"I DO NOT FRUSTRATE THE GRACE OF GOD: FOR IF RIGHTEOUSNESS COME BY THE LAW, THEN CHRIST DIED IN VAIN"
~Galatians 2:21~

Before I can teach "GRACE VS WORKS" we have to have a clear understanding of what "grace" is as well as what "works" are...
The word:"works" is fairly easy to explain...
Anywhere you see "keeping the Law" or "works of the Law", it means: "trying (by your own power or strength) to keep Gods righteous standard.

The reason Christ came was because man couldn't (in his own ability) keep God's Law.

Now that was easy to explain...but... (as my pastor would say)
"strap on your seatbelt"... for an explanation of "grace"!!!...

Some words come to mean things....
Not long ago if you said you were "cool" that meant that we might need to turn the heater up a notch. I submit to you that the word: GRACE, has come to mean something different... Most people (and even the Amplified Bible) define "grace" as: "The unmerited favor of God."
While "grace" does indeed have the unmerited favor of God closely associated with it, its not "just" the unmerited favor of God.
If grace was "just" the unmerited favor of God how then could you "frustrate" it?....

If something is unmerited that means that nothing was done to "earn" it; therefore how could you "fall from" or "frustrate" it?
It's not performanced-based if its unmerited...

We have confused "GRACE" with grace's twin sister: MERCY!!!

This is very hard to explain, so you'll have to follow me closely...

1 Peter 4:10, talks about the "manifold grace" of God...or many sided grace of God...I'm telling you there is more to "Grace" than just unmerited favor. Why do we put such limits on God?

You try to get people to expand their understanding on a particular subject...and they want to "stone" you!!!

I preached this message at a church...and when I told them that "GRACE" was not unmerited favor...I thought someone would have to let me down in a basket out the window so I could escape!!!!..
Ha Ha Ha....

The Bible says that Jesus was full of GRACE & TRUTH (John 1:14)
2 Timothy 2:1 says: "Be strong in the GRACE that is in Christ Jesus"....
Think about it...
If there was ever anyone in the entire history of this planet that ever "MERITED" the favor of God...

it was Jesus Christ!!!!

James 4:6 says: "....but He giveth MORE GRACE to the humble..."
Now if GRACE is "just" unmerited favor then how could you get MORE??...
You either HAVE unmerited favor or you don't...

You might ask....
Why"did" Jesus have GRACE???
John 5:19...Jesus said .."the son can do nothing of Himself."
John 5:30..."I can of my own self do nothing."
John 14:10..."But the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.."
Hebrews 2:9..."...crowned with glory and honor; that He (Jesus), by the GRACE of God should taste death for every man."

Jesus did what he did by the GRACE of GOD!!!
Remember the garden of Gethsemane???
Jesus received GRACE to endure the cross!!!

A power...
a strength..
an ability...

Thats also why we all need grace....

"For I am the least of the apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the GRACE of God I am what I am;and His GRACE which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all:yet not I,but the GRACE of God which was with me."
~1 Cor. 15:9-10~

Paul said it wasn't him but it was the GRACE of God doing the works...
Gods strength,Gods ability,Gods power...

Here's another....
Paul is talking about a thorn in his flesh..a messenger sent from satan to buffet him...

"For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My GRACE is sufficient for thee: for MY STRENGTH is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the POWER OF CHRIST may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ sake:for when I am weak, then am I strong"
~2 Cor. 12:8-10~

Once again...Gods power, Gods strength...We can see that there is a side of GRACE that we may not have even begun to explore....

GODS POWER!!!
GODS STRENGTH!!!
GODS ABILITY!!!

"I do not frustrate the GRACE (God's power, God's strength, God's ability) of God: for if righteousness came by the Law (our ability to keep God's righteous standard), then Christ is dead in vain"
~Galatians 2:21~

Wow!!!
What about this:

"Ye are saved by GRACE (God's ability, God's strength, God's power) through Faith and not of Works (our ability to keep Gods righteous standard), lest any man should boast..."

