THE SPIRIT OF GRACE
Recently, I asked God, “Why isn’t grace a fruit of the Spirit?” to which He replied,
“Grace is not a fruit of the Spirit because it is Spirit.
I was on a run when I asked the question, so I had to wait until I got home to dig into the Word and learn more. I am so excited to share what God revealed.
The Holy Spirit is called different names which further describe how He helps us. He is known as Author of Scripture: (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16), Comforter, Counselor, Advocate (Isaiah 11:2; John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7). Convicter of Sin (John 16:7-11), Deposit, Seal (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14), Guide (John 16:13), Indweller of Believers (Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 2:21-22; 1 Corinthians 6:19), Intercessor (Romans 8:26), Revealer, Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16), Spirit of God: (Matthew 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Peter 1:11), Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2), Teacher (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13), and Witness (Romans 8:16; Hebrews 2:4; 10:15), and Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29, Zechariah 12:10).
The Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of God’s people, and that indwelling is the distinguishing characteristic of the regenerated person. From within believers, He directs, guides, comforts, and influences us, as well as producing in us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). He provides the intimate connection between God and His children. All true believers in Christ have the Spirit residing in their hearts.
The grace of God is His unmerited favor toward those who have not earned it. There are numerous examples of God’s grace in the Bible, both to His people and those who rejected Him. Mary found grace in the eyes of the Lord who bestowed upon her the privilege of bearing the Savior of mankind (Luke 1:28). She may have been a godly young woman, but nothing she could have done would have made her worthy of such a blessing. She was the recipient of God’s Grace. The Apostle Paul admitted that he was a servant of God by His Grace and it was by that Grace that he labored effectively for the cause of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:10). As Christians we, too, benefit from God’s Grace. “For by grace are you saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Our very salvation and position in Christ is due to His Grace through the faith that He gives us Hebrews 12:2).
It is God, The Spirit of Grace, who fuels our faith. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). It makes wonderful sense that if we focus more on “our faith” than on “God’s Grace” which is God because He is The Spirit of Grace within us, we start to sink while we are out there walking on the water. Remember how Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and started focusing on whether he had enough faith?
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
Today, may you celebrate The Spirit of Grace in the life that He so graciously gives you.
Warrior Moms Unite!®
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her recently founded Share & Company Publishing House http://seymourkristina.wix.
Originally published Tuesday, 23 February 2016.
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