#Grace Changed My Life

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Over the weekend, a dear friend and I got to spend time with a servant of God called Ps. Eric. He is a young man who God speaks to in the same language as He does with my Daddy and it was amazing to hear him and understand the depths of what he was talking about. He clarified things that I was trying to wrap my mind around even without knowing I was asking for clarification. Over the course of this month I will share some of the lessons I have learnt upon reflection on our conversation.

The foundation of our faith is Grace…we are saved by grace through faith and not by works lest anyone should boast. Before you say you know that read on and see if the perspective is clearer than before. The reality of save by grace means that there is nothing I can do to make God save me. He loved me enough to let His son die on the cross to redeem me and if I was the only one left on earth He would still die for me. My actions or lack of the same will not take back the salvation that is availed to me by GRACE.

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What struck me even more was that most of I have lived seemingly unaware of the realities of grace and the access that grace gives to me. In some ways I hadn’t realised that I have been given access to the keys to heaven and the realities of the life in Christ. However, to really access this life, I need to connect to the depth of this grace and begin to live it out to the fullest of my life. It also means that I must live a life based on my belief in God and also affirms the word of God as true and things happen because of my faith. James 2:23, Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6 all say that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” He believed and it was confirmed as righteousness. When I think of the word believe I think of Hebrews 11:1, Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seem. Once the things I am looking at become seen then they are no longer based on faith but on human knowledge. To keep solid I must get deeper and deeper in relationship with God.

I think of Abraham with the promise of God in Genesis 17:4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.” How could this be true when he was past prime and so was his wife? It could be because the Lord of Hosts had spoken the word and His word doesn’t return to Him void (Is 55:11). So the child of promise came and he grew up and changed their lives for the better. However after a few years, God made a ‘strange’ request in Genesis 22:2. ‘Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” And Abraham did as instructed as we see later in the chapter Gen 22:9-12, When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied.12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” What would you expect from such a yielded life?

Abraham, The Called Out One, lived in a different way that only a person who understands the truth and depth of God could. He lived in full belief that whatever God said would come true and would be for his benefit. He also lived in constant and consistent open conversation with God. He lived in swift obedience in spite of and despite any questions he had about life. This belief led him to affirm the word of God that set him apart to be close to God and a full expression of the master and sovereignty of God. He lived out the plan of God and set the stage for great things to happen.

One of the greatest things that happened out of this was the change of his life and destiny from a simple earthly man to the ‘Father of Nations.’ Can you imagine the shift? He fully embraced the promise given to him when he was called out of Ur of the Chaldeans into this walk with God…Gen 12:

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;I will make your name great,    and you will be a blessing.[a]I will bless those who bless you,    and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”So Abram went, as the Lord had told him;

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Can you imagine what it was to live his life and be constantly on the move? He moved from a house with solid walls to a tent that had not fixed boundaries. He moved from a place of sure provision to a place of wondering and gathering. Yet he chose to do this and keep to it to the end of his days. He spoke about the goodness of God with confidence and aligned to the word of God over the thoughts and doubts of man. He chose to live in obedience because he understood his place and role in the scheme of things. He had low moments and scared and uncertain moments but he always came back to the certain choice to believe in the word of God as the only way to live. His faith in God was evident in all aspects of his life and he was credited as righteous.

So, what did I learn from this:

  1. God remains the same no matter what, when, where, how and why:

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19 KJV

  1. I receive when I believe, align and affirm what I believe.

I can no longer speak in the terms of I want, I hope, I desire, and move to the terms of I am, I have, I see, I know. I must be certain and sure that I know for sure that I am the beloved of God and He will do the best for me. I must learn to speak His word over my life and believe that it will become a reality. This means I will then live in the fullness and fulfilment of the purpose that I was created and put on this earth.

  1. Impossible is a thing of the past and I am limited by my understanding of God

My perception of God determines my response and approach to life. If truly all things are possible with Christ then it means that impossible is a thing of the past and I must move into the realm of possibilities. All things are possible to them that believe and I do believe so everything that was in the realm of impossible is now possible.

Whatever lies ahead in life, I have decided to make this walk in a manner that is greatly aligned to the goodness of the depth of relationship with Him. From this day on I live a life that is fresh every day with grace, peace and love. It is the life that was set up for me upon my creation and I must fully live it out. It is this purpose that drives everything I do and everything I say. I believe everything that God has said about me and it will come to pass in my life.

Shalom.

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