All Sufficient Grace

Few words get tossed around in the life of the church any more than grace.  What often happens when a word is used with such great frequency is that those who hear it cease thinking about the meaning.  There is no need to ponder something which is obviosuly known and understood.  Of course, frequency of hearing does not equate with understanding.  Like some other words used a lot in church circles,  the word grace is used in a rather matter of fact manner with the assumption that everyone knows exactly what is being said.  

In II Corinthians 12:9 we hear it being used as the Apostle Paul speaks of God's response to his petition that a thorn in the flesh be removed.  The infimirty remained with Paul despite his pleas and a word came alongside of him to point the way forward as the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you...."  All sufficient grace has been the topic of more than one theological conversation and is the theme of a powerful song, "Wonderful Grace of Jesus."   Paul was promised it and each one of us have spoken of it in our life from time to time.   

The most primitive of definitions of grace points toward it coming to us without merit and never as something earned.  In other words, it is always a gift from God.  What God promised Paul was an abundance of blessings for there is no other way to think of grace.  As Paul lived with what he would have chosen not to live, God would provide gift after gift of spiritual blessings that would enable Paul to live with a grateful heart even though an adversity or difficulty remained.  It is always this way with grace.  The blessings of God are always ours to know in a sufficient manner so that nothing has the power to overcome us or separate us from love of Chist.  Grace is all suficient.  We know it not just because we have read about it in Paul's story, but because we have experienced it in our own.