Amazing Grace - What's Is so Amazing About Grace - Pt 1 -

[0:00] Thanks for checking in on this podcast. You are about to hear an inspirational teaching from Caris Ministries. If God has used this ministry to bless you in any way, please take a moment and write to us at amen at caris.org.

[0:15] We are always inspired and blessed to hear how God is blessing people all over the world through what he is doing here at Caris. Also, if you would like to support this ministry financially, you can do so online at caris.org so we can continue making podcasts such as this available free of charge.

[0:41] Amazing grace. Grace is amazing. But what's so amazing about grace? I want to talk about what's amazing. What's so amazing about grace? In the 18th century, there lived a gentleman by the name of John Newton.

[0:56] He was a slave trader. And he started working on the seas from the age of 11 because his mom died, I think, at the age of six through tuberculosis and stuff like that.

[1:12] So his stepmother did not treat him well. He just left home. His dad, who was a sailor, and after some time, left his dad, abandoned his dad, joined some guys, and eventually was forced into the army.

[1:24] After he left the army, he became a sailor trading slaves. So he engaged in slave trade, and he was a very bad guy, dangerous guy. His mother's wishes was for him to become an Anglican clergyman.

[1:39] But he went off and did all kinds of stuff. And one day, on the high seas, they encountered terrible storm. Terrible storm. And, in fact, floods washed away one of his crewmates.

[1:56] And the guy was washed away into the seas, just where he was standing. So just when he left there, his friend came there. He was washed away. And he saw how, through it all, the hand of God was protecting him, even when he was bad.

[2:12] And he told God, he made a commitment that if God saves him, he's going to serve him. And like many of us used to do, or sometimes do, after God saved him, what happened?

[2:23] He couldn't be bothered. He went on as usual. But eventually, he became a Christian, born again. And he wrote the song, John Newton wrote the song, Amazing Grace.

[2:37] How he was so wretched. He was a bad guy. No one wanted him. But God still, even in the times when he was so bad, in fact, it's believed that, or no, it's said that his level of profanity outweighed everyone.

[2:56] He was exceptionally profane. And if you try to show that you're a Christian, he will mock you, he will disdain you, and all that. And yet, in all those hard times, God protected him.

[3:10] And something in him knew that, even though he deserved to die, and people had written him off, God gave him another chance. Amen. Amen. So when he finally got born again, he wrote the song, Amazing Grace.

[3:24] How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch. When they say someone is wretched. In fact, I think about five years ago, I heard a certain pastor was saying that, that word, he said, that word wretch is too strong.

[3:39] So many people even wanted to leave it out of the amazing grace. But you see, it's usually when you find Christ, that's when you see how wretched you were.

[3:52] And yet, grace saved you. Now, thank you, Jesus. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8. Shall we all read it out together?

[4:06] Let's read it out loud. Let's go. For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And that not of yourself. It is the gift of God. Not of wretch, verse 9.

[4:18] Not of wretch, lest anyone should boast. Alright. So how have we been saved from this text? How have we been saved? By grace. How are we saved?

[4:29] By grace. By grace. Okay, through faith. But the medium through which, what brought the salvation is grace. Salvation is purely an act of grace.

[4:41] Then, verse 9. It's very interesting. No, before then, it says that. Go back. Go back to the text. It says that, and that not of yourselves. Okay. What does that mean? You didn't have to contribute to your salvation.

[4:53] You didn't contribute to your salvation. It's purely, it's a not of yourself, but it's the gift. So you didn't do anything to merit it. It was just given to you.

[5:04] Okay. Now, the next verse says that, not of wretch. What's not of wretch? Our salvation is not of wretch. Alright. Lest anyone should boast.

[5:14] So remember these words very carefully. Say, not of wretch. Not of wretch. Say, by grace. By grace. So how are we saved? By grace. And how are we not saved? Not of wretch.

[5:25] Okay. So then, if you try to use wretch to be saved, you miss God. So we have been saved by grace and not of wretch. Permit me to share something a little bit theological to you.

