Continue In God’s Grace - Joseph Prince

Today’s Scripture
…Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect
by the flesh? —Galatians 3:3

HOW WERE YOU first impacted by Jesus? Was it through the

law or was it His grace in your life that touched your heart? We

all began our relationship with the Lord because we were

impacted by His love and grace. Let us then continue in that

grace.

Don’t start with grace and end up with the law. Don’t start with

the new covenant, only to turn back to the old covenant!

Paul warned the Galatians against turning back to the law after

beginning in grace. He said, “I marvel that you are turning
away so soon from Him who called you in the grace [unmerited
favor] of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but
there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel
of Christ” (Galatians 1:6–7). Paul takes this very seriously. He

calls any gospel apart from the gospel of grace (God’s

unmerited favor) a perversion. Attempting to be justified by

the works of the Ten Commandments is a perversion of the

gospel of Christ.

Paul asked the church in Galatia point-blank, “…Did you
receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of
faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you
now being made perfect by the flesh [self-effort]?” (Galatians

3:2–3). Paul was saying to them, “You began by believing in

His grace, why are you now depending on your works? That is

foolishness! You should be continuing in His unmerited

favor!” These are strong words by Paul. Don’t start with grace

and end up with the law. Don’t start with the new covenant,

only to turn back to the old covenant! There are those who say

that they are not justified by the law, but believe that they

should keep the law for sanctification. My friend, both

justification and sanctification come by our faith in Jesus’

finished work alone.

When you are established in the new covenant of grace, you

will experience a tremendous sense of confidence and security

in Christ. When your confidence is in His unmerited favor and

not your performance, you will not feel as if you are constantly

jumping in and out of His favor and acceptance.

It is unfortunate that some believers have put themselves back

under the old covenant without realizing it. Sometimes, they

feel that God is on their side, but at other times, they feel that

God is far away from them. Sometimes, they feel that God is

satisfied with them, but at other times, they feel that God is

angry with them. All these feelings are based predominantly on

their own evaluation of how they have performed, how they

feel about themselves, and not how God sees them. Because

there is no new covenant scriptural basis for such evaluations,

they end up arbitrarily deciding if they are deserving of God’s

blessings and favor in their lives or not, when in fact, they

actually have access to His blessings all the time, simply

because of Jesus and His finished work at the cross. Today,

think, talk and act knowing that it is not about you or your

works—it is about Jesus and Him alone, and step out into His

blessings for you!

Today’s Prayer

Father, I thank You that it was Your grace that first impacted

me and changed me forever. Help me to continue in that

grace, always looking at Jesus and what He has done for me. I

thank You that I am under the new covenant, which means

that You are always on my side, and that Your presence and

blessings are mine to enjoy.

Today’s Thought

My focus will not be on me and what I have done, but upon Jesus and what He has done.

– 100 Days of Favor

Continue In God’s Grace - Joseph Prince

Continue In God’s Grace - Joseph Prince

Today’s Scripture

“…Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 3:3

 

HOW WERE YOU first impacted by Jesus? Was it through the law or was it His grace in your life that touched your heart? We all began our relationship with the Lord because we were impacted by His love and grace. Let us then continue in that grace.

Don’t start with grace and end up with the law. Don’t start with the new covenant, only to turn back to the old covenant!

Paul warned the Galatians against turning back to the law after beginning in grace. He said, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace [unmerited favor] of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6–7). Paul takes this very seriously. He calls any gospel apart from the gospel of grace (God’s unmerited favor) a perversion. Attempting to be justified by the works of the Ten Commandments is a perversion of the gospel of Christ.

Paul asked the church in Galatia point-blank, “…Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh [self-effort]?” (Galatians 3:2–3). Paul was saying to them, “You began by believing in His grace, why are you now depending on your works? That is foolishness! You should be continuing in His unmerited favor!” These are strong words by Paul. Don’t start with grace and end up with the law. Don’t start with the new covenant, only to turn back to the old covenant! There are those who say that they are not justified by the law, but believe that they should keep the law for sanctification. My friend, both justification and sanctification come by our faith in Jesus’ finished work alone.

When you are established in the new covenant of grace, you will experience a tremendous sense of confidence and security in Christ. When your confidence is in His unmerited favor and not your performance, you will not feel as if you are constantly jumping in and out of His favor and acceptance.

It is unfortunate that some believers have put themselves back under the old covenant without realizing it. Sometimes, they feel that God is on their side, but at other times, they feel that God is far away from them. Sometimes, they feel that God is satisfied with them, but at other times, they feel that God is angry with them. All these feelings are based predominantly on their own evaluation of how they have performed, how they feel about themselves, and not how God sees them. Because there is no new covenant scriptural basis for such evaluations, they end up arbitrarily deciding if they are deserving of God’s blessings and favor in their lives or not, when in fact, they actually have access to His blessings all the time, simply because of Jesus and His finished work at the cross. Today, think, talk and act knowing that it is not about you or your works—it is about Jesus and Him alone, and step out into His blessings for you!

