56 GOD'S MULTIPLE GRACE

 

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GOD'S MULTIPLE GRACE
There is one aspect of God's grace that I think many have overlooked, namely the power and strength that grace gives us as Christians. Some stop at the first elements I have mentioned, namely forgiveness and salvation. But there is much more to be gained from God's true grace. It is truly multifaceted and far-reaching.

The moment we understand how abundantly rich God's grace is, it will affect us and our walk in a positive direction.

STRENGTH
2 Corinthians 12 – v7 And to keep me from being exalted above measure through the surpassing greatness of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. v8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord that it might be taken from me, v9 but he said, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT FOR YOU.” Most gladly, then, I will boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. v10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with hardships, with persecutions, with difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

You will not become strong in the Lord until you see how weak you are in yourself. Only when you have stopped trying to succeed in your own strength and by your own efforts will God’s power work in you and through you, so that you can endure hardship and trials. The devil was unable to break Paul because the apostle lived in grace. Despite the accuser’s repeated attacks (probably reminders of his previous persecutions of Christians), Paul chose to trust in grace.

2 Timothy – v1 And you, my child, BE STRONG BY GRACE (draw strength from grace) IN CHRIST JESUS!

The power of grace was to help Timothy fight, work, and finish the race (see verses 3-7).
Grace is not just an emergency exit or a safety net when everything goes wrong, but a strength to face all the challenges of life and come out victorious from difficulties.
Hebrews 13 – v9 Do not be led astray by all kinds of strange teachings; for IT IS GOOD THAT THE HEART BE STRENGTHENED BY GRACE, and not by a certain kind of food, which has never benefited those who paid attention to it.

If you put your trust in what you do and what you can, even in the kingdom of God, you may become proud, but never strong. The author warns against drawing strength from anything other than God's grace. It is also enough for you and me, in the midst of difficult times, such as we are experiencing today.