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Increasing in God’s Favour: Rest, Faith, and the Cross

✨ Increasing in God’s Favour — Rest, Faith, and the Cross

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” — James 1:17 (NKJV)

🎨 Highlight key: 🟩 = grace / rest-truth · 🟨 = precious promise · bold = key terms —

1️⃣ When Favour Comes — Blessing Follows

Every good and perfect gift descends from the Father of lights — with no variation in Him. When divine favour (grace) appears in Scripture, victory follows: the undeserving are raised, protected, and promoted.

Search the Scriptures and you will find the same pattern repeatedly: wherever favour appears, breakthrough follows. Esther’s name is linked to favour five times. David’s story carries the same number. Abram became Abraham when the fifth letter was added — a picture of grace written into his very identity.

Genesis 6:8–9 (NKJV)

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord… Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” — Genesis 6:8–9 (NKJV)

Genesis 5:29 (NKJV)

“And he called his name Noah, saying, \”This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.\”” — Genesis 5:29 (NKJV)

2️⃣ God’s Plan — From Losers to Winners

When favour increases in your life, God’s plan unfolds: you are raised up, protected, receive blessings you did not earn, and move from defeat to victory.

This is God’s deliberate plan for you: not gradual self-improvement, but a grace-driven shift from weakness to strength. Jesus Himself increased in favour with God and men — and the same grace that rested on Him is the grace that increases in you as you rest, believe, speak, and hear the cross.

Luke 2:40 (NKJV)

“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” — Luke 2:40 (NKJV)

Luke 2:52 (NKJV)

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” — Luke 2:52 (NKJV)

3️⃣ First Way — Rest Increases Favour

The exact phrase “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” belongs uniquely to Noah. When trouble comes we worry — but rest is the posture God seeks. We say: “You will raise me up; I will rest.” Be still and know that He is God.

When problems come, the mind grows anxious. Yet the Hebrew picture of rest is not laziness — it is trusting God to finish what you cannot. Noah’s very name means comfort from toil. Under the new covenant, the seventh-day rest becomes your first day: you begin from finished work, not toward it.

Exodus 33:13–14 (NKJV)

“…if I have found grace in Your sight… And He said, \”My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.\”” — Exodus 33:13–14 (NKJV)

Exodus 33:16–17 (NKJV)

“…you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” — Exodus 33:16–17 (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:9–11 (NKJV)

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God… Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest…” — Hebrews 4:9–11 (NKJV)

Hebrews 3:18–19 (NKJV)

“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” — Hebrews 3:18–19 (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:8 (NKJV)

“For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.” — Hebrews 4:8 (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:10 (NKJV)

“For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” — Hebrews 4:10 (NKJV)

Matthew 11:28–30 (NKJV)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… you will find rest for your souls.” — Matthew 11:28–30 (NKJV)

4️⃣ Second Way — Faith Increases Favour

Faith is the second channel through which favour grows. In rest you already have every promise — and in that place you do not lack faith. Justified by faith, you stand in grace.

Self-effortFaith-rest
Strive to qualify for blessingStand in grace by faith
Word heard without mixing faithWord mixed with faith enters rest
Worry when problems comeBelieve God has already finished the work
Favour stallsFavour increases as faith rests in Christ

Romans 5:1–2 (NKJV)

“Therefore, having been justified by faith… through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…” — Romans 5:1–2 (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:2–3 (NKJV)

“…the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith… For we who have believed do enter that rest…” — Hebrews 4:2–3 (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

Faith does not manufacture favour — it receives what rest already holds. Israel heard the gospel but it did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith. You, however, stand in grace through justification and draw near to the throne where favour is multiplied in time of need.

5️⃣ Third Way — Speak the Cross

Paul’s spirit of faith says: “I believed, therefore I spoke.” When you speak about Jesus crucified — He bore your sickness, poverty, and pain — rest returns and faith rises.

