Want to doubt?

"He is not going to change his mind about wanting us, about calling us, about being merciful to us. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). He has made a commitment to us, a covenant with us, to redeem us, to give us eternal life, to love us forever. He will not be without us. He is trustworthy, but how do we respond to him? Do we worry? Do we struggle to be worthy of his love? Or do we trust him? We need never doubt God’s power.

This is shown in the resurrection of Jesus from death. This is the God who has power over death itself, power over all the beings he created, power over all other powers (Colossians 2:15). He triumphed over all things through the cross, and this is demonstrated through his resurrection. Death could not hold him, for he is the author of life (Acts 3:15).The same power that raised Jesus from death will also give immortal life to us (Romans 8:11). We can trust that he has the power, and the desire, to fulfill all his promises toward us.

We can trust him with everything—and that’s a good thing, since it is foolish to trust in anything else. Of ourselves, we will fail. Left to itself, even the sun will fail. Our only hope is in a God who has power greater than the sun, greater than the universe, more faithful than time and space, full of love and faithfulness toward us. We have that sure hope in Jesus our Savior."

ooh His Goodness!

"God always uses his enormous power to further his promise of love and grace toward his people."

no right!

"Grace must not just be central in a preacher’s study, understanding and explanation of of Scripture, but equally important when it comes to how he applies Scripture for daily living. Preachers should motivate their listeners by grace, not guilt. As Bryan Chapell has written, “If God has freed His people from the guilt and power of sin, then preachers have no right to seek holiness by putting believers back under the weight Jesus bore.”

Strongholds!

"It is the power of God that truly transforms our lives. We need the power of God back in the church. We need people on fire who are free because they are transformed by grace and not condemnation. (2 Corinthians 10). We plant churches out of a foundation of liberty and freedom and the call of God not a desire to get accepted. "Divine power to demolish". The power of God demolishes strongholds - what are strongholds? "Arguments and every pretence". Strongholds are thought patterns in the minds."

Rob Rufus

...of things not seen.

"Many people think faith is acting like something is so when it really isn't so, and if we do that long enough, then it will become so. But that's not it at all. Faith is real.

Hebrews 11:1 says,

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Faith is substance. This is saying that faith is real. It is the evidence of things not seen. Notice it didn't say "things that don't exist." They do exist. They just aren't seen."

Andrew Wommack

A better system of righteousness was yet to come!

"The Old Covenant, of course, had pointed to Law as the best path (for that time) toward justification. The complete system of law, delivered from Mount Sinai, is the heart of the Old, Mosaic, Covenant (incidentally, it is one complete legal system; the Old Testament does not allow us to break it down into bits such as 'the ceremonial law' and so on). But as time wore on we see that none, yes, not even Moses and Aaron - and certainly not people like David - were able to fully keep this law, and we start to find indicators that a better system of righteousness was yet to come"

Praise God!!!!!!!!!!!

...three fruit...over time...

"Now when we believe the gospel of acceptance grace then three fruit immediately grows through a process that over time produces 3 things:

1. Boldness.
2. Obedience.
3. Humility.

Rejection (or unbelief in) of acceptance grace in Christians produces:

1. Fear of rejection.
2. Drivenness to prove themselves.
3. Comparisons between people.

These are all signs of rejecting acceptance grace."

Rob Rufus - 2008

It is the work of the Holy Spirit!

"Identification with Christ includes the position of death for the old nature, and the position of life for the new nature. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to block self and its sinful works, and to foster the new life and its fruit.

Spiritual growth does not involve effort on the part of the Christian, for the indwelling Spirit transmits the life of the Lord Jesus from source to servant. Neither is there struggle connected with the daily deliverance from the tyranny of self, for the Spirit transmits the finished work of the Cross to that sinful element.

Where these death-dealing and life-giving identification truths are unknown to the believer, he finds no alternative but to try to keep the law as a "rule of life." This erroneous expedient consists of applying the principle of law for the control of conduct—its prohibitions for self, its commands for life.

The Scriptures teach us that the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," ministers Christ to the Christian, not law. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17)."

Miles J. Stanford

A more excellent ministry

"Hebrews 8:6, "But now hath He (Jesus) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a "Better Covenant, which was established upon "Better" Promises". The new covenant is Not a covenant of works but rest in his work. By it all the Body of Christ ' is not under of the condemning ministry of the law (2 Cor. 3:9; Rom. 8:1-2 there is no condemnation), since believers are not under the law they are beyond its grasp to condemn.(Rom. 3:19)."

