The Ministry of Grace: Election, Power, and the Measure of God's Favour
Grace is not merely the entrance into salvation — it is the governing force behind every dimension of divine power, election, and ministry.
Every believer has the Holy Spirit. Every believer is gifted. Yet not everyone operates with the same authority, the same effectiveness, or the same demonstration of God's power. The reason is not effort, not prayer frequency, not personal qualification — it is the measure of grace. Understanding grace as the foundation of all divine power unlocks why the elect are chosen before they are even born, why some operate beyond the limits of gifting, and why rejoicing in election matters more than rejoicing in miracles.
Teaching Overview
- Grace is the governing measure behind every gift, every calling, and every demonstration of divine power — not human effort or qualification.
- There is a distinction between being called and being elected — the called have an option, but the elected have no choice, being designed and consumed by the mandate of God.
- The elect cannot be deceived and their names are recorded not merely in the Book of Life but in the Book of the Elect, established from the foundation of the earth.
- Grace transforms a gift from an expression of God's ability in a person into a direct expression of God Himself.
- True ministry operates by grace, not by legal means — and self-appointed ministers who plant themselves where they were not elected create confusion and diminish the power of God in the church.
Key Distinctions
| Called | Elected | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An invitation from God to serve | A sovereign appointment made before birth |
| Whether there is a choice | Yes — the person can accept or refuse | No — there is no escape from it |
| When it is set | At an appointed time | From the foundation of the earth |
| How it is discovered | Through seeking and responding | Through revelation — it was already true before you knew it |
| What drives the person | A decision to follow the call | Consumed entirely by the mandate of God |
| Record in heaven | Name written in the Book of Life | Name recorded in the Book of the Elect |
| Gift | Grace | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A divine ability deposited in a person by God | The sovereign favour that governs how that ability functions |
| Who controls it | Operates within the measure given | Extends the gift into an expression of God Himself |
| Limits | Bound by the measure of anointing and process | Transcends process — effective even without preparation |
| Example | Every Spirit-filled believer can prophesy | Not everyone can prophesy accurately without preparation, because grace differs |
| Word of Knowledge | Prophecy | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Divine insight — information about a person or situation | The prophetic in motion — entering and addressing the problem |
| Direction | Reveals what is or was | Moves into the issue and turns it around by the Spirit of God |
| Depth | Fragments of insight | Chosen, complete sight — past and future |
| Purpose | To reveal | To deal with the problem and declare what will happen |
| Legal Means | Grace | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A process or method used to achieve a spiritual result | The sovereign ability of God extended through an elected vessel |
| Requirement | Requires steps, conditions, and procedures | Operates without process — by the favour and measure given |
| Limitation | Effective only where a full process can be applied | Effective in any setting, regardless of preparation or time |
| Who can use it | Anyone trained in the method | Only those to whom that measure of grace has been given |
| Condemnation | Mercy | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A burden of guilt and sin that holds a person back | God's unmerited deliverance given without conditions |
| Basis | Rooted in the law and human failure | Rooted in God's nature — He never created you to be sick or bound |
| New Testament position | Abolished — there is no condemnation for those in Christ | Active — deliverance is the ministry of mercy, not a reward for obedience |
| Effect on the recipient | Keeps a person oppressed and unable to rise | Frees a person so they can choose whether to follow God |
| Building a Relationship with God | Discovering God | |
|---|---|---|
| What it implies | That man initiates and constructs the relationship through effort | That God already loves, already chose, and man is learning to follow |
| Who moves first | Man — through prayer, fasting, and devotion | God — He loved you before you were conceived |
| The error in it | Makes God human — as if He learns to trust you over time | Corrects the error — God already knows everything about you and chose to be with you |
| Correct posture | Seeking to earn or grow God's love | Learning how to follow God and to love Him in return |
| Self-Qualified | Elected | |
|---|---|---|
| How they arrive | Planted themselves in a position they were not invited into | Appointed by God before the foundation of the world |
| Effect on the church | Creates confusion, false doctrine, and powerless ministry | Carries authority, power, and grace to bless and set free |
| Response to limits | Creates doctrine to explain away what they cannot do | Operates from a realm that cannot be manufactured or taught |
| Danger | Teaches things outside their jurisdiction — e.g. healing ended, tongues are not for today | Demonstrates by grace what others can only discuss |
| Book of Life | Book of the Elect | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is recorded | All who receive salvation through faith | Only those chosen before the foundation of the earth for a specific mandate |
| When it is set | Upon faith and confession | From before the creation of the world |
| New Testament reference | General promise to all believers | The Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven — Hebrews 12 |
| Significance | Assurance of eternal life | Assurance of sovereign election and specific divine assignment |
Grace as the Measure of All Ministry
- Every believer who has the Holy Spirit can prophesy, but not everyone can prophesy with the same accuracy, depth, or ease — the difference is the measure of grace.
- God does what He does because He has decided to — prayer does not make God move more or less; it is grace that determines the response.
