UNSTOPPABLE GRACE

by Keith A. Butler

The word of faith. The Apostle Paul referenced it in Romans 10:8 when he said, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.”

The word of faith is a powerful revelation, but—if we’re not cautious—we may think it’s the only topic Paul covered. It isn’t. He addressed something else that works with the word of faith…and together, these two revelations make believers unstoppable.

In Acts 20:24, he wrote, “… 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 God.” In verse 32 of that same chapter, he mentioned it again: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, 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” (emphasis added).

Paul refers to both, the word of faith and the grace of God. Both are important.

While we’ve studied the word of faith, we haven’t spent as much time on the grace of God. So, let’s take a moment and look at God’s grace, starting with answering the question: What is grace?

The Many Names of the Godhead

To better understand grace, we have to go back to the Trinity. Three people comprise the godhead: the Father, the Word (Jesus, the Son) and the Holy Ghost (1 John 5:7). Although all three are always together, they have taken turns in who has the ascendency, or the dominion, in dealing with mankind.

During the first 4,000 years of our existence, Jehovah the Father had ascendency. He came face to face with mankind. In His dealings with us, He referred to Himself by many Names: Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Nissi and others. Each Name reflects an aspect of His nature. If we were to look at only one of His Names, we wouldn’t have a clear picture of who He is. If we only learn that He is Jehovah Rapha, for instance, we may know Him as Healer, but we’ll miss that He is also Jehovah Shalom, our Peace. Or we might miss that He is Jehovah Nissi, our Banner. We would be selling Him short of the fullness of who He is.

It’s the same with the Son. We know Him as Jesus, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace and other Names. Each one only communicates an aspect of who He is and what He did. While His time on earth was short and His ascendency was only 33 years, He changed everything.

The same can be said about understanding the fullness of who the Holy Spirit is. We also know Him by many Names, such as Comforter and Spirit of Truth. There is one in particular, though, I want us to pay close attention to—Spirit of Grace.

Hebrews 10:28-29 mentions this Name:

Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? (New King James Version, emphasis added).

Believers often refer to grace as a position. But, a position can’t be insulted. Only a person can be insulted. After the earthly ministry of Jesus, after His death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Grace, received the ascendency. He had—and continues to have—dominion in dealing with mankind. Full in the Greek is the word plérés meaning “covered over with grace.” Then in John 14:17, Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth.”

The Grace of God Covered Jesus

Look at Jesus and His ministry on earth: “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).

In this verse, once again the word grace appears alongside the word truth. We even see the Holy Spirit cover Jesus with grace and truth when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Verses 32-33 say, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 10:38 also recorded this covering: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.” The word power, or dunamis in Greek, means “supernatural, or miracle-working ability.” Not only was God with Jesus, but the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Grace, had also come over Him.

Refuse the Enemy Any Foothold

You may ask, “So, what does that mean for believers living in the 21st century?”

We can see exactly how He affects our daily lives when we see the Spirit of Grace active in the Apostle Paul’s life. Paul was a highly educated Hebrew who was called to reach the gentiles. Can you imagine what the gentiles thought when they saw this Hebrew of Hebrews coming into their midst, dressed as he was, looking like he did? They didn’t know what to make of him. Second Corinthians 11:22-28 tells us what Paul endured because of that: beatings with rods, a stoning and three shipwrecks. He faced dangers in the cities, dangers in the country and dangers at sea. He faced off with robbers and unbelievers, and even fellow Romans. The man went through it!

You’re Empowered To Do Good

In the next chapter, Paul wrote, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me” (verses 7-8).

Think about that. Even after what he’d written in the previous chapter, Paul had sought the Lord three times for help in getting rid of the demonic spirit that assaulted him. He was saying, “I’ve been through lots of stuff. I’m not even mad about it, but it’s Your turn, God. Come help me with this.”

Instead of coming to help, the Lord answered Paul by saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9a). He called the grace of God, the strength of God.

The word grace in this verse is the same Greek word, dunamis, which we read earlier in Acts 10:38. In Acts, it was translated as power, but here it’s translated as strength. Both refer to the strength of God, but in this verse, God equates His grace with His strength.

Paul continued, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (verses 9b-10).

That word pleasure means “to think well.” Paul decided to think well about the situations he was facing for Christ’s sake. The Greek word for sake is huper, which means “over or above,” with the help of the power of God. It is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Grace, who empowers us to do what we can’t do on our own.

The Spirit of Grace Today

Every believer has already experienced the Spirit of Grace, the dunamis of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” That word saved is from the Greek word sozo, and it means “healed, delivered, protected, preserved and made whole.”

When you were saved, you didn’t simply change categories, going from sinner to sinless. The Holy Ghost came in and created a new you (2 Corinthians 5:17). The biggest miracle you have ever seen is when you were re-created. Your body may look the same, but you are not the same.

Who did that? Grace Himself, The Holy Spirit. He’s the One who re-created you and made you sacred ( 2 Timothy 1:9).

By grace you are saved. By grace you are healed. By grace you are delivered.

It is the Spirit of Grace, the Holy Ghost, who keeps and preserves you.

When you were saved, you didn’t simply change categories, going from sinner to sinless. The Holy Ghost came in and created a new you .

Through the Word of Faith

All this happened through the word of faith. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Without faith, grace is impossible to access. But with faith, grace is released. Faith allows the Spirit of Grace to move and do all the things He does. When you walk by faith, the Spirit of Grace—the Holy Spirit—heals, delivers, preserves and brings freedom. It’s only with Him that you can do all that you’re called to do. He is the One who will make you UNSTOPPABLE!

Keith A. Butler is founder of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, Mich.; and serves as senior pastor of Faith4Life churches in Round Rock and Dallas, Texas; and in Jackson, Miss. For more information, go to wordoffaith.cc