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Tag: grace

  • The blessings of grace – By Femi Aribisala

    The blessings of grace – By Femi Aribisala

    “Always give people what they don’t deserve”.

    Grace is the highest expression of God’s love and blessings showered on us. It is God’s special favour reserved for a chosen few. God says: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19).

    So, “It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Romans 9:16).

    Grace is when God gives us what we do not deserve. As someone who has received grace upon grace from God, the Lord gave me a directive: “Femi, never give people what they deserve. Always give people what they do not deserve.”

    The testimony of my life is about receiving grace upon grace from God. When I did not know God, He introduced Himself to me by saying: “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:16). He then showed me: “Great and mighty things, which (I did) not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3). He taught me to see Him with the eyes of my heart. (Ephesians 1:18).

    He opened my ears to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. (John 10:27). He told me that God does not desire sacrifice and offering but an obedient heart that delights to do His will. (Psalm 40:6-8).

    I am grateful to God that I see what others do not see, and hear what others do not. God made me a promise: “(I will) make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8-9).

    I testify that in my life of faith in Christ, He has kept this promise repeatedly. Indeed, God’s grace has been more than sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9).

    “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” (Zechariah 4:6-7).

    Who are you, indeed? Who are you, O great mountain,? Before Femi Aribisala, you will become a plain.

    You see, the grace of God does not just enable us to succeed in something. It also ensures that we: “Bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7). It even gives us the strength to endure failure. It empowers us to face whatever situation we find ourselves in.

    How will we survive this disastrous “Emilokan” economy?

    The answer is by the grace of God.

    How will we afford the high cost of food and groceries?

    By the grace of God.

    How will we pay for the high cost of petrol?

    By the grace of God.

    How will we afford the high cost of transportation?

    By the grace of God.

    How can we pay the high cost of rent?

    By the grace of God.

    What about the skyrocketing cost of school fees?

    By the grace of God.

    The grace of God provides the answer to every challenge and prevails over every adversity.

    Here is grace. Paul says: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13).

    Blessed be the Lord our God.

    The grace of God enables us to endure persecution, adversities, difficulties, disappointments, bereavement, and every other situation and circumstance. God is a redeemer. He does not often deliver us from bad situations. In most cases, He gives us the grace to endure them.

    Paul wanted deliverance from a thorn in his flesh. But Jesus refused to deliver him. Instead, He told him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

    Therefore, Paul changed his tune. He said: “Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

    Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

    God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. “By strength, no man shall prevail.” (1 Samuel 2:9). “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2).

    God does not fight Goliath with another Goliath. He fights Goliath with little David and prevails over him. Therefore, we are strong when we are weak. Joel says: “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” (Joel 3:10).

    Foundation stone

    God is the Alpha and the Omega of everything. (Revelation 1:8). He is the Uncaused cause of everything else. Therefore, He orchestrates everything that happens to us. Since that is the case, how can we pray for deliverance from anything since God is the cause of everything?

    What are we going to pray for? Jesus says when we pray, we should ask for God’s will to be done. (Matthew 6:10). That means believers are the people who pray for God’s will to be done. We must not pray to God against God’s will. We must pray that we should learn what God wants us to learn from whatever situation we are in. We should ask God for the grace to learn whatever He wants to teach us in any situation or circumstance.

    Groans for grace

    Shall we pray for deliverance? Shall we pray for strength? Shall we pray for endurance? There is no way of knowing. That is why we have the Holy Spirit. He is the One who guides our prayers along the path of life.

    “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26).

    Thank God for the Holy Spirit. Thank God for Jesus. He is our prayer partner: “He is at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34).

    Jesus says: “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19).

    Join faith with Jesus. Agree with Him and it shall be done.

    Lessons from Gethsemane

    What did Jesus receive at Gethsemane? He did not receive deliverance from the cross. But He received the grace to endure the cross.

    “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

    Jesus received the grace of God.

    “He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’ Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” (Luke 22:41-43).

    Jesus received the strength to endure. He received the grace to prevail. He received the grace to succeed in the purpose that was purposed for Him. We also need that grace. The grace to prevail in the challenges of life.

  • Ladies Of Grace: From Roli to Tobore

    Ladies Of Grace: From Roli to Tobore

    By Emmanuel Aziken

    The legacy of grace that has successively been the hallmark of the First Ladies of Delta State since the days of Mrs Roli Uduaghan has been reaffirmed by the present First Lady of the state, Deaconess Tabore Oborevwoacari.

