What is the Gospel of God’s Grace, Exactly?

It turns out that the Gospel of His Grace is everything.

Titus 3:4-7 "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy [Grace], by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His GRACE we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

In an age often characterized by self-reliance and human achievement, today we embark on a profound exploration of the Triune DIVINE Sovereignty in your SALVATION and the End Time Harvest.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Drawing deeply from foundational Scriptures in Ephesians, Colossians, and Romans, the Bible seems to challenge contemporary notions by asserting that God’s Grace is not merely a disposition (Age of Grace), but the very ETERNAL love exchange of the Triune God, entirely His initiative and 0% human contribution.

Romans 11:6 "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace."

I invite readers to re-examine their understanding of God's absolute ownership, sustenance, and orchestrating power over all creation, and to discover the radical implications of our entire identity hidden with Christ and IN CHRIST, where humanity's role is one of responsive reception of HIS REST as a GIFT rather than striving through self-ambition, self-promotion, self-preservation, and ultimately self-governance.

2 Corinthians 13:14 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."

My findings emphasizes that "Grace is entirely God's work. It is 100% divine initiative, 0% human contribution. Grace cannot be earned, achieved, or manufactured by human effort. It can only be received." This might be considered a shocking truth as it completely removes human effort from the equation of grace and salvation.

1 Peter 1:2 "According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."

I warn you to be prepared to delve into a biblical framework that exalts Christ's supremacy, unveils the bankruptcy of self, and illuminates the often-neglected yet vital role of angels in God's unfolding kingdom work–HIS KINGDOM COME, HIS WILL BE DONE.

A Biblical Foundation for Understanding God's Sovereignty in Salvation and Harvest

PART 1: MY CORE RESEARCH QUESTIONS

My Primary Specialized Investigation

1. Who are the 144,000 Jewish virgin men who are witnesses?

2. Who are the Two Witnesses?

3. Who is the great angel with the eternal gospel?

4. What is their mission, loyalty, and what results do they cause?

5. When does this take place?

6. What is the timing relationship to the Bride of Christ and the Rapture?

My Secondary Specializws Investigation

1. Does Scripture require the Church to preach the gospel to all nations BEFORE the end comes?

2. OR does Scripture show that after the Rapture, Heaven and Earth collaborate in unprecedented witness?

3. What is the role of angels in God's kingdom work, especially in end-times?

4. How does the Rapture provoke Israel to jealousy and awareness?

5. What is the individual believer's actual role in building Christ's church?

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PART 2: THE THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION - THE GOSPEL OF GRACE

The Absolute Sovereignty of God

WHO OWNS ALL CREATION?

Colossians 1:16 - "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and FOR HIM."

WHO SUSTAINS ALL CREATION?

Colossians 1:17 - "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Hebrews 1:3 - "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power."

WHO IS SOVEREIGN?

Ephesians 1:21-22 - "Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church."

Revelation 1:8 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

The Nature of Grace - Triune Love in Action

Grace is not merely God's disposition toward humanity. Grace IS the ETERNAL love exchange between Father and Son, proceeding forth as the Holy Spirit. This is the very life of God being shared with creation. Grace has no beginning and no end, it is eternal.

Key Principle: Grace is entirely God's work. It is 100% divine initiative, 0% human contribution. Grace cannot be earned, achieved, or manufactured by human effort. It can only be received.

The 7000 Year Framework:

- 6 days/6000 years = humanity's self-governance under sin, law, and flesh

- 7th day/1000 years = Sabbath rest in Christ (Millennial Kingdom)

- 2 Peter 3:8 - "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day."

The Two Adams - The Great Transition

Romans 5:12-21 - The first Adam brought sin, death, and condemnation TO ALL. The second Adam (Christ) brings grace, life, and justification TO ALL who receive.

Key Point: We don't transition ourselves from Adam 1 to Adam 2. Only Christ can make us righteous, clean, and able to be one with the Father. This is accomplished entirely by His work, not ours.

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PART 3: FOUNDATIONAL SCRIPTURES - EPHESIANS 1-4

Ephesians 1: Chosen Before the Foundation

Verses 3-6 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."

Key Observations:

- Chosen BEFORE creation (zero human contribution possible)

- Predestined by HIS will (not ours)

- HIS kind intention (not our worthiness)

- Grace FREELY bestowed (not earned)

Verse 11 - "Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will."

Divine Sovereignty:

- ALL things (not some things)

- After the counsel of HIS will (not ours)

Verses 13-14 - "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."

Divine Security:

- GOD seals us (not us sealing ourselves)

- The Spirit is the pledge

- We are GOD'S possession

Verses 19-23 - "And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Christ's Supremacy:

- HIS power at work in us

- Far above ALL rule, authority, power, dominion

- ALL things in subjection

- Head over ALL things to the church

Ephesians 2: Dead, Then Made Alive

Verses 1-10 - "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

Total Depravity, Total Grace:

- We were DEAD (not sick, DEAD - incapable of self-resurrection)

- HE made us alive (we didn't revive ourselves)

- BY GRACE (zero human contribution)

- Faith is a GIFT (not something we conjure up)

- We are HIS workmanship (He is the craftsman, we are the craft)

- Even the works were prepared BEFOREHAND by Him

Verses 19-22 - "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

Divine Construction:

- Christ is the cornerstone (the foundation stone)

- The building IS BEING fitted together (passive voice - God is doing it)

- IS GROWING (passive - God causes growth, not us)

- ARE BEING BUILT (passive - God is the builder, we are the materials)

Ephesians 3: The Eternal Purpose and Angels Watching

Verses 8-11 - "To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Angels Watching the Church:

- The church displays God's wisdom TO THE RULERS AND AUTHORITIES IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES

- Angels are WATCHING the church

- This was God's ETERNAL purpose

- Angels are part of the audience witnessing God's redemptive plan

- They learn about God's grace by observing the church

Verses 20-21 - "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

Infinite Capacity:

- HE is able (not us)
- Far beyond what we can imagine
- HIS power works IN us (not our power)
- Glory to HIM (not us)

Ephesians 4: Christ Gave the Gifts, Christ Causes Growth

Verses 11-16 - "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

Christ Orchestrates Everything:

- HE gave the gifts (not us appointing ourselves)

- Growth comes FROM Christ (the head)

- The body is fitted and held together BY Him

- Even "each part" works according to HIS supply

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PART 4: FOUNDATIONAL SCRIPTURES - COLOSSIANS 1-3

Colossians 1: The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ

Verses 15-17 - "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Creation, Ownership, Sustenance:

- Christ is the IMAGE of God (exact representation)

- By Him ALL things were created (He is Creator)

- Things visible AND invisible (physical and spiritual realms)

- Thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities (angelic hierarchies)

- ALL things created THROUGH Him (instrumental cause)

- ALL things created FOR Him (final purpose - He owns everything)

- He is BEFORE all things (eternally preexistent)

- In Him all things HOLD TOGETHER (moment-by-moment sustainer)

Verses 18-20 - "He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven."

Total Supremacy:

- First place in EVERYTHING (not most things, EVERYTHING)

- Father's good pleasure for fullness to dwell in Christ

- Christ reconciles ALL things

- Things in heaven AND on earth (angels included in reconciliation plan)

Verse 27 - "To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Our Identity:

- CHRIST in us (not us producing Christ-likeness)
- HE is the hope (not our efforts)
- Glory is HIS (not ours)

Colossians 2: Complete in Him

Verses 9-10 - "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority."

Our Sufficiency:

- Made complete IN HIM (not "becoming complete" through our efforts)

- We are ALREADY complete (perfect tense - completed action with ongoing results)

- Head over ALL rule and authority (angels included)

Verses 13-15 - "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him."

Christ's Victory Over Powers:
- He MADE us alive (we didn't revive ourselves)

- Forgiven ALL transgressions (not some)

- Certificate of debt CANCELED (completely removed)

- Nailed to the cross (finished, paid in full)

- He DISARMED the rulers and authorities (demonic powers)

- He made PUBLIC DISPLAY of them (cosmic triumph)

- He TRIUMPHED over them (complete victory)

- Angels (both fallen and holy) witnessed Christ's victory

Colossians 3: Hidden with Christ

Verses 1-4 - "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."

