2 Corinthians 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

What about dead works? Dead works are works that proceed from yourself without God.  They are the works which emanate from your humanity or your natural man.

With ‘lively works’, the source of your efforts is God – it is God at work in you WILLING and DOING of His good pleasure. In contrast, you can be overly reliant on your natural strengths and abilities and virtues – thinking you can do it by yourself; thinking you have what it takes by your own strength; thinking you have schemes and tactics and ideas by yourself, and you don’t need God. Thinking you are good enough. Just like one guy said to me, “I  don’t believe in your Jesus but I know I am good enough, and better than most of you Christians.”

That mindset and disposition always ends in disaster and death. When a man trusts and touts his abilities and character to the point of claiming he does not need God, that is the height of foolishness. FOR IT IS A FOOL WHO SAYS IN HIS HEART THAT THERE IS NO GOD.

Why? Because, like Apostle Paul said, “We are not sufficient of ourselves. OUR SUFFICIENCY IS OF GOD.”

The AMPLIFIED version says, “Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.”

THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE MEAN BY GRACE. Let that be your thinking and your inclination, dearly beloved. Be blessed!

               GRACEFUL MORNING