Finding Grace in the Bible

Last week’s blog was about studying the Bible to grow stronger in faith. The Bible is a revelation of God’s redemption for mankind through Jesus Christ and as we read and study the Bible with a sincere heart to know the truth, the Holy Spirit guides us and releases us from bondage.

We, who are saved, have been made free by the blood of Jesus Christ and delivered from this present evil world, if we have believed the gospel and repented of our sins; however, the Bible says in Galatians 1:4 KJV that some have returned again to the yoke of bondage.

How is this possible?

When we remove ourselves from Him who called us into the grace of Christ unto another gospel-according to Galatians 1:6 KJV. Here, we see some believers in Galatia who were deceived by the false teachings of the Jews.

The Apostle Paul needed to strongly remind those believers that the Holy Spirit is not operating in a legalist manner as some perceived in the Jew’s religion. He asked them in Galatians 3:1-5 KJV, “O Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain? He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Some of the believers were soon removed from the simplicity that is in Christ. The Bible records the Apostle Paul saying in Galatians 1:6 KJV, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:”

Are you believing another gospel other than the gospel of Christ, such as your good works plus Christ are what gets you into heaven?

The Apostle Paul wondered how these Christians could so easily remove themselves from the grace of Christ and the Scriptures back toward a life of bondage based on religious performance instead of the truth of the gospel. He asked them another question in Galatians 3:2 KJV, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

You see, their perspective of spirituality became legalistic rather than grace-oriented. They had quickly forgotten that they were powerless to save themselves from their sins and that they needed the Saviour, Jesus Christ, to offer them forgiveness by his grace. This may have happened because when they read the Scriptures, their thinking was affected by Judaism..

It is very important that when we read the Bible, we ask the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us by his grace. Just reading the Bible is not enough because we might read it in our own self-righteous way of thinking with our own pre-conceived ideas. Having the gospel of Jesus Christ in the forefront of our minds is crucial in our Bible reading and study because there is doctrinal liveliness and sweetness from Genesis to Revelation that unleashes its dramatic and dynamic impact on our lives when we read Holy Scripture in the light of the cross.

Do you think of the person, the life, and the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross when you read and study the Bible? Doing so brings to remembrance that it is the grace of God that gives us the ability to live a Christian life.

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