God connects a faith relationship with Him with principles of agreement with Him. He first looks for us to agree with His Word and His covenant with us. The more we come to agree with God, the more we will experience His grace and truth manifested through His presence and power.
Consider, therefore, that in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as grace or gracious is chen, which means favor or charm. It is derived from the root word chanan, meaning to bend or stoop in kindness, bestow favor, mercy. It is used to describe instances where God shows favor to His people despite their flaws and shortcomings. It relates to the word, chesed, meaning mercy, lovingkindness.
In the New Testament the Greek word used for grace is charis. It refers to good will, lovingkindness, unmerited favor, especially God’s mercy bestowed, and the divine influence of the Holy Spirit upon the human heart. It speaks of God’s undeserved gift that gives us inner strength and stretches our capacities. It is this strength and power that allows us to believe God, heal, find joy and real freedom of soul.
Consider also the word agree in Greek is sumphoneo, which means to be harmonious or be in agreement. It is this Greek word that we get the word symphony. A symphony orchestra has many different instruments. They play in rhythm together to make a beautiful sound. Our part, therefore, is learning to think and make choices in agreement with God’s Word, His purposes and will. This becomes easier as we receive and embrace God’s great love, His amazing grace and reality of His truths.
APPRECIATING THE GRACE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
In one place of Scripture, we see in the Old Testament Moses inquiring about God’s grace. He wanted to know how God would manifest His grace. What would it look like? Moses asked, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” God responded, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:13-14).
What an answer! So, how would the people recognize God’s presence? What rest would they experience? And, likewise, how can we recognize God’s presence and experience His divine rest?
In the Old Testament God’s presence was manifested two primary ways. One was by “a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night” (Numbers 14:14). As the cloud moved, it signaled the people to likewise move and follow God. God also chose to dwell among His people in the tabernacle erected by Moses, and temple later erected through the blueprints given to David and built by his son Solomon. Through both ways, the fire by night/cloud by day and the tabernacle/temple model, God’s presence would manifest. And His presence revealed His power. It brought guidance through His grace and truth. It brought peace of soul. It brought comfort and rest.
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. As Paul says, “you are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16). While the Holy Spirit mostly dwells passively in us, the Holy Spirit can also be actively manifested through a variety of grace gifts. That’s why Paul says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 12:1). He then speaks further of a variety of manifestation gifts of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls the Spirit of truth three times, and God’s Word, we encounter God’s grace and truth.
We come to know the grace of the manifest presence of God through our experiences with Him. This can take on a variety of forms, but it will always agree with Scripture. We may see visions or hear God’s voice, the whisper or “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12) that Elijah recognized. We can also experience feelings of great peace and joy that are beyond words.
A common way we experience the presence of the Holy Spirit is through inner promptings as we are still before God. As the scripture says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Practicing stillness before God is a crucial aspect of our relationship with God. It’s how we cultivate intimacy with God through His Word and Spirit.
Truly, the more we agree with God and His ways and practice being still before God the more we experience more of the grace gifts of God. The Lord will also help us see the fruit of His grace as we act upon the promptings we receive from the Holy Spirit.
These experiences strengthen our faith and courage and help us mature in the things of the Spirit. So, it’s about our engagement with God through His Word and Spirit. The more we give Him our attention and make it our priority to engage with Him, the more we encounter His presence, hear His voice and grow in trusting faith.
UNDERSTANDING THE REALITIES OF AGREEMENT WITH GOD
From a universal standpoint, the principle of agreement establishes the foundation of a relationship. Consider that in a formal agreement, two parties mutually agree to the terms, or framework of the agreement. Typically, one party inherently makes a valid offer, and the other party accepts the terms. Both parties then act upon the terms to enforce and validate the agreement. In this way the agreement establishes the covenant relationship between the parties.
Truly, God’s Word establishes the terms of His covenant with us. His covenant is grounded in His grace and truth. As we agree with His Word we invoke the power of His Word. We, therefore, position ourselves to receive the offer of the blessings He promises!
