What is the method whereby God wants us to use to bring about His Grace? What are the means?
June 13, 2016
Means of Grace: An action or system by which a result is brought about, a method: a way, a manner, a mode, a mesure, a technique, the purpose, the intention, the intent to compliment you on your work.
Denote those duties we perform for the purpose of improving our minds, affecting our hearts, and of obtaining spiritual blessings; such as, hearing the Gospel, reading the Scriptures, self-examination, meditation, prayer, praise, Christian conversation, etc.
Growing in Grace, that is growing more in our spiritual duties, by an increase of spiritual light and knowledge, by our renouncing self, and depending more upon Christ, by groiwng more spiritual in duties, by being more humble, submissive, and thankful, by rising superiour to the corruptions of our nature, and finding the power of sin more weakened in us, by being less attached to the world, and possessing more of a heavenly disposition.
The means are to be used without any reference to merit, but solely with a dependence on God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.
We can not ever expect happiness in ourselves, nor be good examples to others, living in the neglect of them.
It is vain to argue that the divine decree supercedes the necessity of them, since God has as certainly appointed the means as the end.
Besides, He Himself generally works by them, and the more means He thinks proper to use, the more He displays His glorious perfections.
Jesus Christ, when on earth used means: He prayed, he exhorted, and did good, by going from place to place.
Indeed, the systems of nature, providence and grace, are all carried on by means.
The Scriptures abound with exhortations to them, Matthew 5:1-48; romans 12:1-21 (21 ways we are to live) and none but enthusiasts or immoral charcters ever refuse to use them. I taught Matthew 5 to 7 with over 68 sermons. I used Romans 12 for over a year. I taught the 21 ways in which the Lord tells us to live to be able to be the kind of person He wants us to be. He does give His grace to all of His creation, the air we breath, for sure, etc. But special grace to His people He gives by means He has established in order to receive them.
From the Theological app on the phone I was giving this start in this paper.
God wants us to use the means which he has established for us to receive the grace needed to be the person He wants us to be.
We are not the example that others should be looking at for spiritual growth, its not the means whereby we grow in grace. Most of our experience is negative, self is usually the last thing you would want to use as an example. Why we spend so much talking about our self in life is what we do best that is for sure. So just how do we think that is going to bring glory to the Lord? It doesn't, it only gives reflection on us I guess.
When giving the history of our experience in ministry, we often refect on the negative, rather than express how the Lord has guided us, directed us, and protected us. We have only been the means whereby God has designed. The seed that we plant is God's Word, which is powerful and has growing power. The means is the "seed of the Word of God." God uses "means" to accomplish His purposes.
God's divine decree does not supercedes the necessity of the means whereby He as established to use to produce His desired will in our lives. In other words, the means whereby one is born again, for example, comes through the means of one hearing the Gospel. God could saved someone just by His action alone, which in a sense He does, but He uses the Gospel to give the understanding of what it means to be born again.
God could just give us what we need when we need it, simply by doing it, but He as designed the 'means" whereby we receive this "grace" from Him. He as designed the means of "prayer", He has designed that we "read and study the Word of God." He has called preachers and teachers to teach and give understanding where by we can grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God." He has designed "fellowship" with other believers so that we can grow thereby. He has given "spiritual gifts" to each believers in other that they might share those with each other.
God has establlished the means whereby we can grow in His Grace, and in Sanctification.
I am sure we can reflect on our ministry, we certalnly are not the role model for how to live life, we are such poor example. I am a poor example of a pastor, as the result will show. I don't want anyone to follow my example at all.
When I say that I follow the pattern of John MacArthur, for example, as I reflect upon this, its his ablity of preaching and teaching the Word. its not his personal life, for I don't have a clue really about his home life. What I have followed is his teaching the Word of God. Learning the means whereby he learns the Word of God. Its not the man we are to follow, its the Lord that he follows.
How is the best way to expess to others, how you follow Christ as Lord in your life is the role what we should desire to live. When we get finish with our talk, others should see that its all about Christ, we are only the means to give that to others.