Our Identity:

- We DIED (past tense, completed)

- Our life is HIDDEN with Christ (secure, protected)

- CHRIST is our life (not "Christ helps our life")

- When HE is revealed, we are revealed (our destiny tied to His)

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PART 5: FOUNDATIONAL SCRIPTURES - ROMANS 5, 7, 8, 12

Romans 5: While We Were Still Helpless

Verses 6-11 - "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."

Timing of Salvation:

- While HELPLESS (unable to save ourselves)

- While SINNERS (not after we cleaned up)

- While ENEMIES (hostile to God)

- We didn't clean up first; He saved us in our filth

- Justified by HIS blood (not our improvement)

- Saved by HIS life (His resurrection life sustains us)

Verses 12-21 - "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Two Adams:

- First Adam: sin, death, condemnation TO ALL

- Second Adam: grace, life, justification TO ALL who receive

- "MUCH MORE" - grace superabounds over sin

- We RECEIVE (not achieve) righteousness

- Grace REIGNS (it's the ruling power)

Romans 7: Nothing Good in the Flesh

Verses 18-25 - "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."

Paul's Assessment of SELF:

- NOTHING good in the flesh (not "very little good")

- Cannot produce the good (willing present, doing absent)

- WRETCHED (utter bankruptcy apart from Christ)

- "Who will set me free?" - rhetorical question pointing to Christ

- Only CHRIST sets free (not self-improvement)

Key Principle: There is NO TRUTH in SELF. SELF is lie and lying. There is no FAITHFULNESS in SELF. SELF is not a source, it is a taker. SELF demands and never supplies. SELF steals, takes what is not his, and in rebellion and lawlessness, takes and never gives.

Romans 8: Life in the Spirit

Verses 1-4 - "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

Zero Condemnation:
- NO condemnation (not "less condemnation")

- Spirit SET us free (past tense, accomplished)

- GOD did what Law couldn't (divine initiative)

- Requirement fulfilled IN us (not BY us)

Verses 9-11 - "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

Divine Indwelling:

- Spirit dwells IN us (not "with us" but IN us)

- Same power that raised Jesus DWELLS in us

- HE gives life to our bodies (resurrection power at work)

Verses 14-17 - "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."

Divine Leading:

- BEING LED by the Spirit (passive voice - He leads, we follow)

- Spirit of adoption (we didn't adopt ourselves)

- Spirit testifies (we don't conjure up assurance)

- Heirs of GOD (inheritance based on relationship, not performance)

Verses 26-28 - "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Divine Orchestration:

- Spirit intercedes (we don't even know how to pray!)

- Groanings too deep for words (beyond human capacity)

- GOD causes all things to work together (He's orchestrating)

- For those CALLED according to HIS purpose (not ours)

Verses 29-30 - The Golden Chain of Salvation:

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

Divine Sovereignty in Salvation:

- Foreknew → Predestined → Called → Justified → Glorified

- ALL verbs have GOD as subject (He does it all)

- Notice: Glorified is PAST TENSE (already accomplished in God's mind)

- No human contribution in any link of the chain

Verses 31-39 - "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Eternal Security:

- If God is FOR us, who can be against us?

- God gave His Son - will He withhold anything else?

- No charge can be brought (God justifies)

- Christ intercedes (ongoing advocacy)

- NOTHING can separate us from His love:

- Not circumstances (tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword)
- Not death or life
- Not angels or principalities or powers
- Not time (things present or to come)
- Not space (height or depth)
- Not ANY created thing

- We OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him (not through our strength)

Romans 12: Living Sacrifice - Be Transformed

Verses 1-2 - "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Our Response to Grace:

- Present ourselves (yield, surrender)

- Living sacrifice (ongoing offering)

- BE transformed (passive - God transforms us)

- Not "transform yourselves" but "BE transformed"

- By the renewing of your mind (God renews our thinking)

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PART 6: THE NATURE OF SELF VS. THE NATURE OF CHRIST

The Bankruptcy of SELF

There is NO TRUTH in SELF:
- Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?"

