In the beginning of the Scriptures, there are many references to ‘grace’ in the Old Testament.  Some examples of how grace is expressed:  (Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord;” or Gen. 19:19 “Behold now, thy servant has found grace in thy sight…”).  The words ‘eyes’ and ‘sight’ were often used as symbolism of how God saw them and not man.  The people were either asking for help from the Lord to be right in His eyes (righteousness) or they were found righteous in His eyes.  In other words, they were to walk blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord (Luke 1:6) – in His will.  This reminds me of after Jesus was baptized by John and the Father said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11; Matt. 3:17).  Why did the Father feel well pleased or delighted in Him?  Because Jesus walked according to His Father’s ways (A Servant Whom He, the Father upheld (John 5:30; Isa. 42:1); One that the Father put His Spirit upon Him and in Him (Judges 3:10; Judges 15:14; Judges 14:6; Judges 14:19; Judges 6:34; Num. 11:25; 1Sam. 6:13; Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; John 1:32) – the same God that put the Spirit upon His chosen ones in the Old Testament and put His Spirit within His chosen One and chosen ones (the sons of God) to come in the New Testament; He brought forth justice and right and revealed the Truth to the nations (by God’s standards).  

So according to Isa. 42:1, what grace or favor of God is and how it’s given is based on His own standards, which are:  you must be a servant, one that listens to the Father, one that is guided by the Spirit of God, one that will bring forth fruit which is good (justice, right, and the revealing of truth to others/nations – a preacher of the Gospel or God’s ways).  This is exactly how the true men of God walked in the Old Testament and how Jesus portrayed His walk also.  This is not a standard of the world and its ways of seeing things.  This is the standard of God the Father’s ways of what it is to walk in grace and the favor of Himself alone (Isa. 33:15-17).  We will see the King as He sees Himself – what He stands for and what He offers to those that want it.  

This brings me to the reality of understanding that Jesus Christ’s life is grace.  It not only demonstrated this favor of God in a manifestation on earth in the flesh, but it also brought forth greater revelation of Who He is and was, in addition to the full mature stature of One that is complete in the Godhead.  The Godhead abiding in an individual brings forth this Life, which is Christ’s life in us – His life lived in the grace and favor of the Father but also the characteristics of God’s expressions of Life eternal – what we have to hope for and live for, in the life to come (the reward of our eternal inheritance).  

The Scriptures below say it all:

2 Cor. 12:9 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Paul understanding that the life of Christ abiding in him was all he needed.  No matter what he went through, how painful and embarrassing it may be he knew that what was most important to express to others was this Christ – who came to save and overcome sin and death in those that He came to set free.  It wasn’t about him (Paul).  It was and is about Christ and His glory – however He may choose to show it through us.  HUMILITY; SERVANTHOOD

2Cor. 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

This is not just about finances, it’s about knowing that God will provide all the life of Christ in you necessary (the spiritual blessings), in order that you are prepared to encounter all that comes forth to you in your call that you are assigned to and able to produce the fruit of goodness which is led by the Spirit of God, so that He is glorified in it always to those that need Him and may come to know Him as He is.  MERCY; LOVE; KINDNESS; PEACE; PATIENCE; JOY; COMFORT; STRENGTH; HOPE

Romans 3:24 “All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus.”

Those that believe in Him and walk by His Holy Spirit, have found grace in the sight of God through Christ’s life living in and through them.  Christ gives us this power to be right in the sight of the Father.  STRENGTH; PEACE; LONGSUFFERING; RIGHTEOUSNESS; BOLD; CONFIDENCE; TRUST; JUSTIFIES WHAT IS RIGHT

Titus 3:7 “Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
Because of the Holy Spirit given to us by Christ’s work on the cross, we are able to live in Him, be right before God as we are led, and have complete understanding of who we are and who we belong to.  RIGHTEOUSNESS; SONSHIP; SERVANTHOOD; FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

Romans 1:7 “To [you then] all God’s beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life:  Grace and spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is what is imparted more to those that have consecrated or set themselves apart for God’s services in and through them (chosen ones – saints):  Because of their full obedience unto the leading of the Holy Spirit, they are given more favor and peace so they are equipped for what lies ahead in their calling as a saint – as Jesus had peace and favor for what He was called to do for the Father. PEACE; STRENGTH; TRUST; MERCY; LONGSUFFERING; PATIENCE; HUMILITY; FAITH; WISDOM; UNDERSTANDING; COUNSEL; MIGHT; KNOWLEDGE; REVERENTIAL FEAR OF GOD; DISCERNING JUDGMENT

1 Cor. 15:10 “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out His special favor on me – and not without results…”

