Grace for Salvation & Empowerment

2 cor 12:9.  "My grace (power) is optimum when you face situations that are beyond what you can handle." 

In the book Relentless, John Bevere defines grace as "God's free empowerment that gives us the ability to go beyond our natural ability."  Which inspired some further exploration on the subject of "grace" as it pertains to the New Testament Christian faith.

Romans, 5:20 "...but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."

Jesus said in Luke 7:47 "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

The bigger the debt, or sins, the bigger the grace that's displayed to forgive and cleanse it, and the greater the love and thankfulness the recipient should be for having received that mercy.

That same grace, that abolishes, eradicates that sin for us when we weren't saved and then made a decision for Christ, is the same grace that enables us after we are saved to do the impossible.

Grace for Salvation:

John1:17 "...grace and truth came by Jesus Christ". 

Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God"

Grace for Empowerment:

2 Cor 8 "And he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."" 

Romans 1:5 "Through him [Jesus] we received grace and apostleship..."

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

Ephesians 4:7 "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." 

Romans 6:14 "For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." 

1 Pet 4:10 "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."

Example: The peeps that have had a radical salvation experiences, typically grab ahold of a deeper understanding of grace, because they have been forgiven of MUCH.  And just as much as they have been forgiven of much they then easily apply that "MUCH" without limit to their faith walk and start functioning with radical grace/power.  Like think of Todd White as an example of a very radical transformation, like a pendulum.  

Someone on the other hand, who has grown up in church, been exposed to religion, who has possibly lived even a clean, moral, and "good" life from the discipline and ethics imparted to them, is forgiven of little.  So they may have a harder time believing that same grace is capable of doing radical (impossible) stuff in them and through them.  They may never have experienced a "radical" salvation or encounter with God.  So, they may not have experienced that radical grace.  How do we equip ourselves regardless of our past, or depth of forgiveness in our salvation experience, to understand how powerful grace really is, and that it comes freely from God?

If we learn how to start a car engine, by placing the key in the ignition and then turning the key, then that knowledge of how it functions can be applied to starting other cars as well. We just have to recognize that we have the ability to apply that knowledge to other "cars" or circumstances.  Likewise, one who can ice skate well, can apply those skills to rollerblading well, and they transfer over almost seamlessly.

If we have enough faith to believe that we are saved by grace through Jesus.  If we really believe that Jesus annihilated our sin at the cross with His blood, and we're cleansed and free of it's death penalty.  If someone asked that as a question and we would publicity raise our hand, then we are confessing and revealing we believe in the power of His grace.  And we've also just revealed that we have enough faith to believe in a miracle, called salvation.  Likewise, Then we can also apply that same level of faith, and believe that by grace through Jesus we can remove unhealthiness, disease, from ours or someone else's physical body.  We can also believe that by grace through Jesus we can remove mental or psychological limitations, mentalities of lack, debt, victimization, etc.  We can  believe that by grace through Jesus we can see our lost loved ones saved.   We can believe that the things that seem impossible in our natural ability are possible.

We just need to take an action step of faith beyond our comfort zone and allow grace to do its work.  When that grace is manifested, it shows forth His power and we're to point to it and give Him praise and glory for it.

If we have enough faith, the size of a mustard seed, to believe for salvation... then we likewise have enough faith capacity to believe that impossible things to be possible and say to the mountain, be cast into the sea.