BEING STRONG IN GRACE
(week 15/12)
OLUBI JOHNSON
2Timothy 2:1 KJV: Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Here the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us to be strong in the grace in Christ Jesus.
The grace in Christ Jesus is God’s unmerited favour that causes Him to give us a measure of eternal life based on the sacrifice of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus for our sins:
1Peter 3:7 KJV: Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Psalms 30:5 KJV: For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Be strong in grace? This means we can be weak or ineffective in grace.
1Corinthians 15:10 KJV: But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Here we see that it is possible to receive the grace of God in vain by not using the grace of God to labour spiritually and physically.
The grace of God causes a measure of the life of God to be injected into our spirits by the Holy Spirit. Now this measure of the life of God is like the talent or gift in the parable of the pounds in
Luke 19:12-26 KJV: He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. (13) And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. (14) But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (15) And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. (16) Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. (17) Andhe said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. (18) And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. (19) And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. (20) And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: (21) For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. (22) And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: (23) Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? (24) And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (25) (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) (26) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
As seen in this parable, it is possible to just ‘bury’ your ‘pound’ or gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23) in the ‘earth’: a type of just letting the sin nature in the soul and flesh dominate your conduct, causing the divine life in your spirit to be dormant: this is receiving the grace of God in vain!
Also, it is possible to be spiritually lazy (Heb. 6:12) and so not be strong in the grace of God and so the grace of God: the measure of the life of God in you will not increase in any significant measure: this is being weak in the grace in Christ Jesus.
In our article next week, we will see in more detail how to be strong in the grace in Christ Jesus.
