IT BLOWS ME AWAY! - Part 5

God's Amazing Grace has been the topic of the last four blogs. We have talked about how His Prevenient Grace leads us to repentance; His Saving Grace forgives and saves us from our sins; His Sanctifying Grace is all we need for cleansing and empowering so that we can live victoriously over sin and His Keeping Grace enables us to remain saved and in a close and growing relationship with God in a sinful culture and world! While meditating on these Biblical truths, a hymn comes to mind. Written in 1878 by Elisha A. Hoffman, the lyrics are:

"Down at the cross, Where my Savior died; Down where for cleansing from sin I cried; There to my heart was the blood (of Jesus) applied, Glory to His name!

I am so wondrously Saved from my sin; Jesus so sweetly abides within; There at the cross where He took me in, Glory to His name!

Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin; I am so glad I have entered in; There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean, Glory to His name!"

You might say, "I now understand these truths, but what about MY problems, MY disappointments, MY needs, MY anxieties, the cares, burdens and deep concerns I carry? And what about MY frustrations, MY hurts, MY pain, ALL the distressing things that perplex me so? And how about MY failures, pressures I face and when I feel so weak and exhausted it seems I just can't continue to go on?" Today, let's talk about God's Grace that is more than sufficient for those of us who have these haunting questions.

Since each blog in this five-part series is built on previous ones, I encourage you to stop right here and read the other four if you have not already or need a refresher.

Now, I want to share with you some of the best news you have ever heard in your life. God knows your life perfectly well and ALL that you face in life and this is His message for you! "My Grace is sufficient for you; for My Strength is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9) THIS IS GOD'S SUSTAINING GRACE! The Apostle Paul had a very troublesome situation in his life and ministry at this very point. Here is what he described. "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations (God gave to me), a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded (begged) with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But, He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Corinthians 12:7-10)

Let's consider THE DEFINITION OF GOD'S SUSTAINING GRACE. First, it is God's grace that enables us to ENDURE without yielding to the subtle influence and work of satan. Jesus said, . . .the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Mark 13:13) Paul said, ". . .so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (II Corinthians 12:9) This is the power to endure in the midst of adversity and conflict of all kinds and intensity! Second, sustaining grace is that work of God that enables us to keep up our courage, determination and the spirit of conquest (victory). "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses. . . ." (II Corinthians 12:9) Third, it is the grace of God that helps us to maintain spiritual victory and abiding harmony with God when pressures and problems are relentlessly intense in our life, rolling in upon us like waves of the sea. "I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities." (II Corinthians 12:10) CONTENT or DISCONTENT --- in what TENT do we live? The Apostle Paul trusted God for his contentment and so can we, if we so choose! Fourth, this is the grace that keeps us from sinking or falling when satan attacks, by supporting us from below. "The eternal God is your dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms. And He thrust out the enemy before you saying, 'Destroy.' " (Deuteronomy 33:27) Thus, it is God's Holding Grace that fully supports us and holds us up in the midst of ALL adversity.

Now, let's explore THE ASSURANCE OF GOD'S SUSTAINING GRACE. This assurance comes directly from Holy Scripture. "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency IS from God. . . ." (II Corinthians 3:5) ". . .for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid. . . ." (Psalm 3:5-6) "Cast your burdens on the LORD, and He will sustain you." (Psalm 55:22) ". . .His own arm brought him salvation, and His righteousness upheld him." (Isaiah 59:16) Here is God's sustaining righteousness at work in our lives. "I have made you and carried you, I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (Isaiah 46:4) What a fantastic, authoritative promise from God to sustain and rescue us!

