When we first get saved, one of the biggest changes we undergo is a shift in mindset. Until we learn to begin renewing our minds, we tend to think we must continue striving through our own efforts to follow a list of rules. This was okay under the old covenant, but we're now living under the new covenant. The effort of trying to get God to do what is complete has been replaced by the effort to maintain an intimate, personal relationship with Him. Now, the only effort required is the effort to participate in what's already finished through Jesus.

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To benefit from God's grace, we must first understand it. As the human manifestation of grace, Jesus made it possible for us to live free from sin and condemnation. Depending on Him allows Him to be our provision, both on the physical and on the spiritual level. He is our provider, our righteousness, and everything else we need in this life. Because of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made, God can now deal with us with mercy and kindness under grace instead of through judgment and punishment under the law.

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Without a proper understanding of God's Word and how to apply it, we make the mistake of thinking that He contradicts Himself. One example is the difference between a believer's stance in Christ and his state. Our stance before God as righteous and holy was settled when we accepted Jesus Christ; however, our state refers to the lifelong process of God continually working in us during our journey. We aren't what we do; God has already declared us His children, regardless of our behavior. God chose us as His beloved even before the foundation of the earth, and our state can never change our stance; this is something to thank and praise Him for.

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Grace is the teacher who imparts to the believer the things of God. To understand what God is trying to show us, we must have spiritual vision. This vision is impossible without the Holy Spirit, who administers God's moral law in love and reveals to us that life has radically changed since Jesus ended the Mosaic Law. Under the old covenant, doing was important; under the new covenant, believing is now important. Faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross takes all the pressure off us to perform and enables us to do things we could never do through our own efforts.

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Too many believers unknowingly settle for less than what God has intended for them, often due to fear, complacency, or a lack of understanding of their identity in Christ. Settling is described as forfeiting God's best by clinging to what is familiar, average, or easier. We're called to renew our minds, confront fear with faith, and refuse to compromise our values in order to walk in God's promises. Dreaming bigger in God allows us to expand our vision and align with His supernatural plans. Ultimately, we're reminded that we're God's beloved and fully worthy of His best right now.

Believers must be vigilant to avoid settling for less than God's best in various aspects of life. Some of the dangers in doing this include distorting our identity in Christ, accepting bondage, and compromising our values. Our success in daily living hinges on recognizing our worth in Christ and refusing to justify unhappiness or stagnation. By not settling for toxic lifestyles, we become strong witnesses for Christ. We succeed by rising up to our true identity in Christ and living lives of faith and abundance.

We must never forget the importance of giving from a place awareness of God's love for us, instead of from a sense of duty that causes us to give grudgingly. Being a giver awakens us to the blessings we already have in Christ. God's economy is one of abundance; giving therefore reflects an awareness of this, rather than of our own worthiness. There's a contrast between the consequences of being in and out of God's will; challenges come in both situations but serve different purposes. Trusting in His guidance allows us to experience the fullness of His blessings.

Just as staying in God's will lets us experience supernatural prosperity, success, and joy, there are also consequences for stepping outside of it. Under the old covenant of the law, disobedience resulted in curses, separation from God, captivity, fear, guilt, and even death. Under the new covenant of grace, although we no longer experience curses, we do encounter loss of peace, joy, confidence, and fellowship when we fall out of alignment with His will. The enemy uses offense, bitterness, and distractions to draw us away from the place where God has already

Just as staying in God's will lets us experience supernatural prosperity, success, and joy, there are also consequences for stepping outside of it. Under the old covenant of the law, disobedience resulted in curses, separation from God, captivity, fear, guilt, and even death. Under the new covenant of grace, although we no longer experience curses, we do encounter loss of peace, joy, confidence, and fellowship when we fall out of alignment with His will. The enemy uses offense, bitterness, and distractions to draw us away from the place where God has already

Being conscious of our sins is not the way God wants us to live. By contrast, being aware of how God sees us in Christ—innocent and free—lets us focus on our righteousness. We are forgiven because Jesus has dealt with our sin. We are not what we do; bad behavior does not separate a person from God, but rather the sinful nature of a person before they get born again. Living under the law always creates guilt and self-condemnation for failing in our self-efforts to perform good enough to please God; by comparison, living under grace redefines our identity. It restores us to the fact that He originally created us as righteous, blameless, and holy. Believing that God decided to make us just like Him even before the beginning of time keeps us anchored in our true identity when the world bombards us with messages to the contrary.

To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483

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