(iii) FULLNESS AND SUFFICIENCY OF OUR RICH SAVIOUR (2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:8,15; John 1:16; Colossians 2:9-10)
Once we know Christ, that connection, engagement with Christ sets us free, and makes us victorious, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). It is the riches and abundance in Christ that set us free. The grace of God can sustain you in the time of trials and temptations. The grace of God is the gift of God that is unspeakable, unfathomable, and unsearchable (2 Corinthians 9:8). The grace that comes at salvation is not the end of the grace that you can have, the grace to live a victorious life, to turn around from the old creature to the new creature, having a new life that is joyful, successful, and overcoming, that grace is still available. It is the same way you had grace for salvation, sanctification, that you will have for service as well.
- THE PURPOSE OF SAVING GRACE IN HIS REGENERATED SAINTS. 1 John 3:5-9
It is by that grace we are saved that we are regenerated, reformed, and our lives take a new direction and purpose. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). The believer ought to know by himself from the word of God that He Christ was manifested to take away every form of sin – occasionally, habitual, fleshly, or evil sins, that He was manifested to take away all those things that will want to hinder you from the kingdom of God. The connection from the Saviour will prevent you from going into sin, that you will be very careful, thoughtful, that Christ lives in you now, and you cannot continue to do those evil things anymore. “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him” (1 John 3:6). You see Him by grace, and that grace will make you deny ungodliness and worldly lust, it will separate you from sin, it will save you from sins. When salvation comes, freedom and victory over sin will come because of the grace of God (1 John 3:7-8).
(i) ABUNDANT GRACE FOR A LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – Romans 5:17,21; 2 Corinthians 1:12; 4:15-18; 1 Timothy 1:14-16. There is an abundance of grace from the Lord, if you are getting tired, or your present challenges and temptations seem heavier on you, go back to the Lord, and receive the abundance of the grace of God, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17).
This grace is available for everyone. We don’t try to live the godly life by our strength but by the grace of God (2 Corinthians 1:12). Paul the Apostle was a terrible sinner, and hater of God and the gospel, but the grace of God came into his life, to transform him as the chiefest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:14-16). That what God did in his life, He can do in your life today, that God will turn your life around and people who see you today, will see the grace of God in your life. And you will be able to show the practical Christian life anywhere you go in Jesus Name.
(ii) ABIDING GRACE FOR THE LOVE OF THE REDEEMER – Acts 13:43; 11:23; Jude 1:4-5; Hebrews 10:29-31,38-39. You need to abide in that grace of God not rising and falling, coming in and going out. That grace will keep you holy and make you the man or woman you ought to be in Jesus Name. “Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43).
You must decide to remain and abide in the grace of God as you decided to receive that grace for your salvation. You must continue in the grace of God by abiding in His grace. We can see the grace of God in your life as was seen in the lives of these Gentiles, that they were not living like the Gentiles all around them, we can see the salvation, grace of God and the evidence that you are a real child of God, “Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord” (Acts 11:23). And he exhorted them to cleave to the grace of God. The Lord wants us to abide and sustain the grace of God in our lives, and not to draw back unto perdition (Hebrews 10:38-39). Don’t who abide in the grace of God, then the abundance of God will be unto them, but those who draw unto sin, transgression, or evil, the Lord will be displeased in their lives, and they draw back unto perdition.
(iii) ADVANCING GRACE TO LABOUR AS HIS REAPERS – 1 Corinthians 3:10-11; 15:10,58; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10; 9:8,14-15.
As a child of God, you have salvation, by grace, and then you become a beloved son of God that you are sanctified by grace, that is higher grace.
We should be going higher in the grace of God because of the devil in advancing in all his manipulations and temptations.
The grace of God must be advancing in our lives for the devil not to catch us. If you have a new provision of the abundance of grace, you will know when it is given unto you like Paul the Apostle, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (1 Corinthians 3:10).
Paul the Apostle received an abundance of grace before he could build, so if you are going to build on that foundation, you must have the abundance of grace that Paul had. “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 Corinthians 15:10). Paul stood, contended and earnestly preached by the truth, he was persecuted, imprisoned, afflicted and beaten, and yet he did not change the gospel of Christ, and if you have the same grace like Paul, you will do the same thing, that you will consecrate and give up everything unto the Lord in prayers until the grace of God is abundantly provided in your life so that you can say this like him. As the devil advanced in buffeting Paul, the grace of God advances as well, “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” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The Lord will sustain you by His grace in that your trials and temptations.
- THE POWER OF STRENGTHENING GRACE IN HIS RENEWED SERVANTS. 2 Timothy 2:1-5,19-22
Power will come into your life. As He saves, sanctifies and He sends us by the power of the Spirit to serve Him, and the work of God will prosper in our hands in Jesus Name. Timothy had a different form of change from Paul, and Paul had a different form of change from Titus, but whatever the challenge in ministry, or the uphill task we need to accomplish, when the grace of God comes to strengthen us, nothing will be impossible to do in our lives in Jesus Name, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).
Trials, hardness and difficulty will come as we do the work of God, but we are to endure all hardship (2 Timothy 2:3). Christian work and servanthood are not a pleasure, it is a battle, so we need strength to war in this battle of service, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). We are soldiers in the service of the Lord. We are to strive for masteries and a higher plane.
(i) THE POWER OF SUSTAINING GRACE AGAINST ALL TEMPTATIONS (Hebrews 4:15-16; 2:17-18; 7:25-26; 1 Corinthians 10:13-14)
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Christ was tempted in all points as we are, and yet He overcame, and He has invited us to victory like Himself. So, we must come to Christ to have this victory if you are defeated, weak and discouraged, come boldly to the throne of grace today! “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).
Christ went through temptations, but He overcame, and He can support and strengthen them that are tempted, and you will not sin nor compromise in Jesus Name. He will sustain, support, succour and strengthen you in Jesus Name. For He is able!
(ii) THE POSSESSION OF SANCTIFYING GRACE BY THE TRIUMPHANT – Hebrews 2:9-11; 10:10,14,16; 12:2,14-15,28; 13:8-9,12-14,20-21.
You will triumph and overcome in Jesu Name. He wants to bring you to glory not to shame nor disgrace, and He does this by sanctifying you by His grace, “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (Hebrews 2:10-11).
There is sanctifying grace, and when this comes into our lives, it perfects us, that if there is any deficiency in our love for God, He has offered Himself, and by that offering, He sanctifies and perfect the love of God in us. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). If you are always looking up unto the Lord, He nature will become your nature. The Lord is still the same today, as He helped the apostles in the past generations, He will help you today by His grace, and you will be sanctified. Jesus Christ, in the dispensation of His grace, is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21). The grace abundant, sufficient, supporting and sustaining to do His Will will work in you.
(iii) THE PRAYER FOR STEADFAST GRACE AT ALL TIMES – James 4:6-10; Colossians 4:2,6,12; 2 Peter 3:17-18; Hebrews 4:12-16
Continue in prayer to be sanctified if you are saved, to be baptised and immersed in the Holy Ghost, to have the vision, passion and zeal to do the work of God, to have the sufficient grace to run and not be weary, that God will reveal to you a greater field and responsibility, and higher grace to match the higher calling of God upon you, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” (Colossians 4:2). “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
If we are going to abide, remain, and sustain in this battle against sin and Satan, we must pray and come to the throne of grace, so that the grace of God will be multiplied in our lives. Today, you will find mercy, multiplication of the grace of God, sustaining power to be an overcomer to continue till the end. You are going to be stronger, higher, and run faster in working for the Lord. By His grace, you will be who God has ordained you to be in Jesus Name.
