Eyes Wide Open In Grace

Eyes Wide Open

Read the Scriptures with the finished work of the cross in clear view. Filter what you read in the reality of the New Covenant. If you don’t do this, then you will, quite possibly, mix New Covenant reality with Old Covenant reality. This will cause your vision to be askew if you mix the two without the focus of the cross. It will take your eyes off of Christ and the reality of all that the New Covenant accomplished for your life of salvation in the freedom of extravagant grace.

The reality of extravagant grace in Christ will put to rest the inaccuracy of what the prophetic has taught us as truth. In reality, what has been fed to us is often an illusion obscuring the main focus of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. His testimony forms the foundation of all that is prophesied, always. If He cannot be found glorified in the prophetic, how prophetic can it actually be?

This email will take an example of something I believed before being apprehended by grace in Christ and what I SEE now. Again, I will try to be as concise as possible.

 I was reading this verse the other day. I see it so differently now.

Luke 1:17

He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

For years I followed a prophetic movement that focused on a forerunner spirit, bright and shining lamps, continual intercession, fire on the altar, and on and on and on. I believed my prophetic call was that of a forerunner and focused on their teachings on John the Baptist, among other things. I wanted prophetic revelation and often, that pursuit took the focus off of the simplicity of Christ Jesus. It all seemed right and gave me a focus UNTIL I realized that this Scripture above is somewhat askew unless I look at it in its proper context. (I have many examples but please know that I am only focusing on one example right now to give you my experience.)

I am in union with Christ according to 1 Corinthians 6:17. Christ is in me, the hope of glory according to Colossians 1:27. My life is so different in the New Covenant that there is little if any comparison to John the Baptist. One can glean from his boldness and passion, of course. Other than that, how can one build a platform in the New Covenant of God rising up of prophets and forerunners after the order of John the Baptist? Not going to happen. Not in light of the cross and the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

John was an Old Covenant, Old Testament prophet. He called people to repentance. He lived in the reality of the law apart from the indwelling Spirit of God. He cried aloud in the wilderness, calling forth a people and making them ready for the Lord.

People of God, how does that apply to us? I fell into the mess of this. What have you believed that is basically an illusion in the prophetic, taking your eyes off of Christ and the simplicity of His grace? Focus on glory, angels, gems, manifestations and so much more. Keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus is enough. Whether we see any manifestations or see no manifestations, He is enough.

Contrary to popular belief this Scripture, as I was taught in the prophetic is outside of the revelation of grace We are not called to bring people to repentance, convict them of sins, judge nations, call down fire, pray for revival 24/7 and again, so much more. We are called to walk in the reality of our union in Christ. That expounding revelation in us is the reality of our Christianity. It is the reality of our focus. The simplicity of Christ in us is enough to challenge and change wherever He sends us.

We are not ‘going before’ the Lord, making a people ready who are under law. Christ in us! We are in grace. Say that to yourself over and over. Meditate on that simple revelation and put to rest that which is contrary to that simple reality. We are in Christ, therefore where we go, He goes. We BE in Him wherever we are. We are not producing any results from something that is external but flowing in the reality of who we are and who is in us. Big difference. Yet if you have been in the prophetic long enough, you have been held captive by an illusion or distortion of its true purpose. Christians are ‘ready’ if they are saved. They don’t know it because they have been fed teaching that denies the power of grace. You are ready. Now! You need not wait for anything. Just move in Him, now.

A few more things coming your way right now. We are not, and never will be, going forth in the power of Elijah. How ridiculous to constantly prophecy this in any way. Christ in me! Christ in you! Why focus on an anointing from someone in the Old Testament when you have the real deal in you. Scripture says they saw forward to a day that we live in. We are in that day. Christ in you! Christ in me! Christ alone gets preeminence in our lives. We can glean from the Old Testament of the courage and passion of its people but we are not there anymore. We can extract some principles but that’s as far as it goes. When the New Covenant came, it drew a distinct line in the sand of what is relevant to us and what is not.

Grace has transformed by life and is transforming it day by day. There is no turning back in my life or this ministry. I have been apprehended by the freedom in Christ Jesus, life in Him. Why go back to anything that is only a shadow when we have the real deal.

Bless all of you and thanks for reading. I am so clear in my life about this. I am also learning and in the process of it all, I am growing in Christ. Please consider all that has been said above with new eyes in grace.

Love in Christ

Debra Westbrook