On the other hand, believers under grace know that they are always righteous and that fellowship with God is never broken. Even when they fail, they know that Jesus is still with them and that they are still righteous in Christ because their righteousness is a gift. And the more they believe that they are righteous, the more they experience true victory over temptation and sin.
Beloved, when you put yourself under the grace of God, the moment you are tempted, you can receive afresh His grace, His forgiveness, and His unconditional love. And the more you receive His grace, the more sin will have no dominion over you.
Today, rest in your Father’s love, approval, favor, and acceptance that the cross of Jesus has secured for you. Place yourself under His grace and experience victory over every sin, every fear, every sense of guilt, and every addiction in your life!
Today’s Thought
The more I place myself under God’s grace and rest in His love, the more sin will have no dominion over me
.
Today’s Prayer
Father, thank You for unveiling to me the grace of Jesus and the gift of righteousness that is mine through His finished work. I receive Your forgiveness into my heart today, and I thank You that as I live conscious of Your grace in my life, sin shall have no dominion over me. I look forward to a lifetime of victories over every sin, every addiction, and every bad habit in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen
.
…it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure
.
P
HILIPPIANS
2:13
Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?
H
EBREWS
13:5–6
THE MESSAGE
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him
.
P
SALM
91:15
Today’s Scripture
…as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
.
R
OMANS
5:21
I
n yesterday’s reading, we saw the difference between those who rely on God’s grace and forgiveness to overcome sin, and those who try to overcome sin by their own efforts. When people put themselves under the law, the moment they are tempted, they condemn themselves, and in that state of guilt and condemnation, are more likely to follow through with that temptation and sin.
On the other hand, when you are under grace and you believe that you are righteous because of the blood of Jesus
even
when you have failed, your thoughts and actions will come in alignment with your believing. Grace gives you the power to rise above temptation and be victorious over sin.
As a pastor who has been in the ministry for many years, I have had the privilege of witnessing as well as hearing wonderful testimonies of how grace transforms lives, even those wrecked by sin for decades. Here is a beautiful testimony from Jean. Writing to me from Michigan, she shared:
Pastor Prince, I’ve been a Christian for most of my life but until I began listening to you teach about God’s grace, I never understood what true forgiveness of ALL my past, present, and future sins really meant
.
Even as I’m typing this now, I’m full of excitement because of all that God has done through the blood of Jesus at Calvary and His precious Holy Spirit in my life. Before I heard the message of grace, a cloud of guilt and condemnation always hung over and followed me. It prevented me from having any kind of peace even though I believed in God
.
You see, I was addicted to drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes for many years. I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I could not free myself from my addictions even though I kept trying to. However, after listening to many of your messages on God’s grace, I began to see changes in my life. Now, not only have I been delivered from alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes, I also have the peace of mind as well as joy and contentment I never thought were possible
.
I’ve heard you say before that if people knew about God’s grace, they wouldn’t want to sin. I want you to know that this has been so true of my life. When I experienced God’s love and grace, I didn’t become more addicted, but the addictions lost their grip on me. Today, I am happy to say that I live with a sense of continuous peace, and I can’t begin to tell you how good it feels to be sober and completely off drugs and alcohol. Before this happened, I had thought I would die a drunk and a drug addict
.
Through the revelation of God’s grace, I have truly been changed from the inside out. My thinking has been totally transformed, and I’ve since let go of unforgiveness, a bondage that almost destroyed me completely. I just couldn’t figure out how to totally let go until I understood the grace of God in my own life
.
Please continue to teach the grace of God. I know that many other lives will be changed as a result, for if God can make this miraculous change in my life, He can do it for anyone
.
Jean and so many others have found that where their own self-efforts could not free them from the power of sin and deep addictions, grace effortlessly did. My friend, if you are grappling with a sin or an addiction right now, stop struggling and start receiving. Grace empowers you to reign over sin through a revelation of the abundance of the Lord’s unmerited favor. Start receiving the healing power of His forgiveness and the free gift of His righteousness. His grace will lift you up to reign in victory!
Today’s Thought
It is the revelation of God’s grace that produces true and lasting victory over sin and addictions in my life
.
Today’s Prayer
Father, thank You that because of what Jesus did at the cross for me, I know that I am always righteous and my fellowship with You is never broken, not even when I fail. Thank You for the gift of Your undeserved favor and for the power of grace and forgiveness that is transforming my life for Your glory. I believe that Your grace is empowering me to reign over sin and every bondage in my life. Amen
.
For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ
.
