Grace should cause us to be both humble and yet confident. When we understand grace empowers us to do the things we cannot do in our own strength, we will not be confident in ourselves. It will, however, cause us to be confident in Him Who lives in us. We cannot afford to become haughty when good things happen through us. It is His grace doing the work. When we are elevated to new positions, we should be humbled by the promotion, knowing full well God promoted us.
In the Kingdom of God, there is no such thing as “the self-made man.”
In fact, in Jesus Christ, that man is crucified and dead. When God moves us from glory to glory, it’s still His grace. Do you think you do a lot for God? Think again!
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Sometimes, we need to look in the mirror and say, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.” Apart from grace, we cannot merely say, “studying my Bible and praying a lot made me who I am today.” While it’s true that Bible Study and prayer goes a long way in spiritual maturity, what you gain is not the result of human intellect alone. The Apostle Paul’s life bears this out. Prior to his conversion, he was a Pharisee who studied under Gamaliel who was a well-respected teacher or doctor of the Law (see Acts 5:34; 22:3). In spite of his great knowledge of Scripture, he still persecuted the Church. He missed it by miles, using mere human intellect; but, when grace came, (the) Holy Spirit brought him the understanding he lacked. In terms of growth, remember, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Paul made a very interesting statement here in verse 10: “I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” By the way, Paul wrote as he was moved by (the) Holy Spirit. He recognized it was the grace of God working though him; otherwise, he could have never labored more than anyone. (The) Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, and makes intercession for us when we don’t know what to pray (see Romans 8:26-27).
Grace should also give us confidence in that regardless of our past, the Lord can and will work through us. Look at 1 Corinthians 15:9, “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” Furthermore, Paul said, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Timothy 1:15). Again we read, “by the grace of God I am what I am.”
You cannot legally hold your past over your head, no matter how tainted it may appear.
It does not trump the Blood of Jesus. Likewise, regardless of how sterling your past may be, apart from Jesus your righteousness is as filthy rags. His grace is truly sufficient for you.
You can rise to the occasion because He is risen!
If God’s grace labors in and through us, we can take heart when He asks us to do exploits. He will give us the grace to complete the task. All we have to do is say yes. When He says what He says will come to pass, you can take it to the bank. Isaiah 55:11 So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (KJV). Have you been freaking out over an assignment Jesus has given you? Stop, take courage, and be bold in Him. Let His peace rule in your heart with full assurance. Sufficient grace is more than enough to accomplish the task. Think about it: our Father is infinite in all power, knowledge and authority. His grace knows no bounds. The more you agree with Him, the more His grace enables you. Even if you falter in your belief, His faith by His grace will carry you. Be confident in Him. As the saying goes, “If it is bigger than you, it’s God!”
The Perfect Faith Podcast
