MORE GRACE

 

 

In our last blog, we discovered the extraordinary ‘Gift of Submission’ as witnessed in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. We learned as we submit to the Lord in every circumstance, by agreeing with Him and declaring from our hearts, “Not my will, but Your Will be done,” this proclamation allows us to carry out the will and purposes our Father have designed in our lives. We also learned the importance of yielding to, turning to, giving up our rights to, and letting go to the Lordship of Jesus Christ who lives within us. By doing these things, we are allowing our Lord to rule and reign over the circumstances in our lives.

 

 

In today’s blog, we will continue in understanding ‘The Why’ submission is so important.

 

James 4:6 (Amplified)

But He (God our Father) gives us More and More grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turns away from self-righteousness].”

 

 

 

There are two people who stand out in this passage; the Proud and the Humble. Which one are you? The answer is, those who are In Christ, those who have given their hearts to the Lord ARE THE HUMBLE! Here is the TRUTH. You have been crucified with Christ, recreated in Christ Jesus, a NEW CREATURE. You have been taken out of the Kingdom of darkness and placed in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord. But, why is James talking to believers who are acting proud, with jealousy, envy, fighting, quarreling, and acting like the world in this passage? The answer is because they are submitting their wills to the ‘flesh’ instead of Christ who lives in them. The flesh is NOT US, but we can allow it to live through us,  it is:

 

 

Independent (my way) proud, arrogant, stubborn, obstinate, nick-picky, controlling, manipulative, sweet, charming, religious, passive, aggressive, and all these things and so much more. In order to get our needs met, to feel accepted, loved, and good enough, the flesh filled these needs within us, instead of Christ. The flesh is what we have used in our lives to survive. It is independent of Christ and always at war with Him. Remember, from our last blog, it doesn’t like being told what to do when to do it, or how to do it.

 

 

The word proud in James 4:6 describes someone who ‘shows oneself above others, haughty, likes to be seen or heard, looks down on others, points out others faults or weaknesses, and high-minded.’  The scripture says, our Father opposes, resists, and render a battle against those acting in the flesh.

 

 

The other person in this passage is described as The Humble. The real us In Christ is Humble. The Humble is described as:

 

 

Dependent upon the Lord (His Way not my way), wants what He wants and desires above all else. A humble person is one who is yielded, submitted, abased, lowly in mind, considerate of others’ thoughts and feelings, and makes themselves of no reputation. The humble person inquires of the Lord in making decisions. This person will please the Lord no matter the cost.

 

When I think of being humble, it is the person of My Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Philippians 2:7

But (Jesus) made himself of no reputation, and took upon the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 

 

He who lives within us and through us as we submit to Him and yield to Him is always humble and desires to fulfill only our Father’s will. He is also FULL OF GRACE!

 

 

John 1:14 (King James)

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) FULL of GRACE AND TRUTH.

 

 

More Grace is ONLY found In Christ when we turn inwardly to Him, the one sitting on the throne of our hearts and in the Kingdom of God WITHIN. We will ALWAYS FIND MORE GRACE in our times of adversities, complexities, misunderstandings, and circumstances as we turn our eyes and focus on Him. He is FULL and FURNISHED with all that we need.

 

 

Prayer: Thank you, Papa and Lord Jesus, for being the MORE GRACE I need every day in my life. I choose to humble my heart and soul to you this day because you hate the flesh and there is a battle within me whenever I yield to it when I don’t have to. AMEN