Channels of Living Grace

There are two types of grace described in the Bible. There is saving grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; etc.) and there is living grace. (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 8:7; 9:8; etc. etc.) We enter God’s kingdom and are born again (John 3:3) and then we learn to live or walk in God’s kingdom. To walk in grace is to walk in the Spirit. It is to live in a supernatural connection to God. It is to be more than we can be in ourselves. (Galatians 2:20) It is to be progressively transformed in Christlikeness. It is the renovation of our character.

How do we grow in grace? Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). As Dallas Willard has said, “If we seek the kingdom of God first, it will find us.”

The Bible also says in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” If you want to overcome evil and Satan you must submit yourself first to God. Then you will walk in His power and grace to overcome and be victorious over evil. The question naturally arises then; how do we submit to God?

We must first of all be authentic and realize that ultimately all sin is primarily against God. (Psalm 51:4) How do we present ourselves to God. Well to come into a holy God’s presence we must in the mix realize and confess and repent of sin in our lives in and our hearts. We also come with praise and realization of the goodness, holiness and justice of God. As Dallas Willard stated in his book Divine Conspiracy, p. 243, “Indeed, for anyone who has a genuine knowledge of God, praise is the only appropriate attitude in which to live. It is the only sane attitude.” There are channels in which to present ourselves to God. We must have faith that the process is worthwhile and are committed to be in God’s presence to bring us to the fulness of life he desires for our life and that we desire.

The channels of grace are also called spiritual disciplines. The hardest thing to get people to do with diligence is pray. That is because in prayer we come up against ourselves and a holy God and the sin that so easily besets us. However, “prayer is, above all a means of forming character.” (Dallas Willard, p. 250) We must first of all be a people of prayer. Jesus said to the people of his day who were exploiting religion, “He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13). Jesus taught that a life of prayer is of utmost importance for individuals and churches. The greatest channel of grace is Biblical prayer. We must present ourselves to God in prayer to grow in grace. He transforms us in his presence and in his power. We learn in prayer to be in conversation with prayer and then as we progress to be communion with God and prayer and then live a life in full union.

Here are some of the other spiritual disciplines or channels of grace. Bible study, Biblical meditation, Bible verse memory. Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline mentions; Inward, outward and corporate disciples. The inward disciplines are: Meditation, prayer, fasting, study. The outward disciplines are: simplicity, solitude, submission, service. The corporate disciplines are: confession, worship, guidance and celebration. I would also recommend on spiritual disciplines , Dallas Willard’s book, The Spirit of the Disciplines.

These channels of grace need to be taken very seriously if the flow of God not be dried up or restricted. We restrict it by our own neglect or sloth and lack of faith. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Are there rivers of living water (God himself) flowing through you. Are the channels of grace made available or are there obstructions? Are you deliberating taking time to be connected to God and his grace. Is habitual sin distancing you from yourself and God. God is patient, gentle and loving, go to him. Are you taking very seriously Jesus’ call to be his disciple and walk in his grace. Satan will resist you and your only ability to defeat Satan is to walk in God’s grace and submit or place yourself in him to the utmost. It is all about life in God.

Let the channels of grace flow. Use the channels of grace to grow in grace. The fulness of life is found only in him and no one or nothing other, although he does make us a blessing to others as well. Enter into the joy of the Lord by his grace. Use all the channels of grace for life lived in his kingdom. Do this to the glory of God, not yourself.