Grace is Christ

Christ Is Grace

By Tammy Lacock

“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (John 12: 25 KJV)

In last week’s podcast, Warren Litzman explained what Jesus is saying in John 12:24 that death is a prerequisite for bearing fruit. If He doesn’t die, then He will not finish His Father’s plan and there will be no fruit.

He tells us of the bigger picture. He must give up His earthly ministry, His preaching of the law, and His old self in order to bear fruit, to step into the fullness of God’s grace. These are all outer things of this world and mean nothing compared to His resurrected, eternal life. Only by His death will He be made free. Only by His death will a new covenant be ushered in — the covenant of God’s grace. Only by His death can He step out of this world and its bondage to the law and step into the fullness of God’s grace.

The same goes for us as believers. In verse 25, Jesus is telling us juwe must die to this world, we must fix our minds on the bigger picture, if we too are ever to step into the fullness of God’s grace — eternal life in Christ.

“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (John 12:26 KJV)

And in verse 26, Jesus is telling us that by following Him and dying to this life, we will never be separated from Him. This is the gift of God’s grace, eternal life in Christ. As believers, when he died, we died too. When he arose from the dead, we also arose to a brand-new life in Him. Where He is, we are. And By His new life in us now, God no longer sees our old life, He sees Christ. Because of Him, we are bona fide sons and daughters of God. Only by dying to our old lives can we now bear fruit, Christ’s fruit, and fully step into God’s grace.

Christ Himself raised up the Apostle Paul, and only Paul, to deliver the message of God’s grace to the world. Paul says follow me as I follow Christ (1 Corinthians 1:11), not the earthly Christ but the Christ who lived in Paul — the Christ who, by His death, abolished the law, ushered in grace, and by God’s grace is now joined to our spirits, making us one spirit in Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Throughout his epistles, Paul tells us what Jesus was saying in John 12:24-27, that our old lives don’t matter. Our new life is Christ. As believers, we are no longer separated from Him. But Jesus tells us He must die first to bear this fruit. And by His death, we are no longer bound to this world and the law. By Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, we have been ushered into a new covenant, God’s grace. There is nothing we can do or not do to be saved. Christ did the work on the cross so He would bear fruit by living in each and every one of us who believe. Only by our new life in Him are we made eternal beings. Only by Him are we complete.

There are many verses where Paul mentions our new life in Christ. The following verses especially align with what Jesus said in John 12:24-28:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2 KJV)

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 KJV)