A Journey of Grace: Sufficient Grace

Accomplishments

The Journey so far

Prevenient grace-> Saving grace-> Sanctifying grace-> Sustaining grace-> Sufficient grace

Sufficient grace is our last stop on this journey of grace at this stop we eagerly wait for God’s glorifying grace to redeem all creation. Through sufficient grace God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.

In 2 Corinthians Paul feels he needs to prove himself by going on a lengthy boast about his accomplishments. Towards the end of his boasting he comes out and begins to vaguely address his weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NRSV

9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Brothers and Sisters like clay in the hands of the potter, the transforming power of God is made perfect in weakness. Despite our struggles, hardships, temptations, and imperfections. Despite the storms we face God’s grace is sufficient for you. It is in our weaknesses, our storms, our struggles that we can see the power of God’s sufficient grace at work in our lives. Grace is a journey. God’s grace is sufficient every step of the journey.

Thorn in the Flesh

Let’s look at Paul’s thorn in his flesh. The messenger from Satan to torment him. Paul addresses this struggle with the church at Corinth in vague terms. Which has lead to a lot of rampant speculation as to what or even who was his thorn.

Over the course of Christian history there is no shortage of speculation. Some thought it may be a person that continually undermined the ministry. Some thought it may have been a physical, mental or emotional limitation. Some thought it could have been his past as a persecuter of the church. Some even suggest that perhaps it was a specific continual temptation to sin. The list can go on, but perhaps too much energy has gone into figuring out Paul’s thorn. If we focus too much on the thorn we can completely miss the point. In each and every situation we can think of, the point of this passage is God’s grace is sufficient for you.

Three times he prayed

Paul prayed, begged God to deliver him from this thorn in his side, but God did not. We might be tempted here to say that God didn’t answer Paul’s prayer, but he did. Just because God doesn’t answer prayer the way we want him to doesn’t mean he didn’t answer.

Similarities between Paul’s prayer and Christ’s prayer. Mark 14:32-41

God’s answer to Paul is the verse we all know well.

2 Corinthians 12:9 The Message

9 and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.

God’s answer to Paul is my grace is sufficient for you. God didn’t deliver Paul from his thorn in his side. Instead God’s grace through the power of Christ at work in his life journeyed with Paul through his hardships. It is in his hardships that the power Christ works through Paul.

God’s answer to Paul is the same to us today. No matter the trials, difficulty, or temptations we face God’s grace is sufficient for us. God’s sufficient grace is at work in all our lives it is through our trials, hardships and storms that we can see God at work in our lives carrying us through. Working out our imperfections and taking a messy situation and making it a message of his grace at work in our lives.

Paul ends this section of with verse 10.

Sufficient Grace

The grace of God was sufficient for Paul to endure all the hardships and struggles he faced. God’s sufficient grace carried him through it all. Jesus wanting to be delivered from the cross prayed to God three times that this cup pass from him. In Paul’s case, and in Jesus case the grace of God went with them through the hardships revealing God’s awesome power at work.

Storm at sea Jesus asleep

The message God has for us today is this, my grace is sufficient for you. No matter what storm or trial. No matter what temptation, hardship, imperfection, feeling of inadequacy this list can go on but in each instance the message is the same my grace is sufficient for you, in our weakness we see God’s sufficient grace at work.

God’s sufficient grace is at work in our lives like the hands of a potter and clay. Molding us, shaping us into the glorious image of his son Jesus Christ. It is at our weakest most trying times we can see God at work on his masterpiece.

To the person who thinks they have done too many terrible things to possibly worthy of God’s grace. God says to you today my grace is sufficient for you. To the person going through stormy seas, trials and hardships. God says to you my grace is sufficient for you. To the person struggling with temptation. God says to you, my grace is sufficient for you. No matter the situation you face, God’s grace is sufficient for you.

Perhaps some of us can identify with Paul having prayed fervently for God to intervene but he didn’t in the way we wanted him too. I am sure if we take time to reflect on these occasions we can see the sufficient grace of God at work in our lives. It is at these points his power is revealed in our weaknesses. Let’s take some time to remember these times that God literally carried us through life’s toughest storms.

2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.