Acts 20: 32 “ Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you and inheritance among all those who are being sanctified” (NIV)
It is the word of grace that is able to build us up and it also gives us an inheritance among the ‘set apart ones.’ If we want to see believers strengthened and built up into mature believers who walk by the Spirit, then it can only be by the message of Gods unlimited and unmerited favour ( grace ) that this can be achieved.
I have heard it said that “we need to get believers to stop living in sin and be more holy ,and so we need to give them some teaching that will stop them from doing this. They must walk by the Spirit and stop gratifying the sinful nature”.While this is true, the way to get to this victory is not by telling people to stop sinning, for this is impossible, but by giving them revelation of who they are, and getting them to live by the Spirit.
Look what Galatians 5:16 says: “ Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (NIV)Note that it does not say “ live by the Spirit and you Must not gratify the sinful nature”, contrary to much teaching today. The Latter way is impossible and brings condemnation and guilt, the former way places the ability on the only one who can liberate and strengthen us, The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Christ. Who else can help us to attain Christ-likeness but the Spirit of Christ Himself.
You see living by the Spirit is living in faith, it is yielding to Him and and giving up on human effort. It is allowing Him to manifest Jesus in us and through us. Hence Paul is committing the people to the word of Gods grace and to God Himself, who for us here on earth is the Holy Spirit.
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