Living in the Balance of Grace and Faith
One of the questions I get asked the most is “How do I receive from God?” People usually follow that up with “I’ve been praying, reading my Bible, going to church, and paying my tithes. I’ve been doing everything the Bible says to do.” What they don’t realize is that when they do that, they’ve just told me why they don’t receive: they think their performance should earn them something from God. This is a misunderstanding of the balance of grace and faith and their relationship to each other.
The word grace means unmerited, undeserved favor. Therefore, grace has nothing to do with you earning anything from God. Grace existed before you ever came to be. Another way of saying this is grace is God’s part. Faith is defined as a positive response to what God has already provided by grace. In other words, faith is your positive response to God’s grace, or faith only appropriates what God has already provided for you. Therefore, faith is your part.
Grace and faith work together, and they must be in balance.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says,
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Sometimes we read a passage from Scripture that is so familiar, we don’t stop to think about what it is really saying. In this verse, a profound truth is being declared. It says that we are saved by grace through faith, not one or the other. Think of it this way: Grace is what God does. Faith is what we do. It takes both working together for us to receive salvation.
Salvation is not dependent on grace alone. If it were, everyone would be saved and going to heaven, for God’s grace is the same toward everyone (Titus 2:11). He has already given the gift of salvation to everyone through Jesus. It is by faith that a person receives what was done 2,000 years ago.
Most of us believe that in order to be saved, we need to ask God to forgive us of our sins, but that isn’t what the Bible teaches. In 1 John 2:2, it states that Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus didn’t just die for those He knew would accept Him; He died for every sinner who has ever lived on this earth. And He died before you or I ever committed a single sin.
Here is a radical truth that would get me kicked out of most churches: Sin is not an issue with God! The Lord isn’t waiting for us to ask Him to forgive us of our sins. The sins of the entire world—past, present, and future—have already been forgiven. Even a man like Adolf Hitler had grace extended to him! Jesus loved Hitler and paid for his sins just as He did for yours and mine. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11).
God has already done His part; it is now up to you to receive the truth by faith and make it a reality in your life. Amen!
God’s grace has provided not only for salvation but also for every need of your life. That provision is not based on whether you are reading the Bible enough, praying enough, going to church, or even paying your tithes. Before you ever had a financial need, God created the provision. Before you were sick, God, through grace, provided your healing (1 Pet. 2:24). Before you ever became discouraged, God blessed you with all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3). God anticipated every need you could ever have and met those needs through Jesus before you existed. That’s grace.
Jesus hasn’t saved, healed, delivered, or prospered a single person in the last 2,000 years. What God provided by grace 2,000 years ago now becomes a reality when mixed with faith. Faith appropriates what God has already provided. Faith doesn’t move God; He isn’t the one who is stuck. Faith doesn’t make God do anything. Grace and faith work together, and our part is to accept what God has already done. Grace must be balanced with faith.
It is not the truth that sets you free; it’s the truth you know that sets you free (John 8:32). And the truth is that you need to put your faith in what God has already done, not in what you do.
God has done His part by giving His Son, Jesus. His grace has provided everything through the sacrifice of Jesus. This is nearly too good to be true because there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn it and nothing we can do to lose it. Our part is simple: we respond to His grace by faith and appropriate what has already been accomplished.
As simple as this sounds, most Christians don’t understand this concept. Many emphasize grace and others emphasize faith. But too few emphasize balancing grace and faith. It’s like sodium and chloride: Taken individually, both are poisons and can kill you. When mixed together, they become salt, which you must have to live. Grace without your positive response of faith won’t save you, and faith that isn’t a response to God’s grace will bring you into condemnation. But if you put your faith in what God has already done for you, you’ll have the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).
This is foundational to your relationship with God and the reason you may not be seeing your prayers answered. To help you, I encourage you to get my Living in the Balance of Grace and Faith Package. It includes the Living in the Balance of Grace and Faith CD or DVD series, paperback book, and study guide. To order this special package, go to store.awmaust.net.au or call our Helpline at +61 3177 7681.
We love you,
Andrew and Jamie