...these two things...

"Feed also upon this by faith, That Christ died not in vain. There is nothing you can desire, nothing that you can pray for, nothing that you can ask for in time, nor enjoy to eternity, but it is contained in this, "Christ died not in vain:" for Christ died to all those blessed purposes that are needful to make them happy for ever that are sharers therein. Whensoever you come to have any dealings in earnest with God about salvation, and your justification, and eternal life, always remember these two things, —

The grace of God, and Christ's death. The law hath nothing to do in this case; it cannot help you whilst you are under it, but condemn you: and if you be believers, the law cannot hurt you, for you shall be absolved; for this is a righteousness without the law, "But witnessed to be the law and the prophets," (Acts 10:43)."

Robert Traill

Two components

"Two components of the gospel of grace that I believe must be understood are acceptance grace and empowering grace. “Acceptance grace” is the unconditional acceptance and love of God the Father as we stand before Him clothed in Christ’s righteousness. It is not achieved; it is simply received. As we confidently draw near to Him, He interacts with us, “baptizing” us in assurance and unlimited acceptance. As we have more understanding of acceptance grace, we realize that there is no disapproval of the Father towards us, no possibility of rejection from the Father. The foundation of our acceptance is not our fluctuating performance but is always the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ on our behalf. That’s acceptance grace and builds into our lives a strong, supernatural sense of security. And, when we embrace the good news of God’s total acceptance based upon the righteousness of Christ, there will be an “empowering grace” upon us. Boldness will naturally flow out of believing the message of God’s accepting grace."

“Who is he who condemns?”

“Who is he who condemns?”

Is there anyone who can cast a verdict of “Guilty” against us. But if we were declared “Not guilty” in our justification, who can reverse God’s verdict? “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (8:34b). When Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished,” He was saying that our sin debt was paid in full by His death. He took the punishment for us. Then He arose from the dead proving that God accepted that payment, so we are safe from future punishment. The word “intercession” is also from the courtroom. It refers to the work of a defense attorney or advocate. As our defense advocate, we can count on Jesus Christ to win our case. He now lives in the presence of God, at His right hand, pleading our case before the Father (Heb. 7:25 ). His plea for us is based on the finished and sufficient work He did on the cross. As believers, we can"

The real danger

"Paul spoke of his own preaching as being by the grace of God. Eph 3:8, "Although I am less than the least of all the saints, THIS GRACE WAS GIVEN TO ME: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Not only his own preaching, but all ministering to the church, Paul says is to be by grace. Eph 4:7, "But to each one of us GRACE HAS BEEN GIVEN AS CHRIST APPORTIONED IT." Eph 4:11-12, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastor-teachers, to prepare God's people for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." Heb 4:16, "Let us then approach the THRONE OF GRACE with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." There is a provision from God to completely support us in our time of need. This is by grace and grace alone. We don't earn it, nor do we deserve it. II Thess 2:16-17, "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and BY HIS GRACE GAVE US ETERNAL ENCOURAGEMENT and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." The benediction of grace in the Christian life is "eternal encouragement and good hope culminating in encouraged hearts and strength in every good deed and word." There is nothing in life for which there is not grace. Because grace is so essential for every detail of the believer's life, there can be no danger of teaching too much grace. The real danger is in not understanding grace and in not teaching it enough."

Robert H. Kreger

...sharply contrasted spheres...

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ"(John 1:17).

"The most obvious and striking division of the Word of Truth is that between Law
and Grace.... It is vital to observe that Scripture never mingles these two principles.

Law is God prohibiting and requiring;
Grace is God beseeching and bestowing.

Law is a ministry of condemnation;
Grace is of forgiveness.

Law curses;
Grace redeems from that curse.

Law kills;
Grace makes alive.

Law shuts every mouth before God;
Grace opens every mouth to praise Him.

Law puts a great and guilty distance between man and God;
Grace makes guilty man nigh to God.

Law says "do and live";
Grace, "believe and live."

Law never had a missionary;
Grace is to be preached to every creature.

Law utterly condemns the best man;
Grace freely justifies the worst.

Law is a system of probation;
Grace, of favour.

Law stones an adulteress;
Grace says,"Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Under law the sheep dies at the hand of the shepherd;
Under grace the Shepherd dies for the sheep.

Everywhere the Scriptures present law and grace in sharply contrasted spheres. The mingling of them in much of the current teaching of the day spoils both, for law is robbed of its terror, and grace of its freeness."

C I Scofield