December 14th - The Word of His Grace

"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32)

What does “word” mean? The Greek for “word” is “logo” and simply means that which is communicated to humanity. And what is that? 

His GRACE…the unmerited favor among "those who are sanctified".

And who are the "sanctified"?  Human beings who believe what God has communicated to us - "the word of His grace"…

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:17-18)

Christ Jesus came to save the world. He consecrated Himself for that purpose and will succeed.

"John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

“He has appeared once FOR ALL at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Hebrews 9:22-26)

What are the details of “the word of Hs grace"? To me, it is as follows:

First  - Humanity will all be SAVED out of death because of His grace.

“For by grace you have been saved...” (Ephesians 2:8)

Second - Humanity will all be JUSTIFIED (declared righteous) because of His grace.

“…so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7)

Third - Humanity will all be RECONCILED to God because of His grace.

“…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

So what part does FAITH have? The Greek word for faith means to BELIEVE. So biblical FAITH is simply believing what God says. Humans find JOY and PEACE in this present evil age by believing what God says - the “Word of His Grace". 

There will come a day when everyone will come forth from the grave and believe, as Jesus told us…

“…for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is JUST, because I do not seek My own will, but the WILL of Him who sent Me.” (John 5:28-30)

Those who hear and believe the “word of His Grace” before they die will be immediately changed at His return from mortal to immortal. 

Those who did not hear and believe the “word of His Grace” in this life will have to wait one thousand years to be raised to life. Yet, they will all hear and believe at the Great White Throne. They will be condemned to die the second death. Then that second death will be abolished, and they too will be made alive and become immortals so that God is "All in all".

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:17)

"The last enemy that will be abolished is death...so that God may be All in all." (1 Corinthians 15:26-28)

"For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:53-57)

"...it is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.…” (1 Timothy 4:8-10)

For those of us who believe the "word of His grace" now, we will reign with Christ for the thousand years of the next age, which is called the Millennium.  

"They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.)" (Revelation 20:4-5)

For all others - see you in about a thousand years in "the new heaven and new earth"!

"And I perceived a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth pass away, and the sea is no more. And I perceived the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I hear a loud voice out of the throne saying, "Lo! the tabernacle of God is with mankind, and He will be tabernacling with them, and they will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them. And He will be brushing away every tear from their eyes. And death will be no more, nor mourning, nor clamor, nor misery; they will be no more, for the former things passed away." And He Who is sitting on the throne said, "Lo! New am I making all!" And He is saying, "Write, for these sayings are faithful and true." And He said to me, "I have become the Alpha and the Omega, the Origin and the Consummation. To him who is thirsting I shall be giving of the spring of the water of life gratuitously." (Revelation 21:1-5)