PERPETUALLY PRESENT POSSIBILITIES OF GOD’S GRACE
Matthew 19:25-26; Luke 1:37-38
The message of grace is simple, but it comes with supernatural power. God’s grace is perpetually present, and it has great possibilities. “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:25-26). A rich man had come to Christ wanting to know the way to life eternal and the Lord showed him the way, and instead of asking for the Lord’s help, he went away sorrowful.
The disciples wondered and thought that if the eager, intelligent, religious, wealthy, strong man went away without salvation, who would be saved? It was the man’s fault that he didn’t get saved. It is impossible for men who do not expose their weaknesses to God to be saved but with God all things are possible. If Matthew, Zacchaeus, the woman who washed Christ’s feet with tears and others got saved, then there is no one that cannot be saved because with God all things are possible. “For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:37-38). The healing of the incurable, deliverance of the tormented, and answer to every prayer is possible with God. All the things you have thought difficult and impossible are possible through the grace of God.
G – GOODNESS OF GOD THROUGHOUT THE GOSPEL. Romans 2:4; 11:6,22; Acts 10:38
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). God is patient and longsuffering with the evildoers. He is not interested in striking sinners dead. God still gives rain and sunshine to the just and unjust in demonstration of His grace.
What did Adam or Eve pay to be created? Nothing, it was by Grace. How about Noah, how did he escape the flood? Grace. Abel, how was his sacrifice accepted by God? Grace. It is the goodness of God that makes a sinner realize his sinfulness. It is by the goodness of God that we are strong and healthy. The goodness of God leads the sinner to repentance. “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Romans 11:6). It is not the labour, or the tears, or the exertion of efforts that saves us. It is by the grace and goodness of God that flows from the Cross of Calvary. You cannot earn the goodness of God by yourself, and if we could gain the goodness of God, then grace is no more grace.
When God shows His goodness to people, and they do not respond to His goodness then they experience the severity of God’s wrath. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38). Jesus was specially anointed with the Holy Ghost to go about doing good. As the goodness of God comes to you, all the works of the Devil are cancelled in your life in Jesus name.
R – RAIN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ON THE REPENTANT. Hosea 10:12; Isaiah 55:6-7,10-11; James 5:7-8
Since Adam and Eve fell from the height of righteousness to the depth of rebellion, humanity has been trying to climb up from that depth of sin, but the path is so slippery that they fall back. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” (Hosea 10:12). Can I pierce the heavens and command the clouds to bring rain? No, it is only as God designs by His grace.
You can cry, and roll on the floor but it is only the response of God by His grace that he sends the rain of righteousness upon you. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:6-7,10-11).
If you delay in seeking the Lord when He can be found, and you get to the other side of eternity, and you start seeking the Lord like the rich man in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, then it will be too late. His mercy and forgiveness will come from heaven as the rain comes down. His words like rain will bring the answer and solution to your problem. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 5:7- 8).
There is the final coming of the Lord at the end of the world but there is a daily coming of the Lord as He comes to forgive and heal you. Don’t wait until you are gone before you receive forgiveness for your sins. Come to the Lord early and be saved, if you do not receive forgiveness now that you have the chance, then you are in the danger of eternal damnation.
A – ABUNDANCE FROM THE ALMIGHTY FOR ALL. John 10:10; Romans 5:17; 2 Peter 1:10-11
The abundance from the Lord is by grace. What could you have paid to receive God’s abundance? “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). The thief came to the garden of Eden and stole their joy, happiness and contentment as Adam and Eve yielded to the temptation.
Some people do not even wait for the Devil to come and tempt them, they go looking for the Devil by themselves, and the Devil steals every good thing they ever had, and they are killed and destroyed. Praise God! We can receive abundant grace and eternal life from the Almighty. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).
C – CONVERSION WITH COMPLETENESS THROUGH CHRIST. Acts 3:19-21,26; Colossians 2:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
Salvation is by grace. You cannot keep your hand in your heart to change it and make it new. You cannot put your hand on your tongue and change it from cursing and swearing. It is only God that can change your heart and mind. It is not of your labour or the length of the path you have walked in religion but it is by the grace of God that we are saved. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:19-21,26). It is only the blood of Jesus that can wash our sins away, and you can’t pay for that blood, we are saved by grace. There is conversion and completeness in Christ. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” (Colossians 2:9-10).
Forgiveness, freedom, healing and salvation are only complete in Christ, and He makes us complete for heaven. If you have not met Christ, you do not have the completeness that makes you fit for heaven. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17,21). God does not recycle our bad lives nor allow the stain and evil to remain after conversion. He takes away our old life and makes us brand new. He impacts and covers us with His righteousness and makes us complete.
E – EXALTATION BY EMMANUEL FOR EXPLOITS. Ephesians 2:5-6; John 14:12-15; Ephesians 3:20-21
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5-6). There are people who think they are saved and are still looking down and sideways, taking their minds away from Christ on the throne but as we are saved, we are exalted to sit with Christ Jesus in heavenly places.
You will do exploits and miracles. As you get the healing and deliverance, you will give the same to other people. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:12-15). Jesus is in the presence of the Father, making intercession for you, and the Father always answers the prayer of the Son. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21).