Like a River dam or lock, We must manage the flow of grace. This includes That flow coming into our house, and then the flow going out. This is our stewardship .
This is spoken of in 1 Peter 4:10 “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
I must first learn how to receive grace, but not in vain. Grace “received” is accepting something which I do not deserve. Can you do it? `Pride can inhibit this action.
Many, many speakers, leaders, church members, choir singers, administrators or faculty cannot receive grace. Unsaved folks balk at grace often. The reason? Grace is based never on the receiver, but rests in the open hand of the Giver, God Himself. It all depends on the vicarious atonement of Christ.
Precious people look inward and discover hindrances to grace, and they make grace conditional. But grace is unconditional. The atonement of Christ includes all men, not just “worthy” ones. Read John 3:16, 1 John 2:2; 4:10
Others receive grace, thank God, but afterwards make it conditional for others around them.
These fail the grace of God evidenced by their lack of becoming “gracious” people.
Grace saves us and then grace perfects us. Grace conforms us to the image of Christ through a process. Grace re-makes us in its own image.
This does not put restrictions on grace,; the magnificence of grace simply changes folks. Not just a gift to consume, but an essential endowment, grace is the very life of Christ in a man.
To this thought Paul writes, in Ephesians 4:7 “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” and also Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain;”
Friends, too many of us gladly take “grace,” but administer law to others. We enjoy the unmerited favor of God for us but try to control others through mandates, commandments, the letter of scripture or …our own carnal temperament.
But fellows, It’s all grace.
Here are some quotes from our Pastor:
” …either I’m graced out or I’m stressed out.”
“Being graced out doesn’t mean that I never fail. It means that I am honest. I don’t live in denial.”
“I use rebound and never accept failure as an excuse for not having God’s power effectively working in me.”
2 Corinthians 4:16 teaches ” …though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
In 2 Corinthians 4:10 Paul does not say that he bears about in his body the death of Jesus, but he refers to His dying, which is
“the process which produces death.”
The sufferings which come upon Paul daily in his work for Jesus are gradually killing him; the pains, the perils, the spiritual pressure, the excitement of danger and the excitement of deliverance, are wearing out his strength, and soon he must die. In the very same way, Jesus Himself had spent His strength and died, and in that life of weakness and suffering which was always bringing him nearer the grave.” Paul felt himself in intimate sympathetic communion with his Master. Expositors
Beloved, Psalm 102:23 teaches us “He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.”
Do we realize that God’s plan of grace for you and me weakens our natural strength? Daily? We carry this dying in our body?
But for grace.
Grace takes our dying and produces a living; a resurrected living! — because resurrection dwells in us in Christ also.
It all happens in our surrender. Friends, Quit fighting, battling, striving and running. “It’s not of him that wills, nor of him that’s runs, but of God who gives mercy.”
Be a good steward of grace and Let that grace keep flowing! love ya
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