[5:40] Theologians have what is called the saving grace and common grace.

[5:51] Let's all say, saving grace. Saving grace. Say, common grace. Common grace. Say it one more time, please. Saving grace. Common grace. Now, when John Newton wrote his song, Amazing Grace, what he was talking about was not common grace.

[6:06] He was talking about saving grace. Now, theologians, when you talk about saving grace, you're talking about, you know, in the Bible, anytime you come around across the word saved or salvation, saved.

[6:20] It does not only mean saving, being saved from hell, being saved from judgment. It also means sometimes being rescued.

[6:31] It also means being healed. So sometimes the Bible uses the word, he was saved of the sickness. All right. So when the Bible uses the word saved or salvation, it always did not mean salvation from hell, but it also meant something.

[6:47] But chiefly, it actually meant chiefly salvation from hell. Now, actually not hell, salvation from God. That's very interesting.

[7:01] We are saved from God. The main salvation. For God so loved the world that he gave his only view. Whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

[7:13] That half everlasting life is meant to be saved. To be saved from God. You see, you know what? Many Christians are Satan-minded too much.

[7:24] Especially charismatic Christians. That's why last Wednesday when I was teaching on justification by faith, when I was teaching on the faith that saves, sometimes people really can't be bothered.

[7:36] But they are born again in church and you ask them, are you saved? Yes. How did you become saved? I have faith in Jesus Christ. So what do you mean? What? You remember Bible says that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. No. What must I do to be saved?

[7:47] And then Paul and Salah said believe in the Lord. What do you mean by believe in the? Should I believe that he's a good man? So if someone says, okay, I believe he says he's a good man.

[7:59] I didn't die. Does that mean he's saved? Do you understand that? So many of the time we church, most charismatic and modern day Christians don't actually bother themselves about the terms or what exactly involves our salvation.

[8:13] What we think about is the devil. So anyway, I'm saved. It's like we always think about how this mindset, the world is a big world and two forces, the force of darkness and the force of good, the force of evil, the force of darkness and the force of light or which is God, the forces of evil and the force of good and God and Satan.

[8:32] So I'm being saved from Satan. We are so Satan minded that even after we are born again, we come to church, we pray better when we say, hey, let's buy Satan. There are certain people.

[8:46] There are certain people. If we say, let's worship, they won't lift our hands without music. They won't do it. But same without music. Let's say every satanic force over your family. Let's burn it.

[8:56] In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. We love to deal with Satan because we think Satan is our problem. When you are born again, Satan is not your problem.

[9:11] Do you know what's your problem when you are born again? Your flesh. Their members. I like that. That one says your members.

[9:23] Praise the Lord. And so when we talk about grace, all right, watch this very carefully. As theologians say, the saving grace and then we have the common grace.

[9:35] Now what's the difference between saving grace and common grace? Who can tell me what saving grace is? The grace that saves. As simple as that.

[9:46] So what is common grace is the goodness of God that does not make discrimination against anybody. Generally. Can I give you an illustration?

[9:59] Let's say I am God who gives rain. And the land, you know, the reason why you need rain. Let's say these are two farmers. The one wicked one and one good one.

[10:10] But this wicked one is very powerful. And has managed to use his political influence to take this man virtually all his land. He's got 10 acres.

[10:20] He's got 4 acres. He's used his political powers to take away 3 acres from his land. And this man couldn't say anything. And he has family. He has 6 children. He has got 2 children.

[10:32] And he has to feed them. All right. Now they all planted. Now I'm God. I'm going to give rain. When the rain is coming, coming to fall. Where do you think it will fall? Now if you were God, where would you let the rain fall?

[10:42] Oh yeah. You only let the rain fall here. This one, you let everything dry. But guess what?

