John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus’ arrival on the earth became the biggest shift in how man related to God. Before Jesus came, everything was performance-based, obedience determined outcome. Protection and blessing were conditional, based on how well people could keep the law. However, when Jesus came, He established the new covenant between God and man. Under grace, we receive what Jesus secured for us. God’s blessings are no longer conditional; God’s blessings are already ours. We no longer have to try to earn protection and blessing; we simply stand in the truth of what Jesus has done for us, in us, and through us.

Problems arise when people try to mix the two covenants. People end up striving instead of standing. People tolerate what they should be resisting, and blame God for what the devil is doing.

Romans 4:19-21, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.”

There are various types of faith listed in the Bible, including weak faith, little faith, shipwrecked faith, dead faith, strong faith, and great faith.

It’s important for us to understand what it means to have strong faith so that we can receive the promises of God and live the life that He has for us.

1 Corinthians 2:6-7 (Moffat Translation), “We do discuss 'wisdom' with those who are mature; only it is not the wisdom of this world or of the dethroned Powers who rule this world, it is the mysterious Wisdom of God that we discuss, that hidden wisdom which God decreed from all eternity for our glory.”

Easter, a time of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour! This is the time when we come together and celebrate what Jesus has done for us. Praise God for what He has done for us at the cross, the grave, and resurrection, but there is so much more that God did in Christ at the resurrection.

The Bible says that there is a wisdom of God that was hidden throughout the ages for our glory. It is a wisdom that is not of this world, nor of the dethroned powers of darkness; it is God’s Wisdom hidden for us to be revealed at the resurrection of Jesus. This wisdom is the complete and total victory that Jesus has won for us!

Matthew 9:28-30 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened.”

The Apostle John, by the Holy Spirit, says, “This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

Jesus has already won the victory over the kingdom of darkness, and He has given us His authority and power here on the earth. As Christian’s, living the victorious life is the norm. We triumph, we are victors, we are in the Kingdom of Light! It is now our privilege to learn how to walk in the reality of what Jesus has done for us, in us, and through us. It’s our faith in God that overcomes the world.

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-5 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

According to these verses, we once were dead in our sins but now we are dead to sin!

Praise the Lord! We have been made alive and we are now free to live our lives for God.

We were once sinners by nature but now that we’re in Christ, our new, Born Again nature is righteous.

This is the Gospel, the power of God unto Salvation.

The revelation of who we are in Christ is essential to walking in the victory that Jesus purchased for us.

When we read the Word of God, His Word begins to transform the way that we think.

Numbers 14:8-9, “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

There is a saying that goes, “If you think you're defeated, or if you think you will win, you're correct either way.”

This is a very true statement. The way we view ourselves will determine the outcome of our lives.

We can define ourselves by our past, our failures, other people’s opinions, our feelings, our actions, our successes, etc. However, as Christians, our identity is not found in ourselves or other people’s opinions; we are who God says we are.

Hebrews 4:1-3 “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest…”

God’s Word reveals His will for our lives. When we read the Word of God, we begin to understand His plan and will for His children. His Word is full of exceedingly great and precious promises, promises that cause us to overcome problems and enable us to reign in life. What a wonderful gift God has given us through His Word.

However, just because God has said it doesn’t mean that it automatically comes to pass in our lives; we have a part to play too. This is where our faith comes in. What we believe about what God has said is important.

Mark 1:41, “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.””

Strong faith is faith that is anchored in the Word of God. It’s in God’s Word where we can find God’s will, and once we know and are persuaded of God’s will, we can lay hold of what belongs to us as children of God.

We need to be on guard for wrong beliefs and wrong ways of thinking that can hinder God’s Word from working in our lives. For instance, many people will compromise God’s Word to match their experience, or what they heard someone else say. Rather than let God’s Word be their anchor, they let the experience tell them what to believe.

The example of the leper found in Mark chapter one is a beautiful example of someone finding out for themselves the true nature of God.

Galatians 3:10-11 “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”

Our faith in God is crucial in determining the outcome of our lives.

Living the life of faith is completely different from the life we once lived. We live in a world where we are judged and viewed based on our performance. In the kingdom of God, everything is by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) Now we, as the ones who have been justified, live by faith.

Everything that God has made available to us in Jesus is His will for His children. However, just because it is God’s will for us to live in all that His grace has made available, our response to what His grace has made available will determine if we experience and live in all that God has for us. God’s promises aren’t automated; they are activated! Faith is what activates them.

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”

As a local church, it is important that we understand who we are, where we are going and why. We’re here to fulfill the god-given mandate that He has assigned to us.

We are a New Testament church, a grace faith church because we believe that it is by grace that we are saved through faith. It all started with the mercy of God, who loved us so much that He saved us, not only from sin, death and eternal judgment, but He saved us from any harm and destruction that comes against us.