Grace is not only God’s will to do good for us when we do not deserve it, it is the true power of God that works and makes good things happen in us and for us. For example, Paul says:
“But by the grace of God, I am who I am; and his grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain; Before, I worked much harder than everyone else; But not me, but God’s grace with me?(1C 15. 10).
- God’s grace was God’s action in Paul to make him work hard.
- Then.
- When Paul says.
- “work for your salvation.
- ” he adds.
- “because God is the one who works in you both to want and to do so.
- According to his goodwill?(Fp 2.
- 13).
- Grace is the power of God to do good things in us and for us.
This grace has passed and it is future. It always cascades down the infinitesimal waterfall of the present, the inexhaustible river of grace that reaches us from the future to the growing reservoir of grace in the past. Over the next five minutes, you’ll receive a solidarity grace that will sink you from the future and accumulate an additional five minutes of grace in the tank of the past.
The appropriate answer to the grace you have experienced in the past is gratitude, and the appropriate response to the grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are grateful for the grace of the past and trust in the grace of the future.
Isn’t it wrong to say that we trust in past grace?Like the grace God showed us on the cross and in our new birth?But what we mean by this is: we believe that because of these acts of past grace, our future will be all grace and ultimately the grace of sinless perfection. But in general, the biblical standard is that we trust in future grace and give thanks for past grace.
The way to understand the power of faith in future grace is to realize that faith means being satisfied with all that God promises to be to us in Christ. When Paul says: ?? I have learned to live with satisfaction in all situations. ?; Can I do everything for the One who strengthens me?(Philippians 4:11, 13), means that faith in God’s ever-sufficient grace in Christ gives him the contentment that overcomes fear and greed.
One of the essential keys to a sinless life of wanting what we should not and fear is faith in future grace. Consider some examples of how faith in future grace overcomes fear and selfishness and makes people love radically.
Why not only did you feel sorry for the prisoners, but you also gladly accepted the stripping of your property, knowing that you yourself had a superior and lasting inheritance?(Heb 10. 34).
“By faith, Moses, ? Preferring to be mistreated with God’s people rather than enjoy the traveling pleasures of sin; because he considered Christ’s oprobrium for riches greater than the treasures of Egypt, because he imagined the reward?(Eh 11: 24-26). ).
“Jesus, who, in exchange for the joy offered to him, suffered the cross?(Heb 12. 2).
Blessed art thou when for my sake they insult you, persecute you, and, lying, tell you all evil; rejoice and rejoice, for what is the value of your reward in heaven?(Mt 5. 11-12).
Since we have heard your love for all the saints; Because of the hope that is kept in heaven?(Cl 1. 4-5).
Before, with a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; And ye shall be blessed, for they have no reward for thee; But your reward, will you receive it in the resurrection of the righteous?(Lk 14:13-14).
In other words, by being deeply satisfied with all that God promises to be to us in the future (five minutes and five million years), we can overcome the selfish desires of fear and greed that destroy love. Radical love is the fruit of faith, in future grace.
Living by faith with you