[10:54] Common grace is, according to Matthew chapter 5, verse 45. Put you on the screen. Matthew chapter 5, verse 45. Common grace is, when God let the rain come. And Matthew chapter 5, verse 45 says that, So when he's bringing the rain, he doesn't say, ah, these guys are thieves.

[11:21] This guy is Osama Bin Laden. No. It's called common grace. God gives us all his blessings the same. That's what we call common grace. Now watch this.

[11:32] This is the main argument behind Christians getting involved in humanitarian works. Because God cares about people. God cares about the suffering of humanity.

[11:45] So if we are like God, then we should also have interest in human well-being. Do you understand that? But that is called the common grace, which God gives to all.

[11:57] It doesn't matter. So that is why Christians shouldn't deal with people with discrimination. Yeah. If there should be, there's racism, it shouldn't be in the church. That's right. That's right.

[12:09] If there is discrimination, it shouldn't come around Christians because we should be like God, who is only interested in the welfare of man generally. He's interested in the well-being of people.

[12:19] Acts chapter 14, verse 17. Bible talks about how God, nevertheless, he did not leave himself without a witness. God. God did not leave himself without a witness in that he did good, gave us rain from heaven.

[12:32] Talking about the children of Israel. Right? How God, they went through tough times, but God was with them. God preserved them. And the writer is saying that one of the ways God showed that he was with them is that he did them good and gave rain from heaven.

[12:50] And fruits and seasons. So, so the point here is that rain is a blessing. But when it's raining, God gives it to all. It's not only rain. Talking about life.

[13:01] Talking about the goodness of God. It's for all. But that is called common grace. However, there is something that is called, as I said, saving grace or special grace, which is not for all.

[13:15] In the Bible, Bible talks about how Jacob have I loved and Esau have hated. Hebrews. Now, that text is very, very loaded and very kind of theologically complicated.

[13:26] But it's okay. It's not as we may think it sounds. All right. But then, people normally say God loves all of us equal. No. No.

[13:40] God doesn't love all human beings equal. He loves some more. Those who have received special grace. Those who have received saving grace, which is the same as amazing grace.

[13:55] Romans 7 verse 24. He said, oh, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? He realized that he was trying to do everything, but he couldn't help himself.

[14:06] He said, so he began, he found out that he was a very wretched man. The only thing a wretched man deserves is disdain. Oh, you're a wretched person.

[14:18] But God's grace finds you. Now, watch this. The same way, if this is where grace comes in handy. When you find someone who is falling into a pit or a ditch, and the person is virtually about to die.

[14:40] And let's say there are some dangerous, terrible insects or bad situations. The person is about to die. And you come across the person. The person is crying, help me. What would you do? Would you ask the person, how did you enter there?

[14:58] You have to tell me first. How did you enter there? Were you drunk? Would you do that? No. You broke health and safety rules, huh? How did you get? He would not do that.

[15:10] What would you do? You'll find means of bringing the person out first. Whether the person deserves it or not, bring the person out. In the same way, watch this.

[15:22] When it comes to grace, watch this. I gave you that analogy to realize that you don't help people, especially when they need your help in certain things, based on their merits.

[15:34] Bible says that God saved us not because of merits. Not because when you try to do it by merits, you find out that you are very wretched. You cannot earn God's goodness.

[15:49] No one can earn God's attention. I mean, how can you impress God? You can't even impress your husband or wife very much. I mean, how can you impress God?

[16:03] He knows you even more than you know yourself. So you can't try and put up appearances to make him impressed about you. Alright? So we can't impress God. He knows us so much and we are so flawed.

[16:14] And yet, in spite of our miserable condition, God makes sure that he extends himself and offers his hand free to save us.

[16:26] It's serious. This is what Christianity is about. I want you to look at something. In John chapter 1. John chapter 1.

[16:42] So what is grace? Grace. Grace is, as someone said, an unmerited favor. Okay? An undeserved favor.

[16:55] You don't, you don't, merit has to do with what you have done. Okay? So it's not merit. It's undeserved favor. And grace, I like this definition which I've said a few times.