- Even in exhaustion and without preparation, what God has given through grace will function — because it is not the person going, it is God working through an instrument.
"The reason is it is the measure of grace."
Grace Transforms Gift into the Expression of God Himself
- For every gift God gives, there is the gift part and there is the grace part — they are not the same.
- Grace is what takes what God gave as a gift and makes it no longer merely an expression of God's ability in a person, but an expression of God Himself.
- When Moses divided the Red Sea, it was not the measure of anointing or power — it was God showing He was with the man; this is a different level altogether.
"Grace is what makes what God gave you as a gift become an expression not over gift but an expression of God himself."
Deliverance as the Ministry of Mercy
- Deliverance is not a gift — it is the ministry of mercy; God being merciful to a person, whether they follow Him or not, so that they may choose to follow Him freely.
- God does not heal so that people will follow Him — He heals because He never created anyone to be sick.
- In this generation, the role of ministry is to help people seek God, never to keep them struggling under sin — because there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ.
"Deliverance is not a gift. It is the ministry of mercy. God being merciful to you, to deliver you, whether you follow Him or not He delivers you so that you decide to follow Him if you want to."
The Called and the Elected
- When a person is called, they have an option; when a person is elected, they have no option — they were designed for that work.
- The elect were chosen not because of anything they did — the election is by grace alone, established from before the foundation of the earth.
- Elected people are so consumed by the mandate of God that they have no time to focus on what others are doing — the brevity of life and the weight of the assignment drive everything.
"Before I was even before the foundations of the world, he picked me already. I am elected."
The Elect Cannot Be Deceived
- In the last days, deception will be so great that if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived — meaning it is impossible for the elect to be deceived.
- The elect do not need to hear a person preach to discern who they are — they will know by looking, because that is what being elected means.
- The God of the spirits of the prophets — as stated in Revelation — is a distinct designation, showing that prophets carry a different spiritual governance than ordinary believers.
"The elect cannot be deceived. I don't even need to hear you preach. I will look at you and I will know who you are."
The Seventy Disciples and the Response of Jesus
- When the seventy returned and declared that demons were subject to them in Jesus' name, they were comparing themselves to Jesus — the word "even" is a comparison term.
- Jesus' response — "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" — was a direct correction: do not compare yourself with Me, for I cast him out of heaven itself.
- The disciples were functioning in this ability not through their own power or through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but through association with Jesus' grace.
"Behold, I gave unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
Rejoice in Election, Not in Miracles
- Jesus told the seventy: do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
- The names Jesus referred to are not recorded in the Book of Life — they are recorded in the Book of the Elect, which is a distinct record.
- The Church of the Firstborn, referenced in Hebrews 12, is the body whose names are written in heaven — a unique company chosen not when Jesus came, but from the foundation of the earth.
"Don't rejoice because the spirits are subject unto you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
The Danger of Self-Appointed Ministry
- There are many illegal representatives of Christ — people who have planted themselves in positions they were never invited into, preaching in the wrong place, carrying titles they were never elected to bear.
- Because self-qualified ministers are trying to do things outside their jurisdiction, they begin creating doctrines to fit themselves into a picture they were never invited to — denying healing, tongues, and the gifts of the Spirit.
- When self-appointed people make themselves equals with the elected, the elected cannot pour what God has given into others, because the spiritual channel is blocked by illegitimate positioning.
"Many have qualified themselves where they were not qualified."
Discovering God, Not Building a Relationship
- When people say they are "building a relationship with God," the term itself carries a wrong assumption — you cannot build with someone who already knows everything about you and loved you unconditionally before you were born.
- God loved you first; you did not call Him, He called you; you did not choose Him, He chose you — the posture is discovery, not construction.
- There is no act a person can do that will make God love them more — unconditional means there is no condition; every condition a person sets is useless.
"You are discovering God, not building a relationship with God. God loved you first."
Word of Knowledge vs. Prophecy in Operation
- Word of knowledge is insight — fragments of information about a person or situation given by the Spirit.
- Prophecy is in motion — it enters the problem, moves through it, and then declares what will happen, turning the situation around by the Spirit of God.
- The prophetic operates through chosen sight, not scattered fragments — the prophet selects what to see in order to go into the issue, address it, and speak the outcome.
"Word of knowledge is insight. Prophecy is in motion. I have your past, not in fragments. I am choosing what to see."
Key Definitions
Grace — The sovereign measure of divine favour that governs how a gift functions; it is what transforms a gifted person's ministry from an expression of God's ability into a direct expression of God Himself.
Election — God's sovereign appointment of a person before the foundation of the earth, based not on anything the person did, but entirely on grace; the elected have no choice — they were designed for the work.
The Book of the Elect — A distinct heavenly record, separate from the Book of Life, in which the names of those chosen for specific divine mandates are written from before creation; referenced in Luke 10:20 and Hebrews 12:23.
