What is grace and what is the heart of man?

Messages for May 2018: Our Month of Great Grace

Message for Sunday 6^th May, 2018

Theme: Understanding the heart of man in relation to the grace of God

Topic: What is grace and what is the heart of man?

Introduction: This is the fifth month of the year and by the divine calendar, the fifth number is the number of grace. This month God has graciously named it our month of great grace which means we are not just going to enjoy the grace of God but we will enjoy grace in abundance because God; for His name’s sake wants to show us mercy. However over time and in scriptures, we have discovered that men have often frustrated the grace of God at different times and the reason had been because of their hearts. Thus we shall be commencing the series named as our theme above today. We will open the floor today by attempting to define grace and the heart of man to enable us understand what we are doing.

What then is grace and what is the heart of man? Grace is God’s gift given to man to enable him fulfill his destiny. Grace can be defined as unmerited favour. It is also defined as the divine ability to do what you cannot do naturally. Whereas favour creates opportunities for you; it is grace that enables you to deliver the demands of your opportunities. The bible tells us that we are saved by grace and not by ourselves; that it is a gift of God and not of any man’s effort lest any man should boast.

When we truly understand that grace is a gift given by God to enable us become the best we can become in the actualization of our divine purpose, we would become genuinely humble. This is because the qualification for increasing in the grace of God is actually humility. See Jas.4:6 and 10; 1Pet.5:6.

The heart of man on the other hand talks about the inner man or the hidden man of the heart as the bible puts it; and the soul. [Eph.3:16 and 1Pet.3:4] The word is used interchangeably in the word of God to refer to the two parts of man that are hidden from the natural eyes. Thus the heart sometimes refers to the spirit of man and at other times, it refers to the soul of man.

To enjoy the grace of God which at first is freely given, man must guard his heart with all diligence so that God would not waste His investments in man. Failure to guard the heart can result in spiritual leakage bringing about disappointments for the man. God is too principled to compromise His standards and He says His ways are not our ways and neither are His thoughts our thoughts. However because of the grace of God we can upgrade our ways to be able to walk in the ways of God.

To walk in the ways of God to enable us enjoy the grace of God, these are the demands:

1.     We must be born again: To get born again is the first requirement we must meet in order to access the grace of God. This is because sinful man without God cannot accommodate the grace of God until he first repents of his sin and becomes a member of the family to God through Jesus Christ the seed of Abraham. Thus every time sinful man is offered salvation through a preacher that is the mercy of God bringing him the grace if he would receive it. This is why we are taught in Eph.2:8-10 that we are saved by grace through faith and that faith not of yourself but it is a gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast. Please understand the grace and faith that saved you was given to you as a gift of God through the preacher who ministers to you for God. When we are born again we become entitled to the grace of God. See Ps.5:12; Jn.3:7 and Gal.3:16.

2.     We cultivate intimacy with God so His life can freely flow through us: When we get born again into God’s kingdom, we are born spiritual babies without a past anymore so we have a responsibility of developing ourselves to grow into spiritual adults who can now relate with God as sons and not just children. See Gal.4:1; 1Pet.2:2 and Jn.8:31-32. When you are intimate with God, He will open you up to an abundance of graces that would set you apart in your generation. Walking in the ways of God is made easier for you and you would find yourself fulfilling divine expectations for your life because that is why we are.

3.     We pray: Every time we pray, we are courting the grace of God by telling Him we cannot help ourselves we need His help. We are told in Hebrews 4:6 to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The means with which we do this is prayer. God in answer to our prayer grants us our desires and we in gratitude draw closer to Him so He can also be closer to us.

4.     We meditate on the word and let it control our lives: We read the word, meditate on it day and night so that we would be able to do it. In the course of doing this we would let the word of God dwell richly in us and the result is that we would be able to do it. As we embrace the word this way, our profiting will appear unto all. Jos.1:8; Ps.1:1-3; 1Tim.4:13-15; Rm.12:2 and Col.3:16.

5.     We do the word of God: We cannot get the best of the word of God working in our lives until we conscientiously do the word. If we do not do that word James 1:22-25 says we are deceiving ourselves. The Lord also said in Jn.14:23 that if we love Him; we would do His word and He and His father would love us and make His abode with us. Meditating on the word of God always is what empowers us to enjoy the grace to do the word because doing the word involves exercising your will to choose God’s word over and above any other.

When we live in this way, God will consider us humble and He would bless us with His grace. But if we choose to live for ourselves, He would consider us proud and would resist us.

Truly, attempting to live without the grace of God is suicidal because without the grace of God we are really nothing and can do nothing. See Jn.15:5; James 4:6 and 1Pet.5:5-6.

What Happens when you enjoy the grace of God?

1.     You enjoy the favour of God. Ps. 5:12; Zec.4:7

2.     You receive divine ability to do the right thing for the favour you enjoy to produce for you. 1Cor.15:10; 1Sam,17:43-51

3.     God reveals His secrets to you with which you rule your world. Ps.25:12-14; Job 29:3-6

4.     You can walk in the ways of God without any fear or condemnation. Rm.8:1; Lk.1:74-75.

5.     God tells you what choices you can make. Ps.25:12

6.     You enjoy divine guidance all the time. When God guides you, He goes with you, He goes before you to clear the way for you. He provides for you. He protects you. You will always be under an open heaven. See Exod.13:21-22; Ps.78:53; 106:9; 107:7

However if you are reading this article and you are yet to commit to the Lord Jesus Christ, today is your opportune day to do so. In Hebrews 4:16, we are told to boldly approach the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. You can do so right away by saying the following prayer out loud in faith and you’ll be saved:

Heavenly Father,

Have mercy on me a sinner. Today, I believe that Jesus died for me and you raised Him from the dead for my Justification. I therefore declare that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Lord and from today, I renounce the fatherhood of Satan and embrace Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord. Thank you for this father in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Congratulations! For more information and resources that would help you grow in this new life, please visit our website at www.kingdomheirsministries.org and our blogs at www.flourishinggirl.blogspot.com and follow us on twitter at alero_nanna and on face book on www.facebook.com/flourishinggirl www.facebook.com/khmii2015; www.facebook.com/thewellbeingcenter. Or www.facebook.com/kingdomjointheirsfamily email:  jointheirsfamily@gmail.com.