[17:10] Grace is God at work. God is, when God is working, that's grace. God at work. Or I also like to say grace is God experienced.

[17:25] Or God enjoyed. When you enjoy God, we call it grace. Enjoying God. God making himself available for you. Now in John chapter 1, this is a good text.

[17:38] John chapter 1 from verse 14. Thank you, Jesus. John chapter 1 from verse 14.

[17:50] The word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. And we beheld his glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Full of what? Grace. Full of what?

[18:01] Grace and truth. All right? So Jesus Christ, when we came, Bible says, the word which was God became flesh. And we held his glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father.

[18:12] Full of grace and truth. Verse 15. John bore witness of him. And cried out, saying, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me.

[18:35] Why? For he was before me. Can't imagine. That's very, very, very, very, sounds poetic, but very deep. He said, He who is after me was before me. Talking about Jesus Christ.

[18:50] I like this one. He who is before me, who is after me, was before me. And of his, talking about Jesus, and of his fullness we have all received.

[19:05] The word translated of is, you can render it, and from his fullness we have all received. All right?

[19:15] What have we received? And grace for grace. Say grace for grace. Say grace for grace. Where did we receive it from?

[19:28] Of his fullness. Of Christ's fullness. Watch this. For the law was given through Moses. Moses did not write the law. The law was given. And other translation puts it there.

[19:39] The law was given through Moses. All right? So it says that, For the law was given through Moses. That tells you that there was a giver of the law. I'm going somewhere.

[19:53] Remember, how are we saved? We are saved by grace through faith, and not of works. When you talk about law, you are talking about works.

[20:04] So when you talk about, there is a rule, there is a regulation you have to follow. It's very important to understand that, if I ask how many of us have a driver's license, how do you get it?

[20:16] Huh? Someone said DVLA. Is there anyone who has a driver's license who did not go through the process or take a test?

[20:35] Some of us have taken the test, practical test, ten times, seven times, six times. Yes. But you, because driver's license cannot be, it cannot be a gift.

[20:45] Like on my birthdays, 18th birthday, my father, my father gave me driver's license. No, it cannot be. Why? You have to work for it.

[20:57] So that anyone who has driver's license can be, the other time I was driving, someone was driving a certain way, and I looked at my wife, this person doesn't have a full driver's license. Because if you have, you will know that you don't drive like this.

[21:09] Particularly in the inland lane, you don't drive there, you just move. Anyone who has driver's license, no, it wasn't a gift. It's merit. It's merit. You have to earn it.

[21:20] Grace, on the other hand, is different. So the process to earn the driver's license, you have to go through a certain principle, lay down principle called the law, the rules. You have to go through that in order to get your driver's license.

[21:33] But when it comes to grace, you can't boast about it. When it comes to salvation, you can't boast about it. Because grace is opposite to work. Anything that was given by grace, that means God himself did the work.

[21:45] You didn't have to do anything. That's why it said, grace is an unmerited favor. It's a gift from God. You see, we read it, saved by grace, through faith and not of yourself. For it is the gift of God.

[21:57] Grace is God at work. You didn't have to work. So when we talk about grace, please remember, it is always different from works. That's very important.

[22:08] Someone must understand from the beginning. Because if God saved you by grace, the other things he's going to do for you is purely an act of his grace.

[22:19] Not because you have prayed enough. How dare someone say, I'm upset with God because I fasted and I said, God, don't let me lose my job and I lost my job.

[22:33] I'm upset. So you think God owes you? You don't understand grace. It doesn't matter. You can fast 800 days and when you finish, you say, God, I know I still don't deserve it.

[22:48] I'm just fasting just to tap into your flow. I'm just, it's not my fasting that makes you decide you are going to bless me, but it is you in your own predetermined counsel.

[22:59] For he said, I will bless those I will bless. I will have mercy of whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion of whom I will have compassion. For it is not of him that willeth, neither is it of him that runeth, but it is of God who shows mercy.

