Only By the Grace of God I Go!

A while ago I felt that God had given me the verse, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Nice verse I thought at the time, very true indeed.  But this verse has kept coming back to me and won't leave me alone. Only now am I beginning to see that God wants me to know in experience what I know in my head, that his grace is sufficient for me and his power is made perfect in my weakness.  At the moment I'm being taught what living in the grace of God really requires of me - complete abandonment of my self,and utter trust in Christ's redeeming power and strength. And it is both amazing and scary.

As someone who has lead small groups and bible studies for a number of years, it is part of being the leader to be prepared, organised and guide the group through questions and issues relating to scripture to help them grow closer to God.  But as Child Friendly Bible Study examines the book Respectable Sins :Confronting the Sins we Tolerate (by Jerry Bridges) I feel completely inadequate as the leader and I'm not used to that feeling.  I don't like being out of control.    I am overwhelmed by a great sense of inadequacy as I am confronted by my own sin that God is revealing to me and I ask myself  "how am I supposed to lead these women through this book so they are strengthened and grow closer to God when I haven't got it altogether myself?"  

I am deeply moved by the statement from the tax collector in Luke 18:13 and identify with him,

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

I am a sinner and  I need God's grace.  In fact, I need the gospel each and every day.  God is showing me how I do so many  things in my own strength and act in my own willpower.  I wasn't aware of myself doing this and had thought I had outgrown such tendencies.  How wrong I was.  How arrogant of me to think I had outgrown this sin.  I am humbly reminded that our hope is secured only in Christ  as "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).  And I take hold of the promise in 1 John 1:9,

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  


The assurance that my sin is forgiven completely encourages me to go to God with my sin without fear and to face up to it.  Through the gracious love of God I am rescued.  Also, it is by God's grace that I have permission to lead Child Friendly Bible Study.  It is a group that is such a blessing to me and I am so privileged to witness God's wonders happening in the hearts of these women.

So as I wrestle with the verse "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" I pray that you will also be challenged to examine your life and ask God to reveal any hidden sin in your heart and seek to live your life in God's grace and not your own strength.

Photos courtesy of www.christianphotos.net