Grace is more than teaching; it is a covenant with God Himself and Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. Each of our lives is an opportunity to turn tragedy into triumph as we encounter Jesus. Recently I had the privilege of hosting worship leader and singer-songwriter Stephen McWhirter on Revealing Jesus, who has seen 30,000 Salvations on TikTok. In this uplifting episode of Revealing Jesus, he shares his testimony of God winning his heart and delivering him supernaturally from an 11-year meth addiction.
“Jesus is the God who redeems, and our testimonies will not be marked with shame but with God’s glory,” said McWhirter. It’s the kindness of an authentic God to meet a wounded pastor’s kid and reveal Himself as good. Realizing that Jesus had a plan for his life and a purpose of destiny gave him a new focus and purpose. Living a life of redeeming grace starts with taking God at His Word. Under the new covenant, God says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12 NKJV
Building The Kingdom Through Grace
Building the kingdom of God is unique for each person, and we need to make room for Jesus as the Lord of our lives. Our callings, testimonies, and giftings are unique to reach our sphere of influence. Stephen went from being entirely against Christ to being radically saved after an encounter with Jesus that left him marked for the kingdom of God forever.
“God wants to use you for His kingdom, and it looks different for everybody, but it starts with a willingness to take Him at His Word,” said McWhirter.
When we simply believe what Jesus has done for us and take Him at His Word, we can begin watching Him weave the tragedies in our lives together for our good and the kingdom’s good.
Changing Covenants
Stephen and I discuss the redeeming power of grace as a fundamental aspect of Christianity that many believers struggle to understand and embrace fully. Still, it is the crux of the new covenant ushered in by the Son of God Himself. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. Hebrews 8:7 NIV
God Himself found fault with the Law and Commandments because man could not fulfill them because of our sinful nature. Therefore, the new covenant of Grace is not something that we earn or deserve but rather a gift freely given to us by God. Made entirely possible by Him drawing near to us even in the depths of our greatest sin.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Romans 5:6-9 NIV
Grace is not just a one-time gift but a continuous stream of forgiveness and mercy flowing from the Father’s heart. The power of His grace enables us to live a life free from sin and condemnation, fully alive to God in the consciousness of our righteous standing before Him.
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
When we live in the consciousness of our righteousness through faith and not by the knowledge of good and evil, we allow God to do the impossible in our lives. Having a correct understanding of the new covenant of grace is the foundation on which we believe. The Bible makes it clear the Law and Prophets of the Old Testament were designed to point our hearts to the coming Messiah.
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” Hebrews 10: 1-7 NIV
Therefore, since our perfect sacrifice of Jesus has forever cleansed our consciousness, we should live free from sin and fully alive to the redeeming power of His grace. Through faith in Jesus’ finished work, we are being transformed into His marvelous image from glory to glory.
Don’t miss this powerful testimony of God’s redeeming Grace, and be sure to listen for the hit worship song, “Come Jesus Come.” If you know someone who needs to hear the truth of God’s good plan for their life, share this episode with them today.
Christina Perera is a passionate five-fold minister who lives to exalt Jesus in every area. She is passionate about unity in the Body of Christ and bringing Christ out of the scriptures to reveal Jesus and His finished work. She is the author of Fire In Unity and the founder of Christina Perera Ministries, Inc. She hosts Revealing Jesus on Charisma’s Podcast Network. For more information on her ministry, visit christinaperera.org.
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