In this post, we will address the topic of Grace, and specifically, five areas of grace by and through the grace of Yahweh. When Yahweh created man, He had a master vision and a specific purpose already planned. He called it Bereshit (pronounced Ba ra shith) which is the original Paleo Hebrew word for Beginning. We read this word in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning”. You can read more about it on the blog post “An Appointed Time”. Bereshit literally is the message:
Yeshua, Son of God, will destroy sin by His finished work on the cross at the appointed time.
He wanted man (and woman) to be co-heirs to His throne in the kingdom of Heaven and He wanted the kingdom of Heaven to be revealed to all here on Earth. We were created to worship Him in spirit and truth, walk in dominion over His creation, and commune with Him daily.
Yes, we failed and fell from grace and got sent out of the Garden of Eden, but Yahweh had a plan from the beginning and knew all this would happen. I want to add here for context that the word Eden in Paleo Hebrew means “See/experience pathway to Life.”
When we understand the message of Bereshit and Eden, it brings scripture into perspective and brings it to life. The Book of Titus 2:11 says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” We will expand on this more in this blog. Let’s start with the two scriptures below and then ask yourself the questions that follow.
Mt 4:19 “Come, follow me,”Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Mt 4:20 So they immediately left their nets and went after him.
Ac 26:16 ‘Now rise up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of those things of which you have seen of me, and of those things in which you will also see me again. Ac 26:17 I will deliver you from your own people and from the other peoples to whom I send you, Ac 26:18 to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God and receive forgiveness of sins and a portion with the saints who are of faith in me.’
Have you heard the call from God for ministry?
What was it like?
Did you get up at once and follow Jesus like the fishermen did?
I suppose it is possible to hear the call from God for ministry and say “no”, but I personally can’t imagine it. When the Spirit of the Lord (the baptism by the Spirit) falls upon us and that perfect love that surpasses all understanding and casts out all fear is right there, it is then that we may realize that we have been called and mandated for a position in the body (army) of Christ. For many, it is the first experience of the reality of the kingdom of heaven right here on earth. When Jesus said “come, follow me”, there was no hesitation, and beloved, there should be no hesitation with us.
But now what?
We need grace from God like never before because we have now accepted a call to live in the world as a sheep among wolves and the wolves are always watching and waiting to devour us first chance they get.
This is a road we have not traveled before. We are out of our worldly comfort zone and the struggle between the soul and spirit is real. We are certain to make mistakes, to get some bumps and bruises along the way, but we learn by trial and error. Along the way, we have to get serious and walk away from our former lusts of the world.
If God has called you into ministry, then you can rest assured that through your faith and endurance, He will guide your every step. Just as He did Paul, he will rescue you when needed and He will use you to open eyes of others, to turn them from darkness to His light.
All that being said, realize first that it is only by God’s grace that any of us are called to be ministers. The above scriptures pretty much sum it up in terms of being a church minister (by church, I mean people…not buildings).
Where are you called to serve?
If God places you in a building then praise Him. If He places you on the streets then praise Him, if you are placed in a business, then praise Him. No matter the call, no matter the job, it is all for one purpose…the salvation of mankind, to destroy the works of the devil, and to worship Almighty God in spirit and truth. All three work in unison just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in unison.
Types of grace required for ministry by the Grace of God:
Leadership Grace – Edification
Life Grace – Training
Salvation Grace – Impartation
Preparation Grace – Transformation
Ministry Grace – The Prize
The Grace of God
Below are some scriptures referencing God’s outpouring grace:
Tit 2:11For the grace of God that brings salvation has been revealed to all men. Tit 2:12 It teaches us to renounce ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live in this world soberly, righteously, and in godliness, Tit 2:13 looking for that blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Messiah,Tit 2:14 who gave himself for us that he might save us from all iniquity, and might purify us to be his own,eager to do good works.
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace that is in me has not been in vain; for I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I, but God that is inside me.
1Pe 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1Pe 4:11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides,so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen
There are many areas of the Grace of God. Grace to wake up each morning, grace to not get fired from our job when we make a big mistake, grace in raising children, etc.
Being a minister (fisher of men) requires a greater grace in every area of our life. God wants those who are called by His name to walk in His grace, in His glory, with His power and His love.