Paul indicated that whatever has happened to him and whatever he experiences as a result is a result of having Christ’s life living in him.  The Spirit of God was ‘poured upon him’ or the anointing of the Holy Spirit by God the Father and that to live for Christ alone, to have Him live in you – there will be consequences that may not appear to the world as glorious, but to God the Father it is.  LONGSUFFERING; OBEDIENCE; HUMILITY; CONSECRATION FROM THE WORLD AND ITS WAYS; NEW CREATION; POWER OF GOD; GLORY OF GOD; LOYALTY; INTEGRITY; MATURITY; STEADFASTNESS; FAITH

2 Cor. 1:12 “For our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you – ward.”

The testimony of who we are is based on the life of Christ in us, His Spirit leading us through His holiness and in purity of heart from God.  What we know isn’t based on worldly understanding but is based on who we know, which is Christ and His life in us led by His Spirit so that those that we may encounter will come to know this same life which resides in us, and want it for themselves as a gift from God.  HUMILITY; WISDOM; HOLINESS/PERFECTION; PURITY; LOVE; SINCERITY; MERCY

Galatians 1:15-16 “But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was…”

Since Jesus was there in the beginning (Gen. 1:26; John 1:1-5), by and through His favor in God already before He came to the earth, Paul was set apart from birth for the glory of God to manifest in him – His Son Jesus’ life by the Holy Spirit, to preach.  And as Paul indicated, he learned from no one else other than the Spirit of God of the Truth (John 14:26; John 16:7-8) because God chose to reveal Himself to him from the beginning of his life because of His Son Jesus.  MERCY; LOVE; SERVANTHOOD; WISDOM; BOLDNESS; HUMILITY; CONSECRATED; TEACHER; REVELATION/LIGHT

Ephesians 1:5-9 “For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent] –[So that we might be] to the praise and commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose).  [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him.”
God had a plan from the beginning, which is His will to use His Son as a demonstration of His love and mercy for us.  His Son’s life on earth was the plan from the beginning in order to show His own that He chose in His mercy and love to redeem them from their deathly state as a result of sin – to give them life when they had none from the beginning of their earthly status.  God the Father was generous enough to offer His only Son up for death, in order that we would have a chance at life – this life He planned for all people in the beginning – for eternity in and with Him.  This plan would be revealed to those that are His, in order that they would truly understand and know their God for Who He is – One that is good and a Provider for all that are truly His.  TRUST; LOVE; MERCY; SOVEREIGNITY; LIFE; LIGHT/REVELATION/SIGHT; POWER; MIGHT; UNDERSTANDING; WISDOM; FAITH; PRAISEWORTHY; JOYOUS; KINDNESS; PATIENCE; FORGIVING; JUST; RIGHTEOUS; HOPEFUL; STRENGTH

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

By Jesus’ life overcoming death, we are saved by His works on the cross because He left the Holy Spirit which imparts to us the faith necessary to overcome ourselves.  This Power, the Holy Spirit, is a gift from God through His Son, so in being led by the Spirit we cannot take the credit for works by our own accord because they are the works of God by His Holy Spirit.  And this is Who we give the glory to – not ourselves but to Him alone Who created this plan for our redemption.  POWER; WISDOM; GLORY; HUMILITY; FAITH; OBEDIENCE; SUBMISSION; HONOR; FEAR OF GOD; LOYALTY; TRUST; MERCY

Eph. 4:7 “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

Our life in Christ is given to us individually according to the comparison of what Jesus gave.  If we surrender all of our life as He did we will be given all that He had for His calling but if we only surrender parts of our own lives and not all of it to Him, His life abiding in us is limited because of how much we allow Him to work in us (Mark 10:18-31; Matt. 10:35-39; Matt. 16:24-28; 2Thess. 1:11; James 2:20-24; Matt. 20:8; 1Cor. 3:13-14; 1Cor. 3:8-10).  FAITHFULNESS; HONOR; HUMILITY; LOVE; THANKFULNESS; REPENTANCE; FEAR OF GOD; SUBMISSION

1Tim. 1:14 “and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus”
Paul stating that the life of Jesus was and is more than enough to provide all that is necessary to fulfill who we are.  His life by the leading of the Holy Spirit provides us the faith and love necessary to be fulfilled and sure of who we are and what we are to be because of Christ Jesus.  LOVE; IDENTITY IN CHRIST; SURETY; FAITHFULNESS; COMPLETENESS; PEACE; JOY; TRUTH

2Tim. 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,”

1Pet. 4:10 “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Whatever God has given us we should use it for the kingdom purposes alone, led by the Holy Spirit.  We should be ministering the life of Christ as is led by His Spirit (appropriately and rightly) in the various ways God chooses to use us.  LOVE; FAITH; OBEDIENCE; SERVANTHOOD; SUBMISSION; LOYALTY; SELFLESSNESS; HUMILITY

1Pet. 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

And the God of all life, which has called us to His glory through His Son Jesus, will make us strong and able to stand in our completeness after we’ve been tested through our sufferings for Christ’s sake.  MERCY; LOVE; STRENGTH; BOLDNESS; HUMILITY; POWER; AUTHORITIVE

2Pet. 3:18 “Instead, continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah.”

