Romans 5:1-2: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
I have heard grace described as the DNA of God. The Lord spoke to Paul and said, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” There is grace to save, heal, deliver, empower for service, and the list goes on and on. Grace is God’s part. Again, the Lord said. “My grace.” But faith is our part. As verse 2 says, “We have access by faith into this grace.”
Jesus declared in Luke chapter 8, 17, and 18, “Your faith has made you well.” God’s grace provided the healing but their faith accessed it! Every believer is given a measure of faith when they are born again — just like everybody is given muscles when they are born. Some people never exercise or eat right, therefore their muscles never grow stronger. In the same way, some Christians never exercise their faith or don’t spend time in God’s Word, which is where faith comes from.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
I like to describe grace and faith like this: Grace is the door God has provided. Faith is the key that we can access the door with. God actually provides you with the key, but you must develop the key!
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19)
In Luke 8:25 Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?” In other words, where is your key?
We have the keys. The question is, are we using them?