Heavenly Gifts
Just as we read above in 1Peter 4:10, God has given to each of us heavenly gifts. These are gifts that we have not asked for. They have been distributed to us as the Father wills and only by His grace. Our job is to understand them and use them for His glory. If you believe you are called to be a minister but you don’t believe in heavenly gifts, this is a fallacy. It is our responsibility as ministers to seek God for the gifts He has given us and to nurture those gifts. Remember, as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are expected to represent God in everything we do, just as Jesus did.
Let’s look at the heavenly gifts that have been given by the grace of our God.
Eph 4:7 But, to each one of us, grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Messiah. 8Therefore it is said, He ascended on high, and took possession of the skies and gave good gifts to men. 9Now that he ascended, who is it, but he, who also descended first into the inner parts of the land? 10So he who descended, is the same as who also ascended far above all skies, that he might fulfill all things.
11And he has assigned some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors, and some as teachers; 12for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Messiah,
13until we all become one in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become a perfect man, according to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah, 14that we, from now on, not be like children, easily stirred and carried away by every wind of false doctrines of men, who, through their craftiness, are artful in deceiving the people; 15but that we be sincere in our love, so that in everything, we may progress through Messiah, who is the head.
16It is through him, that the whole body is closely and firmly united at all joints, according to the measure of the gift which is given to every member, for the guidance and control of the body, in order to complete the edifying of the body in love.
God has designed His Glorious Church to function in:
- Fullness
- Completeness
In the above scripture, the first five of 12 church functional ministry gifts are mentioned, which are: Apostles, prophets, evangelists, preachers, teachers. Although you may have one or the other, or perhaps have been blessed with more than one of the above gifts, it is imperative that you seek God and earnestly ask Him to join you with others in the body with the other gifts, so that your ministry can walk in the fullness and completeness of Jesus Christ. The scripture is clear. He designates apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of services, so the body of Christ may be built up.
Let’s look at some more heavenly gifts:
Ro 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members do not have the same function, 5so we, being many, are one body in Messiah, and each one members of one another.
6Having, then, gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, some have the gift of prophecy, according to the measure of faith, 7some have the gift of serving, in their ministry; and some of teaching, in their doctrine. 8Some of exhortation, in consoling; he that gives, let him do it with sincerity; he that rules, with diligence; he that shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
For teachings on these spiritual gifts, click here.
And then we have even more heavenly gifts:
1Co 12: Now there are diversities of gifts, but there is only one Spirit.
5And there are diversities of ministries, but there is only one Master.
6And there are diversities of powers, but it is the one God who works all things in all men. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man as help to him.
8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the means to distinguish the true Spirit; to another different languages; to another the interpretation of languages.
11But all of these gifts are worked by one and the same Spirit, divided to each one severally as he will.
God gave us gifts to help us so that we can prepare God’s people for works of service. Every portion of the body has a function, and if one area of our human body is not fully functional, it slows us down, or prevents us from doing something we would otherwise be doing had it been fully functional; and even, to cause another portion of the body to have to overcompensate to make up for the portion not operating. It is the same with the body of Christ, we must function together as a whole body.
Trust the Holy Spirit to teach you all things. God will bring you the right people at the right time, for His purpose (not your purpose) and for His glory. It’s okay to step out of your comfort zone. This is called faith. If you are stepping out in faith and in accordance to the will and word of God, then God will meet you.
Leadership Grace
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in our Master, for this is right.
2This is the first commandment with promise: Honor your father and your mother, 3that it may be well with you and you may live long on the land. 4And parents do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and teaching of our Master.
Heb 13:17 17Listen to your spiritual leaders and obey them; for they are watchful guardians of your souls, as one who must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.
It is under Leadership Grace where the gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, and pastor are nurtured and developed.
Man’s definition of these gifts are often quite different from God’s definition. The teachings on these five gifts are available here (Part 1) and here (Part 2). Please take the time to learn about them, as they have been greatly misinterpreted in the business of organized religion and rarely taught to the congregations. You may relate to them more than you have realized.
If the church of God is operating in the fullness and completeness of Christ Jesus, then it should be a rotating cycle. People should not still be sitting in pews 5,10,15 years down the road and not have progressed in their faith and gifts. As ministers of God, we have a responsibility to keep the gospel going forth…until we all become one in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become a perfect man, according to the measure of the stature of the fullness of MessiahEph 4:13
If we step out in faith, God will meet us and give us grace in this area. When we feel that we may have erred, we can repent and ask the Father for more grace in this area of leadership. He loves us as sons and there will be times when He will discipline us if we get off track, just as a loving parent disciplines their child when necessary.
