Study Notes

FOUNDATION STATEMENT: Grace like all free gifts cannot be earned, but MUST be received

 

I.      Grace is must be received

A.    Romans 1:5-7-You have to receive Grace

1.      On the other end of giving there must be receiving otherwise giving never took place, and offer was made by the giver and rejected by the receiver

2.      This idea that “if you have to do something to get it, then it’s not grace, b/c grace is a free gift” will keep you from doing the things necessary to receive grace

B.     When it comes to grace u have to be active in receiving, not passive; Receive is active

1.      Jesus gave it and they received it (Jesus could have offered grace & apostleship & they rejected it and if that would have happened they never would have had it)

2.      Receive is an action word & we have to do something to receive grace, but the something we have to do is not working, it is believing

3.      You don’t sit back and wait for grace, you lay hold upon, seize it, take possession of it, claim it, reach after it, strive for-Isaiah 30:18-This is active waiting

C.    7-Grace to you; if they are going to walk in grace they have to receive it

1.      We’ve laid hold upon it and now you do the same; Grace to you; take it

2.      John 1:16-And of his fullness we have all received grace for grace

3.      2 Cor 6:1-We, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

4.      1 Corinthians 3:10-According to the grace of God which is given unto me

5.      Hebrews 4:16-You have to come boldly to the throne of grace to find grace to help

II.     There’s a receiving side of grace called faith

A.    Ephesians 2:8-Grace is not received by working, it’s received by believing

1.      This salvation (sozo) is a gift-a present, or the offering of a gift

2.      No work needs to be done for a gift, just receiving

3.      Gifts that are rejected digress to an offer made but not received

4.      Titus 2:11, Psalm 84:11-God is always offering Grace

B.     Grace is travels through faith into your life

1.      Romans 4:16-Without faith God cannot give you grace, He can only offer it

a.    If was dependent upon grace you’d have it by now, but it’s not

2.      Faith is what you have to do to receive grace

3.      Mark 11:24-You receive grace by believing that you have the grace you need

a.    At the throne of grace & by faith take possession of what’s being offered

b.    You take possession of it by faith and don’t let go

C.    Faith is doing and faith without doing is dead-James 2:17

1.      If you have to do something to receive it, is it still grace? (EX: Free Car)

a.    Did you do something to get saved, to get filled with Holy Spirit, to get healed? Does that mean it wasn’t grace?

2.      Works that flow out of faith in God implement faith and bring it to it’s full expression; Works apart from faith do nothing (John 15:5)

D.    Faith is not works (If you’re in faith you’re not working to earn something); Works is not faith (If you’re in works you’re not believing to receive something, you’re relying on your works), but faith is work

1.      We have to labor (exert oneself, endeavor, & give diligence) to enter rest-Heb 4:3,11

2.      1 Timothy 6:12-It’s the fight of faith and the fight is to get to the place of rest with an adversary out there who is using everything he can to get you to not believe

a.    You have to meditate the Word, cast down thoughts, speak the Word, encourage yourself in the Lord, be thankful, & act like u have it not to earn something from God, but to stay in faith

3.      People get the idea that if I did these things then somehow I’ve earned it, but that’s turning faith into works and what you work for God can’t give you by grace

a.    Anytime somebody is moved by time, they’ve turned it into works

E.     I do the things necessary to stay in faith understanding that if I do God will be gracious to me, but my motive for staying is faith is because faith is right

1.      The just/right live by faith-Galatians 3:11

a.    It’s right to ignore your body and believe your healed; It’s right to ignore your finances and believe your rich; It’s right to believe you’re strong when you feel weak; It’s right that when I desire something to believe I receive it

2.      Faith is not “works of the law” that you do to earn the promise; faith is the labor & fight you engage b/c it’s right to believe God & it’s necessary to receive grace

a.    I’m not working I’m believing because it’s right

3.      Psalm 84:11-God will not withhold grace from those who walk by faith

a.    God’s will is that the upright have grace the upright walk by faith

b.    When you’ll swear 2 your own hurt & change not there’s grace for you (Ps 15:4)

c.     You stand your ground & stay in faith b/c it’s right; the Lord will not withhold grace from you

F.     Grace and faith is the system by which Heaven and Earth do business.  Money is the currency in the world and the buyer gives money to the seller and in exchange the seller gives the buyer worldly goods.  In the same manner faith is the currency of Heaven.  Faith is given by the believer to God and in exchange God by grace gives the believer Heavenly goods in exchange for the Heavenly currency called Faith to be experienced in the Earth.

