Grace in Galatians (Part 161): Grace Gave You the Work Before You Ever Applied

https://youtu.be/kYiYZK8Mb7M?si=VOLZzELfs7A55Vv4

Today, we continue our focus on THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, as we learn to maintain our posture of faith after God has revealed His plans for our future.

As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians.

Key scriptures for this year:

2 Peter 3:18 GNT

“But continue to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory now and forever.”

Luke 10:20 Mirror

“It’s time for you to rediscover who you are from Heaven’s perspective.”

1 John 3:10 Mirror

“There is a very visible and vast difference between living one’s life from your God identity or from a fallen man’s mindset.”

Proverbs 25:2 NKJV

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Scripture we will study today:

Galatians 6:4 TPT

“Let everyone be devoted to fulfilling the work God has given them to do with excellence, and their joy will be in doing what’s right and being themselves, and not in being affirmed by others.”

Supporting scriptures:

Ephesians 2:10 TPT

“We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!”

Philippians 1:6 TPT

“I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put his finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

2 Timothy 1:9 NLT

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time,to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

Romans 12:6 TPT

“So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be.”

Setting the Stage:

In our last message, we looked at Galatians 6:4 and discovered that God wants you focused on your own assignment, not measuring yourself against someone else’s. We talked about comparison, excellence in your lane, and finding your joy in being who God made you to be. But this verse is so rich in the Passion Translation that we are coming back to it today. Paul packed this one sentence with truths that deserve their own spotlight. Today, we are going to look at a few parts of this verse we walked past. 

So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.

1. “Let Everyone” Means Nobody Gets Left Out of Purpose.

Most people read right past the first two words of this verse. “Let everyone.” Paul did not say “let the gifted.” He did not say “let the called ones” or “let the leaders.” He said EVERYONE. That means there is no one in the Body of Christ who does not have work assigned to them by God. You are not the exception. You are not an afterthought. You are not standing on the sidelines waiting for God to figure out what to do with you. He already figured it out. He figured it out before you were born. And in THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, you need to stop acting like purpose is something reserved for a select few and start walking in the reality that God gave you something specific to do.

How this applies to you:

— “Everyone” includes you. Not just the preacher, the CEO, or the person with the bigger platform. You have a God-given work that nobody else on this planet was designed to fulfill.

— If God left anyone out of purpose, He would have left them out of creation. The fact that you exist is proof that there is something YOU are assigned to do by God.  God is completely intentional, and he would not have sent you to this planet without a purpose. 

— Some of you have spent years believing you were overlooked. You watched others get their breakthrough while you waited. But God did not skip you. He has been preparing you. There is a difference between being overlooked and being processed. 

— Paul addressed this to “everyone” because the early church had the same problem we have today, with people ranking themselves and feeling like some mattered more than others, but God’s grace levels the playing field. I have grace to be me, and you have grace to be you. When we truly understand this, it frees us from all comparison. 

— Do not disqualify yourself from purpose because you do not look like the person next to you, because your difference is not a deficiency. It is your distinction.

— Romans 12:6 in the TPT says it perfectly: “Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be.” That’s it. It’s that simple.

— In THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, discover that you were never left out, because the invitation to purpose has your name on it, and it was written before the foundation of the world.

2. Devotion Means You Finish What Grace Started.

The TPT uses the word “devoted.” That word carries weight. Devoted does not mean interested. Devoted does not mean curious. Devoted does not mean “I will try it when I feel like it.” Devotion is a settled commitment that does not waver when things get difficult. Paul is telling you to be DEVOTED to fulfilling the work God gave you. Not casually engaged. Not occasionally available. Devoted. And here is the grace truth underneath it: Philippians 1:6 says that the One who began the work will faithfully continue it until completion. God is devoted to finishing what He started in you. Your devotion is simply a response to His. You can because He did!

How this applies to you:

— Devotion is the fuel that carries you past the point where excitement runs out. Excitement gets you started, but devotion keeps you going until you finish.

— Some of you started strong in something God gave you, and you quit because it got hard. The assignment did not change. You stopped because it got hard, and you didn’t discern the fact that the difficulty was part of the development.

— God prepared things for you from the foundations of the world. But before He allows you to walk into the levels and stages He has prepared, He has to prepare you for what He has prepared for you. He is not punishing you; He is processing you. You must be processed to the point where you can carry the weight of the anointing associated with the assignment.

— Here is a key point you must believe: Grace does not just give you the assignment. Grace gives you the endurance to complete it.

— Whether it be in business, in ministry, or in marriage, there are many times when people think quitting seems logical, but if you are devoted, you say, “God gave this to me and I am going to be faithful to it.” This type of faithfulness, coupled with endurance, eventually produces fruit.

