What is Grace? (Part 9)

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul wrote about his thorn in the flesh. He said that he asked the Lord three times to remove it from him. In verse 9, he wrote the Lord’s response: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul had experienced God’s grace in the past when the Lord called him to salvation. “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). Even though Paul designated himself the chief of sinners, God’s grace brought him out of darkness and into light. Paul would also experience God’s grace in the future. In 2 Timothy 4:8, he wrote, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” What the Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, however, concerned the present. He said, “My grace IS sufficient for you.” At any given moment, life can be tough. No doubt, Paul’s thorn in the flesh was sometimes painful to endure. Pain, however, is an opportunity for God’s grace to shine. God wants us to depend on Him to get through life, not our own good feelings about things. When the Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient,” He wanted Paul to let His power work presently in his life. Pain can be very distracting, but the Lord’s power is greater: peace, contentment, joy, truth, faith, virtue, hope, love—thinking on these things helps us to overcome all of life’s challenges.

God bless you, and I love you.

Kevin Cauley