THE PULLEY OF GRACE: How Faith Engages the Power of God

 Introduction: The Burden We Cannot Lift

Life is full of burdens that are far too heavy for us to carry on our own. Sin, trials, weaknesses, and even the call to live righteously—all these can become overwhelming if we rely solely on human strength. However, God never intended for us to lift these loads by ourselves. Instead, He provided grace, a supernatural system that enables us to do what is humanly impossible.

Imagine a pulley system designed to lift a heavy load with minimal effort. Without it, the weight remains unbearable. But when a person grabs the handle of the pulley, the mechanism engages, and the burden is lifted with ease.

• Grace is the pulley—it provides supernatural strength to accomplish what we could never do alone.

• Faith is putting our hand to the handle—it does not create the power but engages it, making the lifting possible.

This analogy beautifully captures the relationship between grace and faith in the life of a believer. Let us explore how this pulley of grace operates, how faith activates it, and why trusting in self-effort frustrates the grace of God.

1. Grace: The Divine Pulley That Lifts the Impossible

The Bible defines grace as God’s undeserved favour and supernatural empowerment. Grace is not just forgiveness of sins, but the very power that enables us to live victoriously.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9, KJV)

In this verse, Paul was burdened by a "thorn in the flesh." Instead of removing the difficulty, God gave grace—which functioned as divine strength in his weakness. Paul learned that grace was not just about removing burdens, but about lifting them in a way only God can.

Just like a pulley makes a heavy burden feel light, grace lifts us beyond our natural ability to:

• Overcome sin (Romans 6:14).

•  Endure suffering (2 Corinthians 12:9).

• Serve God effectively (1 Corinthians 15:10).

• Walk in righteousness (Titus 2:11-12).

Without grace, life’s burdens crush us. But grace provides the divine lifting we need.

2. Faith: The Hand That Engages Grace

Grace is always available, but it must be engaged by faith. The pulley does nothing until someone grabs the handle. Likewise, grace remains inactive in our lives until faith takes hold of it.

Paul explains this in Ephesians 2:8:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

Faith does not produce grace—it accesses grace. Romans 5:2 confirms this:

"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Imagine standing before a pulley system with a heavy weight attached. The pulley has all the power needed to lift the weight, but nothing happens until someone pulls the handle. That is exactly how faith operates in the life of a believer—it engages the power of grace.

■ Faith is not effort-based striving but trust-based surrender to God’s power.
■ Faith does not earn grace but positions us to receive what grace already provides.
■ Faith in Christ, not self-effort, engages the pulley that lifts our burdens (Galatians 2:16).

3. The Danger of Frustrating the Grace of God

Paul warned the Galatians that relying on human effort instead of grace through faith actually frustrates God’s grace.

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:21, KJV)

To frustrate grace is like refusing to use a pulley and trying to lift a heavy weight alone. If righteousness, strength, or victory could come by our own effort, then Christ’s death would be pointless.

Romans 10:4 supports this:

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

• Christ ended the law as a means of attaining righteousness.

• The moment we trust in self-effort, we nullify grace.

• Legalism is like refusing to use the pulley—it makes life harder than God intended.

This is why faith alone engages the pulley of grace.

4. Walking in Grace: Practical Application

How do we live with grace lifting our burdens rather than struggling in our own strength?

A. Stop Striving, Start Trusting

Many believers work hard to please God but never rest in His grace. Instead of exhausting ourselves with effort, we must grab the handle of faith and trust in what grace already provides (Matthew 11:28-30).

B. Confess and Stand on God’s Word

Faith is not passive—it speaks! We must declare God’s promises and align our thoughts with His grace (Romans 10:9-10).

C. Refuse to Go Back to Self-Effort

The Galatians started in faith but returned to legalism (Galatians 3:3). We must guard against the tendency to trust in our works rather than in Christ.

D. Give Grace to Others

As recipients of grace, we must also extend grace. This includes forgiving others, being patient, and not judging harshly (Ephesians 4:32).

Conclusion: Take Hold of the Handle

Grace is always available, but it must be engaged by faith. The question is: Are you pulling the handle, or are you struggling under a weight that Grace was meant to lift?

"Come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Let us reach out in faith—grab the handle—and allow grace to lift the weight we could never carry alone.