Grace All-Sufficient

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
~2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

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What a comforting thought to behold! I have so much to do today--so many areas in which to grow! That's not unique either. Most everyone of us can say we are busy, eh?

In 2 Peter 1:3 it says that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness" and it is provided "through the knowledge of Him who called us to his own glory and excellence." God has not and will never give us more than we can handle, meaning He will never demand of us what He does not enable! I have a quote on my door that says, "His commands are His enablings^[1]." So true! God has commanded us to live for His glory and He has given us everything we nee to do so! We lack nothing.

So often we can doubt that we'll ever learn a lesson that we've been trying to learn. In those situations, we need to ask first the why questions (i.e. Why do I want to grow in this area in the first place and for whose glory?), and then realize that God's grace is sufficient! Let us not doubt that Christ's sacrifice on our behalf is sufficient to save and transform us! Because of Christ's sacrifice, God the Father now looks on we who are clothed in Christ's righteousness with favor. He shows favor only because of what Christ has done, and because of that, He delights to rain His blessings upon us and has provided all we need for this life that comes only as the effect of the work of Christ.

If, like me, you are so often aware of your own weakness, sin, and shortcomings, remember that surely God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)! His grace is sufficient! He will change any open heart. Amen!

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Footnotes

1. Margaret Clarkson, quoted in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem (Back to where I was)