Word of Knowledge — Inferred from usage: divine insight that provides fragments of information about a person's past or present situation, without necessarily moving into or resolving the issue.
Prophecy — Inferred from usage: the prophetic in motion — entering a person's situation with chosen, complete sight, dealing with the problem, and then declaring what God will do going forward.
Deliverance — The ministry of mercy; God's act of freeing a person from demonic bondage or sickness not as a reward for obedience or faith, but because He never created that person to be bound or sick — given freely so they may freely choose to follow Him.
Key Takeaways
- Grace, not gifting, determines the measure of ministry effectiveness — understanding grace is the key to operating in divine power without dependence on process, preparation, or personal qualification.
- The elected were chosen before the foundation of the world, not by their own effort — this means no amount of fasting, ministry training, or self-appointment can produce what only sovereign election carries.
- The elect cannot be deceived — because election is by grace and established before birth, the elect carry a discernment that is not learned but given, making them spiritually unmovable in the last days.
- Grace transforms gift into the expression of God Himself — a person can operate in a gift and still be limited; but when grace governs, the ministry ceases to be about the person's ability and becomes an act of God through the vessel.
- Rejoicing in election matters more than rejoicing in miracles — miracles happen because grace was extended; what endures eternally is that a person's name is recorded in heaven, not merely that power was demonstrated.
Reflection Questions
- Are you operating in what God has gifted you, or in what God has elected you for — and do you know the difference in your own life?
- Have you been approaching God as someone you are building a relationship with through effort and discipline, or as someone you are discovering because He already loves you unconditionally?
- Where are you currently serving or ministering — is it a place God planted you, or a position you qualified yourself for? What evidence do you have either way?
- When you witness God moving through you, are you tempted to rejoice in the miracle or the response — and what would it look like to redirect that joy toward the truth that your name is written in heaven?
- Which aspect of grace in this teaching challenged your understanding most — and what would change in how you pray, serve, or pursue God if you truly believed that the measure of grace, not your effort, determines what God can do through you?
Prayers and Declarations
"Jesus loves you. You can never suffer again."
"You are divorced from my husband's spiritual. You are divorced, Jesus name. It's finished."
Prophetic Declaration of Continuation
"Listen to me. I've ever let you know that I'm going to continue even beyond my time. And he will continue to learn the whole time. Beyond Papa Joelstein. And the same fact, he will restore the generation. Thus, I heal you in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus."
Prophetic Impartation of Gifts
"God will take what is mine and give it to you. God will impart you the prophetic. God will give you the prophetic. I really said it to me. God will give it to you. God will strengthen you. In the hand of the most psych God will rest on you. Amen."
Prophetic Declaration of Financial Prosperity
"God will prosper you financially. Just... just... Dangerously financially. If there's never been a millionaires in your family, you are about to be the first one. And after you many more will start appearing and popping up."
Prophetic Declaration of Business Calling
"But God is anointed you for business. Big, big business. Huge business. Now I don't know why I don't know how I'm just telling you what I've been shown I saw you walking in construction sites. This one fixed this floor here. Do this, do this to the house. The Lord said, what is about to put in your hands? We'll show you."
Scripture References
- Ephesians 2:8 — "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (KJV)
- Exodus 14:21
- Matthew 12:24
- Matthew 12:27
- Mark 2:5 — "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." (KJV)
- Matthew 28:19
- John 20:23 — "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." (KJV)
- Romans 8:1 — "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (KJV)
- Jeremiah 1:5 — "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (KJV)
- Jonah 1:3
- Matthew 24:24 — "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (KJV)
- Revelation 22:6
- Luke 10:17 — "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." (KJV)
- Luke 10:18 — "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (KJV)
- Luke 10:19 — "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (KJV)
- Luke 10:20 — "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." (KJV)
- Hebrews 12:22-23
- Matthew 17:19
- Matthew 23:9
- Genesis 26:24
- John 8:39
Golden Nuggets
"Grace is what makes what God gave you as a gift become an expression not over gift but an expression of God himself."
"There is a difference between being called and being elected. When you are called, you have an option. When you are elected, you have no option."
"The elect cannot be deceived. I don't even need to hear you preach. I will look at you and I will know who you are."
"Deliverance is not a gift. It is the ministry of mercy. God being merciful to you, to deliver you, whether you follow Him or not."
"You are discovering God, not building a relationship with God. God loved you first."
"An elected person was designed for that work. Elected people are so consumed by the mandate of God, they don't have time to look at what others are doing."
"Don't rejoice because the spirits are subject unto you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
"When I call Him He will come. I'm not the one who's going to deliver them. I'm just an instrument."
"Word of knowledge is insight. Prophecy is in motion. I have your past, not in fragments. I am choosing what to see."
"You want to prosper — be where God wants you to be."
Resources and Further Reading
Quote card — tap to view & save
Related Teachings
Share this teaching
Share the Word
If this message has blessed you, you can help make Scripture accessible to others around the world.