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