Amazing Grace

We all stand in need of the Lord. We need His presence in our lives. We need His mercy, we need His salvation, we need His continuous help as we seek to live for Him. The benediction at the end of 2 Corinthians indicates our need and God’s provision (2 Corinthians 13:14). This benediction begins by focusing on grace. We stand in need of grace.

"May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ….be with us all."

Why does the Apostle start here in his benediction at the end of 2 Corinthians? Well, as students of this benediction have noted, this is where our relationship with God begins. We enter through the door of grace. It is the gracious favor and activity of God through our Lord Jesus Christ that makes a relationship with God possible.

1. We are Saved by Grace

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me….”

These are the words of a famous hymn written by John Newton. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. We bring no merit or works before God to plead for our salvation from judgement and wrath. No, no, never. We are saved because our Lord mercifully and graciously took upon himself our sin and shame and died on the cross to pay the penalty of our rebellion against God. It is by grace that we are declared right with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 reads, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is by grace that we enter into the family of God. 

The whole basis of the Christian’s understanding of forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, and justification is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is Biblical truth that we must embrace.

Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed this grace in His whole life and death. Earlier in this very letter, the Apostle writes to encourage the Corinthians to be generous givers and he says,

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9)

If we know our Lord Jesus Christ, we know that He graciously stepped out of heaven, took upon Himself humanity so that he lived a perfect life and die a death for our sins and our salvation. Through His poverty, which speaks of His whole mission in becoming man and dying for us, we have entered into the riches of His grace. We have entered into the family of God by grace.

2. We are strengthened by Grace

The word “grace” not only speaks of what the Lord has done for us, it speak of His gracious provision and His resources available to us.

There is grace for growth in sanctification; there is gracious gifting and power for serving; and there is grace to endure suffering.

   a) By grace we can grow in the Lord.

 We are united to our Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection as Romans 6 teaches us. By grace we have received the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and enables us to live the Christian life (Romans 5:5, 8:1-39, 1 Peter 1:1-2). It is by grace that we can grow. Indeed we are called to “grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

   b) By grace we can suffering for the Lord

In this very letter, the Apostle speaks of a time when he prayed for deliverance from an affliction. He writes that he prayed three times for this affliction to be removed. This was a matter of great concern. The Lord said to him,

“My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

Grace here speaks of the sufficient power available to handle the difficulties and the sufferings of this life. It is grace given, the spiritual resources and power to endure and be faithful in the midst of hardships. God sometimes intervenes and grants healing or relief from difficult issues or circumstances in our lives. There are those times, though, that God enables us by His grace to endure, even with joy. This grace needs to be with us all.

   c) By grace we can serve the Lord

This is included in what the Apostle says when he speaks of sufficient grace. You see this as he exhorts his son in the ministry, Timothy, telling him to be “strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” For Timothy to do what he was called to do, he needed to be strengthened by grace. The Lord Jesus Christ is the source, the provider of the gracious provisions to meet our need to be faithful to Him and to serve others.

Conclusion:

This is what we need daily. We need grace to be faithful in living, giving and serving.

What about you today? You may be thinking that I need to get through my present circumstances. I need victory over sinful practices in my life. I need a better relationship with someone. I need a new job, more money, healing. Underneath anything and everything you may sense you need is the need for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the good news it – it is available in Him. These words are for you and for me. Seek His grace. Seek the experience of His gracious provision to strengthen you as needed.