The power of grace

By Apostle Steve Lyston

During this Easter season, while we recognise that not everyone celebrates the significance of the season for various reasons, the key thing is to simply be grateful, appreciative and thankful that Jesus did come and lay His life down for us all.

The main fact that we are alive today is as a result of the fact that He came and extended to us His Grace.

Regardless of the spiritual condition one is in, it is God's grace that allows us hope, and grants us the free favour of God. Even as people ridicule God, and even challenge Him to do something drastic to them as proof of His existence, it is the grace of God extended to them that keeps them.

The grace of God allows us to have the favour and goodness of God. For example, have you ever been promoted to a position for which you are not qualified or for which you were not the favourite applicant, but you got the job and are doing well? That was the favour of God!

Many might think that success and prosperity have to do with one's academic qualifications! Think about a company making super-profits and exceeding financial forecasts. Then you hear the executives of the organisation being interviewed and they would credit their success to their own academic achievements, their public relations team or some other thing, without acknowledging God. Not so. It is God's grace that allowed them to get profits, wisdom, knowledge, and strategies for their business.

When God's grace and favour are removed from any individual or organisation - regardless of a person's level of intelligence and academic qualifications, there is going to be failure. Nothing can stop that if God's grace and favour are removed.

Some will say that God's grace favour and goodness are not fair, but God extends grace to whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses.

There are those lawyers who have never lost a case; athletes who have never lost a race. It is God's grace and favour. It is that same grace and favour that allows a commoner to marry a king (Esther in the Bible, and Kate Duchess of Cambridge). Even for a black man to become president of a nation that was always ruled by white men - that is favour also.

Grace And Leadership

A lot of people - particularly leaders - are failing because they failed to acknowledge God's grace. It is God's grace that allowed a David to remove a Goliath and stop him from threatening a nation. David used five stones - which symbolised grace - to defeat that giant. We need leaders who are not afraid to use God's principles to remove debt, poverty, crime, hopelessness.

Walking in God's grace allows us to walk in His presence, His rest, His goodness, His mercy, wisdom, truth, and discernment to successfully lead a nation. Even moreso, many national leaders have become extremely stressed, wearied, tired, and sometimes sick. More often than not, it is a lack of grace that brings these results.

It was the grace of God that brought a nation out of oppression and bondage; and not only brought them out debt free, but with wealth in hand (Exodus 3, 11, 12).

Grace brings protection of those who are faithful to God from the plagues of life (Exodus 3).

Grace allows those God has called and chosen to carry out His assignment. Even Noah - who God chose - to prepare an ark with the capacity to save many who were willing. The ark can symbolise the preparation of something that is to bring protection, deliverance, and provision in hard times. An ark cannot sail on dry land - it is going to take a flood. There are many people still in this earth that God is using to prepare for a time to come! Likewise, light has little effect during the daytime - the light shines in the dark.

Not everyone has the same capacity for the same things. Many times, leaders are criticised and compared with others, but grace for the task of leadership is given based on their calling (Romans 12: 3 & 6).

Many times, people take positions onto themselves because they feel that they can do it; but if a person does not have the grace for the position, they would do well not to touch it.

It is God's grace that keeps us fresh and flourishing.

It is the grace of God that keeps us from falling (II Corinthians 12: 7).

It is God's grace that causes us to have the opportunity for the abundant life.

Whether you are an atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, or Christian, it is God's grace that keeps us all alive daily. Never underestimate the power of Grace.

Apostle Steve Lyston is a biblical economics consultant and author of several books, including 'End Time Finance' and 'The New Millionaire'.