"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." 2 Cor 12:9 (NIV)This is a very common scripture we use ( or Ishould say I use) when things seems to be beyond my power. when things seem to be going wrong or i cant get over something. You know the trials that come to make us strong. But what if my brothers and sisters God wanted more for us. What if there is more to this grace that we have not uncovered. Well about 2% of the christian world have. They understand that grace is God's power for us to live above what we could ever hope, dream or imagine. Let's go to another scripture to help you see what I mean.
"Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another." John 1:16 (CEV)Now this says because we are connected to the Son, we get unmerited favor. This unmerited favor is blessing one after another. Now that sounds good but how does that help me to live and make it through this world. A world where trouble comes without warning and it's shows no prejudice? I need more than unmerited favor... I mean dont get me wrong the blessings are wonderful and come just in the nick of time. But as John Bever states we are to live extraordinary lives. Not just blessed lives. So, we need more than unmerited favor from God, We need power to live right, and power to do right, power to believe the unimaginable. we need to be empowered by God to live our purpose and destiny. So now let's go to second base.
All through the book of acts we read that the disciples did miracles, signs and wonders...even though they were being presecuted. Dont take my word for it read Acts 5:13, Acts 10:26, Acts 14:11-15, Acts 17:6, and Acts 28:6. These were men and women just like us but they lived full of power just like Acts 1:8 said. We can live in that power too. For God is no respector of persons, if He did it for Peter, James, John, Paul and Mary...He will do it for you and me too.
Read 2 Cor 12:9 again, it says:
"But he replied, "My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak." So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am." (CEV)So instead of thinking about this grace as unmerited favor, which it is, but it is more than that too. It's Charis (grace) It is the divine influence upon the heart and it's reflection in our lives. It's a gift, favor, a benefit and grcious liberality. Grace is God's empowerment to us.
So what great thing are you trying to accomplish but are having great difficulties. It states when we are weak, God's grace, HIS power is sufficient for us. It is strong. It is able to give us what we need to live as we ought to. Read this:
"Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be [a]realized in and through Christ, [b]freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts]. Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God's power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that [c]final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time." 2 Peter 1:2-5 (AMP)I dont know about you but that scripture makes me what to shout, "Devil, you messed up now! you are messing with the wrong one." See as long as he can make us think we are to live this life by our own power we dont call upon the power that was given to us by Jesus. We continue to live beneath our means and experience a vapor of what god really has in store for us. I thnk God for equipping us with Grace. unmerited favor YES! but he has given us power to do all the things he has called us to do. He gave it to us when we said yes to Him. He did not leave us to fight the good fight on our own. Maybe we know this but are we living by it. Use the grace that God has given you not just for the blessings but for the abundant power to live the life you were meant to live. I end with this scripture:
"And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!" Ephesians 3:8-10 (MSG)So what are you giving the angels to talk about?
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