As Paul warned that we should be growing in the life of Christ, by His Spirit’s leading so that we may increase in the knowledge of Him and not be deceived and able to discern properly His ways.  JUSTICE; KNOWLEDGEABLE; DISCERNING OF RIGHT AND WRONG; GOODNESS; STRONG; FAITHFUL

Zech. 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David & the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look on me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for any only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”  *(Luke 2:40; Heb. 10:29)

The Lord will pour out His Holy Spirit upon His people because of Jesus’ sacrifice of His own life which represented the life of those that were in sin and allowing Himself to take the place of those that had no life – pleading before the Father for mercy upon us.  Those that understand this and come to the realization of it, will bring us to deep repentance, realizing the act of His love for us when we did not even love Him in the beginning (1John 4:19; John 1:14, John 1:15, John 1:17).  REVELATION/LIGHT; WISDOM; UNDERSTANDING; HUMILITY; REPENTANCE; THANKFULNESS; MERCY; LOVE; LIFE

Acts 15:11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace (the undeserved favor & mercy) of the Lord Jesus, just as they [are].” (Rom. 5:2)

By being saved through grace, then that means we are saved through Jesus’ life now living in and through us, by His Spirit, not by the Law anymore.  Since we believe truly of His life living through us, in  our being because we have been shown by Him, Who He truly is, there’s no need to try to bring others back to the way things used to be under the Law or the Old Covenant.  Now we are in the New Covenant through Christ (John 14:6; Eph. 4:20-21; 2 Cor. 5:17).  MERCY; LOVE; THANKFULNESS; UNDERSTANDING

Rom. 4:16 “Therefore the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring…” (Rom. 5:2)

The promise of the New Covenant comes by faith, believing in what is unseen (as the Spirit of the Lord is unseen; believing in the leading of the Holy Spirit, Heb. 11:1); and this way it is by grace or Jesus’ life and death on the cross, to life again in the Spirit continuously (Gal. 5:16) – which is the grace offered through His sacrifice, which will be the guarantee of the true offspring of Abraham (Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:5). OBEDIENCE; HUMILITY; FAITH; TRUST

Rom. 5:15-17   “For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one Man, Jesus Christ!” (17)

As many that had died through one man because of his sin (Adam); look at how many more that receive God’s gift of life (grace) through His Son, Who died for many to make right with what mankind made wrong before God, for good – overcoming death by His perfect life in God’s eyes before all others that looked to men, instead of God for their life.  Jesus brought the correct way back to His Father, by showing His life is eternal when One lives for God, and it can be done through His Power.  OBEDIENCE; TRUST; RIGHTEOUSNESS; TRUTH; HUMILITY; JOY; FAITHFULNESS; LOVE; SERVANTHOOD

Romans 6:1, Romans 6:14, Romans 6:15 “What shall we say [to all this]?  Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow?” (1) (2 Cor. 6:1)

14, “For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects to God’s favor and mercy].”

15, “What then [are we to conclude]?  Shall we sin because we live not under the Law but under God’s favor and mercy?  Certainly not!”

We should not take advantage of God’s grace of His Son’s life and what He did for us, and use it as an excuse to sin (‘because Jesus’ life covers us’).  That should not be the case.  Instead, we should not let sin exert dominion over us, but Jesus instead, by His Spirit’s leading.  And this is how we come out from under the dominion of sin and death, which is the Law (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:22-29), we become subjects to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and He brings us out from under the Law and into righteousness.  This righteousness leads to right standing with God, by walking away from the sinful nature of mankind and into His promises, which only His Holy Spirit can lead us into; no longer abusing the Law, but fulfilling it through Him (1 Cor. 15:52-57).  RIGHTEOUSNESS; TRUST; REPENTANCE; JUSTICE; UNDERSTANDING; FAITH

