Grace Is Our Eternal Residence.

The Messianic Age in which we currently reside, which began with the birth of Jesus and will close with His glorious Return, is the Age of Grace.  In Ephesians 2:6-7 Paul said, that God has “raised us up with” Jesus, “and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ [which is our unique privilege and position as the Children of God in the Age of Grace] ...in order that [a phrase used to express a ‘final purpose clause’] in the coming Ages [all the Ages following this, including Eternity] He might show the incomparable riches of His grace ...expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

Scripture says we are to live our lives by means of grace through faith.  Colossians 2:6 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord….”  As Kurios, ‘as Master, as Sovereign,’ not Savior, not Redeemer, not Friend, not Lover, not Prince-ruler as Hebrews 12 puts it, “Author and Finisher of our Faith,” but “Lord” and Liege, Sovereign Ruler of our Creation.  Now, “continue to live in Him ...rooted and built up in Him [When you build something up you ‘strengthen and secure’ it, you give it what it needs to grow, right?  We could say ‘grounded and growing in Him.’], strengthened in the Faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness,” v. 7.  Why?  Because grace is ‘the attitude of gratitude’ and our hearts are overflowing with a love of grace.  It was by grace through faith that we “received Christ Jesus as Lord,” therefore, by grace through faith we’re to “continue ...in Him”!

Grace is a glorious treasure and incredible resource to which we have access in and through the Lord of Glory— Romans 5:1-2.  Grace is both our present state and permanent condition.  And thank Abba it is!

Paul begins Romans 5 with, “Therefore,” drawing on his dissertation in ch. 4 concerning Abraham as the “father of the faithful” {vv. 11-17}, he says, “since we have been justified through faith….”  Dikaios was a legal term in ancient Greece; it means in context to ‘be vindicated’ before the Universe, ‘acquitted’ of all our crimes, ‘declared righteous’ in the eyes of Abba.  It’s a soul-shaking, heart-healing, Hallelujah-inducing fact of reality!  Because of this fact, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Which is what Scripture calls “reconciliation” {Rom. 5:10-11}, the offer of peace from holy God to fallen man …and fallen man’s embrace of it.

“Through whom [This Lord and Liege, this Savior and Sovereign] we have gained access by faith [There’s that little phrase for the second time in as many vv.: ‘by faith,’ and it opens the door to every single aspect of relationship with God and communion with our Creator.] into this grace in which we now stand.”  Notice “we,” first person, the Apostle included.

“Danger, Will Robinson, Danger:” technical point of grammar coming, so if you’re looking for an opportunity to glaze over, now is the time to do it.  The verb Paul uses is the perfect active indicative of histemi.  The indicative mood means this is an undoubtable occurrence.  You once stood ‘outside this grace, but now you are firmly ensconced within it!’  The active voice, which means the subject accomplishes the action, is used because our faith is the means by which we ‘gained access.’  We received this gift from the hand of God, and we did it willingly, knowingly, and consciously.  This, my friends, is critical to the concept of faith.  Trusting in, believing on, accepting and embracing does not happen by accident.  Faith, like love, is a choice we make, a conscious decision to accept a Reality far beyond what we can visibly and tangibly see, hear, smell, taste and touch.  That is the heartbeat of faith.  And finally, with the perfect tense Paul settles the issue unequivocally: the glorious grace of our glorious God is the realm of Freedom in which we stand forevermore.  Hallelujah!

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296 | hjcommunity.org
Heart’s Journey – where the Word and the Spirit are one.