1.      You exchange the currency of the world for the goods of the worlds; you exchange the currency of the Kingdom for the goods of the Kingdom

2.      In the kingdom of the God the currency is faith and the goods are grace

G.   You can’t live in passive faith and walk in active grace

1.      Jude 4-They turned the grace of God into lasciviousness

2.      EX: The receiver in football has to catch the ball

3.      EX: The delivery man drops the package off at your door you have to get it

III.   Romans 5:17-You can receive grace at different levels because faith is at different levels

A.    Grace power is reigning power (Reign-To exercise the highest influence)

1.      The Body of Christ has come short in ruling & reigning in the Earth b/c they’ve come short in grace (and that can be traced back to their falling short in faith)

2.      If we want to have influence in the world it’s going to be directly connected to our capacity to receive grace

3.      If we’re going to do it we have to be able to receive abundant grace

B.     Grace will give you influence and control in the world

1.      The more grace you walk in the more influence and control you’ll have

2.      If we’re going to rule and reign and win the world, then we have to talk heavily about receiving an abundance of grace

IV.   The level of God’s grace that you see in your life is not solely based on God’s capacity to give it, but on your capacity to receive it

A.    2 Corinthians 9:8-God’s able to make all grace abound towards you

1.      You see different levels of grace in peoples lives, but God is no respecter of persons

B.     Psalm 78:41-They limited the grace of God with their unbelief

1.      Hebrews 10:38-When you’re in faith you never draw back

C.    You can do things that will increase or decrease the level of God’s grace in your life

1.      2 Timothy 2:1-Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (CEV-Timothy, my child, Christ Jesus is kind, and you must let him make you strong AMP-SO YOU, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus.)

a.    Do nothing that will cost you this grace

b.    This grace is found in Jesus and to walk in it you have to abide in Him-1 John 2:5

c.     If grace was an automatic thing that had no bearing on what he did, he wouldn’t have to be told to be strong in it

2.      2 Peter 3:18-We can walk in a greater level of grace or we can decrease in it

3.      Luke 2:40, 52-Jesus increased in grace to such a point that no matter what the need was he always had more than enough

D.    We have to increase our capacity to receive this grace

V.    4 Keys to walking in more grace, abundant grace, the exceeding riches of His grace; they way to be strong in graces is to be strong in these three areas

A.    Faith-Rom 4:16-Inheriting the promises of God is a result of giving grace & receiving faith

a.    The stronger you are in faith the more promises God could manifest by grace

2.      Romans 5:2-We have access into grace by faith

a.    The stronger you are in faith the more access you’ll have to this grace

3.      Heb 11:6, Jn 8:29-Jesus always did faith & that’s one reason he walked in such marvelous grace

B.     Humility-1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6-The humble get more grace while the proud get resisted

1.      The stronger you are in humility the more grace you’ll see in your life; the more prideful you are the less grace you see

2.      Matt 11:29-Jesus walked in a high level of humility and that’s why he saw such grace

a.    He was completely and utterly submitted to God and his word

C.    Thanksgiving-2 Corinthians 4:15-Greater thanksgiving will get you into greater grace

1.      Luke 17:10-That one leper saw greater grace b/c he was more thankful

2.      John 11, Matthew 14-Jesus was thankful at the times in his life when he had the greatest opportunity to complain and that’s another reason he saw such grace

D.    Your place-2 Timothy 1:9-Your place and your grace go together

1.      You can’t be somewhere we God told u not be & expect to see His blessing there

2.      John 5:19,30, 8:28-29-Jesus was always in His place and that’s why he saw such grace in his life