Bazil encourages us to lean on the grace that has been poured out for us. The ability to walk the hard roads and stay faithful is not from conjuring up or manufacturing it. It is by grace provided.
Often we don’t see the grace in time moving forward but we it looking back how God made a way, held us together. We need grace and mercy and He gives it because we are His and we are precious in His sight.
17 …who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Romans 4:17
— ESV
If it’s your worst day, week, month or season, where you have failed small or spectacularly, run to the throneroom of the only One who is worthy – Jesus is waiting.
The summary of this message has been drafted automatically from the transcript. Its accuracy may vary.
What is Grace, Really?
Most of us have been taught that grace is “unmerited favor.” While that’s 100% true, it’s an incomplete definition. If you only see grace as favor, you miss the power. My Definition:
Grace is Divine Ability.
— Bazil Sarafidis,
Grace, the Divine Ability at Work in Me.
Grace is the divine ability of God working in you to be someone you aren’t in and of yourself. It is the power to:
- Overcome sin.
- Persevere through trials that should have broken you.
- Lead, parent, or work with a wisdom that isn’t your own.
When you say, “I’m only human,” you’re right—but with Him, you have access to a divine nature. Without Him, we can do nothing; with His grace, we can do the impossible.
The Four-Fold Work of Grace (1 Peter 5:10)
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1 Peter 5:10
— ESV
According to the God of all grace, He will personally do four things for you:
1. Restore
Think of Peter. He was full of bravado until he denied Jesus three times. He was broken. But Jesus didn’t say, “I told you so.” He drew Peter close and restored him. Grace doesn’t push you away when you fail; it draws you in to fix the damage.
2. Confirm
Grace affirms you. It reassures you that you are a son or daughter in whom the Father is well pleased. We all need that “well done” from our Father to silence the noise of our own insecurities.
3. Strengthen
When Paul asked God to take away his “thorn,” God said, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Grace makes you strong exactly where you are weak. If you feel like you’re standing firm on your own, be careful—true strength is found in total dependence.
4. Establish
Grace settles you. It firms up your foundation. You aren’t “established” because you’ve become perfect; you’re established because you’ve finally realized you will always need Him.
Truth Without Grace is Just “The Law”
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:17
— New International Version
I see many people speaking “truth” to each other with absolutely zero grace. That’s just putting a heavy yoke on someone’s neck. You cannot control people’s behavior by shouting instructions at them. Instructions are powerless to change a heart.
- The Pharisee Approach: Wash the outside of the cup while the inside is still a mess.
- The Jesus Approach: Accept the “woman caught in adultery” first. Love her, embrace her, and then—once she is safe and loved—tell her to “go and sin no more.”
Acceptance is what changes the heart. Instructions just give us a headache.
Running to the Throne
Hebrews 4:16 tells us to approach the “Throne of Grace” with confidence. Why are we confident? Is it because you had a “good week”? No! We are confident because Jesus had a good week. He made the way.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
— New International Version
If you are trapped in a cycle of sin or failing at life, that is the exact time you need to run to the throne. Don’t wait until you’ve “shaved your head” or paid penance. Strive to get into that room. There, you won’t find a lecture; you will find mercy and the divine ability to overcome.
A Closing Prayer
Holy Spirit, I thank you for your empowering grace today. I break every bit of fear, condemnation, and doubt over your people. I declare that they are NOT GUILTY. Sin is no longer their master because they are under the divine ability of God. Restore the shepherds, release the gifts of prophecy and healing, and give us the grace to persevere through every trial. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
