The Grand Abundance of God’s Grace
by Christopher Hendrix
Most, if not all, of our sins in our lives come from our weak view of God. We fall to the ancient temptation Satan brought to Eve that God seems to hold from us something good. In our consciences leading up to doing sin, we believe that God has withheld something from us, so we seek to take it. We fail to recognize that God is a God of abundance and not scarcity. God gives us all we need plus more. One of the clear evidences of this shows up in God’s grace.
Listen to Pastor Chris teach on 2 Corinthians 6:1-13.
Paul calls the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 to not receive God’s grace in vain. The word for vain refers to emptiness or fruitlessness. Does this vain reception mean someone can receive salvation and not truly have salvation? No, but the context helps us to see that Paul refers to sanctification. He calls them to repentance previously and then proceeds to quote from Isaiah 49:8. The Isaiah passage points to God calling the covenant breakers back to Him. Ultimately though, the Servant of the Lord will come to bring about redemption. This Servant points to the nature and work of Christ. Paul then says to them very emphatically that now is the time! They have been given the New Covenant, so that should drive them to produce fruit in their lives!
Paul then demonstrates the picture of this fruit in his own life. Through sufferings of great magnitude, he lives out God’s grace by demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit in his life. Through his actions towards those who persecute him, God’s grace shines brightly. Through whatever circumstance he encounters, his life reflects the grace of God through the Spirit’s work. The grace of God overflowed with fruitfulness in Paul’s life.
When we sin, the problem isn’t a lack of God’s grace. God has abundantly blessed us with everything we need for a life of holiness and godliness. We even have the Holy Spirit to strengthen us! The problem lies in our feasting on God’s abundance. We choose to go hungry and fill our cravings for things we think are good. We think God has withheld the best course from us, so we let each wonderful tasty entrée pass us by. But, in the end, what we consume not from God becomes poison to our souls. Much like Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, we want more and more of the Turkish delight but are never satisfied. Then, it leaves us feeling sick in the end.
The solution? Delight and feast on God’s grace! Focus and consume the Scriptures. Meditate on God’s Sovereignty and kindness. Pray and sit quietly before the Lord of Lords. Enjoy fellowship with other believers and talk of God’s wonder. Worship Christ by going to church faithfully to taste His goodness and sweetness. Sit at the banquet of the Triune God and savor what he offers abundantly to us through His grace.