Young Adults' Group

Applying Fully The Grace Of God

by Pastor Mark
August 04, 2016

The instrumental use of the grace of God

Faith has been a key focus of our studies of the book of Hebrews. It is by the means of faith that we are able to run our race and to face up to different challenges…even to be chastised by the Lord. But we should not allow ourselves to be discouraged…if not, we may end up falling short of the grace of God. (Heb 12:15) This means that we are not applying the grace of God in our life as we should. How can we prevent this from happening?

The Apostle Paul set himself as an example of how to fully apply the grace of God in his life. He wrote to the church in Corinth, “But by the grace of God I am what I am,” (1 Cor 15:10) The word “grace” means “favour” in Greek and it is written in the dative form. It means that grace is seen as instrumental in making all that Paul is. Even though he considered himself least of all the apostles and that he was unworthy to call himself an apostle as he persecuted the Christians, he is all that he is by the means of the grace of God.  (1 Cor 15:9-10)

The appropriation of the grace of God

“and His grace toward me was not in vain;” (1 Cor 15:10)

How was the grace of God towards Paul not given in vain? Grace was appropriated to all aspects of Paul’s life. Grace was appropriated with regards to the sins in his life. It is by grace that he had been saved. God gave him salvation out of His grace. Grace was also appropriated for the sanctification of Paul’s life so that he may be of service to the Lord.

No matter what challenges he had to go through, Paul learned to rely on the strength of the Lord as His grace was sufficient for all of his needs. The grace of God was not given to Paul in vain as he appropriated the grace of God in his life and ministry. It was evident throughout all aspects of his life. What about us? Has the grace of God become something that was given in vain? Let us be challenged to learn to appropriate the grace of God completely in our life.

The abundance of the grace of God

“but I laboured more abundantly than they all,” (1 Cor 15:10)

Paul testified of how he laboured for the Lord. He shared that he laboured more abundantly than the other apostles and everyone else. Paul was not trying to be boastful but he was speaking of how the grace of God was truly applied abundantly in his life and ministry. The word “labour” means “to toil, to strive”. Paul toiled very hard in preaching the word of the Lord…and the grace of God was fully applied in his ministry so that he laboured more abundantly than all. Let us be challenged to follow the example of Paul and to learn to apply the grace of God in our life and ministry more abundantly.

The store of the grace of God

“yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Cor 15:10)

Paul was truly humbled as he sought to acknowledge the importance of the grace of God in his life. Everything that he was really had nothing to do with himself but everything to do with the grace of God. This store of the grace of God was with him. He was conscious of the grace of God. He learned to tap this store of grace in all that he did. Every part of his life, the grace of God was involved. Let us be challenged to not allow the grace of God in our life to be given in vain. Let us be challenged to appreciate how instrumental the grace of God should be in our life. Let us be challenged to tap into the store of the grace of God and abundantly appropriate it in all aspects of our life and ministry.

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