    Mrs Oborevwori gave heed to that heritage at the 17th Mothers Arise Annual Prayer Conference that had the theme, “Remember Me Oh Lord.”

    The annual prayer conference was institutionalized by Mrs Roli Uduaghan when her husband, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan was governor of the state.

    It followed her particular testimony of consecration to God and devotion following the apparent call of God to mobilise the womenfolk of the state.

     

    From Left, Tobore Oborevwori, Edith Okowa and Roli Uduaghan: Legacy of grace
    GWG.ng reports that Mrs Uduaghan had in an interview with Vanguard recalled how following the death of her dad whom she claimed was very close to her she had received many donations including funds to buy jewelry. She, however, in an act of selfless valor redirected the funds to build a house for him. that thought she claimed made her conscious of the fact that the jewelry she had hitherto been much inclined to was like a burden and heavy as the house it had built. That experience which partly redirected her towards a more consecrated life.

     

    That dedication was in part reflected in the Mothers Arise Annual Conference.

    Remarkably, Mrs Uduahgan’s successor as First Lady sustained the Mothers Arise Annual Conference for the eight years her husband was governor between 2015 and 2023.

    Given the apparent positive impact of the programme, it was no surprise that Mrs Oborevwori has picked up the gauntlet to sustain that heritage.

    The theme of the 2024 programme was ”Remember me oh Lord”.

    However, in an act of selfless enhancement of the matrimonial cord with her husband, Mrs Tobore Oborevowri instead of whipping up the audience to remember her, asked that her husband be remembered.

    She said: ”I want to appeal to all my sisters here to continue to support my husband for his MORE agenda to succeed for us to enjoy the dividends of democracy in our state.

    “There is nothing there; all you need is God’s guidance in all you do.

    ”Because with God, all things are possible and with prayers nothing shall be impossible,” she added.

    She urged them to ensure love among themselves.

    “This is what defines us as Christians,” she said.

    She commended wives of former governors for making the programme an annual event.

    ”I thank God for giving Mrs Roli Uduaghan this vision and for saying yes to God.

    ”She ran this programme for eight years and handed it over to my predecessor, Dame Edith Okowa who also ran it for another eight years before handing over to me, today, I’m standing here to take over from my mother and my mentor, Dame Okowa,” she said.

    The governor’s wife also commended the ministers, the women who made the event a reality.

    Earlier, the Assistant Chaplain of Government House Chapel, Pastor Solomon Nathaniel who took his sermons from the books of Isaiah 49:15-16 and Isaiah 43:26, 41:21, stressed the need for mothers to go back to the old time religion of keeping active prayer alters in their homes.

    He also admonished them to be visionary, anticipating what the future would produce, given the kind of seeds being sown into the lives of the children of this generation.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    Read: PHILIPPIANS 3:14-15

    Meditation verse:

    “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do,  forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things  which are ahead” (Philippians 4:13).

    Have you ever pondered on the fact that many of characters mentioned in the  bible for their great acts of faith had their moments of weakness? If you haven’t,  here is a summary for you. 

    Jacob was a supplanter until God change His name. His brother Esau sold off his birthright for a morsel of porridge. His father Isaac married two sisters. 

    His grandfather Abraham, slept with and Impregnated the maid.  King David slept with and impregnated the wife of a member of his army, he  then arranged for the man to be killed to cover his act. 

    Jonah ran away when God told him to preach to the people of Nineveh. He  ended up inside the belly of a whale for three days and nights. 

    Moses killed an Egyptian and went into exile. 

    Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide from the Midianites.  Sarah laughed in unbelief when she was told she would have a child at ninety. The woman at the well who evangelized a village had been married five times. Mary Magdalene who anointed Jesus’ feet was delivered from seven demons.  All the disciples abandoned Jesus Christ when He needed them most, except  Peter who followed closely, but who eventually denied him in the courtyard. Saul who became the great Apostle Paul, had slaughtered many Christians.  

    How could God still go on to accomplish great things through these people? God  does not grade people, He justifies them. He does not call the qualified, He  qualifies the called. If God is not in the business of grading others, you shouldn’t  either. Your errors are not enough to stop God’s hand over your life. His love  and grace make up for all your mistakes. Inside God’s garden of grace, even  wounded trees bear fruits.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: His grace is sufficient for you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: His grace is sufficient for you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10

    Meditation verse:

    “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made  perfect in weakness…” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).