Rom. 11:6 “But if it is by grace, it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done.  Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it’d be meaningless].”
If it’s truly done by the leading of the Holy Spirit, or Jesus living in and through us, then it’s not done by our own works.  It’s Him in us doing it, or His will activated, not our own (John 5:19; John 5:30; John 6:38; John 8:28;     John 12:49, John 12:50; John 14:10; Num. 16:28; Matt. 26:39; Rom. 14:7-9; 2 Cor. 4:5).  We preach Him, His life, not our own; otherwise His life would be meaningless if it wasn’t attested to by our obedience unto Him – He would not be true, if that’s the case, which is not so – He is the One.  HUMILITY; SURRENDEREDNESS; GLORY TO GOD; PRAISE; WORSHIP

Rom. 12:3 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:  Do not think of yourself more highly …” (Rom. 12:6)

Paul was indicating that by the life of Christ that had been imparted to him, what he was given by Christ to do, he had the authority to warn them of how they should work within the area of what God has given them to do, and not to think higher of themselves, out of what God had ordained them to do.  Paul was leading by example here because he spoke only in the authority of what Christ was in him, and nothing beyond that, when speaking to the people about this (1 Cor. 12:11-25; Rom. 1:1-14; Luke 12:48).  HUMILITY; AUTHORITY; RIGHTEOUSNESS; DIVINE ORDER

Rom. 16:20 “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you.”

The life (or grace) of Jesus will crush Satan under your feet because He goes to the Father, and the Father has all things under His feet (John 16:10; John 14:12, John 14:28; Eph. 1:20-22; Ps. 8:6; Heb. 2:6-12).  HUMILITY; RIGHTEOUSNESS; AUTHORITY; POWER; SOVEREIGNTY; DIVINE ORDER; FAITHFULNESS; LOYALTY

“For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace extends to more people and multiplies through the many…” (2 Cor. 4:15)

The trials and tests before the enemy and the world are there to reveal more of Christ through us, His life (grace) that is expressed in us, through the trials that come before us, and by experiencing them and overcoming – we extend more of Him to others around us, in order that they grow into the faith also.  HUMILITY; FAITH; GRACE; MERCY; HONOR; GLORY TO GOD

“Laboring together [as God’s fellow workers] with Him then, we beg of you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”  (2 Cor. 6:1)

If we are truly with Him, we will not agree with darkness because darkness is not in Him.  And if He truly lives in us, then we have nothing to do with darkness any longer.  We should not take Jesus’ life or name in vain, meaning we should not use His name or Him as an excuse to sin.  We are not to be part of the sinful nature anymore.  To be a part of sin, is to still be in death, and He has not called us into death but life.  We must be for Him alone, and not led by our carnal nature which bows to oneself for recognition in our own works, and not His through the cross.  REPENTANCE; OBEDIENCE; LOYALTY; HUMILITY; SURRENDEREDNESS; HOLINESS; SANCTIFICATION

“And they yearn for you while they pray for you, because of the surpassing measure of God’s grace in you.”  (2 Cor. 9:14)

Those that pray for you and know that you have the life of Christ living in you will yearn for you.  Anyone that has been in the presence of Christ yearns to be in it more because it is pure love.  God’s people are to fellowship in the same love they have all grown to learn through Jesus, and love to share Him with each other.

Those who truly want to know Him more will be drawn to those that do know Him because they are called to be one Body in Him (2 Cor. 13:14).  FELLOWSHIP; LOVE; UNITY; PROPSEPRITY; GLORY; HUMILITY

“But He said to me, My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

Jesus’ life or grace is enough to overcome all weakness in us, or the sinful nature.  As we allow Him to live in and through us, He is able to glorify Himself instead of us glorifying our own selves.  This is so that He is revealed to others that see His work in us, and may also come to Him for their own weaknesses.  HUMILITY; OBEDIENCE; TRUST; GLORY TO GOD; STRENGTH; POWER; FAITH

“[Therefore I do not treat God’s gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose]; I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace of God.  For if justification comes through the Law, then Christ died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain.” (Gal. 2:21; Gal. 5:4)

We should not take what Christ did on the cross as something minor because what He did is what He expects us to do through Him, His Spirit (Luke 9:23; John 15:13; John 10:18).  This life that He left for us to learn by His Spirit is the life that He lives, in the Father.  If we justify ourselves in the Law, then we have not truly gone to Jesus for His life, as led by the Spirit.  We have denied the Spirit, therefore denying the Son, and the Father – as they are One.  If we do this we are saying Christ died in vain – for Himself, in a selfish manner, not for others.  If we truly believe He died for us and others, then we should die like Him, so that we too can live for the Father and others (Mark 12:28-31; Rom. 13:10).  Vanity is living selfishly.  Christ lived selflessly. Then, we have fallen from the life of Christ and back into the bondage of separation from the Father; as only Christ’s life in us, is what keeps us in right standing with God, and no act derived by our own authority.  HUMILITY; LOVE; SELFLESSNESS; MERCY; LOVING-KINDNESS

