No one was ever saved because his sins were small; no one was ever rejected on account of the greatness of his sins. Where sin abounded, grace shall much more abound.
The road is rugged, and the sun is hot. How can we be but weary? Here is grace for the weariness – grace which lifts us up and invigorates us; grace which keeps us from fainting by the way; grace which supplies us with manna from heaven, and with water from the smitten rock. We receive of this grace, and are revived. Our weariness of heart and limb departs. We need no other refreshment. This is enough. Whatever the way be – rough, gloomy, unpleasant – we press forward, knowing that the same grace that has already carried thousands through will do the same for us.
The Christian Treasury, 1868.
He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; to added afflictions He addeth His mercy, to multiplied trials He multiplies peace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, when our strength has failed ere the day is half done, when we reach the end of our hoarded resources our Father’s full giving is only begun. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; for out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
He Giveth More Grace, Public Domain.
Sadly, many evangelical churches today deny in practice the sufficiency of God’s grace for all of life’s problems, supplementing it with the humanistic theories of psychology. The idea that the grace of God is sufficient for even the most serious issues believers may face is derided as antiquated, simplistic, and naïve, like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg. It is suggested by so-called Christian psychologists that divine grace may be sufficient for solving shallow problems, but deeper issues require therapy.
2 Corinthians, Moody, 2003, p. 403.
We cannot sin beyond God’s grace, because as wicked and extensive as our sins might be or become, they will never approach the greatness of His grace.
Ephesians, Moody, 1986, p. 25.
We are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8) and in grace we stand (Rom. 5:2). Grace upholds our salvation, gives us victory in temptation, and helps us endure suffering and pain. It helps us understand the Word and wisely apply it to our lives. It draws us into communion and prayer and enables us to serve the Lord effectively. In short, we exist and are firmly fixed in an environment of all-sufficient grace.
Sufficient Grace from Our Sufficiency in Christ, 1991, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187, www.crosswaybooks.org. p. 243.
Do we have sufficient grace? Or do we not? Is the Word of God so insufficient which is perfect, totally transforming the whole person according to Psalm 19? Is the wisdom from above which confounds all the wisdom of man and calls it foolishness so insufficient? Is the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we are complete, in whom we have all things that pertain to life and godliness and have been made partakers of the divine nature and possessors of all His fullness so insufficient? Is the Holy Spirit who has filled us with all strength in the inner man and all the fullness of God so that we can do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think according to His resurrection power so insufficient? Is the package of spiritual resources we have received in salvation which enables us to do all things through the power of our Christ unable to sufficiently give us victory in life? When Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:5 “our sufficiency is from God,” was he ignorant?
The Sufficiency of God’s Grace. The article originally appeared (www.gty.org/resources/sermons/80-72/The-Sufficiency-of-Gods-Grace) at www.gty.org. © 1969-2008. Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by Permission.
God is tirelessly on our side. He never falters in respect of our needs, He always has more grace at hand for us. He is never less than sufficient, He always has more and yet more to give. Whatever we may forfeit when we put self first, we cannot forfeit our salvation, for there is always more grace. No matter what we do to Him, he is never beaten. We may play false to the grace of election, contradict the grace of reconciliation, overlook the grace of indwelling – but he gives more grace. Even we were to turn to him and say, “What I have received so far is much less than enough,” He would reply, “Well, you may have more.” His resources are never at an end, His patience is never exhausted, His initiative never stops, His generosity knows no limit: He gives more grace.
Taken from: The Message of James by J.A. Motyer. Copyright 1985, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Used with permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515, p. 150, www.ivpress.com.
[God] does not give His grace by calculated measure.
The Ultimate Aim of Theology, November 8, 2006, www.enjoyinggodministries.com. Used by Permission.
