Grace Is For Everyone

By Tammy Lacock

In this week’s podcast, Warren Litzman continues with Part 2 of moving Out of Law Into Grace by diving into the Apostle Paul’s epistles.

Paul is the Apostle of grace because he has been the only one raised up by Christ, Himself, to deliver to us a final gospel, the gospel of grace. Throughout his letters, he repeats the fact that by Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, by Christ’s work on the cross, we are no longer bound by any laws. We are no longer bound by sin and death. The law has been nullified to the born-again. It is dead to God's children because we are ruled by God's Spirit within; we live by Him in us, not the law (Romans 8). By God’s Grace, we are now offered a new covenant. By just believing, as Warren puts it, God dumps on us a bucket full of grace! Our salvation will never be by our works. Our salvation is only by Christ’s work on the cross. When he was crucified, our old selves and the law attached, were crucified, too (Romans 6:3-7; 7:4; Galatians 2:20). When He arose from the dead, we arose, too, to a new life in Him. This is grace. It’s a gift. We need only to accept it.

Warren emphasizes two verses as foundational pillars that help us understand God’s plan and His amazing grace.

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4 KJV)

“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (1 Peter 1: 19-20 KJV)

We see clearly in both of the above verses God’s amazing grace because His plan for us came before we were born, before we could even do anything to claim our salvation. Before the world was created, God had a plan that involved Christ’s death, by which we were chosen to be in Him and to be the vessel for His new life in us. Our new life in Him comes with no strings, no laws, attached. Nothing we do can be added to our eternal life, our salvation in Him. The gift of His eternal Spirit-life has been given, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. Nothing can be added to Him, and He can’t be taken away by anything we do or don’t do! We’re locked in for eternity!

Then why is it so hard for believers to step out of the law and come to the fullness of God’s grace? Just as it was for Paul, the law is deeply rooted in us. We go to churches that preach the law. We’re around friends who live by the law. Almost every book has a law attached to it. Law is everywhere. One of the hardest laws for Christians to break out of is the deep-rooted mentality that God will not bless us if we aren’t doing something good, that blessings require works. When in fact, by His grace, He has bestowed upon us the greatest blessing of all, Christ now living in every believer. Christ is grace, and grace is Christ. The Apostle Paul said he doesn’t care whether he lives or dies because his life is now Christ’s. By God’s grace, Christ lived in him and that’s all that mattered.

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8 KJV)

Warren explains further that we will never completely live out our birthright if we are still entangled in law. So what’s our birthright? Our birthright is who God created us to be.

We see in Ephesians 1:4 that before the foundation of the world, we were created to be in Christ. As believers, Christ is joined to us. We live now by His faithfulness and righteousness, not by our own. This is that bucket full of grace, poured out on everyone who believes.

It’s time now for us to move out of law, sin, and death and into God’s grace so we can finally live who God created us to be!

In next week’s podcast, Warren begins to explain the steps involved in making this transition, once and for all.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

A few of Paul’s epistles to study which explain moving from law to grace:

• Galatians
• Romans 5, 6, 7, 8
• 1 Corinthians 2
• 2 Corinthians 4, 5

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not onto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 KJV)