And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Romans 8:6

 

 Grace is being given much when you deserve nothing. Grace is a gift and we must remember that the only thing we have to do when it comes to gifts is to receive them. We don't have to earn gifts from others, they simply give because they love us. Because of God's love for us, he gives to us when we don't deserve it. The way the world works teaches us that in order to receive anything at all you have to work for it. A society built on incentives may work in business, but when we accidentally apply that working to our personal lives and our hearts we become confused and frustrated.

The enemy wants us to use the business logic of rewards to make us think that if I do this then someone will love me or if I do that then somehow I'll feel better about myself. He convinces us that the only way to get what we are promised is to earn it, he makes us forget that God's promises are gifts we don't have to earn. When we forget that grace is a gift from God, he shows us that when we try to earn it we can't. The only way to receive the gift of grace is to acknowledge to God that you know you don't deserve it but are ready and thankful to receive his blessings.

So often the enemy traps us in a mentality that if I pray this many times, if I read so many chapters, if I go to church so many times then I will finally earn what God has for me. He convinces us that it is by works that we will receive, but remember it is not by works alone. This is also so that we begin to think that if it's based off of works then it's possible for us to lose it. If you did not earn it you cannot lose it. But if you are deceived into thinking you can lose it then you become ruled by fear instead of being ruled by the truth of God's grace.

Paul explains to his Israelite friends in this verse that if it were by works it would no longer be grace. Because the enemy and society has convinced us that we don't deserve any gift and that we have to earn everything, it confuses us why it wouldn't work the same way with God. The enemy makes us think we have to understand how God works and we have to use logic, the logic of this world, to receive what he has for us in heaven. When we accept that our logic of this world could never capture the glory of what is in heaven it is then that we realize how wonderfully mysterious and glorious God's gift of grace is.

God is not of this world, do not try to use the logic of society to receive. Do not trust what the world says will work to receive abundance, trust the way God tells you to receive his gifts: by simply asking and humbly accepting. Don't allow yourself to get frustrated and say, 'Well, I've done this and this and this why don't I feel fulfilled or know the love of God." To know the love of God is to recognize and accept the gift of grace. It is true that there is nothing you can do to make God love you and the enemy tries to use that fact to discourage you and make you fail when you try to make God love you. It is true you can't make God love you and the reason is because, he already does. Stop trying to make God love you and accept that he does and accept that by grace you receive. Remember don't let the enemy make you forget this basic principle because that seed of doubt will grow into a vine that will destroy our foundation. Don't continue to work for something you already have. To know you truly have God's love and grace, just open your heart and accept it. Don't let the enemy convince you that you have a debt to God because remember, Jesus paid our debt and all we have to do is accept the gift of grace gratefully.

 

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Dear Lord,
We praise you and stand in wonder at the glory of your grace. We pray that you will remind us we don't have to earn any of what you have for us, remind us it is out of the love you have for us that you give not because of any work we may do. We pray that Jesus will continue the work in us and that he will help us to decipher and know when the enemy is lying to us so that we can ignore those lies. Open our hearts to receive what you have and help us to stand at the wonder of the glory of your grace. We praise your holy name and thank you for the gift of life you have given us through your son, Jesus. In your holy name, Amen.