Renewal of the Mind - The True Grace of God

Today I desired to write about the difference between spirit and soul as part of our understanding in renewal of the mind.  However, I really believe the Lord has something He wants me to share about Grace.   Yet as you will see, I do give an example of the difference between spirit and soul.

We are doing a women's Bible Study on the women of the Bible - in preparation for it, I am going to share some things I believe the Lord has shown me, but I feel it's worth repeating for devotions today.

I mentioned  in Tuesday's devotion, that to understand the Lord  is truly the key to renewal of the mind.  It's not "trying" to understand anything on our own - according to the natural mind, but indeed receiving the spiritual wisdom and understanding that ONLY God Himself can give us.  And the fact is, He wants to.

Here is an example of interacting with the  Lord for that spiritual understanding.  It happened last night when I was preparing dinner.  There is a comment that I've heard in the past regarding some Christians who seem to think that sinning or doing fleshly things is not as serious, because of being under grace.  The comment is:  "Christians take this grace thing too far."

Well, in thinking about this, the Holy Spirit brought my mind to enlightenment.  How did He do this?  By my first asking Him, "Lord, what do you think about that statement?"

I was in for a marvelous treat.  He immediately said in my heart, "Grace is not the problem.  It's not that Christians (my children) take this grace thing too far - it's that they do not take Grace far enough!"

So the next question is:  "What do you mean?"

The Scripture came to my mind from Romans 5, verse 17:  "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one: MUCH MORE THEY who receive ABUNDANCE of GRACE AND the Gift of Righteousness SHALL reign in life THROUGH (or by) ONE, Jesus Christ!"

We sing the hymn:  "Marvelous Grace."  And a line in it says:  "Grace that is GREATER than ALL our sin."

According to these words of God, then indeed GRACE is not the problem.   To say there is a problem with grace is to say there is something wrong with God for offering it in the first place!

No, there is indeed no problem with grace.  It's either our ignorance of the true grace of God, or our NOT believing the Scripture as He has said it, OR our NOT receiving the abundance of grace that God says is MUCH MORE than the sin and the power of it.

The other side to all this is that there is no middle choice.  Romans 6 is the other Scriptures the Lord brought to mind as I thought and communed with Him on this matter.  God says if we yield to the power of sin, we will get the fruit of this.  But if we yield to Him, the life of His Son, the much more Grace and its abundance have our fruit unto God!    It's one or the other. 

"Know ye not, that to WHOM ye yield yourselves as servants to obey, his servants ye are..." Vs. 13

Therefore it is either Jesus Christ as my Life by and through God's grace, or Mr. Sin and its (his) power. (Which is nothing but death - a shriveled SOUL!)  God's offer:  Be enslaved to GRACE and my Son!

Reigning through Jesus Christ, our Lord IS nothing short of joy, peace, the fruit of God's Spirit (Gal. 5), and the MIND of the Spirit which is life and peace.  (Romans 8).  It truly is God's grace that does indeed transforms our lives.  Paul said this:  "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  I Corinthians 15:10

What I am sharing today is a perfect example of the difference between my spirit and soul.  In my spirit lives the indwelling Spirit of God who guides me into ALL Truth.  My soul has to be renewed according to TRUTH - not leaning on some "natural," or worldly understanding of God.  I need the HOLY SPIRIT to enlighten my mind.  I brought the question before the Lord, trusting in His guidance for Truth.  He wants and desires this about ALL His Word, about ALL things.  It's a life of dependence on Him. 

It is because of the GRACE of God in the first place, we even have a relationship with Him and can ask Him all the questions we want.

So back to the true Grace of God.   A question we can ponder today:

HOW FAR have we indeed, taken the GRACE of God?  Have we received the ABUNDANCE of God's Grace?  Do we understand the Grace of God in TRUTH?  (Colossians 1:6 - please read).

And how does one do this?

We receive the ABUNDANCE of GRACE before His throne, taking it ALL by faith that He is working and will continue to work in us ALL by His marvelous grace.  We believe Him and trust Him.  "Oh for GRACE, to Trust Him more!"

Praise the Lord, again there is nothing at all wrong with the grace of God in Truth.  Maybe a good assignment is to search the word grace in the Scriptures and all the things God has to say, asking Him to enlighten.

So it is either the misinterpretation, the falling for Satan's "twisting" of God's grace, the lack on our part of pursuing God's spiritual understanding of His grace, or just plain old not wanting to receive.

Yet of these things are cured always by coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and to God, the Father.  For He says, "Let us come BOLDLY to the THRONE of GRACE, that we may OBTAIN mercy, and find GRACE to help in the time of need."  Hebrews 4:16. 

Believe and Receive God's Grace Beloved in Abundance,

Sue Gaither