Topic: YOU HAVE RECEIVED GRACE TO FUNCTION – Bishop Mike Okonkwo Devotional 22 February 2020 [The Redeemed Evangelical Mission]
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YOU HAVE RECEIVED GRACE TO FUNCTION
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17 KJV
If you take a close look around you today, you would notice that the activities of the enemy seem to have increased. But the good news, however, is that the grace of God abounds even much more. This is the best time for the believer to be alive because while it is getting darker in the world, it is actually getting brighter in the church. So, you have enough grace to navigate your way in spite of what you see around you.
The grace of God upon your life is intended by God to take you high above contrary situations so that you can soar where others are crawling. When men are saying that there is a casting down, you are saying there is a lifting up. That is what makes you different from the world because they cannot understand how you function. Paul, in his letter to his son Timothy; encouraged him to be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1 KJV). That grace was to enable him endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ. Thus, hardship was not enough to stop Timothy in the work that God had called him into.
Beloved, in today’s world, you really cannot function without the grace of God upon your life because everything is designed to work against you. If God does not help you, there is no way you can make it.
However, functioning by the grace of God is just the starting point. The truth is that you need to grow in that grace for you to be strong in it. Since growth can only come through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, you must take a quality decision to get to know Him intimately. Make up your mind to personally seek the Lord in the study of the Word, in prayers and fasting so that you can know Him for yourself.
Further Reading: Job 22: 21-23, 2 Timothy 2:1-5
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Numbers 3-4; Evening- Mark 3:20-35