Grace = good will, loving-kindness, favor] of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues [Strong's]
Grace is God's, favor and power. A gift from His divine goodness toward men. Because he is loving and merciful.
As a Christian to grow in grace is to mature as a son of God. To mature in His word, in His knowledge, and in His truth. Peter tells us to grow in Grace and Knowledge!
2 Peter 3:18 “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Yes, we are saved by grace through faith [Ephesians 2:8–9], but it doesn't stop there, we must mature and grow up in all things God. We can't just believe in the supernatural, we must engage with the supernatural. We can't just know there is a God up there in the Heavens, we must engage in conversation with Him daily, and with all the Heavenly beings. We can't just know there are Angels in the Bible, we must call them to our aid.
I didn't know how to operate in the Courts of Heaven until I read and saw Pastor Robert Henderson's Court of Heavens Books. But I had previously engaged with the courts of Heaven, in my late twenties, prior to his message, and didn't realize what it was until years later!
We were at church and had a guest visitor just preached and then prayed for us at the end. The Spirit of God had moved so strongly I fell to the floor and went straight into a vision. There I was standing in the clouds inside what looked like a courtroom. As I kneeled on the floor, crying in pain from my sin, there was Satan yelling at Father God, the Judge, who was sitting behind the Judges stand, then I turned to my right and I saw Jesus standing in the witness stand speaking on my behalf, who then turned to me and smiled, assuring me it was all OK. I couldn't hear what they were saying as I cried intensely at my sin that I committed on the way the church! Satan vigorously yelled and called me a liar, pointing at me furiously. Father God just smiled at me and looked at me with loving eyes, as though it was all going to be alright. As Jesus spoke on my behalf, Father God said "that's enough," and sent Satan away! The vision began to fade. I felt peace and forgiveness and as if the sin had been completely removed. I woke up and instantly stopped crying, like it was taken from me.
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. [Zechariah 3:1]
There are so many levels in Heavens, the fields of flowers, the crystal river and sea towards the throne, the bridge, the Holy Mountain, the mansion with many rooms, the courtrooms, the different throne rooms, the Angelic rooms, and more, places I haven't even discovered yet, or been allowed to visit, yet!
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" [John 14:1-3]
Jesus went back to heaven, with His blood, yes to pay the price for our sins, but also to gain us access into heaven. I have now been to the courtrooms so many times, I have even seen the Blood "speak" on the mercy seat. Yes, it looks strange to the human eye, but it is actually taking place. Jesus is interceding and praying for us, the blood is speaking on our behalf - our job is to 'engage.'
Another way we grow in grace is by reading God’s Word and letting it “dwell in us richly”[Colossians 3:16] and by praying the word of God. To dwell is to dwell in one and influence him (for good), to inhabit [Strong's]. We need to let the word, inhabit us, and change us from the inside, not read our 5 chapters a day and not understand any part of it, or relate to any part of it, we have to let the Holy Spirit bring about a change in our mindset, then in our hearts.
Understanding and applying God’s grace in our lives is important, for it is grace, the attribute of God, that enables us to break free of our sinful nature and follow Him. Grace gives us strength and protects us, without it we would be hopelessly lost in this world. The more grace we receive, and ask God for, the more mature as Christians we will be, and the more victorious we will live.
Another way to grow in grace is to grow in our understanding of what Jesus did, grow in appreciation of what He did, and the grace that we have been given. The more we learn about Jesus, the more we will appreciate all He has done, His love and sacrifice for us, and the more we will understand the never-ending grace of God.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” [2 Corinthians 12:9]
His grace is sufficient for us because in it His power and favor, that is released to us, for us to be victorious, to be healed, to get wisdom, to be strengthened, we seriously need to tap into more of His grace.
Peter also confirms that we need to grow in our 'knowledge of Jesus,' to have an intimate relationship with Him, because the more we know of Him, the more of Him we will see in our daily lives, and know when He is at work. Jesus works so much behind the scenes that sometimes we forget that He is actually among us in spirit form, then it's only when I see Him turn up and smile at me in the spiritual realms do I realize He is already on the case. He just pops in to reassure me that 'it's OK, and I'm on it!" His smile makes all the difference, almost like a check-in. I remember once in a vision He asked me to come up to Heaven and have coffee with Him, as He was sitting on a table with the coffee ready. It was in my early days of visions, but it was the coolest thing ever, to have Jesus ask you for a cup of coffee, well I thought it was pretty cool. But I also thought do they have coffee in Heaven? It was a coffee moment, because I do like my daily cup of coffee!
The Scriptures contain much knowledge of the Heavens, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, but it is when we engage with them, we get to learn and see more, we get to see the words of the Bible come to life, and we get feel the presence of God and Him working in our everyday lives. It is God's desire that once you are saved, to sanctify you [make you holy], transform you, more like Jesus.
Then we will be able to show to others that;
“We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord.” [2 Corinthians 3:18]
Learn more in Out of the Darkness eBook Series.
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