Living in the Balance of Grace and Faith Part 8

G.o.d loves me. I study the Word, not to get G.o.d to love me, but because I want to read His love letter and discover how much He loves me. I pray, not because I have to, but because I want to. I'm not just punching a time clock and getting my "credit." I pray because I love G.o.d and truly enjoy hanging out with Him.

The wors.h.i.+p leaders of our citywide meetings often sing a song that says, "My favorite thing to do is to spend my time with You." Is this true of you? Is spending time with G.o.d truly your favorite activity? It is for me. I don't share this to build myself up and put you down. I share it to encourage you to know that it's possible. In fact, this kind of intimacy and relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d isn't just possible-it's what He created us for in the first place.

What religion and tradition have taught you about G.o.d hinders you from enjoying Him. It's not easy to hang out with somebody you think is killing babies, making some r.e.t.a.r.ded, and causing others to be born deformed. How can you draw near to someone who "sent" the terrorist attacks, violent weather, and other so-called "acts of G.o.d"? You can't. But when you understand the truth of how good G.o.d really is, your favorite thing to do will be just to love and hang out with Him.

A Free Gift I say this with love and compa.s.sion, but if this isn't your experience-then you're religious. You've been deceived. You're putting faith in your effort and thinking that G.o.d is responding to you. You need to understand G.o.d's grace and that your faith is simply how you appropriate the goodness of G.o.d. I'm sure this is challenging much of what you've believed, but it's true.

Perhaps in the course of reading this book, you've realized that your faith has been in your own works and performance instead of in Christ.

I'd like to give you an opportunity to begin a true relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d. However, you need to understand that you don't become a Christian by being born into a "Christian" nation or by growing up in a Christian home. Attending church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage would make you a car. You must be born again.

You must come to the end of trusting in yourself and understand that G.o.d loves you-not because you deserve it, but because He is love. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, two thousand years ago to pay for all of your sins. That payment has already been made. Will you accept it now as a free gift?

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G.o.d hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9 The Bible way to receive this gift of salvation is to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and to believe in your heart that G.o.d raised Him from the dead. If you do, you'll be saved. But making Jesus your Lord is more than just saying those words. You have to be willing to submit to Jesus as your Lord. That means He's in control and not you. I'm not saying you will do all this perfectly, but you have to be willing for that to happen.

Make Jesus Your Lord You might be religious. You might be a good person, thinking, Well, I'm good enough. G.o.d will accept me. It's not about your goodness or what you have or haven't done. It's about what Jesus did. You have to humble yourself and receive salvation as a gift. If you've never done this before, I encourage you to make Jesus your Lord right now.

You could pray from your heart something like this: Jesus, I turn from trusting in myself and my own works for salvation. I confess that You are my Lord. I believe in my heart that G.o.d raised You from the dead, and I receive Your gift of salvation right now by faith. Thank You for revealing Your love and grace to me!

Once you're born again, you also need the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The truths I've shared from G.o.d's Word in this book won't be understandable to someone who is just operating out of their own intellect. You must have the Holy Spirit give you revelation of what I've been talking about.

The Number One Benefit I quit arguing with people a long time ago. When I first started out in ministry, I used to argue with people. I'd fight with them, using lots of scripture, trying to convince them of the truth. I don't do that anymore. I've realized that understanding the truth must come by revelation. And that's the job of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26; 16:13.) Revelation knowledge is the number one benefit of receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The very Person who inspired the Bible will begin teaching you what it says. As you pray in tongues, the Word says that you are praying the hidden wisdom of G.o.d. (1 Cor. 14:2; 2:7.) Then you can pray to interpret that tongue. (1 Cor. 14:13.) This is how you can receive revelation knowledge.

This is how G.o.d showed me most of these truths I've shared in this book. I put the truth in me by reading and studying G.o.d's Word, but I couldn't understand it. So I prayed in tongues and believed for the interpretation. G.o.d would then give me the revelation and explain to me what it meant. It's my personal conviction from both G.o.d's Word and my experience that you just can't understand many of the things of G.o.d without the quickening power of the Holy Spirit.

If the Bible seems like a closed book to you, it's because the Holy Spirit wrote it to your heart-not your brain. You need to get the Author of the Bible to reveal its truths to you. Although praying in tongues is important as it comes as a part of the baptism in the Holy Spirit "package," the number one benefit I experienced when I received the Holy Spirit was revelation knowledge. I began to understand. Revelation knowledge just exploded on the inside of me.

Once you're born again, you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. You need this in order to succeed in the Christian life, to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and to go on in the things of G.o.d. As His child, your loving heavenly Father wants to give you the supernatural power you need to live this new life. If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to receive this gift-the baptism in the Holy Spirit-right now.

Receive the Holy Spirit All you have to do to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit is ask, believe, and receive.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened...how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:10,13 Go ahead and pray from your heart something like this: Father, I recognize my need for Your power to understand Your Word and to live this new life. I desire to receive Your revelation knowledge. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. By faith, I receive it right now. Thank You for baptizing me. Holy Spirit, You are welcome in my life!

Congratulations-now you're filled with G.o.d's supernatural power!

Some syllables from a language you don't recognize will rise up from your heart to your mouth. (1 Cor. 14:14.) As you speak them out loud by faith, you're releasing G.o.d's power from within and building yourself up in the spirit. (1 Cor. 14:4.) You can do this whenever and wherever you like!

It doesn't really matter whether you felt anything or not when you prayed to receive the Lord and His Spirit. If you believed in your heart that you received, then G.o.d's Word promises that you did.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24 G.o.d always honors His Word-believe it!

Please contact me and let me know that you've prayed to receive Jesus as your Lord and/or to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I would like to rejoice with you and help you understand more fully what has taken place in your life. I'll send you a free book ent.i.tled, The New You & the Holy Spirit, which explains salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It's the same book I give to everyone who comes forward to receive these gifts at our meetings. Thousands of people have received the gift of speaking in tongues by reading this book. We have a Helpline staffed by mature Christians who will be glad to pray with you. Our Helpline is open from 4:00 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. (Mountain Time) each weekday. The number is (719) 635-1111. Give us a call- we're here to help you understand and grow in your new relations.h.i.+p with the Lord.

Welcome to your new life. May you enjoy an intimate relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d as you live each day in the balance of grace and faith!

Grace and Faith Scriptures But now the righteousness of G.o.d without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of G.o.d which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of G.o.d; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom G.o.d hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of G.o.d; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 3:21-26

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.

Romans 4:16

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of G.o.d.

Romans 5:2

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as G.o.d hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Romans 12:3

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith.

Romans 12:6

Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

2 Corinthians 8:7

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of G.o.d.

Ephesians 2:8

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:14

Grace Scriptures And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 1:17

Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Acts 14:3

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Acts 15:11

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of G.o.d.

Acts 20:24

And now, brethren, I commend you to G.o.d, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Acts 20:32

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of G.o.d, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 5:15

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:20-21

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 6:14

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? G.o.d forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:15-16