One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #262, February 2023
Greetings and blessings from One Small Seed:
Last month I shared with you what I called “the meat” of the word, but this month I wish to share some “spirit” of the word. This spirit is referred to as wine sometimes and at other times it is referred to as grace, affections, the essence of the word and conversation. John said that “Grace and Truth” came by Jesus Christ, which makes sense because Jesus said that he (as the Word of God) was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All of which were displayed in his existence on earth, in a natural form of man, as well as through his expressions coming from his heart.
Grace “is” an expression that comes from the heart. The foundation of Grace is Godly love, which is the essence and foundation of his being. In the Old Testament the same affections of God’s heart was called mercy or not giving to them what they deserved. In order for those of the Old Testament to know and understand what God’s “will” for them was, he gave to them a light to guide their life. This light, as David said, was a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path. He even referred to this as a rod and staff, a helper in the time of storm, which was referring to the tribulations of life. But David and all others strayed off the path and became what is known as sinners.
God had longsuffering and patience with them, but he kept supplying the oil (or spirit of truth) in their lamps so they could see (not a crooked trail off the straight and narrow that they had created for themselves) but the one God had purposed for them to travel on. When they repented and returned to the path that God had established for them, he extended his hand of mercy unto them. This is the difference between grace and mercy: mercy is not giving to someone the thing that they deserve and grace “is” giving to someone something that they don’t deserve. The Old Testament was a condition where good works was something that man was forced to do to find mercy but when Christ came, his good works wiped out the ability for man to do any works that would qualify him to receive mercy or grace. So, mercy was something earned and grace was a free gift.
The questions arise, so how do we get forgiven for our transgressions? The truth of the matter is, from God’s perspective, your sins were forgiven at calvary and now all that needs to be done is as Paul wrote: By grace (which is a free gift of God) we are saved through faith; and that not of yourself; it is a gift from God; not of works, lest any man should boast. Also let me give a little insight from Paul that points in the right direction of the process. Romans 1:3 “Concerning his Son Jesus (the) Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh… 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:… 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name… 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
There is one word in the equation that is the key to receiving the gift of grace for ourselves. This word requires no effort or labor on our part. It is a mental process that is promoted by the will, but is centered in the soul and spirit of each individual. I believe it is the propensity of the soul to respond and activate that part of our being, that was instilled in the soul by God at the creation. The word is faith.
Paul said that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. By this he is saying, that it is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our soul that is doing the work and all we need to do is submit to that Spirit. Submitting is not a work, but as Jesus said, “Come unto me and I will give you rest… take my yolk upon you and learn of me… for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul”.
Peace and rest sounds great to me. God bless.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts
Peace
Peace, what soothing balm and soundless
Stream, the avenue that carries
Mind and heart into the boundless
Sea of tranquil solitaries.
Righteous Son of Wisdom’s essence
Bound in God and from His being
Sent to Earth an incandescence
Mending minds and overseeing.
Unity, a bond unbroken
In the depth of stillness resting
As a word that’s sweetly spoken
Whispering a soft suggesting.
Blessed Peace in thy abiding
We commend our soul to keeping
For your hand is not misguiding
Nor your eye is ever sleeping.