Romans 10:8–10 and 2 Corinthians 4:13 belong together: belief in the heart and confession with the mouth. Say what Scripture says about the cross — Jesus took my infirmity; by His stripes I am healed; He became poor that I might be rich. That is not positive thinking; it is faith speech anchored in finished work.

Romans 10:8–10 (NKJV)

“…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” — Romans 10:8–10 (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 4:13 (NKJV)

“…we have the same spirit of faith… \”I believed and therefore I spoke,\” we also believe and therefore speak.” — 2 Corinthians 4:13 (NKJV)

6️⃣ Fourth Way — Hear the Cross

Faith comes by hearing — and the apostles’ core message was Christ crucified. Hearing that message increases precious favour.

Galatians 3 asks a diagnostic question: did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing of faith? Miracles flow through the second channel. Paul determined to preach nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified — because that is the message that produces faith, rest, and multiplying favour.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” — Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

Galatians 3:1–5 (NKJV)

“…Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?… by the hearing of faith?… works miracles among you… by the hearing of faith?” — Galatians 3:1–5 (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NKJV)

“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” — 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 1:23–24 (NKJV)

“…we preach Christ crucified… Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” — 1 Corinthians 1:23–24 (NKJV)

7️⃣ Jesus Is Rest — Grace and Truth

John declares: the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. At His feet you find both rest and increasing favour. Everything converges on Jesus.

Old covenant shadowChrist — full rest
Law given through MosesGrace and truth through Jesus
Striving in toilRest for your soul
Favour as occasional giftGrace for grace — continuous supply
Four separate stepsAll paths lead to Jesus

John 1:16–17 (NKJV)

“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:16–17 (NKJV)

If you are not yet resting, hear the cross until faith comes. If faith has come, speak what you believe. If you are speaking but weary, return to rest at His feet. Jesus is the favour of God — grace upon grace, rest upon rest, truth upon truth. All four ways converge in Him.

8️⃣ Four Ways — One Increasing Favour

Rest, faith, speaking the cross, and hearing the cross are four doors into the same increasing favour of God. Practice all four and watch favour multiply.

StepActionScripture anchor
1Rest — cease from worksHebrews 4, Matthew 11
2Faith — stand in graceRomans 5:1–2
3Speak — confess the crossRomans 10, 2 Cor 4:13
4Hear — receive faithRomans 10:17, Gal 3
  1. Rest — enter His rest; cease from self-works (Hebrews 4, Matthew 11)
  2. Faith — stand in grace; mix the word with belief (Romans 5:1–2)
  3. Speak — believe and therefore speak the finished cross (2 Cor 4:13)
  4. Hear — faith comes by hearing Christ crucified (Romans 10:17, Gal 3)

Do not treat these as a checklist of works. They describe how favour increases when you stop striving and receive Christ. Rest opens the door; faith keeps you standing; speech and hearing keep the cross central until grace overflows.

9️⃣ Your Life — Protected, Exalted, Blessed

As in the Old Testament examples, your life is protected like Noah’s ark, exalted like Esther, and blessed after delay like Abraham and Sarah.

Walk the path daily: rest first, then faith, then speak the cross, then hear the cross preached. Every good and perfect gift is already descending. Favour is not earned — it is received at the feet of Jesus, where grace and truth converge and your life is transformed.

🎯 The Takeaway

  1. Favour follows grace — when God’s favour appears, victory and promotion follow
  2. Rest first — Noah, Moses, Hebrews 4; enter rest and cease from works
  3. Faith second — stand in grace; mix the word with faith
  4. Speak third — I believed, therefore I spoke the crucified Christ
  5. Hear fourth — faith comes by hearing; Galatians 3, 1 Corinthians 2
  6. Jesus is rest — grace and truth through Him; favour increases at His feet

🎧 Scripture-based study on increasing in the favour of God — rest, faith, speaking and hearing the cross of Christ.

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