- John 14:6 - "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (Truth is found in CHRIST, not self)

SELF is Lie and Lying:

- John 8:44 - "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

- Romans 3:4 - "Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar"

There is NO FAITHFULNESS in SELF:

- Romans 7:18 - "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh"

- Psalm 146:3 - "Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation"

SELF is Not a Source, It is a Taker:

- SELF demands and never supplies

- SELF steals, takes what is not his

- In rebellion and lawlessness, SELF takes and never gives

- John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy"

There is NO GOOD in SELF:

- Mark 10:18 - "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone"

- Romans 3:10-12 - "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one"

There is NO HUMILITY in SELF:

- Proverbs 16:18 - "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling"

- James 4:6 - "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble"

SELF Ambition, Promotion, Protection, Perseverance is a Lie:

- Cannot be trusted

- Never faithful

- Philippians 2:3 - "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves"

- James 3:14-16 - "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing."

There is NO FAITH in Self-Governance:

- No TRUTH in self-governance

- No one can trust human governance

- No one can trust the faith of human self-governance

- Humans cannot produce trust or faith

- Humans have no faithfulness

- Humans are absolutely unworthy of any trust

The Sufficiency of CHRIST

Jesus is a Self-Giving Source of Life:

- John 10:11 - "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep"

- John 6:51 - "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh"

- John 10:10 - "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly"

Jesus is Love-Based Surrender:

- Surrendering always to love

- The love of God

- Always obeying the Love of God on our behalf because we cannot

- This is GRACE

He is Faith, He is Faithful:

- Hebrews 12:2 - "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith"

- 2 Timothy 2:13 - "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself"

- Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God" (Note: The Greek can be read as "the faith OF the Son of God" - even our faith is His faith working in us)

He is Trust, He Alone is Trustworthy:

- Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

- Psalm 37:5 - "Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it"

He is the Author and Completer of All Faith:

- Hebrews 12:2 - "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"

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PART 7: OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

What We RECEIVE (Not Achieve)

We Receive Righteousness:

- 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him"

- Philippians 3:9 - "And may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith"

- Isaiah 64:6 - "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment"

We are righteous solely on what Jesus did, because He is the only one who is worthy. We are absolutely unworthy to save ourselves, transform ourselves, or to be righteous.

We Receive the King of Love in the Kingdom of His Love:

- Colossians 1:13 - "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son"

- 1 John 4:16 - "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him"

We Receive Eternal Life:

- Eternal life = fully supplied life WITH GOD, in His presence

- John 17:3 - "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent"

- John 10:28 - "And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand"

We Receive the Joy of the LORD:

- Nehemiah 8:10 - "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength"

- John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full"

- Joy = knowing we have eternal peace with the Father which is always supplied, never requested, cannot run out or be taken away

He Gives Us HIS Peace:

- John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful"

- Philippians 4:7 - "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"

- Peace = His faithfulness and His Truth

We Receive His Mercy and Grace:

- Because He is GOOD, not because we do anything good or bad

- Ephesians 2:4-5 - "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)"

- Titus 3:5 - "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit"

We Are BORN AGAIN

Born by the Will and Pleasure of the Father:

- John 1:12-13 - "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God"

- James 1:18 - "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures"

The Son Displays His Love for Our Father:

- By giving Himself up for us, in love

- Ephesians 5:2 - "And walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma"

- Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me"

ONE LOVE:

- ONE LOVE between the Father and the Son

- Shared with us, given to us

- By the Spirit of God through the Father and the Son

- John 17:26 - "And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them"

We Are Being Conformed into His Image

Becoming His Image Bearers:

- Self-giving love

- Romans 8:29 - "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren"

- 2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit"

Because of Jesus, Humanity is ONE LOVE Again:

- ONE LOVE UNITED IN CHRIST, which is His Joy

- John 17:21-23 - "That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me"

- Ephesians 1:10 - "With a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth"

The Just Shall Live by Faith Alone

Habakkuk 2:4 - "Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith"

Romans 1:17 - "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith'"

Galatians 3:11 - "Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, 'The righteous man shall live by faith'"

Hebrews 10:38 - "But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him"

ONE LOVE with Jesus:

- Perfect humility
- Complete mercy
- Self-giving love that serves
- While surrendered in obedience to the Father's intention, plan, and mission
- Which is to make us all ONE IN HIM, forever

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