DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD
Friday – November 25, 2016
It seems like suddenly we are back to Friday. Perhaps some of you are thinking, not suddenly enough for me. In that case go back and read yesterday’s Bible Study. Remember that as a Partner and or friend of Eastern Gate Ministries International and The Three Minute Word publication, you are prayed for every day. I pray for your prosperity spiritually and physically and for good health spiritually and physically in every aspect of life. As you know, Fridays is the day I remind all of us to pray for the Church of God (not a denomination and not just your Church) but for all those who claim Jesus as Lord.
The Apostle Paul and subsequently I have spent a lot of time speaking about the Jews (the circumcision) and the Gentiles (uncircumcision), their relationship to each other, to God, and how now in Christ Jesus we are one people. Those who have accepted Jesus as Messiah, as Lord, enter the Church of God and are no longer Jews or Gentiles. As we look at the third chapter of Ephesians we see that the Apostle Paul continues to talk about the mystery of the Jews and Gentiles being partakes in the same body.
Ephesians 3:1-6 (KJV)
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Remember that those of us who were Gentiles had no hope having no covenant with God. Abraham who is the father of the Jews and Scripture tells us he is the father of us all because he believed God, he had faith, which justified him or was counted or imputed to him for righteousness.
Romans 4:16-22 (KJV)
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
In the absence of faith there is unbelief, a little unbelief leavens the whole loaf and there is not righteousness or right standing with God and therefore the promises of God cannot be a reality for those in unbelief or unrighteousness.
As I end for today and the week let’s focus in for a moment on the phrase “the dispensation of the grace of God”. Dispensation has to do with stewardship and administration. In this case Paul is talking about the stewardship or administration of the grace of God. In a nutshell the “grace of God” is a particular facet or function of the Holy Spirit of God. The grace of God which should be written as Grace of God since the capitalization reflects the divine nature of the one being referenced. The Bible continually instructs us to look at the Hand not what is in the Hand. When we seek to know God we will have the Grace or the Favor of God operating in our lives. The outcome or our attitude due to the graciousness of God in our lives is a calm happiness because we will understand that no matter our temporary circumstance we are well off and more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.
One of the doctrines of demons that is prevalent in the Church is that God is doing what He pleases and we have little to nothing to do with it. That philosophy of men, a tradition of men all too anxious to abdicate responsibility before God makes the Serpent our god and leads to stealing, killing, and destroying in our lives. This verse, Ephesians 3:2, is but one Scripture that contradicts that line of human reasoning or unGodly thought. Remember that in the beginning God made us in His image and likeness for we were to be as God, in the place of God in the earth, but totally dependent upon God. God gave us His authority over the earth and He gave us The Blessing (Holy Spirit), to accomplish all that He had commanded. So when we act in accordance with the will of God in faith and love we have a supernatural empowerment and are exercising stewardship or administering the power of God in the earth. I will close with the following passage concerning the administration of the Glory of God. Let us pick-up the Mantle and walk as Jesus walked and more.
Psalm 8:4-6 (KJV)
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
