Throne of Grace

      This is the essence of the New Covenant: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
Jesus came full of grace and truth—a singular item in the Greek. It is the nature and reality of God’s Kingdom. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16-17). We are to continue in the grace of God (Acts 13:43).
       Under the New Covenant, we are entrusted to “God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Grace is the basis of our New Covenant life. “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17).
       The Chronos Lesson: Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. Grace is how we overcome temptations and sin in our own lives. Grace is what will enable those in the world to overcome the sin and deception around them. It is the power of grace that they need to hear. If we speak the truth only, they are condemned. That is why grace and truth must function as one singular item.
       Think of it as a barbell. The weight of grace on one end is balanced with the weight of truth on the other end. The way we exercise our faith muscles is to lift up both grace and truth together. Hebrews 4:15-16 assures us that “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
        It is the nature of lawlessness to distort, divide, and deceive. Wickedness literally means to twist the truth. That is why the Woke generation has redefined so many words, such as love, hate, tolerance, reset, enlightened, and awakening. Relativism has rendered right and wrong as useless words in the minds of many.
        Hope has also been subverted. The Woke generation now looks to a rosy future based on a utopian society that has no boundaries. But without boundaries of what is right and wrong, society implodes. Despite the fallen nature, human beings can sense that there is something greater to be pursued. Unfortunately, they’ve been deceived into thinking it is something rather than Someone.            They’ve swallowed the magic potion that all they have to do is reeducate people to line up with this utopian agenda. The problem is, they can’t agree on what that utopian society looks like, as vividly portrayed in The Hunger Games movie series.
     Meanwhile, deep down inside, there’s a troubling virus of hopelessness. This is why what the world needs to see in believers is our hope. There can be no faith without first having hope (Heb. 11:1). By faith we conquer all things. There can be no victory if there is no hope.
         This is why the devil is working overtime to take away hope. He convinces some to put their hope in the utopian society, which can never exist because mankind is fallen. The devil convinces others to put their faith in making their nation great again. But no human institution is perfect because it is designed and implemented by imperfect people. Any human institution, be it the government, education, or the economy, will fall short. That’s the truth that the devil doesn’t want to be revealed. This is why the devil is stirring up so much hatred against true Christianity.
       Fallen human beings are always subject to the wiles of the enemy. They are open doors to Satan’s deceptions and manipulations. That’s why whatever label one slaps on any human endeavor will ultimately lead to disappointment. It is only when we preach the New Covenant of grace and the love of God that people can find hope. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5).
         It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can not only stand in this hour, but also thrive in this hour, such that we can draw people to the goodness of God in sending Jesus, the Son of God, to reconcile all people to God. Jesus is indeed the only way, the only truth, and the only life.
          By the way, when a person is born again, it’s important to follow-up with them to ensure that they are being discipled in some way. As far as reading the Bible goes, we recommend they start with the Gospel of John because it not only talks about Jesus’s earthly ministry, it also reveals the most about God’s ways and His nature. It’s a good starting point.