Grace, Then Signs and Wonders

Acts 14:1-4

Paul and his traveling brother Barnabas found themselves in Iconium, preaching the gospel in a Jewish synagogue. His message brought great multitudes of Jews and Gentiles to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but it also brought anger out in many. Unbelieving, but devout Jews began to stir up the Gentiles in the city, turning them against Paul and Barnabas. Week after week, Paul preached “boldly in the Lord”; “the word of His grace” (Acts 14:3). Notice the perseverance and the message. Paul kept right on preaching the message of grace, no matter how much opposition that He faced.

What were these Jews opposed to? Were they opposed to God? Of course not; they loved God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind. Were they opposed to Gentiles being converted? Apparently not, as they let them into their synagogue. It was the word of God’s grace that Paul continued to preach that caused him so much trouble. They felt that salvation had much to do with keeping the Law, and Paul simply would not give in to this way of thinking.

No matter how much opposition they presented, Paul continued to be bold in his preaching of grace. God give us preachers who will use their boldness not to beat the sheep or expose people’s sins, but to boldly proclaim the finished work of Jesus and the free favors of God! The more that Paul preached grace, the more the Jewish adherents to Mosaic Law became infuriated.

God stepped in and “granted signs and wonders to be done at their hands” (Acts 14:3). The more that Paul proclaimed God’s grace and favor, the more that God responded by bringing forth mighty miracles. These miracles were to place God’s seal of approval on the message that was being presented. Jesus never performed a single miracle until the Father first said of Him at Jordan, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). With the “well-pleased” came the power to perform. The more that God’s grace is preached boldly, without reservation and fear, the more that God will respond in the church with signs and wonders.

There is no need to fear that we can preach “too much grace”. Since grace is Jesus (John 1:17), saying that one can preach “too much grace” is like saying that one could preach “too much Jesus”. There is simply no such thing! Ask a sinner how to get to heaven and most of them will reply with some form of works or the other. In fact, many of them will quote directly from the Law of Moses, citing the keeping of the 10 Commandments. How can we fear that they are going to get too much grace? They are full to the brim with Law and they are still going to hell!

The multitude of the city was divided over Paul’s preaching of grace (Acts 14:4) and this percentage remains until this day. Not everyone will turn to the preaching of God’s grace and favor, but many will. Those who respond with faith will see great things done in their lives as God changes them from the inside out. As grace becomes the chief message of the church there will be mighty miracles done which no one will be able to attribute to man. God will get all of the glory, for His Son Jesus is being proclaimed in all of His loveliness. Only grace destroys man’s self-dependency and exalts Jesus’ finished work. Let us be guilty of one thing and that is of preaching “too much grace”!

Living Water

John 7:37-39

On the final day of the great Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, all of Jerusalem would gather near the temple to watch the high priest go through the most sacred ceremony of the festival. He would draw water from the pool of Siloam in a golden vessel. This would be done at the time of the morning sacrifice (9 a.m.). He would approach the altar for all of the public to see and then pour the water on the sacrifice, spilling it over the altar and down onto the ground. These things were a shadow of the Great Sacrifice to come, which Jesus would make: the altar represents the cross; the fire on the sacrifice represents the judgment of God against sin; the water represents the Holy Spirit cleansing each believer.

Jesus was in the crowd on this particular “great day of the feast” (John 7:37), and due to what He says, we can assume that He must have timed His speech to coincide with both a large crowd and the pouring of the water upon the altar. “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37, 38).

The offer for water to all that thirst was nearly identical to what Jesus had said earlier to the woman at the well when He said that He would give her “living water” (John 4:10) and that this water would “be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). What makes John 7 even better is that here the proclamation is to the entire world, not just to one individual. It promises us that there is living water to be found in Jesus both for one man and for all men.

The deepest and most passionate cravings in the Old Testament had to do with water. Israel complained of their lack of drinkable water at Marah (Exodus 15:23), then of their lack of water entirely at Rephidim (Exodus 17:1). David was so fond of the waters of his homeland that he longed for a drink from the well of Bethlehem, and three of his mighty men broke through enemy lines just to bring him a cup (2 Samuel 23:15). That same David said that the Good Shepherd “leads me beside the still waters” (Psalms 23:2).

Only one chapter earlier while in Capernaum, Jesus had declared Himself to be the “bread of life”, solving man’s hunger (John 6:48). In Galilee, He had presented Himself as the rest for man (Matthew 11:28). Now, He is the “living water” speaking to the thirsty soul. While both of the first statements were spoken either in private or to a small audience, this proclamation in the temple is given for all to hear.