“He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable riches of His free grace in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7)

Jesus gave all of His life for us, so that He could demonstrate what love is to all that He was to reveal it to in the days to come.  After His death on the cross, it was revealed to all the quality of life to God the Father – truly how He sees those that are His.  Life to the King is what He sees as richness.  Each life that He created is important to Him; beyond what anyone on this earth could represent or even describe or express in themselves.  Life and love go hand in hand, according to the Lord.  One does not work without the other (1 John 4:8; John 6:22-40; John 14:6).  Jesus showed God in the flesh, Who is love.  He showed what love is and gave us the means to allow Him to do it within ourselves through Him, to show others.  LOVE; MERCY; LIFE; SERVANTHOOD

“Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in our hearts.” (Col. 3:16)
As we go about led in the Spirit of God, the fruit is such as above stated because our ‘melody to God’ is our sacrifices that we offer of our own lives in His Son Jesus’ life, abiding in us.   God’s grace in our hearts is His Son Jesus’ life in our hearts living through us, for His glory.  GLORY TO GOD; HONOR; FAITHFULNESS; LOVE; LIFE

“Thus may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified and become more glorious through and in you, and may you [also be glorified] in Him according to the grace, (favor and blessing) of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”  (2 Thes. 1:12; 2 Thes. 2:16)

The life of Jesus in us fully will bring glory to both Him and the Father, which in its time will exalt you as His own through what God has bestowed on you, for His purposes (Mal. 3:17; Matt. 6:4; Matt. 16:27-28; John 14:12;          John 17:5).  GLORY; HONOR; SALVATION; MERCY

“Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace, in order that no root of resentment shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it.” (Heb. 12:15)

Jesus’ life was all about love – looking after those that were His (John 17).  He served those that He knew were His; and continues to watch over them (1 John 5:18), to protect them from falling back through intercession by His Spirit (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; Luke 22:37). To fail to secure God’s grace is to fail to secure one’s salvation.  (Heb. 6:4-12)  LOVE; HUMILITY; BOLDNESS; FAITH; SALVATION

“Do not be carried about by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace and not foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no [spiritual] benefit or profit to those who observe them.” (Heb. 13:9)

We are to be strengthened by Jesus, His life living in and through us, led by the Spirit (1Tim. 4:8).  These are the heavenly things in which we should maintain our focus because this is what stands eternally.  The external religious practices are man -made traditions which do not have life in them, only through Jesus do we have our life (2 Tim. 3:5; John 5:39-40). LOVE; FAITH; OBEDIENCE; DISCIPLINE

“The prophets, who prophesied of the grace (divine blessing) which was intended for you, searched and required earnestly about this salvation. 13 So brace up your minds; be sober; set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.” (1 Pet. 1:10, 1 Pet. 1:13)

The prophets prophesied of Jesus, the Life, Who is the divine blessing (John 14:16; 2 Cor. 12:9).  To have eternal life through Jesus, is a blessing (1 John 5:11-13; Isa. 53; Ezek. 34:10-24; Jer. 31:27-34; Jer. 32:37-41).  We must stay focused on Him, without wavering, on His life living in and through us by His Spirit, so that more of Him, His life can be revealed in and through us to others.  SALVATION; REPENTANCE; REVELATION; UNDERSTANDING; GLORY TO GOD

“In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off.”  (1Pet. 3:7)

We are joint heirs to a life in Christ.  We are to be jointed or connected together because of Him, and should show the respect towards each other as Christ did with His own when He walked the earth because He knew they were a part of Him (1John 3:15; 1John 4:20; Eph. 4:15-16).  RESPECT; LOVE; HUMILITY; OBEDIENCE

“For certain men have crept in stealthily.  Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly persons who pervert the grace of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4)

People will pervert the life of Christ and even allowing for sin to be alright in a life of one trying to live for Christ; believing that Christ did it all for us, with no change necessary for us to live for Christ – which is a lie.  Jesus came to give us life through His life living in and through us; to help us overcome sin and death by the leading of His Spirit; to truly walk in repentance, to sin no more  (John 8:1-11; 1 Cor. 15:45-58; James 4:6-8; Ezek. 33:11; Ezekiel 18:23-31; 2 Chron. 7:14; Luke 13:3; Matt. 4:17; Matt. 3:2; Mark 6:12; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Prov. 14:12; James 1:14-15; James 5:19-20; Gal. 5:16; Isa. 55:6-7; Rom. 2:4; Rev. 3:3).  REPENTANCE; HUMILITY; OBEDIENCE; DISCIPLINE