Jim Hodges - Unveiling The Glorious Gospel of God’s Grace in Christ

A Grace Precepts Bible Study

by Jim Hodges

JamesH2567@aol.com

(Version 7.0AE - Updated June 20, 2001)

Before embarking on this study, it is appropriate to explain the limitations inherent in considering a boundless subject like God's grace. This study does not intend to place the character of Gods grace above His other attributes implying any hierarchical order (i.e. love, holiness, faithfulness, longsuffering, mercy, grace, justice, etc.). The scripture passages used have been inserted from the NKJV Bible (unless otherwise stated) to allow the reader to not have to jump back and forth between the scripture and the study for the purpose of maintaining continuity. The Bible itself should be used whenever a more in-depth contextual understanding is appropriate.

Appropriately, the study of the Gospel of Gods grace in Christ begins at the cross. In this sense, the word Gospel literally means Good News! It is at the cross where we can learn the fundamental wisdom of Gods grace in Christ. By Gods grace, through Christs faithful obedience, sin and its curse of death were put to death on the cross. At the moment of Christs death, the Jerusalem Temple veil was torn from top to bottom. Gods grace had been unveiled! The cross had destroyed the barrier to the flow of Gods grace to all the beloved who would accept, by faith, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Paul had this attitude: But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him the cross of Christ was the greatest manifestation of Gods grace and love. The physical appearances of the resurrected Lord during the next 50 days would accomplish the faith necessary for the spiritual anointing of Gods grace at Pentecost. Henceforth, an abiding faith relationship in Christ was sufficient for men and women to enjoy His grace filled resurrected life. For He alone is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). Therefore, let us return to the cross often and humbly pray to be washed in His blood bought mercy. This should be our humble preparation for understanding each area of spiritual truth. As each truth about Gods grace in Christ is revealed, let us pause and give thanks in His rich inheritance.

Since his defeat on the cross, Satan has been hard at work veiling the Gospel of Gods grace in Christ to believers and non-believers alike. He has even confounded the very definition of the word grace. Satans scheme is to make Gods grace in Christ vague thereby making witnessing to that good news GIFT awkward for believers.

Moreover, the rich inheritance of Gods grace in Christ resulting from Christs death can only be fully enjoyed by believers who obediently and faithfully follow the will of the One who has died! Likewise, there is an executor designated to help understand and implement His will (i.e. The Holy Spirit). It is only by the grace of God in Christ operating in us through the Holy Spirit that we can have a behavior that righteously obeys the will of the Father. Therefore, a considerable part of this study is dedicated to a Holy Spirit guided understanding of the will of God; wherein lies the secret riches of a Kings inheritance! But how do we appropriate Gods grace? Can a believer who has received eternal life pass-up the full inheritance of Gods grace and joy for this life? Can we receive more grace? Can we fall from grace? These related questions along with many others have increased the thickness of this document, hopefully to His glory!

We often approach the Christian life in Christ as a subject to be learned rather than as a grace-filled life of joy established to experience both suffering and victory. The Bible commands us to: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We cannot grow in grace through a seminar, through a book, through a sermon, or during a quiet time, as good as those may be. For that matter, we cannot even grow in grace through this study. Every newborn believer is eternally saved by the grace of God through faith as they become hidden in Christ at the cross. But each believer can only grow in that grace by learning to abide above in Christ, becoming hidden in His resurrected life (Col. 3:1-4). Abiding above, we can rest by faith in Christ who enables Gods grace and truth for daily living. For without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). And whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23) -- everything else is counted dead loss to be consumed by fire like wood, hay and stubble! We must discover the secret of how to vacate spiritually and abide above on a lifelong rest of faith! By abiding above in Christ, the Christ in you becomes visible to will and to do miracles in you and through you by the grace of the Father. Furthermore, a s far as God is concerned; Christ is the preacher, Christ is the missionary, Christ is the Christian worker, and Christ is the witnessing Christian.

My prayer is that this study will encourage you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) . To Him be the glory both now and forever! AMEN.

Paul appealed to the Hebrew Christians to see to it that no one misses the grace of God. Likewise, Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, echoed this same concern for the modern-day church in his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire:

"Hebrews 4:16 does not say "Let us come to the sermon." We in America have made the sermon the centerpiece of the church, something God never intended. Preachers who are really doing their job get people to come to the throne of grace. That's the true source of mercy and grace that brings miracles." "To every preacher and every singer God will someday ask, "Did you bring people to where the action could be found. At the throne of grace? If you just entertain them, if you just tickle their ears and gave them a warm fuzzy moment, woe unto you. At the Throne of grace I could have changed their lives. Jim Cymbala, did you just dazzle people with your cleverness or did you make them hungry to come to me?"

A philosopher once said that there are only two things essential to joyful living. One is light or wisdom for discovering the secret mysteries of life, and the other is mastering ones full potential in life. Light and Life...everyone is searching to find these fountains of joy, both Christians and non-believers alike. They are not reachable by anyone preoccupied with seeking happiness, wisdom, and success in all the wrong places. They are not obtained by diligently working in futility to personally achieve what only God can freely give. When one seeks and finds a life transforming grace relationship in Christ, the search is over! He is the MASTER of all light (truth) and life (grace). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. The disciples even called Him MASTER. He alone fills the God created void in every hungry heart and brings the joyful indescribable gift of Gods grace for life. Therefore, each of lifes decisions centers around taking every thought captive, by faith, to the person of Jesus Christ who brings the Fathers empowering gift of grace. God lovingly awaits those decisions of faith in Christ within each circumstance of life, and then:

God will provide all the riches of His grace for what you need, when you need it, in the way you need it, in order to accomplish His will and purpose in you; when you are ready and willing by faith in Christ to receive it. (Author-St. Ben)

Let us begin our study by letting the Bible be the roadmap for the study of Gods grace and truth in Christ? Certainly the words contained in the New Testaments four Gospels and Acts together give us a presentation of the undeniable truth about the Person of Jesus Christ. Likewise, the fullness of Gods empowering grace was demonstrated in Jesus obedience to the will of the Father made complete at the cross. Jesus himself proclaimed the power of the Fathers grace operating in Him when he said apart from the Father I can do nothing. Jesus demonstrated grace in action throughout His ministry and through each of His parables. Yet grace itself was mysteriously never explained in the Gospels. John 14:20 would capture Jesus explanation about grace when he said: I in you and you in Me but few understood this mystery. The Gospels are God's inspired image of Jesus Christ as He is. Likewise, Acts is a historical record of the anointing of this wonderful, magnificent personality within others who believed and began the proclamation of that good news to the whole world. Together these books are inspired to teach us and instruct us in the one Person who can transform lives through the power of another, the Father Himself. Of course, the entire Bible is about Christ, but particularly in the Gospels and in Acts we find in Christ, God stepping out of the shadows as a living, breathing man, in whose life we see all the indwelling character and glory of God manifested in terms of human personality and loving actions of grace and truth.