Jesus is not necessarily quoting any one verse when He says, “As the scripture hath said” (John 7:38). He does not say, “As it is written” which is the customary manner of quoting scripture directly but instead He is referencing the theme of the Old Testament as a whole. The Old Testament is about man’s hunger and thirst for God, while the New Testament is God responding to that hunger and thirst in the person of Jesus.

One such scripture that He could be citing is Isaiah 55:1, “Ho, everyone that thirsts, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat”. Another might be Isaiah 58:11, “And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not”.

Jesus has already died at Calvary, so you have the well-spring of the Holy Spirit inside of you, giving you fresh water every day. He is constantly cleansing you from all unrighteousness, so that you are always viewed as clean in the eyes of God. Thank God for the living water!

The Manners of the Spirit

Luke 9:51-56

On His way to Jerusalem, for what would be the final moments of His life, Jesus passes through several villages in Samaria. None of these villages receive Him with hospitality, which infuriates at least two of His disciples, James and John. These two “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17) ask Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven to consume the people, “even as Elijah did?” (Mark 10:54).

The precedent that they are working off of happened in the very land of Samaria in 2 Kings 1:10. The prophet Elijah was dwelling on a mountain-top when an army from Samaria came to enquire of him. He called down fire from heaven on them in order to prove that he was a prophet of God, and then did it to the follow-up army as well. James and John feel the rejection of the Samaritans toward Jesus and wish to prove to these people that their Savior is the very Son of God. What better way to prove that God’s power is on them than to do what Elijah did?

Jesus does not condemn the action of calling down fire by Elijah, but he does tell James and John that they do not know the manner of spirit that they are being influenced by. How could the manner of spirit in Elijah that called down fire from heaven be proper, but then it be the wrong influence in the disciples? In this passage, we see the change of God’s treatment toward humanity under the New Covenant.

God poured out His wrath and His judgment on mankind from Mt. Sinai all the way through the Old Testament. People died wholesale as God swung a sharp sword of justice through nations, towns and villages. When Jesus came, the Bible says that He brought “on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). This “peace” was not between rival nations, nor was the good will between men; but rather the peace was with God and the good will was “toward men” from God. In other words, when Jesus arrived, God was sending us an emissary saying, “The war is about to be over at the cross”. When Jesus said, “It is finished” that war ended!

The manner of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant is not the destruction of men’s lives but the saving of them. God is not against us, for He has exhausted His anger in the body of Jesus at the cross. Now, because of the arrival, perfection, death and resurrection of Christ, God has had His justice appeased, and His love for mankind shines through because of the cross. It is out of God’s character to kill men now, for He killed His Son at Calvary. In fact, if God is killing men for sin and destroying lives for their rebellion, He must apologize to His Son for the cross; because Jesus was supposed to bear all of the judgment (John 12:32).

The Holy Spirit plays His role perfect: He sheds forth the love of God into every area of our hearts (Romans 5:4); He helps with our infirmities and sicknesses by interceding to the Father on our behalf (Romans 8:26); He convicts us of our righteousness, reminding us of who we are in Christ even when we fail (John 16:10) and He guides us into all truth (which is Jesus), (John 16:13).

In light of how proper His manners are, let’s not mix covenants and place the Holy Spirit in the role of murderer and destroyer. When the church falls into this pattern, she knows not what manner of spirit she is of (Luke 9:55).

One Thing You Lack

Mark 10:17-22

Living in the New Covenant is about knowing all that Jesus has done for you, and that you are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). It is NOT about the things that you lack, for the heart of God is to freely give you all things (Romans 8:32). When a believer is always thinking of what they lack, they know that they are listening to the voice of self-righteousness, which points them to their efforts or lack thereof. The daily concentration on lack leads to the daily grind of works; while a focus on Christ and His finished work leads to rest in that finished work.

The gospel accounts of the rich, young ruler teach us an important lesson about how to come to Jesus, and how to win the lost. Some Bible teachers point to this story as an example of how believers should use the Law when they speak to sinners so that they will see their guilt and desire God’s grace. The problem with this example is two-fold: of all the times that Jesus evangelized, this is the only time that He used the Law on a sinner, and it is the only time His evangelism didn’t work!

The young man approaches Jesus with the attitude of works, desiring to know what he needs to do in order to inherit eternal life. His opening statement is one of confusion as he wishes to “inherit” and “do” at the same time. An inheritance comes by birthright, not by actions. You are born into an inheritance otherwise it is a payment for services rendered. Typical of most people, this man wants salvation but chooses to work his way into it if possible.

Jesus goes along with the request, for if it is Law that you desire, it is Law that you will be given. He quotes five of the 10 Commandments for the man, giving him an opportunity to appeal to grace. Instead of realizing what Jesus is doing, the man answers that he has kept all of those commandments from his youth up. This would be a perfect opportunity for Jesus to condemn the man, but instead, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him” (Mark 10:21). What love our Master has, even for and especially for those who are bound down beneath the works of the Law!

So gentle is the rebuke of our Lord that when Jesus exposes the young man’s inability to keep the Law, He does it in a way to bring no shame and embarrassment to him. He tells him to sell all that he has and give it to the poor and then come and follow him. The young man is guilty of breaking the very 1st Commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me”. His wealth is his security and his god, and he is unable to leave it behind.

“One thing you lack” (Mark 10:21) is what Jesus says to the rich, young ruler because when you appeal to Christ based upon your works, you will always come up lacking in performance. This is the only person to whom Jesus said, “One thing you lack” because all others came to Him looking for unmerited, unearned favor. When you appeal to grace, it will never be about what you lack, but about what and who He is.

Our job as evangelists is not to shine the Law into people’s spiritual eyes so that they see their guilt. Jesus only evoked the power of the Law on those who claimed to be able to keep it. If you encounter someone who stands behind their talent and ability, then use the Law to show them their sin, otherwise be quick to give the grace of God, for it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).

The Easy Yoke

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus spoke these words to the Jewish people, who were students of the Law of Moses. Laden down with the burden of keeping the Law in its perfection, the people had grown weary and tired. The Law of God is holy and just and good (Romans 7:12), but man is none of those things, thus he becomes heavy-laden when he tries to live beneath its demands.

When you live beneath the demands of the law, sin will dominate you (Romans 6:14). Weariness ensues when you are always trying to live up to a standard that cannot be achieved through human effort. The Law was never given to be lived perfectly, for that is an impossible task. Instead, the Law was given to show man his sin, so that he would know his need for grace (Romans 5:20).

Some have tried to explain Law as being anything that you do to achieve righteousness, and while that definition is true; it is the weakest example of the Law. Paul described the Law as the 10 Commandments (2 Corinthians 3:7) and the ordinances written by hand (Colossians 2:14). Concentrating on everything that is Law is a form of telling you what to avoid and what to do. Within itself, that is a form of the Law! Let us concentrate on the grace and favor of God in order to be free from the dominion of sin. If we focus our attention on Jesus and His grace then we are finished with trying to figure out what is Law.

The Jews that Jesus spoke to are a type of the believer and the sinner who think that their works give them some standing with God. Believers are saved by grace, but many go on working the Law in order to achieve standing or goodness with God, though these things are unnecessary. Sinners do good works for the same reasons, hoping to earn heaven with their actions. Jesus came to set all of us free from our lifestyle of good works. The believer can rest from their deeds seeing as they are the righteousness of God in Christ; and sinners can be saved by accepting Jesus, whether they understand the Law or not.

When you lay down the yoke of the Law, Jesus gives you the yoke of His grace. While religion takes the yoke of sin and replaces it with the yoke of the Law (which unwittingly brings power back to the sin); Jesus takes off the yoke of the Law and replaces it with grace. We are not above grace, but under it, with Jesus protecting us from the cares of this life (Romans 6:14).

Christianity is a day-to-day learning experience of who Jesus is. Notice that Jesus tells us to “learn of me”, not “learn how to live”. When we learn of Jesus we are learning how to let Him live through us. Unfortunately, many of us are concentrating on how to live right, while Jesus in His mercy and grace wants to live His life through us. Learn of Him and His finished work; the price that He paid for your health, wholeness and salvation, and you will know how to live. True relationship will bring His righteousness out in your lifestyle, and you will never even think about it.

When your Christianity begins to feel hard and heavy, reevaluate your relationship with the Lord. Jesus said that the yoke of grace is “easy” and His burden is “light”. If you are told that Christianity is hard, that message is being presented to you by those who are still viewing their works as the basis for their blessings. You are free in Jesus and His lifestyle is easy and His burden is light. In Jesus, “find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

I Have Righteousness & Strength

Isaiah 45:24

This verse is one of prophecy, and we are living in the time of its fulfillment. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we are made righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus was made to be sin so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

We have the right to say that we are righteous through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. This right has nothing to do with our works or our abilities but is based strictly upon what Jesus paid for, for each of us. When believers know and understand this, they place their confidence in the rock-solid work of Christ; never secure again in their abilities.

