BY THE GRACE OF GOD
9 FOR I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES, WHO AM NOT WORTHY TO BE CALLED AN APOSTLE, because I persecuted the Church of God.
10 BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM WHAT I AM, AND HIS GRACE TOWARDS ME WAS NOT IN VAIN; BUT I LABOUR MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN THEY ALL, YET NOT I, BUT THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH WAS WITH ME."
1 Corinthians 15:9,10 (NKJV)
If someone is manifesting one gift or the other, doing exploits in the kingdom; the person must have been engraced to do them.
It is the Grace of God on someone’s life that makes him do exploits. The Grace of God on Paul’s life made him labour more than other apostles (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Although Paul considered himself the least among the early apostles, but he worked harder than all of them; the Grace of God on him was not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:9,10).
What is Grace?
• Grace is the ability given by God to an individual to do a particular thing well:
"IN HIS GRACE, GOD HAS GIVEN US DIFFERENT GIFTS FOR DOING CERTAIN THINGS WELL" (Romans 12:6 NLT)
• Grace is also God’s kindness or favour shown to an individual or a group of people.
• Grace is also defined as influence.
According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, The Greek word for Grace is Charis. And it was defined as: the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life of an individual person.
In other words, Grace is God’s influence on someone’s heart which permeates or spreads to every part of the person’s life.
The word Charis was also translated—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (gracious), joy, liberality, pleasure, and thank (thanks-worthy)—in other parts of the Bible.
Purpose of Grace
I. Grace is given according to the call of God on a person's life.
The reason why other apostles could not do what Paul did is because they were not engraced to do it. Paul was primarily called and engraced and sent to the Gentiles (Acts 22:17-21; Galatians 2:7-9).
So Grace is given according to God's call on an individual person's life.
II. Grace is also given in proportion to the measure of Christ’s gift: “BUT TO EACH ONE OF US GRACE WAS GIVEN ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF CHRIST'S GIFT" (Ephesians 4:7 NKJV).
The gift(s) of God on your life with which you are meant to fulfil the assignment or the call of God on your life determines the Grace that would be bestowed on you.
As the scripture says: ‘WHEN HE [Jesus] ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN' " (Ephesians 4:8).
The gifts are listed in Ephesians 4:11: "AND HE HIMSELF GAVE SOME TO BE APOSTLES, SOME PROPHETS, SOME EVANGELISTS, AND SOME PASTORS AND TEACHERS."
Grace is given to someone according to Christ's gift on the person's life. Are you an apostle, or a prophet, or an evangelist, or a pastor, or a teacher?
Note:
• There is a Grace to operate as an apostle.
• Likewise, there is a Grace to function as a prophet—Grace to operate in the prophetic office.
• There is a Grace to operate as an evangelist—ministering with signs and wonders and soul winning.
• There is also a Grace to pastor a church or group of churches.
• Whilst there is also a Grace to teach, be a teacher to the overall body of Christ.
You should know the Grace of God on your life and the Christ's gift or the ministry gift that you are to the body of Christ.
Know that you cannot function effectively in all the ministry gifts, even if you are an apostle. Thus, you should know what you are engraced to do—the ministry gift that you are:
"HE HANDED OUT GIFTS OF APOSTLE, PROPHET, EVANGELIST, AND PASTOR -TEACHER TO TRAIN CHRIST'S FOLLOWERS IN SKILLED SERVANT WORK, WORKING WITHIN CHRIST'S BODY, THE CHURCH" (Ephesians 4:11,12 the Message).
Grace is given according to the type of the assignment given to you. What you are not assigned to do, you will not be engraced to do it.
And if you attempted to do what you are not engraced to do, you would see yourself struggling or toiling to get it done. Thus, a believer should understand what and what they are engraced to do and what they are not engraced or empowered to do.
What are you doing with the grace of God on your life?
Grace is God’s influence on your life to work and labour for the expansion of His kingdom on earth.
You are to labour with the Grace, to expand the kingdom of God on earth.
It is my prayer that the Grace of God on your life will not be in vain in Jesus’ name. Peace!