The Grace in Which We Stand

Chapter 10 The Grace in Which we Stand

Romans 5: ¹Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

²By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Within the recesses of this verse is the key to getting off the rollercoaster of Christian living. It holds the power that we need to stand firm, never wavering with our roots dug deep, unshakeable no matter what the hurricane that surrounds us. How could I possibly say that these two little verses can hold such power over sin? Let me help you to understand by carefully dissecting this out for you. Oh, that God give me the wisdom and the words to make this truth real to you so that it may transform your life forever.

“Therefore being justified by faith” begins these two verses. Wherever there is a therefore, we need to look to what has been said before since the basis of this statement comes as a direct inevitable conclusion to what has already been said. Paul in the chapters 1 through 4 has laid out in great detail man’s dilemma as a sinner with no means of earning merit by his own works. He demonstrates God’s absolute justice and wrath against sin. Carefully, He lays out God’s plan of redemption by Jesus Christ receiving on Himself God’s full fury for our sins; thus, paying our penalty once and forever by His death on the cross with separation from God the Father for a time. He then rises from the dead, victorious against Satan and all his armies to be lifted up next to the Father full of GLORY and HONOR and Dominion. He provided a way that unrighteous man might gain His righteousness and share in His Glory through faith in Him. Because of all this work being performed by the Creator of the entire Universe we may be justified by faith. Imagine He who spoke all the Galaxies into being came to earth, suffered and died that we tiny flecks of dust, so unworthy and ungrateful, might share in His full Glory one day. This is so big that it is difficult for us to even wrap our minds around such truth-it is too big for us. Yet, because of this we are declared just and righteous before Him, not because of anything we have done, but because of everything He has done. Our only act, is to see His Glory, to believe that He is and by faith accept this wondrous gift that He has given. There is no room for self-pride in our adoption as His child, only awe that He would choose me with all my flaws. “Therefore, because of all of this redemptive work completed by God we are justified (declared innocent or guiltless; absolved; acquitted) by faith in the one who paid our price for sin to the only true Just and Righteous Judge-God.

By faith in Jesus Christ and through His power and might, we “have peace with God.” His entire just wrath against sin has been satisfied by the atonement of His son, so that we might enjoy peaceful, joyful communion with God. Instead of the wrath we would deserve, we now have His full blessing. Jeremiah 29: “¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ¹²Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you” By the justification of Jesus Christ, we are moved into the position of being sons and joint heirs with Christ of everything He has. Romans Chapter 8 tells us “¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” As part of this package of peace we have been provided with the Holy Spirit who reminds us of this promise of peace. Christ promised this peace in John 14: “²⁶But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ²⁸Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I

Through Jesus Christ “we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.” Please listen very closely to this. By faith in Jesus Christ we have access into grace which is the force that makes us stand firmly in our Christian walk and reconfirms and circles back to fill our faith which opens our eyes more fully to Grace that holds us firm in the palm of His hand. Mercy does not give us what we deserve (death, wrath and penalty). Grace gives us what we do not deserve which is God’s unmerited favor toward us. Grace which holds us up is based on the power and might of God; not by my power at all. Over and over God tells us that whosoever comes to Christ will be transformed into the image of Christ. This is found both in Romans 8: 28-29 and II Corinthians 3: 17-18. He confirms this as His work through the Holy Spirit. Having been saved by Jesus Christ and His power, it does not then change that I keep myself through works of my own. Do not get me wrong here. I am not saying then to run after sin so that God’s grace might be magnified. There are two major problems with that idea. First, if you are never longing after Him then I would wonder whether you had ever seen Him through the eyes of saving faith. Second, since He has confirmed that He will complete the work; He will use however much fire and chipping needed to mold you into Christ’s image. I certainly do not want to be the child molded into obedience, kicking and screaming all the way. There is another important point to it being Grace that sustains us. If you indeed are seeking after Christ, then stop worrying so much about yourself and your failed attempts to follow. Again, He will complete the work and we are held by His strength, not our own. We need to rest and relax in that promise. He made a new covenant which He will not break to each and every person who accepts Christ as their Savior.

This covenant is recorded in Hebrews 10¹⁰By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: ¹²But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; ¹³From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.  ¹⁴For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. ¹⁵Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, ¹⁶This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. ¹⁸Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. ¹⁹Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹And having an high priest over the house of God; ²²Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” WOW!! Christ paid the price once and for all so that we may enter in boldly to the throne of God. He commands us to hold fast the profession of our faith not because we are faithful but God is faithful who has made this promise to us. Our righteousness is held tight by the power of God who cannot and will not deny himself. So what about those moments that your faith may waiver? He still holds us. 2 Timothy 2: ^13”If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Guilt and shame which continues with us after we have turned it over to God is our way of saying that Christ is not enough. Can we raise ourselves to such levels as to say I am too holy to forgive myself when God has forgiven us? Read Romans 8: “31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  ³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? ³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” I do not have the right to condemn even myself once I have laid my sin at the feet of Christ. I am to confess my sin, then get up with my focus ever more fixed on my Gracious Savior and march forward with Him, “the author and the finisher of my faith” as quoted from Hebrews 12: ¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  ²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ⁴Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

Our ability to Stand Firm is based wholly upon Grace. By that I do not wish you to imagine something soft and fragile; but rather this comes with the Mighty Power of A God who spoke the Galaxies into being with one breath. Grace reigns through Jesus with Power, Authority and Dominion over the entire Universe. That is the power that makes you stand and keeps you standing, and stand you will even in your weakest moments because God Himself is holding you there. Romans 14: “⁴Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”

Because of all of this, “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Would there be any reason left not to be joyous. He saved me, He sealed me and He will finish the work of transforming me into the image of Christ. I must rejoice in the hope that I will look like Christ. Maybe not today, but I will one day look like Him in all His Glory. That hope should be enough to keep me rejoicing through whatever trial or tribulation may come my way; knowing that God is working out my perfecting and He only has my best interest at heart. Our faith which is anchored in Jesus Christ is not only for what He has already done but that this Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient Savior is steady about the work of imparting His Glory to me. I see glimpses of that Glory, little changes and transformations that are forever presenting themselves in me. I, like Paul, have not yet obtained it; yet, I look more like Him today than I did 10 years ago or 20 years ago. He will complete the work He started in me by His power and might, Hallelujah, Amen. Our Faith is anchored in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His promises remain steady and sure; therefore, our faith is not grounded and supported by yesterday only; but sustained through today and creates steady hoping for tomorrow, joyfully awaiting the grace that will come in the future. Knowing this stabilizes us and removes that rollercoaster from our Christian Walk.

The Grace in Which I Stand

Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold

Where is the faith to make you bold

 

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

To follow Him in liberty

 

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

 

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

 

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So for His work my passion warmed

So for His work my passion warmed

 

So in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.