Episode 2889 - Sunday Sep. 20 - The Grace of Jesus

The Grace of JesusIt is inspiring that at the end of 2 Corinthians, we see a reference to the grace of Jesus, just as in the opening (2 Cor. 1:2, 2 Cor. 13:14). Paul begins and closes this letter with a reference to His grace. As we saw at the beginning of this quarter, he couldn't stop thinking and speaking about Jesus."For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9, NKJV).How admirable and irresistible is the grace of Jesus! He left the riches of His eternal existence in heaven to become poor. He walked down the dusty roads of ancient Galilee. "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:8, ESV). He did so in order for us to become "rich," namely, for us to have a chance to be with Him in heaven. It's hard for us, who have known only a world of sin, death, and suffering, even to begin to grasp what it meant for Jesus to have left the courts of heaven in order to come here and offer His life for us.Read Romans 16:20, Galatians 6:18, Philippians 4:23, and 1 Thessalonians 5:28. What important teaching do you see in these passages?Paul refers to the grace of Jesus very often in his letters. Some pearls include, "The free gift by the grace of ... Jesus Christ abounded for many" (Rom. 5:15, ESV). Those who receive this abundance of grace will "reign in life through ... Jesus" (Rom. 5:17, ESV). As occurs with 2 Corinthians, Paul also begins and closes other letters mentioning the grace of Jesus (Rom. 1:7, Rom. 16:20, 1 Cor. 1:3, 1 Cor. 16:23, Gal. 1:3, Gal. 6:18, Phil. 1:2, Phil. 4:23). This topic occupied his thought, and he wanted it to fill the minds of the Corinthians, too.This was his wish for all the churches. Notice what he says to the Ephesians: "Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love" (Eph. 6:24, NIV). Would he wish for us to love Jesus less than that, an undying love? Certainly not. After all, his wish was for the grace of Jesus to reach "more and more people" (2 Cor. 4:15, NIV) and become sufficient for them just as it was for him (2 Cor. 12:9).Think about God's grace toward you like this. What do you deserve for the kind of things that you have said and done? What, however, does God's grace offer you instead?