HIS GRACE IS YOUR SUFFICIENCY

We have been saved by grace, through faith. We are not to add to what Jesus has already done on the cross. The truth is, no matter how much or how hard we try, we cannot.. we’ll just end up being loaded down with guilt, condemnation and sin consciousness. We cannot improve on Our Lord’s absolutely perfect sacrifice of Himself by which He put away all our sins once and for all. It is only because of what He did that we can be made the righteousness of God in Him. Let us never lose sight of this truth. Amen!

In Christ we have a new nature, a pure, holy and righteous nature, His nature. Not a sinful nature, no wonder the Word tells us no one who lives in Christ keeps on sinning (1John 3:6). Yes, we may miss it from time to time as we continue growing in Him as the Fruit of the Spirit is being developed in our lives, but our failures don’t mean that our nature changes back to that of a sinner. Likewise, when a sinner does some good deeds their nature doesn’t change, they are still a sinner in need of Jesus, the only Saviour. Rest assured, in Christ you are a saint, that’s your new nature, your new identity!

Now that we are in Christ, we are one with Him, we are members of His body, we each have our own distinct yet equally important functions in the body and we are equipped and enabled to do our part by His grace. The Word of God say:

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. – Ephesians 4:7 NIV

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. – Romans 12:6a NIV

Now, let’s see what the grace of God accomplished in Paul’s life:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.– 1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV

So there..out goes the often repeated false and misleading notion that grace makes one complacent, when in truth, grace cause us to not only be effective, but enables us to also be efficient in accomplishing what we’ve been called to do and more. This is one reason why we are encouraged to come boldy before the Throne of Grace – so that we may obtain mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

When Paul prayed for that infamous thorn in the flesh to be removed from him, God answered his prayer, not the kind of answer he was expecting, but my, what an answer! Here is what the Lord n His infinite wisdom said to Paul:

My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness - 2 Corinthians 12:9a NIV

Many times we’ve taken this response to imply something along the lines of “well, you’ll just have to try and manage”,  or “tough luck but just hang in there” when in actuality God was saying to Paul, My grace is all you need for it is my power, you cannot do it in your own strength. Now compare this to when Zerubbabel was facing a monumental task ahead of him, the Word of the Lord that came through the prophet to encourage him was a pretty similar one - Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit (Zechariah 4:6)  So yes, even today, His grace is sufficient for you too! His grace is well able to carry you victoriously through anything you are facing.   

Rest assured, your weaknesses and insufficiencies qualify you to experience the power of God, come boldly before the Throne of grace and receive the ability to do what you’ve been called to do today! May the grace of God accomplish in, through and with you what your natural abilities cannot. His grace is our sufficiency!