16/10/2025
Reflections on the "First" and "Second" Grace – Chapter Two of the School of Salvation
Dear Brethren
I trust this message finds you well. I wish to share with you some profound insights that God, through His Spirit, has directed me to convey during my recent School of Salvation trainings held in Kenya and Uganda. This reflection pertains to the "First" and "Second" Grace, as detailed in Chapter Two of the School of Salvation curriculum.
Throughout these sessions, it has become increasingly evident that all our spiritual journey and accomplishments are solely by His Spirit. It is not by might nor by the strength of man; our flesh can achieve nothing spiritually significant. The concept of Grace, often understood as unmerited favour, is commonly taught in Bible schools, yet the depth of its true implication rarely penetrates.
Grace is indeed the free gift of God, extended to us all while we were spiritually dead. Jesus Christ has graciously invited us to receive the gift of His Spirit, quickening us to spiritual life and empowering us by His abundant grace. This empowerment calls for a life of obedience to the Spirit who has sealed us as sons and daughters – it is entirely by His Spirit that we live and move.
God’s grace is abounding and sufficient, equipping us to fulfil the divine call upon our lives. This grace empowers not only our particular callings but also every gifting bestowed upon us. We can do nothing apart from abiding in Him and His Spirit within us. It is the Spirit’s operation that constitutes the grace of God in action. Salvation itself is a work of the Spirit drawing us to the Son, leading us into the knowledge of the Father. The flesh, on the other hand, is a hindrance and offence to God’s purposes.
The Spirit of God bestows life, power, knowledge, anointing, wisdom, and even words during times of need, provided we place our trust in Him. Personally, I have experienced His presence and work profoundly; He grants us understanding of His nature and the power of Christ’s resurrection. Merely reflecting upon ourselves without a genuine revelation of Jesus will neither enable us to achieve God’s call nor bear His fruit. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives within us – the Spirit at work, the very embodiment of God’s grace. This grace will abound in us, ensuring that we lack nothing for the fulfilling of God’s purpose and plan.
Moreover, humility is essential if we are to operate effectively in both graces. We have been endowed with the power to walk in the Spirit, yet this requires discipline. Our bodies are the temple of God, and our minds the sacred space where God communicates. We must exercise discipline over both, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and this is achievable only through the Spirit’s power. We are called to be Christ-minded and live as disciplined disciples.
The Apostle Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12:15-26 beautifully illustrates how the various members of the body of Christ, each with distinct gifts, must work harmoniously for the body to function properly. Though gifts differ, the same Spirit operates within all. This Spirit, His grace, continually works in us, sustains us, and equips us for every good deed necessary for our ministries and lives. He imparts the word of wisdom and leads us in abiding by the scriptures through His Spirit.
I am not only led to share these reflections today but experience His guidance in all facets of my life. It is not by my own knowledge or strength that I move forward. As the saying goes, one may plant countless seeds, but only God can bring the rain. He directs the timing and place for planting. I am His purchased possession, bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28), belonging wholly to Him.
There is nothing I have to offer that He does not already possess. Thus, I walk daily guided by the Spirit He has given me, the very grace of God at work within me.
I pray these insights encourage and inspire you as they have me. May we all continue to abide in His Spirit and be empowered by His abundant grace.
Yours sincerely,
Philip Mukhebi Khaemba