[23:12] Shard mercy. Hebrews chapter 9, verse 15, 16, it's a ghost that I will do it based on my own whims or my own purpose. All right, so Bible says, watch this very carefully.

[23:25] Bible says that the law, the law, just to make you see what you have to do, Moses did not bring the law. It was given through Moses.

[23:38] So Moses was a medium. He was a channel. So who gave the law? If you have been following the teachings the past Wednesdays, you will realize that Bible says that the law came and we cannot please God by the law.

[23:54] So if you study something, it looks like the law was given by somebody else. But the law actually was given by God through Moses.

[24:05] And then let's go back to John. It says, for the law was given through Moses, but, say but, but grace was not given. Through. Grace and truth came through.

[24:18] When you have other truths, it says, came by. So it came. Jesus' coming brought grace to bear. Brought grace to light. Okay. Now, you can tell, the scriptures make a sharp contrast between the law and grace.

[24:34] The law, okay, what's the law? I think you will write this. You will like this definition I'm going to give. Law makes, how many of you have discovered that? Law makes demands. Law tells you what you can do, what you have to do.

[24:47] If you, if you want to be a nurse, the law tells you you have to go through this process. It's a lay down. So the law makes demands. All right. So you can, law makes demands according to what God is.

[25:02] When we talk about the law in this context, the law makes demands according to what God is. Does that make sense? I'll help you to get it better. Is God good?

[25:16] Is God righteous? Is God clean? So any law that issues out of God makes demands on you based on who God, the law in the Bible which Moses gave, which came through Moses, places demands on us according to God's standard or according to who God is.

[25:35] And guess what grace does? Grace comes to empower us or grace gives us the ability. Let me put it this way. Grace supply, I like the word supply. Say supply.

[25:46] Grace supplies us with what God is to meet God's demands. I know I lost some of you here.

[25:57] When you finish writing, can I have the three of you please? Ah, you come. Please. Can I have, yeah, any of you? Anybody at all? Okay, now any at all who is available, come.

[26:08] I need two more people. Two more people. Oh, God bless you, Pastor. Thank you very much. All right. So this is, this is the law of God. That's the law and this is God.

[26:21] Okay. Now, so where, where did the law come from? God. So God gave the law on what basis? How, what's the standard of the law?

[26:32] According to who God is. All right. All right. And human being is supposed to meet this law, but the law is so high. We can't get there.

[26:44] The law is so high. We can't, we can't meet the standard of. And so, grace is that God gives us, supplies us with himself.

[26:55] All right. So, so God supplies us with himself so as to be able to meet the standard of God. Does that make sense? Because, so, the law always places demands and grace gives supply.

[27:13] So, it's a demand and supply. But it's all based on God's standard. So, this thing is not cheap. The law is not cheap. It's good.

[27:24] It's good in itself. But we, we couldn't meet it. So, it makes us feel so wretched. So, amazing grace comes to, and supplies us with God, who God is so that we can meet the demand of God.

[27:41] Clap for Jesus. Thank you very much, says. Shout amazing grace. Amazing grace. The law is like, it's just always placing a demand on you.

[27:55] Even if you can't meet the demand, you feel so wretched. Now, that is why, watch this, that is why a lot of people try to say, there's no God or this is all religious things because, why?

[28:06] Many people, their opinion about God is this taskmaster who has a strict rule. You have to do this. You don't have to do this. You have to do this. No. There is that aspect of God that is so holy, that is so righteous, that is righteous, that must make us feel so useless and feel so wretched.

[28:24] So, many Paul, in order to try and avoid that, they conclude either there's no God, I don't even want to know about God. It's a way of trying to run away from the standard of God. It's a way.

[28:35] But God said, don't run away. Don't run away. I have a solution for you in myself. He said, come to me. You don't have to be anything. Just come.

[28:46] Just come. And you don't deserve it but I'm going to give it to you. You haven't done anything to make you think you deserve it but I'm going to give it to you so that you can meet my standard and when I look at you, there is no reason why I can condemn you.