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
God’s Word, therefore, illuminated and amplified by the grace of His Spirit, will cut and penetrate our heart. This gives us insights into God’s truths. It enables us to discern God’s Word and perceive His truths and realities. We see this the way the early disciples responded to Peter’s great message in Acts 2. The Bible says, “they were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37). They experienced a powerful and penetrating heart connection with God.
AGREEMENT AND TRUST ARE HEART ISSUES
Consider that trust is the glue of any covenant agreement. When one loses trust in the other party, the relationship loses strength and becomes very fragile. It takes a concerted effort to regain trust and restore the relationship. Our trust in God, therefore, demonstrates our faith in God. Our loving God is faithful to offer us grace to have faith in Him. “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure… (Romans 4:16)
So, to ensure that any agreement and relationship is strong and secure, trust must reside in the hearts of the parties. Truly, trust abiding in the heart forms a stronger foundation of a relationship and agreement than one based on mere mental assent. That’s because our deep sentiment and feelings reside in our heart.
Even medical science shows that the heart is the most powerful source of electromagnetic energy in the human body. It produces the largest rhythmic electromagnetic field of any of the body’s organs. The heart’s electrical field is about 60 times greater in amplitude than the electrical activity generated by the brain.
This is why Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Jesus also acknowledges that the human mind is fickle. It is prone to insincerity. He quotes Isaiah 29:13 saying, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). This is why we can say one thing and do something else.
Therefore, we demonstrate our faith as we trust God from our heart. We can then agree and trust in His power to accomplish what He promises. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
Truly, the more we believe and agree with God from the heart, the more we experience God and live a victorious life in Him. This is essentially what the writer of Hebrews meant when he wrote, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful“ (Hebrews 10:23).
STRENGTHENING OUR AGREEMENT WITH GOD MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
There’s a power principle God desires that we grasp hold of. It’s walking in agreement and in step with our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus by the power of His Word and Holy Spirit. Truly, God will train us to be led by the Spirit as we are willing to receive from the Spirit, walk in agreement with Him and obedience to Him. Consider this principle as spoken by the prophet Amos.
Can two walk (yalak) together, unless they are agreed (ya’ad)? (Amos 3:3)
Both Hebrew words used in this context convey a sense of a close-knit, intimate, bonded type of union and circumspect walk that is contrast to the mere broad, common or casual type of walking dynamic.
It is the kind of circumspect walk Paul expresses that is contrast to a casual, common type of walk. It reveals the multidimensional love and grace of God poured out and imparted by the Holy Spirit, to walk in rhythm with God. So, consider the definition of the Greek word, stoicheo. It means to keep step in line, conform to virtue, walk orderly. Hear what Paul conveys.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk (stoicheo) in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)
The NIV depicts this well.
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Truly, the Holy Spirit, is ever so willing to engage with our human spirit. Our weakness is the disposition of our human will and carnal inner aversion towards God. This is what Paul means when he says, “the carnal mind is enmity against God” (Romans 8:7). In essence, our human mind is opposed to God. But empowered by the grace of the Holy Spirit, our heart can incline us to God and enable our mind to receive and process truth!
We can learn to grow in unity and agreement with God through prayer. Jesus shows us the way. Praying with intentionality in the first person in agreement of heart with Jesus’ prayer, that “His kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven” brings us into greater unity with God. It enables us to experience His grace and truth. It brings us to be more aware of and experience the dynamics of His presence.
Truly, realizing that being created in God’s image and likeness, our greatest freedom, peace and joy is found in our inner agreement with God, trusting in His grace and truth. So, the Holy Spirit will work in us to cultivate the sense of freedom and faithfulness to respond in a disposition of willingness and obedience towards God.
So, the more we come into agreement with God’s greater purposes and will, the more we understand the reality of the kingdom of God operating within us to reflect it outwardly.
REFLECT, RELATE AND RESPOND
Meditate on the power of agreement. See yourself coming into a strengthened agreement with Christ. Sense the love of God and presence of the Holy Spirit. See and feel the Holy Spirit enlarging your heart to trust Jesus more and walk in His grace and truth. Hear Jesus say these powerful words and agree with Him.
I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:30)
If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth. (John 14:15-17)
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness” (John 15:26-27)
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (John 12:26)