But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
—1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV
The grace which flows from Calvary is rich and inspires faith, but we make it cheap when we don’t allow it to change us. Paul was changed by the grace of Jesus! It was not in vain in his life! It was rich grace that inspired him to believe beyond his own abilities. He knew faith was only God working in him by His grace. He had been blind, but the grace of Jesus had opened his eyes to the amazing wonder of its promise.
God does everything by grace, but we also have a part. He does not love us for what we do. He loves us because of who He is. He loves us with undeserved favor. He paid the ultimate price to cover the debt of our sin. His grace cost Him everything. It cost His life, and that gift cries out for our response!
Paul labored because of grace, and God empowered his efforts. He believed he was the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. He was forgiven, and He knew it in every cell of his being. He lived God’s power by surrendering to God’s amazing grace. He was not only empowered by the grace of God, He was also transformed in the spirit of his mind.
So what is your response to the grace of Jesus? What is mine? Do we truly understand that there is nothing we can do wo to make God love us more? Yet do we expect His grace to accomplish its work in us without any effort on our part? We love Him because He loved us with no restraint. His grace is rich with mercy, but it becomes richer in us when faith is exercised. Ask the woman who touched the hem of His garment. Ask the woman who washed His feet with her hair.
And ask yourself, “Has His grace inspired greater faith in me?” If not, then seek to understand who Jesus says you are to Him. Forgiven. Clean. He sees you through the eyes of grace, and that grace is rich in you when you understand that He withheld nothing from you on Calvary. And when you are free, you withhold nothing from Him.
“By the grace of God, I am what I am,” Paul wrote.
© 2018 Lynn Lacher
No comments:
Post a Comment