I implore you to read the entire book of Galatians in the light of this revelation...
You will see how they had fallen from GRACE (Gal.5:4)
They started trying to keep the Law again...in their own strength...own power...own ability...
for them to live their Christian life in this manner was not the "gospel" and to even do so was to pervert (1:7) the "gospel of Christ"!!!
Thereby nulifying the whole purpose of the cross.

Show me a Christian thats trying...
in their own strength to live a Christian life...
and i'll show you one frustrated Christian!

YOU CAN'T DO IT!!!
And if you even try...
It won't be the devil resisting you...
It will be God!!!

Yes..thats right...God...

"But He giveth more GRACE. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud but giveth GRACE unto the humble."
~James 4:6~

You see?????
If you could make yourself "right" by works.. then you have something to "boast" about!!!
That is pride...
And God will resist you!!!

If you've got the devil "sifting" you...
AND God "resisting" you....
YOU ARE HURTIN' FOR CERTAIN!!!

Listen....
You can't have both....
You are either living your Christian life the way you began...
"by GRACE through faith.
Or by WORKS!!!

They can't co-exist!!!

"AND IF BY GRACE, THEN IS IT NO MORE OF WORKS: OTHERWISE GRACE IS NO MORE GRACE. BUT IF IT BE OF WORKS, THEN IS IT NO MORE GRACE: OTHERWISE WORK IS NO MORE WORK.
~ROMANS 11:6~

How many of us have been taught..
that to live a victorious Christian life it takes:
...GRACE plus WORKS...
(a little grace,but mostly works)????
C'mon...you have heard it...
"Put your best foot forward and God will bless it...."

NO....
Put your best foot forward and God will help you pull it out of your mouth!!!
Besides...
the best day of your life will be when you realize...
YOU AIN'T GOT NO BEST FOOT!!!!

Now thats poor english..
But its good preachin'!!!
Paul the apostle said that there was NO GOOD thing in him...
That is...his flesh...
Now pride is a work of the flesh...amen?
Now you might say..
WAIT NOW...Jesus was IN HIM!
..thats a good thing!!!

Yes..Jesus was IN him...

HE THAT WALKETH AFTER THE FLESH, WILL, OF THE FLESH REAP CORRUPTION..BUT HE THAT WALKETH AFTER THE SPIRIT..LIFE EVERLASTING"

I pray that we...
the people of God, learn more and more how to walk after the spirit...
Instead of doing it just at the beginning of our walk with God....
That is why you see so many that
start off ablaze for Jesus...
completely walk away and go back to their old life...
Someone told them that it was up to them...to live this life...
something we have all probably heard...
"Well...God saved ya' now its up to you!!!"

If you think you can do it in your own power..or your own strength or ability..then you, my friend have walked away from GRACE.
Has your Christian life been one of frustration and defeat???
Does it seem like you are the only one that struggles with sin?
All the other Christians seem like they're lives are so easy...
Did you know the devil will tell you, that because you struggle..your not saved?

"IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS."
~1 JOHN 1:8-9~

We all fall short...
Don't let anyone ever tell you that God doesn't love you....
Or that its based on your performance.
Because you'll never measure up....
And anyone that thinks they are measuring up has no clue what the "cross" was all about.

Now if you "are" struggling with your walk with Christ...
I want to show you something...using the definition that i've showed you...

"SEEING THEN THAT WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, THAT IS PASSED INTO THE HEAVENS, JESUS THE SON OF GOD,LET US HOLD FAST OUR PROFESSION. FOR WE HAVE NOT AN HIGH PRIEST WHICH CANNOT BE TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES; BUT WAS, IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE,THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED."
~HEBREWS 4:14-16~

There is a throne of grace...to help in your time of need...go to it right now in prayer....

I sincerely hope that you were blessed by this teaching...
If you would like to...please send me a praise report...
I would very much like like to hear from you...
Go to the "Who I Am" page and e-mail me.
May our God comfort you today, my friend.