THE SPIRIT OF GRACE

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12 NKJV)

 

All believers have equal rights and access to the inexhaustible riches of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Paul presents this truth.

 

Romans 5:1-2 – NKJV

 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 

But while some believers today are exploring, appropriating, experiencing and enjoying the riches of grace, unfortunately, many believers today are still languishing and sinking in the mire of sin and poverty.

 

The variation or disparity is certainly not from God, “For there is no partiality with God.” (Rom. 2:11 NKJV).

 

God has given every born-again believer the Spirit of grace, the Holy Spirit, to lead and guide us in our exploration or discovery of the riches of grace from our “grace-mine” (God’s Word).

 

1 Corinthians 2:12 – NKJV

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

 

However, any believer who is lazy in digging deep into the Word of God (the grace-mine) will remain destitute of the riches of grace and so dependent on diligent believers who are exploring and appropriating the riches of grace (Prov. 13:4, 20:4).

 

It is as you diligently and prayerfully embark on the spiritual discovery of the unlimited riches of grace that are available to you in Christ that the Holy Spirit will open or enlighten your eyes of understanding to see, discover, and appropriate all the things that God has freely given to you in Christ (Matt. 7:8).

 

Without the help of the Holy Spirit, you can’t understand and appropriate the things that have been freely given to you by God in Christ (1 Cor. 2:11-12).

 

One of the primary missions of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is to search and take of what belongs to Christ and reveal it to the believers.

 

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 – NKJV

 9 But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

 

Without the active engagement or assistance of the Holy Spirit in your study or digging deep into the Word of God, you may not receive any revelation, knowledge, or spiritual understanding from God’s Word.

 

Jesus reveals the mission of the Holy Spirit to His disciples.

 

John 16:12-15 – NKJV

 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

 13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

 

All God’s children are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). We all have equal rights and access to the inexhaustible divine provisions or riches of grace.

 

However, only those who hear, recognize, and follow the guidance, leading, or prompting of the Spirit of grace will experience, enjoy, and walk in the blessings of grace.

 

By virtue of the new birth, every believer has been divinely positioned in the ocean of abundant riches of Christ’s grace. However, without hearing, recognizing, and obeying the voice of the Spirit of grace, you may still languish in poverty amidst abundance.

 

The Holy Spirit is your primary guide, teacher, partner, and helper in your walk of faith to discover, appropriate, experience, and enjoy every blessing that God has freely given to you in and through Christ.

 

Therefore, you must recognize, understand, and follow the leading of the Spirit of grace, for that is the only sure way to live under grace and forestall sliding back under the law where Sin and Satan reign and operate unhindered.

 

Galatians 5:18 – NKJV

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 

It is only as you seek to know, recognize and obey the voice and leading of the Spirit of grace that you can continue to live or walk under grace, thereby enjoying increasingly all the blessings that have been freely given to you in Christ.

 

How then does the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of grace) lead and guide the believers into the depths and riches of grace?

 

How can a believer recognize or understand the voice or leading of the Spirit of grace?

 

First, the Holy Spirit primarily speaks, leads, guides, directs, or instructs believers through the Bible, the written and inspired Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17).

 

The Holy Spirit will never contradict the written Word of God. The Holy Spirit will only reveal, remind, or confirm the truths of God’s Word to you.

 

The Bible is the infallible Word of God. The Bible is the supreme sourcebook of our knowledge of God. It is the textbook of divine truth. The Bible pages are the authoritative revelation of God’s nature, will, plans and purposes in a written form (John 1:1, Heb. 4:12, Isa. 55:10-11).

 

God’s Word is the grace-mine!

 

It is while digging deep into God’s Word that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes of understanding to the inexhaustible riches of grace.

 

Second, the Holy Spirit speaks, leads, guides, directs or instructs the believers through an audible voice, inner voice, prompting, tugging, or witness in the believers’ born-again spirits.

 

The Holy Spirit is not a mere influence, power, or force of God. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit is a living and divine Person with intellect, knowledge, will, and emotions (John 16:13-15).

 

The Holy Spirit may speak quietly to you in your heart or audibly to you as though someone is by your side talking to you. The Holy Spirit may also employ other believers to speak to you and give you divine counsel.

 

While you cannot compel the Holy Spirit to speak to you in a certain way; however, you can position or make yourself ready to hear and obey His voice whichever ways or means He chooses to speak to you.

 

One of the primary ways to position yourself to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit is to still or quieten your mind. Your mind is naturally boisterous or agitated. Therefore, it needs to be quietened for you to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in your spirit.

 

The Scripture commands you to “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psa. 46:10 NKJV).

 

David said, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Psa. 131:2 NKJV).

 

That is what you also need to do if you want to hear, recognize or know the voice of the Holy Spirit whenever He speaks to you by whatever means He chooses.

 

Beloved, if you fail to still, calm or quieten your soul or mind while seeking to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, what you will hear is the voice of your carnal or troubled mind.

 

How then do you still or quieten your agitated or noisy mind?

 

You can calm or still your agitated or noisy mind simply by focusing or fixating it on God – His love, mercy, goodness, glory, and power.

 

When your mind is set, focused, or fixated on God, the peace of God will flood your mind.

 

Isaiah 26:3-4 – NKJV

 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

 4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.

 

Your mind is set, focused, or fixated on God as you spend quality time reading, studying, listening to, and meditating in God’s Word and in praying and worshipping God in the Spirit.

 

Philippians 4:6-7 – NKJV

 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

In the process, you may receive or experience a pure, intuitive, or divine spontaneous flow of thoughts, words, impressions, or visions in your heart (Hab. 2:1-3)

 

It is good always to write down all the spontaneous or intuitive thoughts, words, or impressions you receive in your heart while waiting upon the Lord so that you can check them against God’s written Word.

 

The Bible is the spiritual standard or index for judging every word, thought, impression, voice, or vision you receive from God.

 

The Holy Spirit will never speak contrary to any written word or teaching of Christ or His early apostles in the Bible.

 

Therefore, before you act upon any voice, thought, word, or impression, you must diligently search the Scripture to see that it perfectly conforms to the word or teaching of Christ and His early apostles.

 

It is also wise to seek godly counsel from your pastor or a mature believer in Christ before you act upon any voice, spontaneous thought, word, or impression which comes to your heart while waiting upon God for divine leading, guidance, or direction on sensitive matters.

 

 

Prayer: My Dear Holy Spirit, You are my guide, partner, and helper in grace. Teach and help me to quieten my agitated mind daily so that I may hear, know, and recognize Your inner or audible voice, prompting, leading, or guidance, in Jesus’ name. Amen.