“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
The Apostle John, in speaking of the Lord Jesus, wrote: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (Jn. 1:14) Let’s give our attention to what John says concerning Christ and the grace of God. Scripture tells us Christ was, and is, FULL of grace and truth. From our standpoint, this means that the measure of grace in Christ is immeasurable. Why? It is because of who Christ IS, the everlasting WORD, the first and the last, by whom all creation came into existence, and by whom alone men are saved from sin and Satan. In the definition of grace, we are confronted with a concept that is beyond our capacity to fully grasp, but which must be accepted, embraced, and used by faith. For the believer, in being placed into living union with Jesus Christ by the Father, all of the grace of God is at his disposition. The unmerited favor of God is “full” towards the believer. Paul calls it grace that is abounding, a gift of God. So that, for the one who has come to Christ, who has been born of the Spirit, he has been put into living contact, and union, with the immeasurable, eternal grace of God. If this unmerited favor is so deep and powerful towards us, then how are we to live in it? How are we to respond to it? And how is God going to meet us according to it?
It must be first noted concerning the grace of God that it is not a gift grudgingly offered. Paul wrote to the the believers in Rome: “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?” (8:32) From this deep well of blessing in Christ comes the consoling word: “….and (nothing) shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ our Lord.” (8:39) In other words, the believer is in contact with the incomprehensible, and yet, overwhelming power of the grace of God, God working in our lives on the basis of an attitude of favor and inseparable love, freely giving us all that pertains to life and godliness. Why then do we not experience the grace of God in great measure in everyday life? Firstly, it has to do with the vision of the truth of God’s grace. And secondly, it depends upon our willingness to believe, and receive fully God’s grace.
In the book of 2 Kings, Elisha the prophet is seen about to die. The king of Israel, Joash, in great distress, comes to visit him. Elisha tells him to take a bow and arrows, open the window eastward, and with Elisha’s hands upon the king’s hands, tells him to shoot the arrow out of the window, declaring: “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.” (13:17) The measure of grace offered to this king was for full deliverance, and victory, over the Syrians. However, the king only believed in a partial victory, for he only received in part the declared grace of God.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian believers somewhat along the same lines: “I do not frustrate the grace of God.” (2:21) What did he mean? Although all of the grace of God is towards the believer in Christ, the believer by his doubting, faithlessness, or hesitancy to believe God for all, will only know the grace of God in the measure that he is willing and able to receive it.
Is it possible then to know the abounding grace of God? Yes, it is. “God is able to make ALL grace abound toward you,” and this sufficiently, and for EVERY good work.
Dear Father, Give us to be good receivers of the abounding grace of God, at all times, for Thy sake. In Jesus’ name, Amen.