[29:00] Shout amazing grace. Shout amazing grace. That's what we mean when we talk about grace of God. The saving grace.

[29:11] The saving grace of God gives us the supply. It supplies us with God. It gives us what we don't merit, what we don't deserve.

[29:24] The grace of God just brings it to us. Now, once we are in Christ, this amazing grace continues to do amazing things in our lives.

[29:35] So Paul the apostle said in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 10, he said that I am what I am by the grace. That is profound. He said, he made us to understand that the grace is a maker.

[29:52] Oh, some of you didn't get it. The grace is a maker. I like how Bishop Oyedepo pushed it. He said, in Christ, there is nothing like achievement.

[30:03] It is engracement. If we understand the weight of grace, none of us will come to church with our shoulders up thinking that God, you owe me.

[30:16] See, I am doing well for coming to church. You give, you give an offering in church, you think everyone should stop and clap for you because you have done well.

[30:27] you don't understand grace. Your health is an act of God's grace. Your job is an act of God's grace.

[30:40] No, as I keep saying, no one decides to say that today I'm going to be sick. And no one can say, I'll be sick again. both the rich and the poor fall sick.

[30:56] Yes, I admit that sometimes based on the kind of food you eat and the kind of places you go and other things. However, what I'm trying to say, haven't you seen wealthy people who have given birth to unwell, unhealthy children and they give birth and that child has a holding heart?

[31:11] what I'm trying to say is that we must always remember that even besides the common grace, once you come into contact with amazing grace, it makes your chances better in life.

[31:23] Because once you have been saved by grace, once you have entered amazing grace, that means that now you have access and right to the wealth and all the fullness and the goodness of God.

[31:34] Bible says that we have received of his fullness grace to grace or grace from grace. Alright, so the whole thing is from grace to grace to grace to grace what you don't deserve.

[31:46] People think you should go down. That is why you should never come to a place where you think that God doesn't like you anymore. Because his liking is not based on how well you have behaved.

[31:58] Church, let's get this once and for all and let's stop condemning people. God's acceptance of you is not based on how well you have behaved. It's just based on grace.

[32:10] Does that mean you can do anything at all and God will be okay? Listen, if you have a taste of amazing grace you will find it difficult to do anything at all. When you have had an encounter with this amazing grace and you find out how wretched you were, how wretched your life was and Jesus in spite of our wretchedness stepped in by his grace to pick you from the downhill and lift you and bring you into God to shower his favor on you even though you know you don't deserve it it changes your disposition it changes your approach to life it changes your attitude towards God and it changes your attitude certainly changes your attitude towards men.

[32:50] If you are in church and you can't forgive people and you always hold something against somebody I doubt if you understand grace. I doubt it.

[33:02] If you are in church and you are very segregative you are discriminative you are exclusive you don't like some people but you only look for people who have nice shoes like pastor and who has fat pockets or nice hairstyles and nice looking people if you only look for people like that to be nice to you don't understand grace you don't understand grace anyone who has had an encounter with the grace of God who has had a revelation about the grace of God never deals with people based on where they are at but deals with people based on the goodness of God because your relationship with people is just watch this your relationship with people is just an extension of what God has given you to lavish it on them that is why the church can never say you are a prostitute so don't come in you are a thief so don't come in whether you are a prostitute whether you are a homosexual whether you are a thief whatever you are whether you are bad whether you are good it is not a problem the good news is that

[34:03] God accepts you the way you are and if you come to God he will help you he will deliver you from every wretchedness see someone in a ditch you go and ask him how did you get there before I help you that is the secret behind the story of the good Samaritan it is not about what people have done it is about what is in your power to help people I see someone the devil is trying to accuse you situations are accusing you and trying to make you feel undeserving trying to make you feel that God can't help you but I am here to announce to you you don't have to deserve it you don't have to merit it God is a good God if you can lift up your eyes and consider his favor and consider his grace grace and favor that you don't deserve listen when God favors you men will favor you likewise I said when God favors you Bible says that if God if a man's ways please the Lord he will cause his enemies to be at peace

