Overview
God has provided the perfect solution in an imperfect world, and it can be summed up in one word: grace. Opening the Grace 2023 Conference from Ephesians 2, Rev. Rico Magnelli argues that grace is not a definition to memorize but something that must be experienced to begin to be understood, which is why the dark forces of this world can never comprehend it. He traces grace from before the world began in 2 Timothy 1:9, through the Garden of Eden, through the cracked door of the Old Testament, to the wide open door of Christ in Titus 3 and John 1, and lands in Romans 5, where believers have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice.
Transcript
Grace Reflects God’s Heart of Care and Favor Toward Man
God bless your wonderful hearts in the name of Jesus Christ, and welcome to this wonderful occasion. Please turn to Ephesians chapter 2. Grace, the perfect solution in an imperfect world. The perfect solution in an imperfect world. The concept of grace reflects God’s heart of giving care and favor toward his creation, which most significantly includes man. Grace cannot be unpackaged and fully comprehended in its entirety in this life. Grace must be experienced to begin to understand it.
In this life we’re limited. We are not fully equipped yet to understand its far-reaching magnitude, as we read here in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 7, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. It’s going to take all eternity to unfold the magnitude, the greatness of grace, and we need to be equipped in order to grasp its fullness. See, the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness comes to us through Jesus Christ, not on any merit of our own. Grace was present before God set in motion his creation. Look at 2nd Timothy chapter 1, please.
Why the Dark Forces of This World Cannot Comprehend Grace
Grace was present before God set in motion his creation. In his infinite wisdom, he has allowed life to run its course in the backdrop of grace. Though all life cannot exist outside of his grace, there are forces that still resist it. Free will, the right to choose, has been granted to man and the angelic realm. The dark forces of this world cannot begin to comprehend grace, because it must be experienced to begin to understand it. That’s why the adversary cannot understand grace.
He could define it in terms of a definition, but he can’t understand it, because you have to experience it. That God would give his divine favor to mankind without requiring merit, work, or effort is beyond the ability of darkness to comprehend. Therefore, the world will never understand it. How do we overcome in an imperfect world where these dark and satanic forces seem to be everywhere, blinding and distracting Christians to this grace? What can we do when our abilities and resources do not seem to be enough? That’s the point when we reach for our Heavenly Father and his grace.
God has provided the perfect solution in an imperfect world, and it can be summed up in one word, grace. Like a steady breeze propels a sailboat forward, God’s grace gently moves us forward in life despite a resistant and corrupted world. Resistance to grace will exist until Christ returns to finally eradicate it. Meanwhile, despite the imperfections of a dark and lifeless part of humanity that refuses to acknowledge the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s sovereignty reigns above it all, and the work of Christ cannot be undone, cannot be removed, cannot be canceled. It is done. It is finished.
2 Timothy 1:9: Grace Given Us in Christ Jesus Before the World Began
Here in 2nd Timothy, chapter 1, is this great truth. In verse 9, who, speaking about the previous verse, God, the power of God, who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our what? Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and what? And grace, which was given us, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. That means grace and purpose in life, meaning for your life, purpose for your life, was given you before the world began.
Before the world began means before the time of ages. Before there was era, eras and time. The best way we understand it is in Genesis 1:1, began the clock, in the beginning. That’s when time began. But grace existed before the ages of time. It even predates Lucifer’s rebellion and chaos, man’s fall to sin.
How Big Is Grace? Bigger Than the Definition We Relegated It To
And this grace that predates time will exist into eternity. How big is grace? You see how, perhaps, maybe we’ve limited this topic a bit, and we’ve relegated to a definition. Oh, it’s unmerited divine favor. I know what that means. See, you don’t know what it means, because you have to experience it. Once you experience it, it lifts you up.
Once you experience it, it gives you strength, it gives you vitality, it gives you understanding. Once you experience it, even those which attempt to defy your life and your purpose are thwarted. The last verse in the Bible, Revelation 22:21, mentions grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, even there.
Grace in the Garden of Eden: Man Began in a State of Grace
In this life, sin presents the most significant obstacle to mankind enjoying God’s favor. From the beginning of man’s appearance, grace was on full display in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. God favored man above all his creation and provided for man’s every need. Man did not win that favor because he worked for it, he deserved it, he earned it, but from the beginning was created in the backdrop of grace in the heart of God. That’s how man began. Man began in a state of grace. There was no sin, there was no death. This is going to mean something as we get into these next verses. Look at Titus, please.
After the Fall: Grace Seen Only Through a Cracked Door
However, this arrangement with Adam and Eve was conditional. Following the fall of man, the free access to God and his grace became limited, only visible as seen through a cracked door. You ever see a door that’s just cracked and there’s light coming through it? You know there’s something there, but you don’t have full exposure to it, full access to it. That’s what grace was like after the fall of man. Grace was there all along, but man was limited in his ability to access it because of sin. That’s why.
God never changed, never changed. The light shining through that cracked door sheds light on man’s history and most specifically is connected with the Christ line. You see grace throughout the line of Christ. You see it. It’s there. With the coming of Christ through his fulfilled work, the door now is wide open and grace is offered to all. I mean all. That means the workers in the hotel, that means the people in South Africa, that means the people in Russia, the people in China. Grace is offered.
We have this idea that grace is some sort of kind of limitation and it’s applied to specific people. The grace, the door has been opened. That’s the heart of God. With the coming of Christ and his fulfilled work, the door of grace is now open. Why? Because Christ was sent to resolve the problem of sin. Look at Titus chapter 3, please.
Titus 3: The Washing of Regeneration Means Back to Creation
In Titus chapter 3, verse 4. But after this, meaning before we were born again, before we had confessed Jesus as Lord and believed that God raised him from the dead, before we had received the gift of Holy Spirit, verse 4. But after that, after we were born again, the kindness and love of God, our Savior, toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his what? He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. He saved us.
And in this salvation isn’t just eternal life. We think that it just means eternal life. It does include eternal life. But it also means healing, restoration, and cure for your body from maladies and diseases. That’s right. See, when God opens the door, he opens the door. It’s on full display. It was as if we had returned back to the Garden of Eden, if you will. That’s right.
And that’s exactly what this verse is talking about. The word, the washing of regeneration. The word regeneration actually means back to creation, to create again. It means to create again. The restoration Jesus Christ’s work brings us back to what Adam and Eve had access to. Except in our situation, we can’t lose the Spirit. The access is permanent. God ain’t going through that again. He’s really smart. That’s right. They had Spirit upon them and access to this grace, it was conditional. Your Spirit and your access to this grace is permanent.
For some of you, this could be just flying over your head. But if you ask God right now, if you ask him to show you, he will show you. These words are words that are God’s words. And at some point in your life, no matter how young you are, that we’ve got some teens here, we’ve got some more seasoned folks, at some point in your life, we just have to get to the point where we get honest and open our heart to God and stop playing. It says the washing of regeneration, that means back to creation. And the renewing, or the renewal of the Holy Spirit, that is a complete change by putting on the mind of Christ. Both aspects are here. It’s done by the power of God. Man is created again by the same power, undergoes that renewal by putting on the mind of Christ. Look at John chapter 1, please.
John 1:14: The Word Was Made Flesh, Full of Grace and Truth
See, grace has been there all along, and Adam had full access to it, lost it. And then throughout the Old Testament time, grace was there too. But it most specifically followed, or it’s more evidenced through the Christ line. In John chapter 1, verse 14, and the word, what word? The word of reconciliation. The reason why Jesus Christ had to come, because what Lucifer did is destroy the arrangement that God had set up with him in the beginning. And then he moved into the garden and tricked Eve, and Adam disobeyed. So Jesus Christ embodies the word that reconciles us back to God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
See, Jesus Christ embodied grace and truth, or true grace. He embodied it. He brought it to its pinnacle, because he had direct access to God, because he had no sin. So do you. You have direct access to God, because in the Spirit inside you, you have no sin either. God identified sin with Adam when he commanded man not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Tree of Knowledge and the Wisdom of the World
This tree is figurative, in reference to experiencing evil along with good, as if there is no distinction. There is a distinction! I mean, parents teach their children what’s good and what’s bad, right? God did the same thing. Man erased the line between good and evil when he disobeyed. And practically, man became the servant and child of what he obeyed. People become the servant and the children of what they obey. That’s what that phrase, when Jesus Christ says in the Gospels, wisdom is justified of her children, means. That’s what it means. You demonstrate the wisdom with which you have put on. See, man was to be aware of evil but not experience it.
As a result of this disobedience, God’s grace could not be fully accessed. Adam gave figurative birth, if you will, to the wisdom of the world. And the wisdom of the world is rooted in disobedience to God, hence the need for Jesus Christ.
Grace for Grace: Grace Succeeding Grace Perpetually
Notice this phrase that says, we beheld. This is from man’s point of view. From God’s point of view, grace was there the whole time, but man was limited in his access to that grace. You’re not. You have complete access to this grace. That’s right.
It says, John bare witness of him and cried, saying, this was he of whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we what? And grace for grace. We have received, this is a past tense grammatical construction, we have all received his fullness. What did you receive? His accomplished work, the faith of Christ. We have received it, and that has given us access to this grace.
