Scripture: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” – 2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV
When you think of the word ‘grace’, do you think of something tangible or intangible… something that can be seen or something that is unseen?
Do you think of grace simply as a cover-up for your sin, or do you think of God’s grace as His power to enable you to do every good work that He has called you to do? What would you say if I was to ask you to show me or prove to me that God’s grace is on your life?
Today’s scripture seems to suggest that God’s grace is much more than a cover-up for our sin. It’s saying that by it, you’ll be supplied with every bit of power you need to produce good work for His Kingdom. If that’s the case, then grace should be clearly visible in the life of every believer.
I find it so interesting that when Paul was speaking about the Macedonian churches at the beginning of 2 Corinthians chapter 8, he said that he knew God had given them grace because of their generous financial giving. Financial giving is not something we usually hear associated with the free gift of grace! Still, scripture makes it very clear that it was a tangible sign of God’s grace upon them. This is just one of the ways that grace can be practically outworked in our lives…
In Titus 2 we read that grace ‘teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’. Again, this is something we rarely hear associated with the word grace! Perhaps we have sometimes been guilty of reducing God’s grace to something much less powerful than it really is.
I remember being in the shower one day when God spoke to me and said “David, you don’t understand my grace”. Now He had my attention. He went on… “If you understood my grace, you’d be asking for it before you sin, not after”. He showed me that His grace is there to empower me to withstand temptation and live a godly and upright life in this present age – not only when I get to heaven!
If we believe that grace just covers our sin now and when we get to heaven all will be fine, we will miss out on the power of His grace in this life, and will not experience the abundant life that Jesus won for us on the cross.
From this day forward I’d like to encourage you not to limit God’s grace to simply covering you when you sin (which it does so wonderfully), but to allow His grace to complete its life-transforming work in you, changing you from the inside out and making you more and more like Jesus.
>> Listen now to the Radio Interview: ‘Does Grace Give Us A License To Sin?‘
Prayer: Father, I thank You that there’s so much more that Your grace can accomplish in my life. I’m sorry for when I’ve reduced Your grace down to a licence for immorality, and I haven’t recognised that it’s the power to make me holy, and to make me like Jesus. Your word says that You give grace to the humble, so I choose to humble myself before You now. I know that apart from You I can do nothing. Without Your grace I could never live the Christian life. Would You pour out Your grace upon me, so it might be clearly visible to me and to the people around me, for the display of Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Source: Seeds of the Kingdom