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THE GRACE OF GOD

By Joshua Wamala

 

In his letters to the churches, the Apostle Paul spoke about and and emphasized the grace of God. He boldly said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). He went on to say that, “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1). Use the grace for the purpose it has been given to you.

Grace means unmerited favor or undeserved favor. Favor is special consideration given to someone. The Spirit of God, also called “the Spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:29b), is the one who brings God’s grace to us. There is grace for salvation:

Ephesians 2:8:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

There is grace to sustain you where you are:

2 Corinthians 12:9:
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

And there is grace to take you to the next level:

2 Corinthians 6:1:
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Every believer in Jesus Christ, irrespective of his spiritual standing and because of the indwelling of Christ’s grace within him, has the potential to demonstrate that grace in any gift.

Romans 12:6:
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

The manifestation of God’s grace in different ways in and through man is what we call the different spiritual gifts. Don’t seek the results of grace, but grace itself, and then grace can exercise itself as the one who gives it discerns the need for the demonstration.

Remember always that with humility comes the grace of God. James 4:6 says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” The word humility has its root in the word humus, which is the soil. Humility is being down to earth. In God, to go low is to go high.

The grace of God is given to us in full in Jesus Christ but we increase in it gradually through sacrifice, service and obedience. Through faithfulness, God allows us into different levels of his grace.

God’s grace is available every day, but we have to go before his throne of grace to receive it.

Hebrews 4:16:
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

In conclusion, we read from 2 Corinthians 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”

 

 


From the September 2006 issue of The Vine & Branches