We have received it. And this phrase, grace for grace, can be understood as grace succeeding grace perpetually. You’ve heard people say that we are under a time of grace. Well, that grace doesn’t end at the gathering together of the church. That grace continues on through all eternity, without hindrance, without cessation, without terminus. It was before time began, and it will continue through eternity.
You Know You’re on the Right Track When God Gets Bigger
How big is grace? You see how limited Christians have been? It was before you were even born. It was before you broke so-and-so’s window. But you think, oh Rico, no, this can’t be. This, it can’t be that big. Well, you know what? The more you really learn about the Bible, the true essence of it is you begin to understand how big God really is. People that are very religious make God very small. People that love God and are willing to be humble make God very big. You know you’re on the right track when God gets bigger and bigger for you. When God gets lesser and lesser, you got too much world in your head. You got too much listening to these people that don’t know what they’re talking about. They don’t know anything about life, and they don’t certainly know anything about God, which tie in together. Look at Romans 5, please.
Romans 5: Grace Is Solid Enough to Stand On
This is grace, succeeding grace, in perpetuity. It never ends. It’s favor on your life forever, and it was even before time began. How big is grace? Romans 5. See, grace is not this ethereal, nebulous concept, you know. It actually has very sound, solid foundation, because we can stand in it. Romans 5, please.
Therefore, being justified by faith, that’s the faith of Jesus Christ, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. You’re at peace with God. You’re not at odds with God. You’re at peace with God, because you’ve been legally justified through the faith of Jesus Christ. Now watch this. By whom? Jesus. To what? Wherein we what? Stand!
Grace is not this ethereal, kind of nebulous concept. If God tells you you can stand in it, that means what? Stand! People get pushed around every day, Christians, intimidated all the time. God doesn’t say lay down and cower. He says what? Stand! What do you stand on? Grace! Hello, in case you couldn’t hear me. God wouldn’t tell you to stand if there wasn’t something solid to stand on. Grace is solid. It’s been here before the world was created. It’ll be here into the third heaven and earth. It never goes away.
Stand and Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God
We stand. And then what else do we do there? And be miserable, and complain, and say woe is me, and follow the narcissistic pattern of a world where everything is about you, or everything is about me. Don’t you see? The world tries to trick you in making everything about you. It’s narcissistic. Everything should be about what Jesus Christ accomplished for the Christian. Look, some of you might think, well, wow, he really is excited or something. If you just take a gander at what’s going on out there, maybe you’d realize why. It says that we stand in this grace wherein we stand, and what? Rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. You rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
So that means when you stand, you’re rejoicing. That gives you a clue. People say, well, I’m standing, and they’re morose, and they’re, you know, they’re constantly sad about everything, and they’re concerned about this, and about that, and about this issue, and that issue. Well, wait a second. What are you standing on? The Word says that we stand and rejoice! We stand and rejoice in the glory of God. My goodness.
By whom also we have access. You are not precluded therein. The door is open. Jesus said, I am the door. But some people just don’t want to move. They just want to sit there and wait out their life, or do something, when the access is there. Not me. If God says, I have access by faith into this grace, by God I want it, and I want to stand. And not just stand and be miserable, stand in what? Rejoice.
Why? Because of the hope of the glory of God. There’s a future coming. I don’t know when it’s going to be, but I tell you what, it’s going to be in your lifetime. Now I know what you’re thinking. Oh Rico, the prognosticator. No. Because either it’s going to happen in your lifetime, or you’re going to fall asleep, and the next second, whether a thousand years passes, is going to be the return of Christ. It’s a manner of speaking. What are we so worried about everything for? We stand in this grace and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Glory in Tribulation: Tribulation Worketh Patience
In Ephesians 3:12 it says, we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. Isn’t it about time for Christians to have boldness and confidence with access, access with boldness and confidence, because of the work of Christ? Isn’t it a good thing? I think so. What else does this do? And not only so, but we glory in tribulation. How can you glory in tribulation? It’s because the glory is above it. The tribulation is mental pressure. Has anybody experienced mental pressure? If every hand doesn’t go up here, I am going to be disappointed, because now you’re not being honest with me. Put up an elbow or something. You’ve all experienced, come on, be honest. It says that we can glory in tribulation.
How? Knowing that tribulation worketh patience or endurance. Every time you stand and rejoice in the grace of God when you have trouble, you are getting stronger. Every time. Every time. Not only that, and patience, which is endurance, experience. Experience is a positive proving of the Word. So every time you endure by standing in that grace and rejoicing, you’re positively affirming that the Word works in your life. Now you have something to minister with. Now you have something to give other people.
