STEWARDING GOD'S GRACE

Copyright © 2012 by William Valmyr

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

          "And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in  weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

As I write this article, I am thinking of the souls who are living separated from the grace of God—they are graceless. We are living in perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1-7)! Save the grace of God, we are all but fools on our way to a sinner’s hell. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11, ESV). Thank God for His indescribable grace!

His Grace is Sufficient!

God has a special grace and a special anointing for you to fulfill your assignment on the earth. No amount of self-sufficiency can empower you to do what only God’s grace can accomplish through you. Our sufficiency as believers is found in the power of His grace for our every need and circumstances.

Friends, you will never fully understand God’s grace, until all you have to fulfill your purpose is His grace.

God’s grace is truly sufficient and His strength is made perfect in my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am grateful for God’s grace in and over my life. I have had my share of trials over the years (especially in 2010 and 2011), but God has delivered me out of them all. I am grateful that the grace of God is not only sufficient for my past, but it is sufficient for my present circumstances, and God promises to extend His grace through the rest of my life. He has covered me with His unmerited favor, and I pray that I can be found faithful as I steward His manifold grace toward me.

Treasuring God’s Grace!

Over the course of the past few months, I have been thinking about how blessed I am to have been a recipient of God’s grace. God has chosen you and me as vessels for the stewardship of His manifold grace. We have both the privilege and the responsibility to steward and share God’s grace in the most excellent and godly way possible. This is particularly true when I am reminded that I have been a Christian for 24 years this month—God has been so patient in working on me to develop both the character and servant qualities that reflect the grace and truth found only in Jesus Christ. I have a long way to go, and I am still a work in progress (Philippians 2:12-18; 3:12-16). The Christian life is indeed a wonderful journey of love, grace and forgiveness.

Choose Grace!

No matter what you are going through, I urge you to choose grace. Whenever you are dealing with exasperating situations and toxic people, I exhort you to choose grace. Listen to the words of the apostle Paul to his spiritual son Titus:

Titus 2:11-14 (Amplified)
For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world, Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, the realization of our] blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One), Who gave Himself on our behalf that He might redeem us (purchase our freedom) from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people [to be peculiarly His own, people who are] eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds. Tell [them all] these things. Urge (advise, encourage, warn) and rebuke with full authority. Let no one despise or disregard or think little of you [conduct yourself and your teaching so as to command respect].

I pray that as you envision to fulfill your calling on this side of eternity that you consider living a grace-filled life, and that you allow God’s grace to sustain you during these perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1).

Grace: Free but Costly!

I urge you to share God’s love with the people around you (friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and family members), whom you know are living outside of God’s grace. A life without grace is a life without meaning and significance; hence, sharing the love of Jesus with unbelievers is an act of compassion. I urge you not to use grace as a license to sin. Grace is free but it is not cheap. Even though God’s gift of grace is freely given, it costs Him the life of His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16). When the apostle Paul heard, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” Paul understood that Jesus is grace personified; and that it is only when we acknowledge our weaknesses, that the power of Christ and His grace can be fully manifested in and through our lives.

As Paul prayed for the Corinthians, may “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen,” (2 Corinthians 13:14, NKJV)!

Grace and peace be multiplied to you!

This article was first published at openchurch.com