Grace Revolution: Experience the Power to Live Above Defeat Read Online Free Page B

reality is that what they do on the fields and courts won’t change your life. It is much more important that you know our Lord Jesus as your
Savior
. Saving is His job description. Saving you is what He does best!

Return to Grace
    At this point you may be thinking,
Pastor Prince, I want to believe you and just come to Jesus as you say, but isn’t there a place for repentance when you have fallen short? I’ve been cautioned that grace preachers like you don’t teach repentance.
    My dear friend, let me say this right from the start. I believe wholeheartedly in preaching repentance. Let me show you something beautiful about the word for repentance in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew alphabet is made up of twenty-two letters, from
aleph
to
tav
. And each Hebrew letter has a picture, numerical value, and meaning.
    The Hebrew word for repentance is
teshuvah
, 1 which is made up of five Hebrew letters—
tav
,
shin
,
vav
,
bet
, and
hei
. The first letter,
tav
, has as its pictogram a cross. 2 The last letter,
hei
, is the fifth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, 3 and the number five in Bible numerics represents grace. Sandwiched between
tav
(cross) and
hei
(grace) are the letters
shin
,
vav
, and
bet
. These three letters form the word
shuv
, which means “to return.” 4 Putting it all together,
teshuvah
or repentance means this: “Because of the cross of Jesus, return to grace”!

    Taking note that Hebrew reads from right to left, we see that
teshuvah
(repentance) means this: “Because of the cross of Jesus, return to grace.”
    Isn’t it amazing that hidden in the Hebrew letters we just saw are God’s heart and explanation of what true repentance is? Repentance is all about returning to God’s grace because of His goodness demonstrated at the cross of Jesus. It is not about returning to the law of Moses. It is about turning to the cross and returning to His grace. His grace is your source of power and strength over every sin.
    Repentance is all about returning to God’s grace because of His goodness demonstrated at the cross of Jesus.
    So if you have made a mistake, or you are struggling with a sinful habit today, repent by turning to the cross—seeing that mistake punished in the body of Jesus—and receiving God’s unmerited favor to overcome this area of weakness. This is how you practice true repentance when you have failed. Don’t run away from Him. Run
to
Him! He is your solution. He is your answer. He loves you and longs for you to return to His loving embrace!

Test What You Hear about Grace
    If repentance is returning to God’s grace, how can grace be a license or excuse to sin, as some claim? Grace is the power of God to overcome every sin. But if anyone who is living in sin claims that he is under grace, let me be the first to tell you that this person is not living under grace. The authority of God’s Word proclaims that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). No one can use God’s grace to justify his or her sin! It is contrary to God’s Word and contrary to the gospel of grace. True grace swallows up the destructive power of sin.
    Some people have been using the word
grace
freely. They call themselves grace preachers, grace ministries, or grace churches. But I encourage you to be discerning and to test everything you hear. Just because they use the word
grace
in their teachings doesn’t mean they are accurately or truly representing the gospel of grace. Test everything! Be sure that their position against sin is clear.
    Sin is destructive and brings with it a whole host of damaging consequences. The consequence of committing a sin is not God’s judgment or punishment, any more than placing your hand in the fire and getting burned is a punishment from God. The destructive and painful effects of your hand being burned aren’t from God. They are a consequence you face for using your free choice destructively. In the same way, if someone is