[35:07] God can move the heart of people God can move the heart of people if I were you I would be busy finding ways that I can just understand or appreciate this grace you see when you appreciate the grace it reflects in your attitude that's why I have this particular proclivity and let me put it weakness when I come to church and you are singing about the goodness of God I just can't look bourgeois I just can't help it because I know in me in myself I am a rich in myself but grace found me and grace brought me this far and that grace is what makes me want to lift up my hands that grace is what makes me want to shout that grace is what makes me want to lower my God and say God all for you

[36:07] Jesus all for you Jesus all for you Jesus all for you drop this self-centered thinking that some people think oh I don't people are watching you no one is watching you tomorrow is praise night we will see no one is watching you let down your God let down your God it is grace that is taking you far in conclusion someone remember that the grace that saves us is an amazing grace what's amazing about it you actually don't deserve it at all it were left with human beings to judge who deserves grace you and I I know I don't deserve it who deserve to be helped but God's grace is going to step outside what human beings think and stretch out to you based on your faith and help you I see the grace of

[37:07] God helping someone lifting somebody from one level to the other you are not going down you are not going down you are not going down you are not going down because of the grace of God the grace of God will raise you up the grace of God will make you the grace of God will help you if you are the one shout hallelujah hallelujah shout amazing grace amazing grace thank you Lord I am blessed I am blessed I am blessed the grace found me your grace has found me just as I am just as I am it in hard conditions God will help you only if God will save you only if God will do this only if now my major question is that if we understand amazing grace that actually saved us and brought us into God then Paul has put it this way why is it that you started in the spirit now why have you not begun to think that it's based on your merits that God is going to honor you or help you in Galatians chapter 3 from verse verse 1 but it said that's how the opening statement is oh foolish

[38:35] Galatians who has bewitched you it's witchcraft okay that you should obey the truth that you should not obey the truth before Christ is portrayed evidently as crucified verse 2 verse 2 says that this only I want to learn from you did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith go to the next verse verse 3 says that are you so foolish having begun in the spirit are you now being made perfect by the flesh now the flesh means that what's based on what you are doing so you began in the spirit not based on what you have done but what he has done how come that you are not beginning to think that what you are doing is what God is going to depend to bless you or to raise you more and so someone it's a problem if someone says I'm upset with God because I didn't get a job that tells me actually you shouldn't have got the job if you're depending on

[39:37] God because if you are depending on God what you're trying to say is that God do it your own way however you choose to do it it's fine with me and so sometimes God will allow situations to go in such a way that our faith will be tested to see who matters or what our focus is some of us our focus is on how good we are being how good I have been watch this I'm not saying it's not good to be good it has its place I will show you in subsequent messages how grace will compare your heart when grace arrests your heart you cannot help but to love people you cannot help but to be generous you cannot help but to be kind you cannot help but be a true worshipper you cannot help but not fornicate you hear what I said you cannot help you cannot help because grace has arrested your heart hey shout hallelujah yes amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved me yes the grace taught my heart to sing my time is have I speak over your life that this grace you have entered will not elude your focus and that you will grow in grace that you will grow in grace that you will grow in grace because he says my grace is sufficient for you my grace is sufficient for you

[41:20] I speak over your life in the mighty name of jesus that the holy spirit will enlighten your understanding to grasp the depths of his grace this amazing grace this saving grace this special grace that has brought us this far this grace that is responsible for taking us that far for you to find an expression in your family life that grace of God will find an expression in your marriage that the grace of God will find an expression in your health that the grace of God will find an expression in your business in your career in your finances in your relationship, in your family life.

[42:07] The grace of God, receive it now. Thank you for listening. For more resources, please visit caris.org or call us on 0207 740 9960.

[42:22] God bless you.