Hope Maketh Not Ashamed and the Love of God Shed Abroad
That’s right. Not only that, that experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed. That means not to be disappointed. Have any of you ever been disappointed in anything? Now if you all don’t say yes, I’m gonna walk off this stage. Stop playing with me. You’ve all been disappointed, come on! Hope maketh not ashamed. That means you won’t be disappointed if you hope. Hope in what? The glory of God in Christ Jesus.
How do you build that? Stand in the grace and rejoice through the faith of Jesus Christ. That’s how you do it. It’s not magic. And hope maketh not ashamed. You will not live a life of disappointment and regret. You won’t.
Not only that, look at this, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. When we stand in that grace through the faith of Jesus Christ that’s given us that access, we rejoice. And as trouble comes, we endure. And as we endure, then it proves the Word in our own heart. And that proving of the Word ends up in hope. And that hope takes away all disappointment in your life, and then God pours forth love into your heart.
The package right here in these verses is absolutely amazing. And it all starts with access through the faith of Jesus Christ, wherein we can stand in that grace and rejoice. Do you want to live a life without disappointment? Do you really? I trust you do. That’s how you do it. And as that hope lives within you dynamically, God pours forth His love into your heart. And who doesn’t want more love of God in your heart, right? Who doesn’t want that? But it all starts right there.
The Aim of the Grace 2023 Conference
So this grace has been in God’s mind for a long time. And this weekend is going to be a tremendous time of considering it, thinking about it, and allowing God to show us what we need. The aim of the conference is to explore, through teaching, sharing, and fellowship, how to live and share God’s grace with others. Each conference teaching will add to the whole package of truth regarding grace. One by one, topics will illuminate different angles or facets of one diamond, and they will aid our heart to more specifically see the magnificence and brilliance of this grace. We will enjoy examples of grace from the walk of Noah, the witness of Joseph, the strong faith of Abraham, through the seemingly impossible accounts of Moses and Israel, Mary’s response to her personal calling.
All examples of grace. Yet it was with the coming of Christ and His fulfilled work that man gained fuller access to grace. God offered forgiveness and mercy for mankind. The example and accomplished work of Christ set the stage for the early Christians, your brothers and sisters that are asleep in Christ, to partner with God as our Father, and live and share that grace at a level just not seen in the Old Testament. Their example should be a model for all Christians to follow. And we have access to this grace through the faith of Jesus Christ, wherein we stand and rejoice. And I believe this is something that we can continue to nurture in our life and in our walk, and to share with people. So thank you very much. God bless you.
Key Takeaways
- Grace cannot be unpackaged and fully comprehended in its entirety in this life; it must be experienced to begin to understand it, which is why the adversary can define it but never comprehend it.
- 2 Timothy 1:9 says grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, so grace predates the ages of time, Lucifer’s rebellion and man’s fall to sin, and it runs on into eternity.
- Man began in a state of grace in the Garden of Eden; after the fall, grace was still there, but access was limited, only visible as seen through a cracked door.
- Titus 3 calls it the washing of regeneration, and the word regeneration means back to creation, bringing us back to what Adam and Eve had access to, except that our access is permanent.
- John 1:16 speaks of grace for grace, which can be understood as grace succeeding grace perpetually, without hindrance, without cessation, without terminus.
- Romans 5 says we stand in this grace, and God wouldn’t tell you to stand if there wasn’t something solid to stand on; standing goes with rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Rico Magnelli say grace must be experienced to be understood?
Because grace cannot be unpackaged and fully comprehended in its entirety in this life. He points out that the adversary could define it in terms of a definition, but cannot understand it, since that God would give his divine favor to mankind without requiring merit, work, or effort is beyond the ability of darkness to comprehend. Once you experience it, it lifts you up, it gives you strength, it gives you vitality, it gives you understanding.
When did God’s grace begin?
Grace was present before God set in motion his creation. In 2 Timothy 1:9 grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, which means before the time of ages, before Genesis 1:1 began the clock. It even predates Lucifer’s rebellion and chaos, man’s fall to sin, and it will exist into eternity, so much so that the last verse in the Bible, Revelation 22:21, mentions grace.
What does it mean to stand in this grace in Romans 5?
It means grace is not an ethereal, nebulous concept but has a very sound, solid foundation, because God wouldn’t tell you to stand if there wasn’t something solid to stand on. It also does not mean standing and being miserable, because the verse joins standing to rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. From there tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed.
Scripture References
Ephesians 2; Ephesians 2:7; 2 Timothy 1; 2 Timothy 1:9; Genesis 1:1; Revelation 22:21; Titus 3; Titus 3:4; Titus 3:5; John 1; John 1:14; John 1:15; John 1:16; Romans 5; Romans 5:1; Romans 5:2; Romans 5:3; Romans 5:4; Romans 5:5; Ephesians 3:12
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
