our Jesus has done for us.
Annie Flint wrote this song years ago- it was very well known in the 50's 60's and 70's.
An Angel sang me this song in Houston- after a long hot day with no air conditioning.
He kept singing to me one line at a time and then saying "Think about it Kathie" and he made be think about each line. I suggest you do it too - we read things, say things and sing words but don't think about it.
"His Love has no limits,
His grace has no measure,
His power has no boundaries known unto men,
But out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He gives ands gives and gives again."
SELAH - THINK ON THIS
The Glory comes on what He does
The glory of God will never come on what we do - the glory comes on what He does- Isn't it easier to yield to what He is doing than trying to "work for Jesus" He doesn't want us to work for him- quit. Say "Lord I resign, I don't want to work for you." You see HE wants to work through you -- it's not you, it's Him.
"He that began a good work in you will perform it" not you, or your mom or your prayer partner, not even your husband not your pastor- only Jesus can present you faultless. And He will!
He rose again and led captivity captive. Religious mindsets hold people captive- they prevent them from receiving everything that Jesus provided for them by His death and resurrection. He is mighty, powerful, undefiled. The Alpha and Omega, the supreme sacrifice, He is our strong tower. He was the first born among many brethren- He is the surety of a better covenant.
There isn't another way - He's is the only Way. He is the door, and because He comes from the unchangeable priesthood. He is able to save to the UTTERMOST.
From the guttermost to the uttermost as the famous hymn writer, John Newton, said one time. He also wrote "Amazing Grace."
He is made unto us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and redemption-
We are His wisdom - His plan of salvation revealed. The wisdom of God revealed in His plan of redemption, and we are part of His marvelous plan. We are His righteousness- the righteousness of God IN CHRIST. We are sanctified, set apart because He set us apart when he saved us and called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.
We are His redeemed- a picture and living proof that he is the Redeemer.
You are His demonstration of the goodness and mercy and love and glory of God, Yes we are meant to live in the glory- no striving, no trying and working your heads off as the Message Bible says.
He is your anchor, the supreme sacrifice, the spotless lamb. He is the forerunner of our faith and He loves you with breathless love -
Don't struggle - snuggle. He that began a good work in you WILL perform it.
He has done great things. He is the rescuer and the answer to every need. We just have to learn to sit still and listen as God said to Moses, with all the army of the Egyptians coming down upon them." Stand still and see the salvation of God." STAND STILL - that's not easy in the natural is it? But where are you looking? Are you looking at the Egyptians with their horses and chariots, or are you looking at the source of the voice you hear, the voice that spoke to you and said, "Stand still - and see the salvation of God."
Your strength comes from the Lord, not from the Egyptians not from the world, not from your bank statements, not from your boss, not from your achievements.
He is the final answer, He has the final say and He declares you Holy and righteous.
AND 100% QUALIFIED to walk in the spirit and live in the glory
Everything Jesus did, He never did. Everything He said, He never said. Everything He was, He never was.
"The words that I speak are not my words but the words of Him who has sent me" "The Works that I do are not my works but the works of Him who sent me." "He that has seen Me has seen the Father."
Jesus was totally dependant on the Father and the Holy Spirit. He did not operate in his own strength and power, He laid them aside, He laid aside His divinity and took on humanity. the Holy Spirit moved through Him.
There is nothing you can do to add anything to your salvation- well I know we all say that but many times in the back of our minds there is a little voice that tells us we have to add out little bit in order to really qualify.
JESUS QUALIFIED YOU 100%. HE IS YOUR 100% PROVISION AND HE LOVES YOU 'TIL DEATH DOES NEVER YOU PART.
Kathie Walters
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