Abiding in Grace

“Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” Eph 3:8-9 (NIV)

Have you ever met someone who was great and they didn’t know it? In other words, they were simply being who God made them to be and didn’t build a tower of recognition for themselves.

Paul was great and didn’t know it. He understood that his usability was proportionate to God’s dispensing of immeasurable grace. His validation came through recognition of his desperation for God’s mercy and grace. Paul was only great because of the greatness of God’s grace.

Only through Paul’s humility and dependency upon God was he enabled to hyper-focus on the mission of bringing clarity to the mystery of the gospel for the people in need of salvation. Abiding in God’s grace was vital to Paul’s effectiveness in ministry. Paul recognized God’s grace at work through his life (Gal. 2:20).

Does your behavior bring clarity to the gospel for those watching your life? Are you drawing people to Christ or repelling them from Christ? May the fog lift and the gospel clearly go forth through opportunities God gives you this week to make Jesus known. Is there any greater vision to give your life to than that of bringing the gospel to the nations beginning right where you are?

The grace you have received is the grace needed to bring salvation to those disconnected from Christ. As you abide in God’s grace, allow God to use you in the redemptive process. Put God’s grace on display (1 Tim. 1:14).

Pursuing God,

Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell