Grace Instead of What We Deserve

 


If we are honest with ourselves, there are things we have said and done that we wish we could take back. We have spoken words that hurt others, made selfish choices, lost our patience, ignored opportunities to do what was right, and sometimes knowingly wandered away from God. If we received exactly what our sins deserved, none of us could stand before God and claim that we had earned His favor.

Yet this is where the grace of God changes everything.

Grace means that God offers us what we could never earn. We deserve the consequences of sin, but God offers forgiveness. We deserve separation from Him, but He offers reconciliation. We deserve condemnation, but through Jesus Christ, He offers mercy, restoration, and eternal life.

Paul's final words to the Corinthians point us toward this wonderful truth. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, he says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” This is not an invitation to live in constant fear or wonder whether we are good enough. Instead, it calls us to honestly examine our lives and ask whether Christ is truly at the center of them.

And then Paul gives us an encouraging thought: “Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Our hope is not found in proving that we have never failed. Our hope is found in Christ living in us.

Paul concludes the letter with these beautiful words: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Notice where Paul leaves the Corinthians—with grace, love, and fellowship with God. That is where the gospel leaves us too.

God's grace does not mean that our sins do not matter. Sin is serious enough that Jesus had to die for us. But the cross also tells us that God's mercy is greater than our failures. When we confess our sins and turn toward Him, we do not have to spend the rest of our lives trying to pay God back for what Jesus has already paid.

So today, don't measure God's willingness to forgive you by the worst thing you have ever done. Measure it by the cross.

You may have failed, but God's grace is still available. You may have fallen, but Jesus still calls you to get back up. You may regret your past, but your past does not have to determine your future.

We deserve judgment because of sin, but God offers grace through Jesus. We deserve separation, but He offers reconciliation. We deserve death, but He offers life.

That is grace.

Prayer

Dear Father, thank You for Your amazing grace. You know everything we have said and done, including the things we regret and wish we could change. Thank You that our hope does not depend upon our perfect record, but upon Jesus and what He has done for us. Help us honestly examine our hearts and allow Christ to live within us. When we are discouraged by our failures, remind us of Your forgiveness and love. Help us turn away from sin and walk closely with You each day. Thank You for the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, amen.

More on Lesson 13: Grace, Love, and Fellowship   

3rd Quarter Sabbath School: First and Second Corinthians  

Popular posts from this blog

Sabbath School Lesson 12: Dealing With False Teachers

Image
  Sabbath School First and Second Corinthians  Lesson 12: Dealing With False Teachers You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson. > Download the Notes for Lesson 12: Video Dealing With False Teachers Here (Video is Below) Lesson 12 Daily Devotionals: Sunday: Spiritual War    Monday: Boasting in the LORD   Tuesday: False Teachers Identified    Wednesday: Sufferings for the Sake of the Gospel    Thursday: Appeal to the Unrepentant    Friday Further Thought: How the Church can Stand Against Deception     More on Lesson 12:    Gentle in Spirit, BOLD in Truth    When Ministry Becomes a Competition    Guarding the Bride of Christ   When Suffering Serves the Gospel   Examine Yourself: Are You in the Faith?   Sabbath School 3rd Quarter Online: First and Second Corinthians Quarterly  
Read more

Boasting in the Lord

Image
  Sabbath School First and Second Corinthians  Dealing With False Teachers Lesson 12 - Monday When Competition Gets in the Way of the Gospel Paul had an important message for the believers in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 10:13–17. He was concerned that some people were measuring themselves against one another and taking credit for work that did not belong to them. Instead of focusing on Christ and the gospel, they were becoming concerned about who was more important, who had greater influence, and who could claim more success. Paul refused to play that game. He explained that he would not boast beyond the limits God had given him. His ministry was to preach the gospel where God had called him. He was not interested in taking credit for someone else’s work just to make himself look successful. Then Paul gives a powerful principle: “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17, NKJV). That principle still speaks to the church today. Competition can be extremely d...
Read more

Spiritual War

Image
Sabbath School First and Second Corinthians  Dealing With False Teachers Lesson 12 - Sunday Gentle, Yet Bold for Christ Paul’s relationship with the believers in Corinth was complicated. He loved them, but he also knew that some serious problems had entered the church. False teachers were questioning Paul’s authority, criticizing his ministry, and trying to turn the believers away from the truth about Christ. What makes 2 Corinthians 10:1–11 especially interesting is that Paul’s critics apparently considered his meekness to be weakness. They saw his gentle approach as evidence that he lacked courage. But Paul was about to make something very clear: meekness is not weakness. Paul writes, “Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1, NKJV). Notice that he does not begin with insults, anger, or threats. He appeals to them through the character of Christ. Yet just a few verses later, we see how courageous he really is. Paul spe...
Read more

False Teachers Identified

Image
  Sabbath School First and Second Corinthians  Dealing With False Teachers Lesson 12 - Tuesday Guarding the Heart Against False Teaching Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 11:1–15 reveal a serious problem in the church at Corinth. False teachers had entered the church and were trying to turn the believers away from the truth Paul had taught them. They presented themselves as impressive spiritual leaders, but their message was not centered on the true Christ. Paul says, “For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2, NKJV). Paul viewed the believers as people who belonged to Jesus. His concern was not about protecting his personal reputation. He was concerned that the Corinthians would lose their simple and sincere devotion to Christ. Then Paul makes an important comparison. He says, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is i...
Read more

Sufferings for the Sake of the Gospel

Image
  Sabbath School First and Second Corinthians  Dealing With False Teachers Lesson 12 - Wednesday When Following Jesus Gets Difficult Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11:22–28 give us a remarkable picture of what it sometimes cost him to preach the gospel. He reminds the Corinthians that he was a Hebrew, an Israelite, and a descendant of Abraham. But instead of using those credentials to boast about himself, Paul points to something very different—his suffering. He had been beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, threatened, hungry, thirsty, cold, and in danger from many different people. He had experienced sleepless nights and difficult journeys. But perhaps one of his greatest burdens was not physical at all. Paul says that besides all these things, he carried the daily concern of the churches. Why does Paul mention all of this? He is making an important point. The false teachers were trying to prove their authority through their accomplishments, status, and impressive claims. Paul ...
Read more