Strengthened by GRACE

It is GOOD to be strengthened by GRACE!  

Why is it so good?  

Because - Gracious men are Godly men!  Men who are strong in the grace of Christ Jesus will become very godly, because His grace has taught them to deny ALL ungodliness.  

Men strong in the grace of Christ will be very heavenly minded (spiritual) men.  Saving grace always trains men to deny worldly lusts; men full of grace cease to make provision for the flesh.  When our hearts have been strengthened by grace, they will be firmly fixed on things above where our source of grace is seated,  not on earthly things.  

Men strong in grace are friends of the cross that crucifies the old man and sets men free from slavery to sin.  

Men deficient in grace still mind earthly things and sadly too often live like enemies of the cross.  

Grace filled men are heavenly minded because they have escaped the corruption that is the world through lusts; they have escaped by becoming partakers of the divine nature. That is how  men strong in grace are enabled to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age.  They are empowered by and led by the Spirit of grace and so have ceased to fulfill the lusts of they flesh; instead,  they deny the flesh and put the practices of the body to death.  

Hearts that have  been strengthened by grace begin to experience the same spiritual reality as the Apostle Paul.  They discover that the grace of Jesus is very SUFFICIENT and that His strength is made perfect in weakness.  Hearts strengthened by grace discover that God is able to make all grace to abound at all times, especially where we lack within ourselves.  

Once the grace of God begins to abound IN us, His grace will then begin to abound THROUGH us.  

Those strong in grace themselves, begin to strengthen others with the grace they are receiving.  This fulfills the purpose of God that John saw and wrote about: "from His fullness we have all received grace for grace."  Once we have been strengthened by His grace, we then become channels of His grace to others.  We receive His grace to give His grace - His grace to us for His grace to others - Grace filled words, Grace filled intercession, grace filled forgiveness and longsuffering towards other believers. 

 

"From HIS fullness we have

 all received GRACE for GRACE"!
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