R
OMANS
5:17
NLT
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
J
OHN
8:36
Today’s Scripture
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more
.
R
OMANS
5:20
I
n the Book of Romans, the apostle Paul said, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Rom. 6:1). Obviously, Paul was preaching the grace of God so radically that he was misunderstood and accused of telling people to sin more so that grace may abound. Of course, that was not the case.
Paul
never
said, “Let us sin more so that grace may abound” (and by the way, neither have I). Sin is evil, and it leads to destructive consequences. But have you noticed in today’s Scripture what it is that actually causes sin to increase?
Read today’s Scripture again. Paul states very clearly that
the law entered
so that sin might abound. What this means is that the more you preach the law, the more sin will abound. After all, the strength of sin is the law (1 Cor. 15:56). Therefore, when you see sin and you preach more of the law, you are adding wood to fire!
In saying that “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,” Paul meant this:
sin does not stop God’s grace from flowing, but God’s grace will stop sin
. Ask yourself which is greater, your sins or God’s grace? The answer is obvious. God’s grace is always greater! In fact, when you read “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” in the original Greek, it actually says that where sin abounded, grace
superabounded
.
1
Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest captures this well in his translation of the verse: “where sin increased, grace superabounded, and then some on top of that.” How cool is that!
What Paul is saying is that where there is sin, where there is “a failing to hit the mark”
2
(definition of “sin” by
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
), that’s exactly where you will find God’s grace—His unmerited favor for your empowerment and victory—in superabounding measure. Isn’t that amazing? Contrary to traditional thinking, God’s grace does not abandon you when you miss the mark. What a comfort and source of strength it is to know that His grace doesn’t leave us, but is right in the midst of our painful weaknesses, failings, and less-than-perfect situations to empower us to reign over them all!
My friend, maybe you have been struggling with a certain weakness or failing in some area of your life. It could be anger, unforgiveness, or an addiction that you can’t seem to kick. I encourage you to increase your exposure to God’s grace. Keep hearing preaching on the beauty of the person of Jesus and His finished work. Keep meditating on His love and what He has accomplished for you on the cross because grace is the only power that can stop sin in its tracks in your life.
When you fail, instead of feeling guilty and condemned, receive the superabounding grace of God that tells you that you are still righteous in Christ. It is His superabounding grace that will rescue you from that sin. Those who wallow in guilt and condemnation are the ones who have no ability to overcome their sins. Since they believe that God’s grace has departed, what hope can they have? Victory over sin comes only when people encounter the superabundance of God’s grace. It is His grace that has made sinners righteous!
Don’t miss out on this powerful revelation. This is the gospel of Jesus! Because all your sins have been punished in the body of your substitute, Jesus Christ, God’s righteousness is on your side, demanding your justification and forgiveness. That’s why, even when you fail, God’s grace will superabound and swallow up your failure that has been paid for at Calvary. Hallelujah!
Today’s Thought
In the midst of my failures and weaknesses, I choose to see and receive God’s superabounding grace in those very areas. It is His grace that empowers me to reign over them
.
Today’s Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that in the very place where sin abounds in my life, Your grace is abounding much more, because it has all been paid for at Calvary. Thank You that Your grace will stop sin. I believe that even when I have failed, You have not left me, but Your unmerited, underserved favor that is greater than all my failures surrounds me still. I believe Your superabounding grace is right now forgiving me, healing me, providing for me, and transforming my weaknesses into strengths. Amen
.
O Israel, hope in the L
ORD
; for with the L
ORD
there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption
.
P
SALM
130:7
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me
.
2 C
ORINTHIANS
12:9
Today’s Scripture
“… as you have believed, so let it be done for you…”
M
ATTHEW
8:13
I
believe with all of my heart that the gospel of grace will lead one to victorious living in Christ Jesus. I will keep preaching the radical grace of God because I want to see lives radically transformed and believers living with true victory over every destructive habit and sin. If you understand that God’s justice has already been executed at the cross, you will see that today, as a new covenant believer under grace, God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice are
on your side
demanding your acquittal, deliverance, healing, and provision. Yes, God’s justice today demands that you have and enjoy
all the benefits of the cross
.
When you wholeheartedly believe and rest in the finished work of Christ and His love, you will experience the superabounding grace of God extending into all areas of your life. Look at the following praise report I received from Rita, a single mom who always wanted to homeschool her kids, but just didn’t think it was possible, given her situation. Nevertheless, when she heard the gospel of grace, she began to trust and believe God for His favor and goodness. This is her amazing story: