Topic: The Flow of Power [Tony Evans Ministry 12 February 2020]
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And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. – (Galatians 6:16)
Paul says that if you walk according to the rule of surrender—that is, to align your framework of thinking, moving, and operating with the “firstness” of Him and His kingdom—then you will experience the benefits of God, which include both peace and mercy. However, when you are merely satisfied with religion or religious activity—or even when you have placed your trust in your religious activity to earn favor with God—you have been severed from Christ, and fallen from grace (Galatians 5:1-4).
Falling from grace is a fairly drastic occurrence. Grace is the provision of all that you need in order to live a life of abundance and peace. To best understand what it means to be “severed from Christ”or to be “fallen from grace,” I need to compare it to electricity. Elec- tricity is the flow of power that makes everything work in your home. Virtually everything in your house operates because of electricity, either in its use or in its manufacture.
If you are severed from electricity, the flow of the power stops even though you still own the appliances, lights, heater, air conditioning unit, computers, television and all else. It’s not that you no longer possess these items, nor is it that you didn’t pay for and purchase them. But you can have something that you have paid for and not enjoy it simply because the flow of electricity is no longer there.
To be severed from Christ or to fall from grace means that what God wants to do in you and through you is no longer flowing. Therefore, your hope is gone, your peace is gone, your courage is gone, your faith is gone, and your authority is gone.
Yet those who function by the rule of surrender in kingdom living will experience a peace that passes understanding. The Spirit of God will permeate all that you do.
Reflection: How is grace as important to our lives as electricity is to our appliances? How does a person become severed from grace? Read Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1–22, and thank God for His abundant grace to you.
Life doesn’t always create peaceful situations. Sometimes things are stressful, Lord—You know that. Yet in that stress, You offer a peace that passes understanding. I thank You for that. That is a powerful gift.