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Christ’s Kingdom is a Kingdom of Grace

 If it weren’t for God’s grace, the Kingdom of God would have had no meaning. The Kingdom of God find’s it reason for existence in God’s grace.

“The grace of God does not seek or find men worthy of salvation, but it makes them worthy.”

THE HIGH PRIORITY OF GRACE AMONGST THE FIRST BELIEVERS

The Gospel of grace and the Gospel of the Kingdom should be joined together.  In the Gospels, these two were never separated.  It was only later years that those who heard the Gospel of grace apparently knew little or nothing of the Gospel of the Kingdom.  Thus, the two, over time became separated.  But now the time is ripe for them to be reunited so that people may be thoroughly saved, forsaking everything and wholly consecrating themselves to the Lord.

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Much evidence of the gospel of grace exists :

1.   With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.  Acts 4:33

2.   Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.  Acts 6:8

3.   When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  Acts 11:23

4.   When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.  Acts 13:43

5.   So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.  Acts 14:3

6.   From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.  Acts 14:26

7.   We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”  Acts 15:11

8.   When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. Acts 18:27

9.   However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.  Acts 20:24

10. “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.  Acts 20:32

In the book of Acts we have discovered that the Gospel of the Kingdom is the Gospel of grace, with the additional element of the ..”powers of the age to come”Heb.6;4,5.

DISCOVERING THIS KINGDOM AS A GRACEFUL OFFER

  • We need to know whether the Gospel of the kingdom we present is a demand or an offer ? Searching through the Scriptures we will come to the conclusion that it is an offer. And this offer turns out to be nothing less than the Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  Heb. 12; 28, 13; 8.

  • Whilst repentance in order to enter the Kingdom of Christ is a demand this matchless offer is free to all. It is only by true repentance that we can make room to receive God’s free gift namely; His Kingdom of grace.”

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no-one can boast. Eph. 2; 6-9.

  • During the pre-kingdom period John the Baptist represented the gospel as a demand; don’t do this, do that, a demand on the entire personality. It was a matter of doing and receiving but under the New Covenant it is a matter of receiving and the doing. In agreeing with this Covenant, God has done 95% and we 5%. The outflow on this matchless transaction is that we do our part with such joy and delight that it is always a sweet-smelling sacrifice for Him.
  • Surrender of the will: This Kingdom is a love offer; not a demand on man. The only price is the surrender of man’s will. The coinciding of the will of God with our surrendered will. Now we are free to accept the Kingdom and thus make all its resources our own. From this moment we live and move by grace and by grace alone. From this very hour onwards you will discover the secret of your spiritual life: Surrender your will to His will and you will be on a kingdom-course with all the resources of the Kingdom behind it. Make room for the abounding grace God is offering you, in every aspect of your life.
  • A Hindu man in India once said: “John the Baptist tried to make people better; Jesus made them different.” Try to make people better and you get reformation; Jesus made them different; this is regeneration. This is the difference between these two words–demand and offer. The one ends in tense stressed nerves; and the other ends in assurance, facing anything with peace and joy. If you desire to experience God’s grace in practice, then commit yourself, unconditionally into His hands of grace. How can He pour out His grace into a heart that is full of self?
  • Our Saviour, the Lord Jesus, came down out of heaven and left all of His riches in glory that He might become a man, paid the ultimate price on the cross for and as us – that we might become Sons of God.

“You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor that we, through His poverty, might be made rich”.

  (Rich with joy,  with peace, rich with holiness)    11 Cor. 8; 9

                            G – Gods

                            R – Richest

                            A – At

                           C – Christ’s

                           E – Expense

Jesus left all His riches that we might receive them. That’s what grace is. The marvellous grace of God, that we who were sinners got picked up out of the pit and made saints. That Jesus would consider becoming a man is amazing. That the Holy Spirit would consider living inside of us is more amazing.  God gave us Himself. We can be like Jesus. God wants to transform us by giving us the Holy Spirit in our innermost being.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, full of grace and truth… And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”. John 1:14-17

*    Jesus was full of grace and if we have Him in us, we ought also to be full of grace. “For we have all received of His fullness, grace upon grace”.  *

HOW DO I APPLY GOD’S GRACE IN MY DAILY LIFE?

 “A man’s true spiritual quality is to be judged by his graces, not his gifts. Love is the Queen of all Christian graces. Gifts are what a man has, but graces are what a man is.”  (Thomas Brooks)

  • The centre of your loyalty will determine your thinking. This verse is radiant: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (Rom. 8:5). Those who live on the level of our lower nature have their outlook formed by it, and that spells death. Your outlook is formed by your life decisions and your life loyalties.  Self-surrender is the profoundest change of loyalty that one can make.  Christ, not us, is the central Loyalty. He determines your life from the moment your outlook and your thinking is changed. Now Christ has become the central point of your loyalty. You love differently, therefore you think differently, and therefore you are different. It is the explosive power of a new affection.
  • Now you will be able to discern the will of God and to know what is good, acceptable, and perfect. You will discern that when you surrender to the will of God that will is your highest good and your deepest freedom. The moment I discern that the will of God is acceptable–I can accept it for my body, my mind, and spirit. It is acceptable to my whole being. Now I will find it is perfect! From this moment onwards I wouldn’t change a thing about the Kingdom nor about the Person, Jesus.
  • From this moment onwards you will be able to verify the following statement of Paul in your own life;

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Cor. 15;10.

QUESTIONS YOU COULD ASK YOURSELF

Answer each of the following questions honestly by yourself and reflect on God’s Kingdom of grace in your life.

1.     Can you recall a time in your life when you sought the Kingdom of God and found it?

2.     In what practical way have you experience God’s grace in your life?

3.     What was the cause of your greatest joy?

4.     If you have not commit yourself in totality into God’s hands, what is withholding you from His best?

WHEN YOU SURRENDER TO CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM YOU ARE A SURPRISE TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS. THE FLOW OF GOD’S GRACE HAS FOUND IN YOU A RIVERBED AND THE LIVING WATERS FLOWS, UNHINDERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

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