    The exact nature of Paul’s infirmity is unknown. But whatever it was, it must  have been uncomfortable because he pleaded with God on three occasions to  take it away. He seemed desperate to get rid of. When God in His infinite wisdom  refused Paul’s appeal, he did not let the ‘thorn in his flesh’ prevent him from  fulfilling his ministry. He recognized God as His true source of strength and knew  he could depend on His power to remain effective and useful. By affirming God’s  strength, he accepted the reality of his weakness and refused to let it stop him. 

    There may be challenges or weaknesses in your life that have lingered on for  years and you desperately need God’s intervention. Are you sitting around,  waiting for God to make them disappear? He may decide to allow you to live  with it. He has already been made His grace available to you. Grace is an enabler  that propels you forward even in difficult situations, so appropriate His grace. 

    You appropriate God’s grace by repeatedly declaring it over that situation and  walking in its consciousness. If for instance, you recognize that you have a  temper and are prone to outbursts of anger, you need to live in the  consciousness that God’s grace is available to help you exercise self-control.  Rather than giving in to angry outbursts when faced with an upsetting situation, 

    why not declare: “Lord, Your grace is sufficient for me, Your strength is here to  help me stay calm. I depend on it over my weakness. I surrender my will to yours. 

    “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). The  change you desire may not happen instantly, but as you continue speaking God’s  word over that situation, you will ultimately experience victory. This same  principle will work for a recovering alcoholic, a sex maniac or a drug addict who  has surrendered his will to God. If you are battling with fear, self-doubt or low  self-esteem, the grace to forge ahead is in you. Tap into it and press forward. 

    Make decisions and act, despite your struggles. Do not let them stop you, for when you are weak, then you are strong in the power of Christ.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Philippians 3:14-15

    Meditation verse:

    “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do,  forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things  which are ahead” (Philippians 4:13).

    Have you ever pondered on the fact that many of characters mentioned in the  bible for their great acts of faith had their moments of weakness? If you haven’t,  here is a summary for you.

    Jacob was a supplanter until God change His name.

    His brother Esau sold off his birthright for a morsel of porridge. His father Isaac married two sisters.

    His grandfather Abraham, slept with and Impregnated the maid.  King David slept with and impregnated the wife of a member of his army, he  then arranged for the man to be killed to cover his act.

    Jonah ran away when God told him to preach to the people of Nineveh. He  ended up inside the belly of a whale for three days and nights.

    Moses killed an Egyptian and went into exile.

    Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide from the Midianites.  Sarah laughed in unbelief when she was told she would have a child at ninety. The woman at the well who evangelized a village had been married five times. Mary Magdalene who anointed Jesus’ feet was delivered from seven demons.  All the disciples abandoned Jesus Christ when He needed them most, except  Peter who followed closely, but he eventually denied Jesus in the courtyard. Saul who became the great Apostle Paul, had slaughtered many Christians.

    How could God still go on to accomplish great things through these people? God  does not grade people, He justifies them. He does not call the qualified, He  qualifies the called. If God is not in the business of grading others, you shouldn’t  either. Your errors are not enough to stop God’s hand over your life. His love  and grace make up for all your mistakes. Inside God’s garden of grace, even  wounded trees bear fruits.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: His grace is sufficient for you

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: His grace is sufficient for you

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

    Meditation verse:

    “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).

    The exact nature of Paul’s infirmity is unknown. But whatever it was, it must have been uncomfortable because he pleaded with God on three occasions to take it away. He seemed desperate to get rid of. When God in His infinite wisdom refused Paul’s appeal, he did not let the ‘thorn in his flesh’ prevent him from fulfilling his ministry. He recognized God as His true source of strength and knew he could depend on His power to remain effective and useful. By affirming God’s strength, he accepted the reality of his weakness and refused to let it stop him.

    There may be challenges or weaknesses in your life that have lingered on for years and you desperately need God’s intervention. If you have been waiting for a long time for it to change, has it occurred to you that God may decide to allow you to live with it? He would already have made His grace available to you. Grace is an enabler that propels you forward even in difficult situations.

    You may need to appropriate God’s grace in certain situations. You appropriate God’s grace by repeatedly declaring it over that situation and walking in its consciousness. If for instance, you recognize that you have a temper and are prone to outbursts of anger, you need to live in the consciousness that God’s grace is available to help you exercise self-control. Rather than giving in to angry outbursts when faced with an upsetting situation, why not declare: “Lord, Your grace is sufficient for me, Your strength is here to help me stay calm. I depend on it over my weakness. I surrender my will to yours.

    “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). The change you desire may not happen instantly, but as you continue speaking God’s word over that situation, you will ultimately experience victory. This same principle will work for a recovering alcoholic or sex addict who has surrendered his will to God. If you are battling with fear, self-doubt or low self-esteem, the grace to forge ahead is in you. Tap into it and press forward. Make decisions and act, despite your struggles. Do not let them stop you, for when you are weak, then you are strong in the power of Christ.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: All by His grace

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: All by His grace

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: Ephesians 1:3-13

    Meditation verse:

    “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

    Grace is an unmerited favor that you receive through faith in Jesus Christ. Everything you are in life is all by His grace. By grace you were saved. Ephesians 2:5 says that even when you were dead in your trespasses, God in his rich mercy and great love for you, made you alive together with Christ. Indeed, your entire salvation and redemption journey is all by the grace of God.

    Your salvation came by grace: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). After your salvation, you can serve God acceptably by grace. It is His grace working in you that enables you to do of His good pleasure: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28). The spiritual gifts you receive after your conversion are based on grace: “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…” (Romans 12:6). The power to witness to others is by grace: “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all (Acts 4:33).

    By grace you continue to overcome your limitations, weaknesses, temptations, and sinful nature: “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Your ability to do good to others is based on grace: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

    You have become who you are by grace. Every accomplishment and success in your life has only been made possible by grace: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Grace is the enabler that propels you forward despite your shortcomings. You do not get the punishment you deserve because of God’s grace. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). So, today, and always, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

  • Osinachi’s twin sister reveals why late gospel artist cried in the video “Ekwueme”

    Osinachi’s twin sister reveals why late gospel artist cried in the video “Ekwueme”

    Grace, twin sister of late gospel artist, Osinachi Nwachukwu, has disclosed that her sister was in distress when she sang her hit song, “Ekwueme” and that made her cry in the video.

     

    In an interview, she narrated how husband to the deceased, Peter, threatened that his late wife would only leave the marriage in death.

     

    Narrating her ordeal with her late sister’s husband, Grace broke down in tears and rained countless curses on him.

     

    She explained that there was a night Osinachi and her newborn baby got kicked out of the house by her husband, not minding the cold weather, and her first son was the one who had to give her a cloth to wrap the baby.

     

    According to her, Osinachi was not a troublesome person and she inherited such nature from their father.

     

    She revealed that when the gospel singer gets offended, instead of an outburst she begins to cry.

     

    Grace noted that Peter threatened to separate she and Osinachi and fulfilled his threat, adding that he is unemployed.

     

    Osinachi’s twin sister pointed out that Peter assaulted and extorted her sister repeatedly when she is paid for her song ministration.

     

    She claimed that Osinachi was maltreated while pregnant and after child birth, noting that Peter pretended to be a nice person till he got married to her sister.

    Late Osinachi Nwachukwu

     

    Meanwhile, Osinachi’s mother also revealed that she could not see her grandchildren for 8 years and was never allowed to come for Omugwo (traditional Igbo custom for postpartum care by the woman’s mother).

     

    The distraught mother further disclosed that her daughter’s husband who claimed that he’s a Pastor separated her from her family.

     

    She further revealed that he never allowed her and her children to their house until Pastors intervened, and also pushed them out while she (mother) was sick.

     

    The lady further averred that Osinachi left her marriage for over a year, and only returned after her husband came with Pastors to beg.

     

    According to the singer’s mother, she told her a couple of times to leave, but Osinachi insisted on staying, insisting that the Bible frowns at divorce.

     

    She also disclosed that before her daughter died, she and husband went for medical checkup and were told by medical experts that nothing was wrong with her.

     

    Osinachi’s mother however accused Peter of making up claims of his wife being a cancer patient.

  • My husband is grace personified – Obi Cubana’s wife denies ritual claims

    My husband is grace personified – Obi Cubana’s wife denies ritual claims

    Obi Cubana’s wife, Mrs Iyiegbu, has debunked claims that her husband’s affluence is through diabolical means.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that many had insinuated that Obi Cubana did rituals after the burial of his mother became a topic of discussion on social media.

