The answer for the dilemma of the struggling
person is found in an understanding of what it means to be Christian. Paul
stated that those who had received "abundance of grace . . . shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:17). Without
question, the grace of God is the crucial issue of Christianity
today.
The struggling individual, indeed all men who desire to experience life,
must experience the free flow of God's grace. The reality of Peter's
prayer, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ . . ." (II Pet. 3:18) must become a
reality in the life of those who are not experiencing abundant life.
The original word from which grace is translated occurs over 160 times in
the New Testament and is rendered grace 130 times. The oldest root meaning
of the word translated grace carried the idea of "sweetness" or
"attractiveness." It later evolved into meaning "favor,
goodwill, or loving kindness" especially when it related to the
action of a king to a subject or master to a slave relationship.
In the Old Testament, it was primarily used to describe God's favor to
man. In the New Testament, it was developed one step further to indicate
the favor of God toward man that is unearned or undeserved. It ultimately
relates to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which enables man to
experience abundant life. The grace of God is the manifestation of Jesus.
However, what does grace actually mean for day-to-day living?
Paul stated to the Corinthians, "But by the grace of God I am what
I am . . . I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the
grace of God which was with me" (I Cor. 15:10). A simple
statement by Paul to indicate that his labor was not of himself, but the
labor seen in his life was by the grace of God. Labor does occur, but it
is a product of grace.
The same principle is also stated to the Colossians; however, it is stated
in a different way which adds insight to the meaning of grace. He wrote, "Whereunto
I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me
mightily" (Col. 1:29). As indicated, labor is again being
performed, but it is not Paul's labor. The labor Paul was experiencing was
"according to [God's]
working."
To the Corinthians, the apostle
stated his labor was by the grace of God. To the Colossians, Paul stated
his labor was by "[the Spirit s] working." In both
statements, Paul proclaimed that labor was occurring. However, in one,
labor is coupled with grace. While in the other, it is correlated to the
Holy Spirit. Obviously, then, the grace of God and the working of the Holy
Spirit are "connected."
Finally, Paul helps our understanding of grace to come together by making
a similar statement to the Philippians. He wrote, "For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure"
(2:13). It can be safely stated that "his good pleasure" can be
understood as the doing of the will of God. Something that would be
pleasurable to God would be His will. Thus, the verse could be interpreted
to read "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
His will."
In true Christianity, it is God, who is active (literal meaning of
"worketh") in the believer, who produces the will of God. In the
final analysis, only God Himself can do His will. Both the "to
will" and the "to do" of God's will are done by God
Himself.
Just as Paul stated to the Corinthians and to the Colossians, he repeated
to the Philippians, that it is God who does the work and not the
individual believer. Based upon an application of Philippians 2:13, the
specific work that God does in the believer is twofold. First Paul says, "it
is God which worketh in you . . . to will." The "to
will" of the believer or the "want to" of the believer
is a work of God Himself.
Admittedly, most believers attempt, or someone else attempts, to create a
desire within themselves for the things of God. However, the truth of the
matter is only God can create that "want-to." In fact, the
revelation of God makes that very statement, as Paul tells us in his
letter to the Romans: "So then it is not of him that willeth . . .
but of God that sheweth mercy" (9:16).
There is not any amount of effort man can do to create the necessary
desire to cause an individual to want to accomplish the ultimate will of
God. The "motivators" and "manipulators" who try to
stir man into action may get an initial response. However, the end result
will always be the same, "so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would."
Peter's life illustrated this dilemma of man's effort to commitment.
Peter said ". . . Lord . . . I will lay down my life for thy
sake." Jesus responded, "Wilt thou lay down thy life for
my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till
thou hast denied me thrice" (John 13:37,38). A few hours later,
Peter was not willing to give his life but denied Jesus three times (John
18:25-27).
Eventually, Peter would experience his death, but it was not a work of
Peter. It was the work of the Holy Spirit: ". . . thou shalt
stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee
whither thou wouldest not" (John 21:18).
Man may be able to "will it" to a small degree, however, he does
not have the capability to commit to the ultimate. All the "Christian
hype" in the world cannot produce the "want-to" that is
necessary for the accomplishment of the ultimate will of God.
Regardless of how much someone may incite, push, pull, beg, plead, or
condemn with guilt, the "want-to," the "will-to," or
the "desire" that is necessary for Christians to experience the
will of God cannot be fabricated by human effort. The "want-to"
that all believers want to have is not a creation of the believer. It is a
production of the grace of God.
Likewise, it is also God who gives the "to do" of His will. The
ability that is necessary for the will of God to be accomplished is,
again, a work of God Himself. There is not any amount of effort put forth
by man that can do the ultimate will of God.
Paul, again, revealed this truth in his letter to the Romans when he
wrote, "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Regardless of how many times
believers are admonished for greater acts of determination and effort, it
is not "of him that runneth," but of God which works in
man to do His will.
Although man, himself, cannot do the will of God. The will of God can be
seen in man s life. The will of God, the ability to do, is a production of
God Himself. This ability, produced by God, is the actual essence of what
it means to be Christian.
Now, a working definition for the grace of God can be formulated. Building
upon Paul s statements to the Corinthians, the Colossians, and the
Philippians, the grace of God can be stated as "the want-to and the
accomplishment of the will of God" in a believer's life. Grace is the
divine provision that God gives to His creation to enable it to fulfill
its intended purpose.
Once again, Paul stated to the Corinthians, "I laboured more
abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God." Paul
labored, but by the grace of God.
Then, to the Colossians he wrote, "Whereunto I also labour,
striving according to his working." Paul labored, but it was
according to the Holy Spirit s working. Thus, the grace of God is the
Spirit s working.
Finally, Paul wrote to the Philippians, "For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." The
grace of God is the Spirit s working, and the Spirit s working is the "to
will" and the "to do" of the will of God.
Consequently, the grace of God is the want-to and the accomplishment of
the will of God. The grace of God is supernatural enablement! The
grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ is what it means to be
Christian.
This fundamental principle can be seen in another statement by Paul. He
wrote to the Galatians concerning his ministry, "(For he that
wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the
same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles.)" He then added,
"And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas
the right hands of fellowship . . ." (Gal. 2:9).
Paul is stating that "grace" is that which "wrought
effectually" in both Peter and himself. Grace is the provision by
which God does His own will.
The Spirit of God in every believer will not only produce the want-to, but
He will also produce the power to experience the Father s will, if He has
but a yielded believer. All that God asks of any believer is to be only a
channel through which He can flow to accomplish His own will. God's will
on earth will be done, but it will be done as believers let Him work in
them.
God reveals through His word that He did not just send His Son to die on
the cross for a sin penalty that man could be declared righteous. God also
raised His Son from the dead to live within the believer that man could
live righteously. It is through the cross of Christ that man can be
declared righteous, but, equally important, it is through the resurrection
of Christ that man has victory over sin for righteous living.
By accepting Christ's death on the cross, man's sins can be forgiven. By
letting the resurrected Christ live in him, man's life can be free from
sin.
Jesus Christ is not only man's Savior, He
is also man's Life! The grace of God is the divine provision by which God
enables man to live the life that God intended for him to live. The grace
of God is divine enablement. Understanding its mysteries is to understand
the secret of life.
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