Law tells me how crooked I am; grace comes along and straightens me out. We have to remember that Grace fulfilled the Law. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” The regenerate Christian often has a more difficult time of it than the unregenerate (unsaved). A Christian feels within a power that tends toward holiness and God, while at the same time still a child of Adam’s flesh. If you didn’t feel the conviction and didn’t have the motivation to change from “within”, then you will know that you are not saved. A Christian can have a truly struggling with his/he sins and God is working in him/her. Repenting is NOT an addition to salvation but PART of salvation along with Grace. This is a CONTINUIOUS sanctification process of repenting throughout your Christian life. We will never be perfect but we can be filled by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for “dwells” is okv (oike), which means “I inhabit.” Since faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit by the conviction to submit into action, we are focus on our faith based on obedience to holiness, adding to our faith and fruit of the spirit through grace. True saving faith is not dependent on positive circumstances but negative circumstances as well.

One of my favorite verses is this: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9). Reading Hebrews helped me understood that I am to be aware of obstacles and hindrances I would meet during my life, to throw me off balance that hinders doing the Will of God that could entangle my life easily if I do not submit myself to God’s power of grace. God’s grace is more than sufficient in my life that I am to fix my eyes on Jesus who is my author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). Faith and Grace together is to “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV). Suffering (discipline) is a Process “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, proven character; and . . .” (Rom. 5:3-4). “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam. 1:3-4).

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