"The Works of Grace"

 

    Works can never lead to grace.  But grace always results in works.

 

    "If it be of works, then is it no more grace" (Romans 11:6).

    "Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, and with godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

 

    God's freely given favor in the Lord Jesus Christ, received and assimilated by faith, results not only in forgiveness and the promise of eternal life, but also the dynamic working of the Holy Spirit within our hearts "to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).  Thus, wherever we have problems with faithfulness and obedience, we can be sure our root problem involves failure in some way to know and experience the grace of God.  Only thereby can we "serve God acceptably and with godly fear," and only thereby will our works be the product not of fleshly effort, but of Divine origin and power.

 

    The Apostle Peter commanded that we "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).  Our brother of old well knew that only advances in grace, as known through advances in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus, lead to increasingly consistent obedience to the Word of God.  Ever and always, the person and work of Christ on our behalf provide enabling to "work the works of God" (John 6:28).  The more we "look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith," the more we will discover Him to be also the power of this and every moment (Hebrews 12:2).  The Lord of grace is our hope for the works of grace.  Let us have grace indeed, and then let us rejoice as our service to God flows from its sublime and singular Fount...

 

"He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

(John 7:38)