 

Today’s Prayer

Father, I thank You that it was Your grace that first impacted me and changed me forever. Help me to continue in that grace, always looking at Jesus and what He has done for me. I thank You that I am under the new covenant, which means that You are always on my side, and that Your presence and blessings are mine to enjoy.

 

Today’s Thought

My focus will not be on me and what I have done, but upon Jesus and what He has done.

 

-100 Days of Favor

Continue In God’s Grace - Joseph Prince

Won Over By God’s Grace - Joseph Prince

Today’s Scripture

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14

 

A DEAR SISTER from my church wrote to share about how the Lord had thoroughly transformed her life. She used to frequent nightclubs and pubs regularly, spout vulgarities, take drugs, stay away from home, and get involved in illegal activities such as theft and peddling pirated software.

It is vital for you to receive the gift of no condemnation because that is what will give you the power to overcome your weaknesses, destructive habits and addictions.

During this time, she was often depressed and even entertained thoughts of suicide. Finally, she hit rock bottom and felt that everything in her life had gone wrong. She could hardly convince herself to live on. It was during this period that her sister brought her to New Creation Church and she was impacted by the gospel of grace. This is her testimony:

I was introduced to grace for the first time and I learned that God does not despise or condemn delinquents like myself…I was amazed as I began to see Christianity from a new light for the first time.

To cut a long story short, I challenged the Lord one day to prove His existence and love for me and He did just that. Within a span of two weeks, I was completely won over by Jesus and gladly accepted Him into my life. As what people always say, the rest is history.

I would like to testify that it was GRACE and not the LAW that drew a great sinner like me to God. Over time, the Lord transformed me from a delinquent into a lady who is so in love with Jesus! He did not modify my outward behavior immediately when I was still a baby Christian. Instead, He poured His love and grace abundantly into my life, which eventually transformed me from the inside out. Grace may not produce immediate results, but the fruits are sure and permanent!

Just when my family members had given up their hopes on me, my Daddy God did a miracle by changing me effortlessly from within into a new person! Everyone around me marveled at the change when they saw the works of God in my life. I am a walking testimony of God’s existence and grace! Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord, isn’t this an awesome testimony? This sister was rescued at the lowest point in her life because she realized one powerful truth—God does not despise or condemn her. He LOVES her and it was this revelation of His love and grace (unmerited favor) that turned her life around completely!

Beloved, it is vital for you to receive the gift of no condemnation because that is what will give you the power to overcome your weaknesses, destructive habits and addictions. If you believe that God condemns you for your failures, would you run to Him for help?

Look at how Jesus gave a sinner the power to sin no more. He defended the woman who was caught in adultery. He looked tenderly into her eyes and asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:10–11).

You see, the Ten Commandments, in all their pristine holiness, cannot make you holy and cannot put an end to sin. The power to stop sin from destroying your life comes from receiving the gift of no condemnation from Jesus. Your Savior, who has fulfilled the law on your behalf, says to you, “Where are those who condemn you? NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU. Now, go and sin no more.” This is grace, my friend. This is His unmerited favor! The law says that God will not condemn you only if you stop sinning. However, Grace says, “I have taken your condemnation on the cross. Now, you can go and sin no more.”

Romans 6:14 says that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace [unmerited favor].” If you are still struggling with sin, it is time to stop depending on the law. Fall upon His unmerited favor like the apostle Paul did. When you know that Christ has made you righteous apart from your works, and that He has perfected you by His unmerited favor, that will give you the ability to overcome every sinful temptation, habit and addiction in your life!

Right now, when you reach out to your Savior Jesus, God sees you as perfect in Him. He does not condemn you for your past, present and even future mistakes because all the mistakes that you will make in this life have already been nailed to the cross. You are now free to sin no more, experiencing victory and success over every sin and bondage in your life!

 

Today’s Prayer

Father, I thank You that I have the ability to overcome every sinful temptation, habit and addiction in my life because of Your abundant grace and gift of no condemnation. Thank You for showing me that it is Your grace, and not the law, that transforms me from inside out. Only by Your unmerited favor and not my efforts am I changed from glory to glory. I receive Your gift of no condemnation anew today and thank You for victory over every sin and bondage in my life.

 

Today’s Thought

Knowing that Christ has made me righteous apart from my works gives me the ability to overcome every sinful temptation, habit and addiction in my life!

 

– 100 Days of Favor

Won Over By God’s Grace - Joseph Prince