My Grace is Sufficient: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
by Jody VanSickle
The grace of God and how it has come down for us ~ to save us. After we have experienced that grace we are called to help others to experience that grace as well.
One of the Scriptures that I have always loved about grace is verse 9 of 2 Corinthians 12, where God tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you…”
How is God’s grace sufficient?
1). In our Trials:
A). Many Christians make in fine in their walk with Christ until trials come!
• All of the sudden, things start unraveling.
• Everything that was fine suddenly starts falling to pieces.
• Finally, we just want to throw up our hands in frustration and despair.
B). And that’s okay, as long as we remember that God’s grace is sufficient, even in our trials.
• 1 Peter 1: 3-7 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
• God’s grace is sufficient in the trials that we are ARE going to go through in this life!
C). God allows those trials to come to us in order to strengthen our faith ~ and we need to see those trials as an opportunity to do just that!
• 1 Peter 4:12,13 says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
• The phrase “fiery trial” here is a Greek term used for “smelting” ~ What is smelting?
2). God’s grace is sufficient in our troubles:
A). Psalm34:17, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.”
• What’s the difference between a trial and a trouble?
• Trial (smelting ~ can come from God in order to shape or cleanse us ~ like Paul)
• Trouble ~ usually something we get ourselves into.
B). So God’s grace is sufficient enough to get us out of all of these messes we wind up getting ourselves into in this life!
• And lie is filled with troubles ~ family, finances, world problems, even church
• But God is still in control and his grace is sufficient no matter what.
• He promises to be our “a very present help in time of trouble.”
3). God’s grace is sufficient in our temptations!
A). Troubles are the physical things we bring upon ourselves ~ temptations are the spiritual dangers that we bring upon ourselves:
• James 1:13-15 says, “Don't blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he doesn't use evil to tempt others. We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.”
• Temptations happen to all of us because we all still are enticed by the things of this world.
• What was Eve tempted by? The serpent? No! Eve was tempted by the fruit! That was her desire ~ to do what God has told her not to do!
• The serpent was just there to help her along a bit ~ and Satan loves to do that to us.
• He will take the things that are already tempting us, and just try to convince us that it’s okay to give in to the temptation!
• But the temptation comes from our own desires!
B). But God’s grace is sufficient!
• 1 Corinthians 10:13, “You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.”
C). So God’s grace is sufficient in Trials ~ which come from God, himself;
Troubles ~ which are the physical things we bring upon ourselves;
And Temptations ~ which are the spiritual dangers we bring on ourselves!
4). God’s grace is sufficient in our testing.
A). Now we’ve got something else different here! What’s a testing?
• In Luke 22, Jesus is telling Peter that the time is coming when Peter is going to deny Christ.
• He begins by telling him, “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat.”
• In other words ~ Satan has demanded that you be put to the test (like Job).
B). Satan desires to test Christians today ~ he knows that if he can test us, and cause us to fail, that we just might give up and turn away from God!
• But remember, God’s grace is sufficient in times of testing!
• We must keep out faith and trust in God ~ Jesus tells Peter basically that he is going to fail the test, but then reassures him:
• He says, “I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
