Pastor: What the grace of God does in us (2024)

FAQs

What the grace of God does in us? ›

God's grace, as divinely offered gift, does not take away or restrict our freedom; rather, it perfects our freedom by helping us overcome the restricting power of sin, the true obstacle to our freedom. We call the grace of the Holy Spirit that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ the New Law.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Sufficient grace means enough grace. God supplies us with as much grace as we need for every situation we face. Grace for facing illness or financial need; grace for our lack of wisdom or lack of social skills; grace for dealing with rebellious children or aging parents.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself ...

The grace of God is not earned by works, but it produces work done in His service. Grace, which is God's life, comes into us and works in us and through us so that we can be all and do all in His service. Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

The Lord's grace is sufficient to lift you from death and sin and to endow you with eternal life. It is sufficient to change you, transform you, and perfect you. It is sufficient to enable you to fully realize your divine potential as a son or daughter of God.

The word for this week is sufficient. Sufficient, as is “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” That was what God said to Paul after Paul asked Him three times to remove his thorn in the flesh.

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10

Paul says that God's grace “is sufficient” (in the present tense), underscoring the ever-present availability and sufficiency of God's grace, for Paul and for every believer, regardless of how critical one's circ*mstances may be (cf. Rom. 8:31–39). my power is made perfect in weakness.

Notice that one phrase: “The grace of God trains us.” The gospel trains us. How? “Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age.” The good news of Jesus trains me to renounce how I once lived, and to live in a new way.

What kind of grace does God give us? ›

Bishop Will Willimon describes grace as "the power of God working in you to give you a transformed life." We experience three kinds of grace in our life with God — prevenient, justifying and sanctifying.

The purpose of His grace is to influence us away from that life of sin. To influence us to deny all of those things to live, righteously and godly. [To] live a life looking forward to the coming of our Lord, because He gave Himself for us.

One way you can extend God's grace to others is by forgiving those who have offended you. In that way, your life becomes a living portrait of the gospel. In fact, Jesus said that “if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins,” (Matthew 6.15 NIV).

Instead, God proclaimed that His grace was fully capable of providing everything Paul needed to endure this suffering. God told Paul that His power is made perfect in weakness. The Greek word for "sufficient" here is arkei, which implies endurance, strength, or satisfaction.

Look for the ways grace works in you through conviction and sanctification. Take in the beauty of nature and the joy of friendship. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you look at the world around you with new eyes, recognizing all we have that we don't deserve.

“Grace is God acting in our life,” Dallas Willard says. (See his book The Great Omission.) God's grace to us is his power for living an effective and glorious life today! It is God acting generously and powerfully, to do for us what we cannot do ourselves.

It means no matter what we endure, no matter how hard or exhausting the situation, God promises that His grace is more than enough for us to bathe in joy and contentment right now, no matter what we're facing. We can endure hard things, and we can endure them well because of God's grace.

Finally, grace is not only evident in the help God gives us, but Tripp says that “even pleasure preaches grace.”³ Acts 14:17 affirms this, saying, “He kept constantly doing good things and showing you kindness, and giving you rains from heaven and productive seasons, filling your heart with food and happiness.”

The Bible describes at least 5 different categories or expressions of grace: saving grace, sanctifying grace, strengthening grace, sharing grace and serving grace. Let's dig into each of them. Saving grace is the grace God gives to sinners to influence their hearts and turn them to Christ.