Is God’s Grace Sufficient?

Sunday, January 29

“Is God’s Grace Sufficient?”

2 Corinthians 12:4-10

Grace, grace, Gods grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within, grace, grace Gods grace, grace that is greater than all our sin.

What is God’s grace?

It’s divine.

It’s unmerited.

It’s Not Deserved.

It’s extended to all who come to salvation.

It influences every believer in regeneration and sanctification.

It is unconditional.

God’s love for the creation of the human being in this world is not to be confused with his divine grace. As found in John 3:16.

He loves his creation made in his image. He loves it so much that he gave his only son, so that they could come to salvation and then receive the Fathers divine grace.

2nd Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

God wants to extend his divine grace to everyone, he has no desire to withhold it, he would that all would receive it, but the reality is that the percentage of those whom God loves, the human race ever will receive it.

It is reserved only unto those who believe in his son as their Savior and Redeemer.

Was Paul one of those people? Had he received divine grace when Jesus revealed himself as the Savior and son of God on the road to Damascus?

First why was Saul journeying to Damascus?

He was the designated henchman for the High Priest in the persecution of the early 1st century Christian converts.

Saul had been sent by the High Priest to deliver letters to the synagogues in Damascus demanding that the synagogues help identify Christians so Saul could capture them, bring them and take them back to Jerusalem for trial. Of which a kangaroo court would be held.

Almost to Damascus, a supernatural event occurred.

Now, from Acts 9:3b-9

Christ identified himself, asked Saul for his reason of the persecution of Christ’s church and people. Jesus then said what most may seem to be odd.

“It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

This was a term used in ancient agriculture. A farmer used an object called an Ox Goad that had a pointed tip attached to it to spur his oxen while tilling fields.

The farmer at times would use the prod to prick the animal to steer it in g right direction. Sometimes the ox would rebel by kicking out at it, the result would be that the prick would be driven further into the flesh.

In essence the more that it rebelled the more it hurt.

So, when Jesus said “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” He was saying.

That Sauls rebellion against God was a losing battle.

Sauls actions were sending him in the wrong direction and Jesus was going to prod and lead him in the right direction. Sauls kicking against the goad or prick only would cause him more pain as it drove deeper.

God wanted to get Saul’s attention, and he succeeded, blinded him so that he would recognize his sins and that he would see physically and spiritually.

Saul was indeed saved and received Gods divine grace that day.

In our text Saul was now Paul and he had been given a gift that only a few humans such as John did. He was shown the glory of heaven. He recognized this as a special moment, and he was glad for it. As found in vs 1-6. Which proceeded our text.

Paul did not want to think more of himself than he was because of the fact he had been privy to what he had seen and heard.

Now when you really look at verse 7 doesn’t it look as if God permitted a demonic entity to bring some type of physical affliction to keep Paul humble in the fact that he as a human might think he was above others believers, because he was chosen to see what he did.

This thought was just shown to me yesterday morning, I had always held that this affliction was from his past, but I believe that I need to stand corrected on it.

Whatever the thorn was it was terribly bothersome to Paul. He took it to the Lord 3 times and on the third try God finally responded not in the way I think Paul wanted, but how God willed.

The response is one that has echoed through the corridors of our faith for two millennium “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul already had received Gods Divine Grace, this was a reminder to Paul that he had all he ever would eternally need, because Gods divine grace through Jesus Christ would always carry him through no matter what.

This was Paul’s response “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest in me. Therefore, I take pleasure infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

This was not a big talker saying that he enjoyed pain and liked getting physically, emotionally, and spiritually beaten and disparaged. This was a servant of Jehovah setting the tone for all of us.

He nor we take any joy in our maladies, afflictions, our sufferings and pain, our losses nor our weaknesses, Paul’s and every Christians Joy is found in Gods divine grace, our knowing that no matter what it is our eternal gift, that anything that we may go through that God is with us every step, even when a thorn is prodding us and the Lord says “Bear it, it’s for your best, it’s for my glory through your weakness I will make you strong. I promise that Gods Divine Grace is more than sufficient for and me and to every single Christian past, present and future.