1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

God drops faith into our hearts. We receive it or not. God lets us know His will. We obey or not. There are no gray areas. We cannot obey on our own. Only by the grace of God can we obey.

It is only by grace that we can do anything. Grace only comes by faith. Faith gives us access into God's grace and nothing else will.

Paul says, "by the grace of God I am what I am...I laboured...yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." It was not Paul who labored but grace who did the work.

Righteousness is a gift of God. Righteousness is by grace through faith. Righteousness springs forth. While God will not force His righteousness upon us, Christ died to set us free from sin. When God indicates His will to us, we can receive His power and yield our members as instruments of His righteousness. Then, He does His work through us. We have nothing to be proud about. We know that He has done the work. Yet, He treats us as if we had actually done the work and He rewards us for it. When we try to generate our own works, we just frustrate the grace of God. Our part is to willingly yield to the anointing of God. His grace flows through us and does the works.

Here is God's Pattern:

God Speaks. (some caveats about hearing God's Voice)

You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute [incapable of articulate speech] idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:2-3

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by [the] word (literally utterance) [of] God. Romans 10:17

I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. Isaiah 48:17

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

This is the point at which you either see reality or you do not. This is the point at which you look into the totally complete law of liberty. James 1:22-25

James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled (the veil is the flesh) face beholding as in a mirror (those who have been created in the image of God) the glory of the Lord, are transfigured into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Literal

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass [a mirror], darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (Note that we now see in part, but as we walk from glory to glory, our senses are exercised by reason of use. The light becomes more clear to us. We see reality more clearly.)

You become what you see in the Spirit. When we see things as they really are, we see that we are born into Christ the Body, which is joined to Christ the Head. We have a sinful nature, but we are the Christ. When we forget this, we fall into sin. When we abide in this, it is because we maintain fellowship with the Father and the Son. We yield our mind, our soul, to the Holy Spirit, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and fill us with power both to will and to do His good pleasure.

When a person is born again, they are drawn toward Christ by the Father until the day that they suddenly realize that they were created to be joined to Christ the Body (the Church) and Christ the Head. For those who have been born into the Church, you realize who you are in Christ, a member in particular in His Body. You identify with your ministry, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. You realize that your life makes no sense outside of the context of the Body of Christ. You also discern what is not of Christ, what is of the devil, and you avoid it like plague.

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33

Then said they to him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. John 6:28-29

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5 Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. Hebrews 3:15"

Then, God's faith comes by hearing. And faith gives access to His grace.

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2

Grace, the free gift of righteousness, does the works in us. You reap what you sow. You are transfigured from glory to glory into God's holiness and freedom from sin's slavery.

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