Introduction
Grace is often misunderstood. Many people think if they slip up too many times, they'll forfeit God's grace in their life.
Galatians 5:4 does mention falling from grace, but does this mean that believers can lose the right to spend eternity in Heaven?
The answer is no. Jesus secured Heaven for you, for me and whoever would believe in Him. It becomes our inheritance the moment we accept salvation as a gift. You don’t deserve it, and neither do I! The good news is that we aren’t expected to earn it. Salvation is a gift, given to us by grace.
The same goes for God's promises. Have you fallen into the trap of thinking you have to do something to receive what God has promised you? Maybe the miraculous once flowed easily in your life, but now you're not getting results. You're unhappy and irritable instead of joyful and peaceful.
When this happens to us, it’s called "falling from grace," meaning that we’re no longer trusting in God’s grace but are relying on our works instead.
If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God’s gracious favor and unmerited blessing). Galatians 5:4 (AMPC)
In Galatians 2:21 (KJV), it says that we can frustrate the grace of God. In some translations, it says nullify or neutralize. When we try to earn the miraculous, we neutralize God's grace in our lives. Basically, we’re trying to earn something He's already given us!
You've been given His grace as a gift, but you must choose to live in this grace every day of your life. This grace is the incredible ability to walk in His supernatural strength. By grace, you qualify for all of God's blessings—His peace, joy and healing. It's your inheritance.
In this eBook, I want to show you how amazing this inheritance really is. You can begin to depend on and live in God's grace every day!
Grace Gives You God's Ability
God's grace is His unearned favour and ability in your life. This is a huge part of your inheritance—and the way you access God's ability is through faith.
But just like the word "grace," some people have misunderstood “faith” over the years. They think faith is the source of our power as believers.
Now, 1 John 5:4 (NKJV) does say, "this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." But faith is not the power source. Faith's job is to release God’s grace.
The Greek word for faith is pistis, which means trust. It's a confident, persuaded belief and trust in God. When this faith begins to rise up on the inside of you, it releases the flow of God’s grace.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)
We've all learned to use our own knowledge, strength and giftedness, and we can easily become confident in them. But you won't be able to walk out the supernatural future God has for you using only your natural ability. That's why Paul says to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
I could tell you stories about times when the responsibility of leading multiple organizations became a strain and worry began to push at me. Instead of staying in God's grace, I found myself working, analyzing and depending on my own abilities.
But I realized that I don't want to be strong in my own power. Now, I'm not opposed to developing skills or understanding, of course. But when we think everything depends on our own strength and wisdom, we begin to carry a burden we were never meant to carry.
You and I have a choice—we can live in our strength, or we can use our faith to access a flow of supernatural grace—God's ability!
Grace Gives You Supernatural Strength
Another part of your inheritance is God's supernatural strength—and you get to decide whether you access it or not.
As I mentioned before, when we quit trusting in God's grace and ability, it's called "falling from grace." Let's look at a time when Paul fell from grace and stopped walking in God's strength.
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NKJV)
When 2 Corinthians 12:7 was written, people were harassing Paul everywhere he went. From city to city, he was lied about, talked about, and beaten—and he was getting tired of it! In this moment of weakness, Paul forgot about God's grace—that incredible power and ability he had been given. Instead, he begged God to take this problem away, and God said, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Many think that means God said no, but that's actually not true. God was reminding Paul to walk in grace. Paul responded by remembering the incredible power and strength he had been given: "So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in...insults, hardships, persecutions...for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength)" (2 Corinthians 12:10, AMPC).
God's grace is His power flowing out of your life to bring about the miraculous in every area. But His grace also gives you the ability and strength to walk through storms and trials. When we ask God to help us deal with difficult people or situations, His grace is sufficient.
Tough times may come, but Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). When your own strength is not enough, remember—you are able to face anything through God's supernatural strength!
Grace Gives You Your Identity
When it comes to walking in our inheritance, sometimes we think that our faith needs to be connected to a specific Bible verse. If we're facing a health crisis, we confess a healing Scripture. If we're struggling financially, we find a promise about God's provision.
But before you focus on any one promise of God, the most important confessions in the Word have to do with your new identity. This is another part of your inheritance as a believer, and it's where we need to connect with God at the heart level the most.
