“My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Cr 12:9

What is grace?  Grace is God giving us the good that we do not deserve.  We could never deserve it.  We could never earn it.  I have to mention (and give credit to the one who first introduced me to the following acronym, Pastor Phil from Gateway Church) that GRACE can also be understood as

God’s

Riches

At

Christ’s

Expense 

Not only do I love that depiction I also believe that it sheds light on another incredible truth, namely that grace was neither available nor active before Christ took upon Himself the penalty of death in the way that it is both available and active since.

As the greatest act of the Father’s grace the Son was sent to die in our (each of our individual) place.  Praise God!  And we, as the redeemed, continually experience the benefits of that single act.  But how has that changed the availability and activity of God’s grace?

In the Old Testament, the term for grace appears approximately 36 times.  Of those, approximately 13 are related to God and His dealings with man.  Of the 13, 11 tell us that grace was “found”.  Only 2 times is grace spoken of as actively being “poured out” or “given”.  Both times are in a prophetic context, with the second being in Zechariah as we hear of the people “looking on Him whom they have pierced.”

God has always been gracious.  But that grace needed to be “found”.  It was there for those who would seek the Lord and listen to Him.  It appeared to be for only a few.  Why, though, would this be?  If grace is God giving us the good that we don’t deserve, wouldn’t it make sense that we always qualified?  Though we may have, we must first have come to a point of realizing just how badly we don’t deserve it. (And the law allowed us to see our deficiency, that, as a schoolmaster, it might bring us to grace.)

Prior to Christ’s sacrifice, the people thought that grace came by the law (the schoolmaster) and the keeping of it.  And while one interpretation of grace could be “favor”, which God did say He would give to those who kept His commandments, that interpretation is an incomplete one.  Why? Because grace is meant to do more… it is meant to be multiplied.  It is meant to empower, not just be received or found.  Bear with me for just a bit more as we see how it changed after the cross and the empty tomb…

In the New Testament the term grace appears 121 times!  And the picture of grace is much different.  It is not portrayed as something that is only “found” but it is an active relationship between the Godhead and those who have come to faith in and believe in the Son.  Look at the different things that grace is either described as being or doing:

Grace can be “Upon”, Grace can be “In” (resides), Grace can be “Over”, Grace can be “Seen”, Grace can be “Given” (bestowed) (administered), Grace can be “Continued in” (Stood in), Grace can be “Spoken” (sung), Grace can be “Passed through”, Grace can be “Received”, Grace “Reigns”, Grace “Abounds”, Grace “Determines”, Grace can be “Partaken in”, Grace is “Sufficient”, Grace “Calls”, Grace can be “Frustrated”, Grace “Makes us accepted”, Grace “Saves”, Grace “Justifies”, Grace “Establishes”, Grace can be “Managed” (stewards)

Do we get the picture?  And while many of us are familiar with the actions of and result of grace toward us (e.g. saving, justifying, reigning, etc...) had we ever stopped to think that grace could be “frustrated” or “managed”?

When we look at this list and dwell on it… we get a sense that WE ARE ALSO GRACE! (or at least the vessels of it) We are to be to others the good that they do not deserve!  God chooses to allow us to partake in grace and to manage that grace.  He wants us to administer it to others and to reside in it.

Lest we ever frustrate God’s grace let us remember that, as the body, we are called to be His hands to the hurting and lost.  Some may never know God’s grace but through us.  They may be resistant to our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore not ready to receive Him or His grace directly from Him… but they might be willing to receive it from us.

And therefore, we must not only allow God’s grace to work through us, but we must be always ready to point those to whom it has touched to the One from Whom it truly comes.  Never taking credit for any act we might partake in toward others, we must always acknowledge Him in all of our ways as the true Giver of all good things.

He said, “My grace is sufficient!”  He did not add, for only “such and such” a thing (Thank you Jesus!).  He said it was sufficient… period, able to suffice for all that will come our way and all He calls us to do.

Grace should be contagious to the Christian.

Grace to you…

Pass it on.

SDG