Access to and Standing in God's Sphere of Grace

Part 2 of 4: Some Fruits of Justification Series

Gleaned from Romans 5:1-4

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (NIV)

This could be treated in two separate points; one point for our access to God's grace and another point to our standing in God's grace. But because the two verbs are both used in relation to grace, I'll put them together.

Photo Credit: Virtual Math Museum

By using the phrase “sphere of Grace”, I see grace here as an area. We have entered into this area of grace, we are standing in this area of grace where we receive nothing but grace. An area where we receive all God's blessings that john calls grace upon grace.

What do you mean by access into God's grace?

When the government has finally solved the Oakwood Mutiny, with Antonio Trillanes and the rest of his cohorts already in jail, the authorities pursued Sen. Gringo Honasan  for his alleged participation in the mutiny, yet they could not find him. GMA-7 was able to track him down. Reporter Sandra Aguinaldo asked why was he hiding. The Senator replied, “I am not hiding, I am just inaccessible”.

Well, whether he was hiding or not, my point is it is possible for a person to be not hiding but inaccessible. You may see the the city mayor daily. He is not hiding from you. But you have no access to him. You cannot pour out your complaints heart to heart. You have no means to make your personal requests known. He is so near yet so far.

Eph.2:11-13- "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."

What does in mean to stand in the grace of God?

“...It is a state in which a believer lives. God's free giving to us does not stop when we become Christians. It continues to be poured out on us so much that we can be said to live in a constant state of grace.” (Douglas Moo, NIVAC)

Hindi paminsang-minsan lamang ang pagtangap natin ng pagpapala; ito ay walang patid, tuloy-tuloy tila agos ng batis na kailanman ay hindi natutuyuan.

After justification, we live in this place where God's blessing is being poured out on us unceasingly--- totally opposite of our condition before justification: the state of condemnation.