Grace upon Grace!

In 1Timothy 1:16, the apostle Paul characterizes himself as the “chief of sinners,” because he realizes the depth from which God’s grace has rescued him. However, the impact of the grace of God in his life is powerful and noteworthy: It transforms him from a persecutor of the church to its preacher. He gives this testimony:

But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace (1 Corinthians 15:10, NLT)

When tempted to be critical of someone or to have a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude, it is advisable to think of how much of God’s grace we have received. Were it not for God’s grace, the apostle Paul’s life would not have been transformed and certainly would not have touched many lives. Similarly, without the grace of God, you and I would not be who we are today. 

We have indeed received “grace upon grace” from the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle John reminds us of this important reality: “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:16, ESV). Let us, therefore, use our God-given gifts so that others may also experience the grace of God (1 Peter 4:10-11).