The great Charles Spurgeon said, “Right believing leads to right living”. When you believe what the Bible says about you, you live what the Bible says about you. Isaiah foresaw a time when men would declare themselves righteous “in the LORD” (45:24). This righteousness is accompanied by strength in the LORD as well. Our right-standing and our strength to resist the devil and his tricks are found in the wonderful righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To the believer that says this and believes it, men shall come to them. You will be like a magnet for people when they feel that you have a sense of God’s love. If His love is resting on you, they will feel better just being around you, because His love rolls out of those who are His righteousness. When John the beloved laid His head on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper, Peter leaned over to John and asked him to ask Jesus who would betray Him. Why doesn’t Peter just ask Jesus himself? Because if you know that you are loved, people will perceive that you are closer to God, and will often bring their needs to you.

There is another important thing that happens to those who know that they are God’s righteousness. “All that are incensed against him shall be ashamed” (Isaiah 45:24). Those who have stood against your knowledge of grace and favor; who have mocked you for declaring yourself righteous by the finished work of Christ and cut you down for how you feel about your lovely Jesus will find themselves ashamed in the end.

You need not defend yourself on your stand about God’s grace. Many legalistic people within the church will mock your belief on grace, stating that it is elementary or an immature version of the gospel. They will tout personal responsibility and daily consecration, making grace sound like something that is dangerous if given out in great quantities. Let the peace of God that passes all understanding bring comfort and rest to your heart. In the end, God’s righteousness will show up in your walk, talk and daily life to the point that all of those who mocked the gospel grace in you can’t help but acknowledge the change that has happened in your life.

I believe that those who declare that they are righteous due to the finished work and that rest in the message of grace and favor are under an even greater magnifying glass in some respects than others. If we live lives of sin and shame, fellow believers will mock our message of grace saying that it not only doesn’t work but that it is a “cover-up” message, designed to give us a license to sin. In Jesus name, be that far from us!

We declare that we are righteous in God’s eyes due to no merit or work of our own, but based simply upon our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He was made sin so that we are made righteous. See it and believe it!

Highlights of a Prayer

Psalms 51

This song was written by King David after he had been visited by the prophet Nathan. Nathan exposed David’s sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband. David sought the Lord for forgiveness and it was instantly granted (2 Samuel 12:13). Though a citizen of Israel under the Old Covenant, David consistently looked forward to a better covenant built upon better promises. This prayer was uttered by a man who believed that the best days were yet to come. Let’s look at some highlights from this prayer, to see what has changed and what has remarkably remained the same.

Verse 1 – David’s appeal to mercy is not based on merit, but on God’s heart of loving-kindness and according to God’s tender mercies. It is a good thing to know the heart of God so that you will know what He thinks of you in every situation.

Verse 2 – The desire to be washed thoroughly from iniquity and cleansed from sin is a New Covenant prayer. Believers under Christ have had their iniquities removed by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:17).

Verse 3 – “My sin is ever before me”. This is true only under the Old Covenant, for the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). Every sacrifice reminded the giver of their multitude of offenses. For the saint, our sins are not always before us; but rather they are under the blood of Jesus.

Verse 5 – Every person is born with the seed of sin in their heart. Jesus was the only exception (John 14:30).

Verse 7 – To be purged with hyssop is to be washed off with blood and water (Leviticus 14:1-7; Numbers 19:1-19). You and I have this when we accept Jesus, for blood and water flow continually from His side for us.

Verse 9 – Under the New Covenant, God does this very thing. He hides His face from our sins and blots out all of our iniquities. How does He do this? He saw your sin in Jesus so that He will never see it in you!

Verse 10 – Christ creates a clean heart in us upon faith in His finished work, and we are given a brand new spirit. Literally, the old has passed away and everything becomes new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Verse 11 – You never have to pray this verse under the New Covenant, because you cannot be cast out of God’s presence. Instead, you get to come to Him boldly (Hebrews 4:16). Furthermore, you need never ask that God not remove His Holy Spirit from you. He can’t! You are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).

Verse 12 – The fact that David asks for the joy of salvation again lets us know that salvation is supposed to be full of joy. If you have lost your joy, you have not lost your salvation; but find where the joy went!

Verse 16 – Where did David get the right to pray this verse? God had never indicated that He did not want animal sacrifice for sin. David is looking forward to the cross, where Jesus replaced the blood of animals once and for all.

This prayer moved the heart of God so much because it was a prayer of faith, over 1000 years in advance of the cross. Faith looked forward to Calvary for David, and grace was given. Faith looks backward to Calvary for us, and grace is given as well.