Then, let's move on to THE NATURE OF GOD'S SUSTAINING GRACE. First, it is a sufficent grace. "My grace is sufficient." (II Corinthians 12:9) Remember this: It is not the kind of grace that bars or prevents what is not bliss, nor provides escape from all distress. BUT, it IS this: grace that shows up in our trouble, pain and sorrow, and in that darkness, it is there to sustain us. It could be said that if God does not chain me to Himself (through His sustaining grace), I am a goner. The lyrics of an old favorite hymn speak to this point. "O to grace, how great a debtor, Daily I'm constrained to be. Let Thy goodness like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee". The word "fetter" is an old word, meaning "CHAIN'. Every day, we desperately need God's sustaining grace, that is sufficient even in our weakest times. We must have God chain up our hearts to Him by His loving grace! Second, it is a strengthening grace. HIS strength, HIS power is made perfect (complete) in OUR weakness. (II Corinthians 12:9) No one should be misled ----- It is NOT our strength or power that is our sustainment, but it IS His strength and power! Whoever dreamed up that we had to be "Macho Man" or "Wonder Woman" or to put on some kind of a brave look or smiley face when severe adversity hits in order to "stand on our feet"? That is the job of God using His sustaining grace in our behalf! Third, it is grace that enables us to glory in our difficulties. We do not deny our adversities, but we trust God and His grace to sustain us in the very midst of our adversities! Paul had an infirmity; it was physical, troublesome, annoying, perhaps even painful, and made his ministry very difficult. Some think it was poor eye sight or an eye disease, though it was never identified. Some translations of this Scripture refer to it as an infirmity while most translations render it as weakness. In any case, Paul did not deny his weakness, but he sought God's help and when God promised him sustaining grace instead of physical healing, he accepted the answer and was Content! We are not called upon to glory IN the fact we have weaknesses, but in the fact that God's grace and strength is fully sufficient to meet the needs caused by them! So, we glory, rejoice or boast IN THE MIDST OF INFIRMITY OR WEAKNESS! Fourth, it is an over-coming grace. II Corinthians 12:10 is a great verse to memorize and use as a Faith Affirmation! Note Paul's words:

• "I am content" In other words, he says, "I take pleasure in", "I find joy in", "I relax in", "I am peaceful in", "I trust God in", etc.

• "For the sake of Christ" This expression means, "For the purpose of Christ", "Out of highest regard for Christ", "In the worship of Christ", "For the glory of Christ"!

• "When I am weak, then I am strong" What a stark contrast?! We would think that weakness begets even more weakness, but NO, our human weaknesses give God the opportunity to fully demonstrate His strength and power in our behalf! It is like He over-rides or even over-rules our weaknesses with His unlimited power and strength! Paul further declares, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay (our bodies), to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. So, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed. . . ." (II Corinthians 4:7-9) ". .knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus. . . ." (II Corinthians 4:14) "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction (weakness) is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient (going away), but the things that are unseen are eternal." (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

Now, here's the personal, practical question for us to ask THE LORD and let Him answer for us! How can we know for sure, as we move in and out of calamity, trouble, infirmity, weakness, pain, distress, fretting, and sheer agony that we will be sustained to the end ----- that we will arrive safely in heaven, that we will have the entire inheritance of glory, joy, peace and perfection forever and ever? How can we know for sure that having some "mustard-seed" faith in the Lord, having been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, having been sanctified, that we are not going to abort, make a shipwreck of our faith, fall away, apostatize, blaspheme, forget the Lord, be lost, reside eternally in hell, and enjoy nothing of God forever? How can we be SURE that's not going to happen?

God answers us in His Word (the Bible), Work and through His Presence in our lives. God has made a Promise Covenant with His people! Here it is: "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an Everlasting Covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good. . . ." (Jeremiah 32:38-41) This is the true and reliable account of God's Amazing Grace! In closing this week's blog and the series on God's Grace, here are four promises from God to ponder!

1. God is completely on our side. "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God." (Jeremiah 32:38) This promise is spoken by the God of the universe who does not lie (Titus 1:2) "God who never lies." "If God is for us, who can be against us"? (Romans 8:31)

2. God alone transforms our heart. "I will give them one heart." (Jeremiah 32:39) "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

3. God will bring us to glory (Heaven). "And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who

began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ, right up to the time of His return,

developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." (Philippians 1:6)

"And I will make with them an Everlasting Covenant. . . .(Jeremiah 32:40)

4. God rejoices in doing good to us. "I will rejoice in doing them good. . . ." (Jeremiah 32:41)

I continue to be "blown away" as I analyze and write on God's Amazing Grace! Aren't You? Why am I blown away? Because His GRACE is Amazingly Biblical, True and Good Theology!