    The burial was one of the most talked about public events in the country in recent time, as wealthy young men engaged in a show of wealth.

     

    However, the businesswoman in a post on her Instagram page said her husband is filled with grace.

    She, however, urged Nigerians to work hard and not believe rumours that her husband did rituals to become wealthy.

    “If GRACE is a person, it is Obinna Iyiegbu. I am still trying to figure out what happened last weekend but all I can see is GRACE!

    ”My brother, no be juju. No be crime. It’s just GRACE!

     

    “The man is grace personified. Don’t get it twisted. Stop the hate & celebrate God’s grace upon his chosen one. What you celebrate is what you attract. Like he said, WORK HARD.” she wrote.

     

  • Expression of grace in the ministry of Jesus (2) – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Paul says: “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8).

    This agrees with Jesus’ expressions of grace. He says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me.” (John 6:44-45). “People can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” (John 6:65). “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing.” (John 6:63).

    That means the grace of God is unmerited. “Who then can be saved?” asks His disciples in bewilderment. Jesus says to them: “With men, it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:26-27).

    So, when some Jews ask Him: “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus says to them: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29).

    God’s grace is 100% the work of God. However, we can only enter into this blessing by faith. That is why Paul says we are saved by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8). At its most fundamental, God is not a respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34). His grace is available to all men: “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” (Titus 2:11).

    However, not all men receive it. Even some who initially receive it fall from grace because they fail to abide by the principles of God’s grace. The grace of God that brings salvation is received by faith without merit. But it is perfected by works.

    Grace through faith

    In the first place, God does not give grace to the wicked. Isaiah says: “Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil.” (Isaiah 26:10). Therefore, in order to show grace to a man, God first has to give him the gift of repentance from sin. (Acts 11:18). This means even repentance is a gift of God’s grace.

    This gift of repentance is one of the things God promised in the past that is now “Yea and Amen” in Christ. He says: “I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10).

    But God’s grace does not come to an end after we repent. John the Baptist says Jesus has come to give us one grace after another. (John 1:16-17). Through the way Jesus made for us, we can now come again and again to God’s throne of grace to receive more and more grace: “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16).

    However, unlike the grace of God that brings salvation, what we receive from the throne of grace is not only accessed by faith, it must be perfected by works. This grace is merited because: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6). It is only given to those who agree to be: “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).

    It is not given to those who despise the grace of God and continue in sin. The psalmist says: “The Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11). Believers who drawback and are not upright can fall from grace. (Galatians 5:4). But true believers grow in this grace. (2 Peter 3:18).

    Grace with works

    That is why James cautions us saying: “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” (James 2:20-22).

    The example of Abraham is very instructive. God called Abraham and made some promises to him entirely by grace. He told him: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3).

    Abraham did absolutely nothing to deserve these blessings. But: “He believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6).

    However, much later, God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. When Abraham obeyed, God repeated to him the same promises He had earlier made to him by grace:

    “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.” (Genesis 22:16-18).

    In this manner, the same promise that was made to Abraham by grace that he received by faith was now perfected by the works of Abraham.

    Word made flesh

    In 1996, I had a video shop in Victoria Island, Lagos that was making, on average, 7,000 naira a day. But one day, God gave me a dream where I opened the account book of the shop and discovered to my surprise that it made 23,000 naira in one day. I immediately received this prophecy by faith and then set out to work.

    The psalmist says: “Since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13). Therefore, I told everybody that my Victoria Island shop would make 23,000 naira in one day. But Ernest, my assistant, did not believe.

    However, I did more than just talk. I filled the shop with goods far above the level of business. I did this so persistently that God spoke to me. He said: “Femi, because you believe me, I will tell you when this prophecy will be fulfilled. It will happen on 29th December 1996.”

    On that appointed date, it was my unbelieving assistant who brought me the news. But, paradoxically, the shop did not make 23,000 naira: it made 29,000. When I asked the Lord the reason behind the discrepancy, He said to me: “Femi, you exceeded the prophecy.”

    And so, this gift of grace also ended up with a surprise. Although it was unmerited and I received it by faith, I perfected it by works (also by God’s grace.) But it did not end there. I kept going back for more and more grace and the income kept growing until it peaked at 55,000 naira a day in 2002.