His Grace Is Sufficient...

Have you ever considered that there could be times where God's grace is not made available to you? Romans 1 says, "Should we continue in sin that grace may abound?". This chapter tells us that where sin did abound, grace did much more abound. Does this mean that our sinning is beneficial in helping the flow of grace? On the contrary, Paul clearly points out that the one who sins becomes a slave of that sin.

There is another aspect of grace that I would like to focus on; while we all realize that grace is the means of our salvation, it is also the means of our sanctification. But to gain this grace, there is a requirement on our part. James warns us that, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble". Peter quotes the exact same words in Pet. 5:5. In fact, Peter tells us to be clothed with humility. So clearly, we need a healthy dose of humility to receive God's grace. This must be a daily occurrence of acknowledging our need for the Lord, coming to Him humbly seeking light from His word, and the freshness of His Spirit.

Can mature Christians still struggle with pride? To be sure yes, for there are many things in our lives that can cause us to stumble. Consider your own knowledge of the Bible...have you ever been proud of how much you know compared to the guy down the street? Or maybe how well you understand the doctrines of some particular "ology". Correct Biblical truth is vital, but it must be woven inside of wisdom and humility.

In fact, we are told that "knowledge puffs up". This kind of knowledge comes void of humility, when there is a personal selfish drive for recognition and prestige. I heard a well known Bible teacher say words to this end; "Knowledge tells others how important I am, while wisdom tells me how little I know".

May you all experience abundant grace in your walk today!