Faith and Grace Go Together


Faith:: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.; (Hebrews 11:1-3); But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.; (Psalms 22:3-5)

Grace: The undeserved mercy of God.

We know from previous writings on this web site¹ that those who have faith in God are obedient to Him: or, to know Him, the Creator of all things both temporal and spiritual, is to love Him and to love Him is to be obedient to Him (John 14:21).

We also know that there are many mysteries that God has concealed from us His worldly children, causing divisions in the Christian church world-wide.
Many of these divisions are caused by cultural differences, racial differences and satanic interference.
However, many divisions in the church are as a result of man's interference in God's affairs caused by pride, fame etc.
For example, it's a mystery to this writer that church-goers of many traditional churches experience God's grace and providence in their lives even though they are willingly disobedient to God's published will because of the teachings of their respective denominations. Just one example is the question of baptism. We should all know by now that immersion is the result of the outpouring of repentance; the evidence or demonstration of a change of heart of someone who has suddenly believed, who wishes to become spiritually clean through this spiritual and physical ritual: to show God and man that he or she has changed and is remorseful of his or her previous way of life.
Contrary to the teachings of many denominations, God tells us through His word and His Holy Spirit that without faith there will not be repentance, without repentance (the regret of previous sins) there is no forgiveness. Without forgiveness there cannot be redemption (good standing with God) through grace, without redemption there cannot be conversion, without conversion we are lost to God's Kingdom.: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.; (Romans 6:1-6)

There are also many eternal Truths that God has hidden from worldly man, Truths that must be found like pearls of great price, pearls that can only be found through diligent searching with the help and comfort of God the Holy Spirit.
Here is possibly the greatest one, so plainly put but so little understood because of our sinful natures. Once we are converted and our sense of understanding changes from worldly (Satanic, which we are in now), to heavenly which we can aspire to, the grain of faith can grow into a large tree and we will want to start working for our King who is the One who created us in His image in the first place. In our lives on this present world we change from thinking of I to thinking of He.
You shall not find what you are looking for in any church. You can find it between the pages of your Bible when you have a little faith - mustard seed sized, and if you are diligent and earnest about it you will most probably meet the Author of the book who is also the Creator of the eternal you. Your eternal King; who is waiting for your arrival


Of a necessity, there are many passages of Scripture to follow on from here and I urge you to prayerfully ask the Living God to open His word to you before continuing any further.
These pages are the map of how to get there, but you are the one who must do the travelling. You may have to read the map a few times to reach the destination.

Faith and Grace go together.: What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.; (Romans 4:1-13)
: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,; (Romans 4:16)
: And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.; (Romans 4:19-22)
: Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.; (Romans 4:23-5:2)

Here, possibly, is the reason why God reveals Himself to all those profess to be Christians, to those who think that they are born again:: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.; (1 Peter 1:1-5)
The word "stranger" as mentioned above means alien or one that passes on after a while, a sojourner. The world as we know it in these bodies is a temporary abode only.
So, Peter is writing to those who follow "The Way", whom he may or may not have known, but who were not followers of the way of the world.
He knew what the Truth was because he was taught by Jesus.: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.; (John 16:33)

Where faith and grace are, Truth will follow.: Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.; (1 Peter 1:6-9)
: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.; (Romans 5:1-11)
: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:; (1 Peter 1:13-17)
: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.; (1 Peter 1:18-25)

Faith is believing
Recently, a neighbour decided that she would like to visit a daughter who lived in Rockhampton, Australia, so she booked a flight, paid her money and packed her bags.
She believed that she would arrive there and not somewhere else. She had faith that she would arrive there to the extent that she went to all the trouble and expense in preparation.
In due time she rode to the airport, climbed aboard an aircraft that was purposing to be going that way, got off at a place that had the name of Sydney airport, climbed aboard another purporting to be flying to Brisbane, slept over in this City, boarded a light aircraft the following morning and was rewarded some hours later by being met at Rockhampton airport by her daughter.
Taking her life in her hands!
She believed and wanted the gift so badly that she became a doer.
How badly do you or I want the gift of eternal life with our Creator who loves each of us.
How much do we believe.
So faith comes with works not so?
Actually, as the heading phrase of this teaching states, faith and grace go together, and results in works on our part; we cannot help ourselves, we feel that we must, the Holy Spirit giving us the nudge that we need, for His Kingdom and glory.: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.; (Ephesians 2:4-10)
We see here that works without faith means little in God's Kingdom. He doesn't want the works that you might do in your own strength. He wants you! Then He wants works according to His own will. For His Kingdom and glory.

If we turn to the parable of the pounds that Jesus bestowed upon us in Luke chapter nineteen, we see that there were four classes of people.
The one was slain before the Master upon His return as King. Another, the pew-sitter, received no reward, but the one who did "His Utmost for His Highest" received his own reward and also that of the pew-sitter, as well as authority.

Now, we do what we do for our Master, the Man who died for us, out of the knowledge of who He is, what He did and what He does for us on a daily basis.
The worldly and spiritual fruits that we bear are out of faith and love. Out of charity.

Most importantly, going back to the parable, we see that the King came back after receiving the Kingdom, allowing His servants and citizens to carry on in His absence. To see what kind of doers they were, for His future purpose, His good pleasure.: But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.; (Romans 6:22); There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.; (Romans 8:1)

So, for the pew-sitters who have read this far - there is still hope for you.

Please realise that the main action of our lives is not according to this present world which is soon to be destroyed, but is to happen when Jesus Christ comes in Power and we reign with Him.: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.; (Revelation 20:6)

Hallelujah!
: I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.; (Romans 6:19-23); Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.; (1 Peter 2:11-12)

¹ www.hosanna.org.za