— Devoted means daily, not dramatic. It is not about the huge moments or the grand gestures. It is about showing up again, and again, and again. Most people are looking for a moment when God is looking for consistency.

— Philippians 1:6 should give you confidence right now, because if God started it, He will finish it. Your job is not to figure out the whole plan but to stay devoted to the next step.

3. “Doing What’s Right” Is the Fruit of Grace, Not the Requirement of Law.

Here is a phrase most people overlook in this verse: “their joy will be in doing what’s right.” Under the Law, doing what is right was exhausting. It was a checklist you could never complete. It was a standard you could never reach. But under grace, doing what is right is a natural overflow of who you have become in Christ. 

How this applies to you:

— Under the Law, right-living was driven by fear and obligation. Under grace, right-living is driven by love and grace. The motivation changed, and when the motivation changes, the experience changes.

— Joy and right-living are connected in this verse because they are connected in the Kingdom. When you live from grace, obedience stops being a chore and becomes a natural overflow of what is happening in your heart.

— 2 Timothy 1:9 says God called you to live a holy life “not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan,” which means holiness was never about your performance but always about His purpose.

— If your walk with God feels like a burden, that is a sign you have drifted from grace back toward performance. Grace always produces freedom and joy.

— Grace transforms your “have to” into “get to,” and that shift in perspective changes everything.

4. Your Work Was a Gift Before It Was Ever a Grind.

The most overlooked word in this verse might be “given.” Paul says “the work God has given them to do.” Given. Not assigned like a punishment. Not imposed like a sentence. GIVEN. Like a gift. Like something wrapped in grace and handed to you by a Father who loves you, Ephesians 2:10 confirms this: God planned in advance your destiny and the good works you would do to fulfill it. Before you had a resume, before you had experience, before you had qualifications, God had already given you the work. You did not earn it. You did not apply for it. God gave it to you as an act of His undeserved grace.

How this applies to you:

— When you see your assignment as a gift, it changes the way you carry it, because gifts are received with gratitude, not resentment.

— You did not qualify for your calling. Grace qualified you, and that should take the pressure off right now, because you are not carrying the weight of proving you deserve this.

— Some of you are grinding in frustration, and the frustration is coming from the belief that you have to earn what God already gave you. You don’t have to earn it because you can’t pay for a gift. If you try to pay for a gift, then the gift is no longer a gift. 

— Notice the order: God GAVE the work, then you fulfill it. He moved first. He always moves first. Your calling did not start with your decision to pursue God but with God’s decision to create you for a purpose.

— I will get personal for a minute. When I think about my years in the Pentagon, they were some of my most enjoyable years in the military. When I was grinding as a young soldier, I had no idea what God had already set up for the culmination of my career. Along the way, He was preparing me for what He had prepared for me. When God told me to put His Word in people’s email inboxes in 1997, I spent years writing Today’s Word early in the morning with no website, no video content, no recognition at all. I kept doing it because I knew it was something God gave me as a gift. When I think about Inspired Solutions and how Isabella and I are blessed to lead a business that is serving customers, providing employment, and creating an environment where our team can thrive and we can make a global impact, I had no idea that was God’s plan when He woke Isabella up on February 27, 2015, and told her to start a business called “Inspired.” I just mentioned: career, ministry, and business. I can look back in awe at what God did, even when we had no idea what He was doing. But here is the truth: I still don’t fully know what He is doing. Ten years from now, twenty years from now, every one of these areas will be at a completely different stage. And it won’t be because of my grind. It will be because of God’s grace. The same can be said for you. Please meditate on that.

That’s enough for today.

Declaration of Faith:

Father, I thank You that purpose is for EVERYONE, and that includes me. I am not the exception. I am not the afterthought. You designed me with an assignment only I can fulfill!

I am devoted to fulfilling the work You have given me. Not casually. Not occasionally. I am committed to finishing what Your grace started in me!

I trust Philippians 1:6: the One who began this work in me will faithfully complete it. I am not sustained by my own strength. I am sustained by Your grace!

I declare that doing what is right is not a burden. It is the natural fruit of Your grace working in me. I live right because I am loved, not because I am afraid!

My joy is IN the process, not just at the finish line. Grace makes the journey joyful, and I choose to walk in that joy today!

I recognize my assignment as a gift, not a grind. You gave me this work before I ever earned it, and I receive it with gratitude!

I am God’s poetry, His masterpiece in progress, and I trust that every chapter of my life has purpose and intention behind it!

I am living in THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, and I discover today that what God gave me is more than enough for where He is taking me!

I will not despise the season I am in. I will be faithful, devoted, and excellent in the work that grace has placed in my hands!

GREATER IS COMING FOR ME, and I walk into it knowing that grace already prepared the way!

I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!