There is also a balance we are commanded to keep when we are in a position of leadership. Many have families, jobs, and home responsibilities. If married, Husbands are mandated to be the spiritual head of the house, provide financial, spiritual and emotional support to their spouse and children. This can be a challenge if they haven’t been trained and equipped in these areas. This brings us to God’s Life Grace.
Life Grace
Ro 3:23-24 for all have sinned and are short of the glory of God; 24for they are freely given righteousness by the grace of God through the salvation which is in Jesus Messiah,
Many preachers preach that we all fall short of the glory of God. Too few of them preach that we are justified freely by God’s life grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Messiah. WE NEED THIS GRACE! When you hear otherwise than this teaching, you are hearing from a religious spirit that wants to keep you in bondage.
Ro 6:17-23 But thank God that you, who were once the servants of sin, now obey from the heart that form of doctrine which has been delivered to you. 18Now being made free from sin you become the servants of righteousness.
19I speak after the manner of men because of the weakness of your flesh; for as you have yielded your members to the servitude of uncleanness and iniquity, so now yield your members to the servitude of righteousness and holiness.
20For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21What kind of fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For its end is death.
22But now being made free from sin and having become servants of God, your fruits are holy, and its end is life everlasting.
23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through our Master Jesus Messiah.
God has given us the most awesome life grace in the world, when He sent His son to be our savior and to bear the burden of our transgressions. This is true life grace. Without God’s life grace, there is a pretty good chance that you and I would not be here today. There is a movement today call The Hyper Grace Movement. It teaches that you are saved by grace and therefore God accepts you as you are. This is a perverted twisting of the scripture and true gospel of Jesus Christ. His word is clear that we are to get rid of that old man and become a holy temple unto Him. We must not confuse God’s Life Grace for permission to continue sinning, as that becomes presumptuous sin and leads to death.
Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.Jn 3:20 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he whoe does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Ac 17:26 And he has made of one blood, all nations of men to live on all the face of the land, and he has appointed seasons by his command, and has set limits to the age of men; 27so that they should seek and search after God, and find him by means of his creations, because he is not far from anyone of us;
28for in him we live and move and have our being, as some of your own wise men have said, For we are his relatives.
God wants us to seek Him, yearn for Him, call unto Him and be obedient to His will. He loves us so much. This leads us to Salvation Grace.
Salvation Grace
Eph 2:8-10 For it is by grace that you are saved through faith; not of your doing; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are His creation, created through Jesus Messiah ultimately for good works, and God has before ordained that we should live in them.
Beloved, listen and receive the word of God. It is by grace you are saved, through faith…a gift of God. It didn’t cost you a penny. It is a gift! The catch phrase here is “through faith” NOT through the Law of works. Just as there is a movement of Hyper Grace, there is also the Hebrew Roots movement that leads believers back to the Law of works. Our exhortation to you is to stick with the true gospel of Jesus Christ and steer clear of any movements. Jesus is not a movement, he is the bridegroom looking for a bride who has made herself ready. .
This also does not mean that one can not get their name blotted out of the book of life. Jesus, Himself, says this in Revelation 3:1-6, Exodus 32:33, Psalm 69:28 and more. Different subject. Don’t get confused and do not get stuck on this. Simply put, many have been deceived and have taken a path of false doctrine. The end result will be on judgment day when Jesus will say, “You called me Lord, but I never knew you.” We are talking about salvation grace only. It is in Salvation Grace where the Impartation process begins:
Eph 4:11 And he has assigned some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors, and some as teachers; 12for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Messiah,
13until we all become one in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become a perfect man, according to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah, 14that we, from now on, not be like children, easily stirred and carried away by every wind of false doctrines of men, who, through their craftiness, are artful in deceiving the people; 15but that we be sincere in our love, so that in everything, we may progress through Messiah, who is the head.
16It is through him, that the whole body is closely and firmly united at all joints, according to the measure of the gift which is given to every member, for the guidance and control of the body, in order to complete the edifying of the body in love.
Ro 1:11 For I long to see you, and to impart to you the gift of the Spirit, in order that you may be strengthened by it, 12and that we may be comforted together by our mutual faith.
2Ti 1-2: Therefore my son, be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Messiah. 2And the things which you have heard from me by many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who also will be able to teach others.
When Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them, it was for a purpose. The Holy Spirit had to come to impart in their spirit all they had heard and been taught by Jesus while he walked here on earth, prior to His resurrection and return to His full glory before the world began. It is one thing to have head knowledge, but there is no power of God in head knowledge. The power comes through the Spirit that dwells within. For a teaching on Baptisms, click here.
When one is called into ministry, one must prepare for the call. It is no different than taking a job with no training. You can not do the job properly without the proper training. Prepare, practice, learn, reproof, and go forth. When we step out in our own zeal versus in the spirit of God through impartation, we tend to hit more bumps in the road than we should. Pride is always at the door waiting to creep in and bring destruction.
This leads to Preparation Grace and the transformation period.
Preparation Grace
Eph 6:10-15 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places….and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,he is a new creation;the old has gone, the new has come! 2Co 5:18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 2Co 5:19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2Co 5:20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Ro 12:2Do not conform (imitate)any longer to the pattern of this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.Then you will be able to test and approve (discern) what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Ro 12:3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
1Co 4:1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 1Co 4:2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
Okay, here you have it! His WORD is clear. We have got to be transformed from the world, from any false doctrine we may be subjected to, knowingly or through ignorance, and be filled with the Holy Spirit so as to be entrusted with the secret things of God. Then we must be tested and approved. When God can trust us, then we are released to walk in Ministry Grace and in the ministry of Jesus.
Ministry Grace
Phil 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Phil 3:16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Phil 3:17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. Phil 3:18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Phil 3:19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach,and their glory is in their shame.Their mind is on earthly things.Phil 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Phil 3:21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Before we move on to the Ministry of Jesus, let’s reflect back on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Remember it is under God’s leadership grace that these gifts are developed and nurtured. The spiritual gifts are facets of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit doing a work in us and through us for the Kingdom of God. They are a pillar in the house of God and we are His spiritual house, being built up. They reflect His sound character through the Fruit of the Spirit, His sound deeds through the Ephesians 4:11 and Romana 12:4 functional gifts of ministry, and the manifestations of the sounds deeds (the supernatural power) in 1 Corinthians 12:1. Beloved, it is here that they all come into play.
You are to be the Glorious Church. You represent Jesus in everything you say and do. You are created in His like imagine. Your gifts need to come forth at the appointed time. Rest assured that there is a season for walking in God’s permissible will when we are babes desiring spiritual milk, but there is also an appointed time when we are to grow and mature and walk in His perfect will–in sonship. Batten Down the Hatches of the ‘Ship’ is a good post to read pertaining to leadership, discipleship, and sonship within the body of Christ.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The spiritual gifts go hand in hand with the Fruit of the Spirit. Click Here for the teaching. To produce Fruit of the Holy Spirit, we must first have the Gift of the Holy Spirit. We produce one of two types of fruit. Good fruit or bad fruit. As a minister of Jesus Christ, we have a commandment to be fruitful and multiply good fruit. If you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you must know that your ministry will not be complete or fruitful so as to multiply.
Jn 20:22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Ac 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Ac 2:39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love,joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gal 5:23 gentleness and self-control.Against such things there is no law.
Gal 5:24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.Gal 5:25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
We encourage you, if you have not already done so, press in and repent (change your mindset and turn from your ways) and ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. One of the biggest deceptions Christians walk in is believing that when they receive Jesus as their savior that they automatically are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are only given the promise of the Holy Spirit. We must wait for the Spirit to come upon us and dwell within. Jesus told His disciples:
Lk 24:45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Lk 24:46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, Lk 24:47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Lk 24:48You are witnesses of these things. Lk 24:49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
For more understanding on the Elementary Doctrine of Baptisms, click here.
The ministry of Jesus Christ is the goal and the prize you are to obtain in whatever your calling is. Very few will be called to stand at a pulpit, for there are many wolves in sheep/shepherds clothing, but all believers are called to be the Glorious Church. You represent Jesus in everything you say and do. You are created in His like imagine. Your gifts need to come forth at the appointed time. Rest assured that there is a season for walking in God’s permissible will, but there is also an appointed time when we are to walk in His perfect will in sonship. Batten Down the Hatches of the ‘Ship’ is a good post to read pertaining to leadership, discipleship, and sonship within the body of Christ. Eternal Life is the prize. Can you think of any greater grace?
Paul spoke well and in truth when he spoke of the Marks of the Ministry, in 2 Corinthians 6.
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2Cor 6:1-2)
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Until next time, be blessed and know you are loved.
Garry and Norma
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