Young People's Group

HIS GRACE TOWARD ME WAS NOT IN VAIN

March 23, 2014

The Camp Of All Camps

Family Camp 2014 is indeed the camp of all camps. Pastor Charles taught many heart-probing and life-changing lessons about the Lord’s grace during this camp. Grace in its many theological aspects, nuances and applications were studied and expounded. We were deeply blessed and stirred by what we heard from the Scriptures. We offer great thanks to God for His matchless grace and His blessings upon us and at this camp. The challenge now is not to take His grace for granted but to apply it in our life and seek to live a life empowered by it. Truly I give praise to the glory of His grace.

Where God’s Grace Was Given In Vain

Pastor Charles on the last night of camp challenged all to not receive the grace of God in vain. Paul pleaded with the Corinthian Church to ensure that they do not allow this to happen.

“We … also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” 
2 Corinthians 6:1

This beloved apostle understood how easy it was for God’s grace to result in emptiness in the lives of the Corinthians. He saw how spiritual blindness was hindering some in the church. People were being blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). The challenge is to ensure that the grace of God given to us would never be rendered useless within us.

Ensuring That The Grace Of God Is Not Received In Vain

1. Having A Deeply Humble View Of Self

“I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church” 
1 Corinthians 15:9

Despite doing great things for God, Paul saw himself as totally unworthy to be called an apostle. He considered himself as only the lowest of all the apostles because he persecuted the Church. He also saw himself as less than the least of all the saints (Ephesians 3:8). What a most humble view of self!

2. Seeing All That We Have Spiritually As By The Grace Of God

“But by the grace of God I am what I am” 
1 Corinthians 15:10

Paul recognised that all that He had and gained in his life and ministry was purely by the grace of God. His standing as a child of God and his appointment as His servant was by grace. Young people, let’s also see that all we are and have spiritually (Salvation and Service) have come about by God’s grace.

3. Having Grace As A Powerful Force Within Us

“And His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all” 
1 Corinthians 15:10

The grace of God that was within Paul strongly motivated and empowered him to attempt great things. He laboured and toiled (a word that sounds like kopi-o in Greek) more extensively than everyone else. Young people, may God’s grace impact us deeply that we would labour hard in school and church

4. Living A Life Of Significance

“Yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 
1 Corinthians 15:10

Ultimately, the grace of God enabled Paul to live a life of significance. It was not self-effort. It was the grace of God with him that transformed him to be a good bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He found great strength in times of suffering as he served. Let’s start learning to depend so much more on the grace of God that we may live of a life of significance one day as Paul did.

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