The Function of God's Word of Grace

 

The Function of God's Word of Grace

Acts 15:40 But Paul chose Silas and went out, and the brothers commended him to the grace of the Lord.

Acts 20:32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path

 

Item	Basic Definition /Meaning	Main Functions	Specific Examples	Practical Applications	Related Scriptures
The Nature of God's Word of Grace	Grace is the Triune God received and enjoyed by believers. It is the word given to the saints for their enjoyment after God went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension	As the concrete embodiment and expression of the Triune God, it becomes the foundation and source of believers' spiritual life	Paul spoke God's word of grace to the saints daily during his three years in Ephesus; the Life-study messages contain God's word of grace	Through Bible reading, pray-reading, and studying Life-study messages, making God's word our daily spiritual food	Acts 20:32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace Acts 15:40 being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord
Function 1: Building up the Saints	Growing in the divine life requires nourishment of the divine element and being perfected and equipped with divine knowledge	Provides all the nourishment needed for spiritual growth, enabling believers to continually grow and mature in the divine life	Paul committed the Ephesian believers to God and His word of grace to build them up; both young and older people can be constituted by the Life-study messages	Young people spending years being constituted by Life-study messages; older people can still be constituted and then serve the Lord; carrying out God's New Testament economy throughout the earth	Acts 20:32 which is able to build you up Eph. 4:12 for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the body of Christ 1 Pet. 2:2 as newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word
Function 2: Receiving the Inheritance	The divine inheritance is the Triune God Himself with all that He has, all that He has accomplished, and all that He will do for His redeemed people; it is a legal, proper, and eternal inheritance	Enables believers to receive the inheritance among all the sanctified ones, enjoying the Triune God as their eternal heavenly inheritance	Christ is the portion allotted to all the saints; the Spirit is the foretaste, pledge, and guarantee of this divine inheritance; believers enjoy this inheritance in the New Testament jubilee	Receiving the right to partake of the inheritance at regeneration; daily partaking of and enjoying the inheritance; not working for the inheritance but receiving it; enjoyment from this age to eternity	Acts 20:32 and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified Col. 1:12 to partake of the allotted portion of the saints in the light Eph. 1:14 who is the pledge of our inheritance 1 Pet. 1:4 unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in the heavens for you John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth Eph. 5:26 that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word 1 Thes. 5:23 And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly Rom. 6:19,22 dispositional sanctification Col. 2:9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Rom. 8:23 the Spirit as the firstfruits Matt. 23:17,19 positional sanctification Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and operative Isa. 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty
Function 3: Sanctifying Believers	Being separated from the world and the world's occupation unto God and God's purpose; including both positional sanctification and dispositional sanctification	God's living word works within believers, separating them from all worldly things and making them sanctified	The Lord Jesus prayed for His disciples, asking the Father to sanctify them with the truth; God's word is the truth that can actually sanctify believers	Being sanctified through God's word; being separated from the world in God's word; partaking of God's inheritance requires being sanctified first; practical application of the word of truth in life
Overall Characteristics	God's word of grace possesses the qualities of divinity, completeness, effectiveness, and eternality	The three functions are interrelated: building up → sanctification → receiving inheritance, forming a complete cycle of spiritual growth	From Paul's ministry experience to today's Life-study messages, all demonstrate the continuous function of God's word of grace	Personal level: daily Bible reading and pray-reading; Church level: sharing and building up in meetings; Ministry level: proclaiming the word of grace; Life level: practical application and transformation by the word
Practical Points	God's word of grace is not merely knowledge or teaching, but the concrete embodiment and practical supply of God Himself	Requires continuously receiving, digesting, and applying God's word of grace, allowing it to function in life for building up, sanctification, and inheriting	Paul's committing the believers to God and His word of grace shows that this word has sufficient power and authority to accomplish God's work in believers	Establishing a regular life in the word; practicing the sharing of the word of grace in church life; practically applying the truth in daily life; being constituted and transformed by God's word long-term

 

Conclusion:

The word of God's grace serves as the fundamental element for believers' spiritual growth and maturation. Through its three primary functions—building up the saints, enabling them to receive the inheritance, and sanctifying them—it forms a complete cycle of spiritual development. This word is not merely information but the very embodiment of the Triune God, providing practical nourishment and transformation for believers from regeneration through eternity. The effectiveness of God's word of grace is demonstrated through Paul's ministry and continues today through faithful study and application of the divine revelation in the Life-study messages.

 

*Please refer to April 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training General Topic: Oneness and the Vital Aspects of Acts Chapter 6 Grace in Acts