So what is your identity? Where do you get your self-worth? Do you look to your abilities in the physical realm? Do you measure yourself against other people? You might be working your fingers to the bone, trying to rise amongst your peers just to find a sense of significance.
But God's Word tells us where to look for our identity: in Christ. He loves you and values you. You're a King's kid!
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 (NLT)
As my five children were growing up, you would never see four of them in nice clothes and one in lousy clothes. I didn't give four of them steak for dinner and the other had to eat mac and cheese in the corner. If you were in the family, you could expect to share what the family had.
Because of grace, you're part of God's family. As His child, you can say, "I'm not trying to get healed, I am healed. I'm not trying to be prosperous, I am prosperous. I'm not trying to find peace, I have peace."
When your identity is in Christ, you begin to expect all the blessings that go with being a true son or daughter of God!
Grace Identifies Your Worth
Just like grace gives you a new identity, it also determines your worth.
You see, your worth doesn't come from your name, skin colour or the language you speak. It's not based on your role as a father, mother, lawyer or nurse. If you get your identity from other people, then as your friends or peers either like you or dislike you, your self-worth will go up and down.
Your identity is in Christ. God loves you, and it’s not because you’ve done anything to earn it! When Jesus was baptized, Holy Spirit came upon Him and said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Had Jesus accomplished anything yet? No, He hadn't started His ministry or performed a single miracle. Yet God loved Him, valued Him and believed in Him.
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 (NKV)
If you've given Jesus your life, He's placed His Spirit in you. As believers we have what some might call an unfair advantage: the incredible ability of God. You've developed your own gifts and skills, but every one of them functions phenomenally better under the supernatural flow of His grace.
How do we access this grace and ability? It's through faith.
Galatians 2:19–20 (NKJV) says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
So, we put our faith and our identity in Christ. When He rose again with new resurrection life, you rose with Him. This new life is your inheritance. God says you are His beloved son or daughter, and He is pleased with you!
Grace Helps You Love others
Do you ever struggle to trust that God loves and accepts you as you are?
You might wonder if He’s angry or upset with you, especially if you’ve done things you shouldn’t have. The thing is, God doesn’t accept you because of what you’ve done. It’s because Jesus qualifies you!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
Even when you’ve messed up terribly, you can turn to God and say, "Father, I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I want to make it up to the people I’ve hurt. Thank You for empowering me to do better, and thank You that Your unconditional love, favour and blessing is always on my life."
God’s favour and blessing isn’t earned. It’s on your life because Jesus is perfect, not because you are perfect. If we think that we earn favour and blessing with God, it makes us proud and judgmental of others, especially those who are struggling. We need to understand that it’s God’s grace that causes us to be in favour with Him. Right-standing with Him is a gift, along with His promises.
The more you recognize God’s grace and love for you, the more you begin to love others as He loves. Pray something like this today: “Father, I love You. I’m so grateful for what You’ve done for me. Help me as I read Your Word to know and experience Your love in a greater measure. I know that Your love has the ability to heal me from the inside out. Teach me and guide me as I journey toward having a greater love relationship with You. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Conclusion
Let's say I had a rich uncle who died and left his entire estate to me. His will said, "This is all yours. You now own shipping companies in Europe, hotels down the Riviera, and sheep farms as far as the eye can see in Australia."
You'd better believe I’d read that will! I'm an heir, and I want to know all that I’m entitled to. I don’t have to earn any of it—this inheritance is already mine. I just need to learn how to access it.
It's the same with God's Word. It lays out the inheritance that Jesus gave us. But so often, we get stuck trying to become or achieve something we already have. We have placed our identity in something other than Christ and His grace.
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7 (NKJV)
Begin to access this grace by finding out what Jesus did for you and who you are in Him. His grace has given you a new identity.
Recognize that you are an heir of salvation. You've been saved from the entire curse of the law and you now have access to all the blessings of the law. All God's promises are yes and amen for you (2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus has put you in right-standing with God.
If you have been relying on your own strength and abilities, start relying on the grace that is freely yours. You can wake up with joy, knowing that no one can touch the favour of God in your life. No one can stop the promotion and blessing He's bringing. Let today be the start of walking in God's grace and ability.
Walk in your inheritance as an heir of God!
