For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:15

Grace has been described by many as “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” This acronym helps us understand that grace flows from the heart of God and cannot be earned or worked for in any way. As you read through the Bible, you see this thought of the grace of God peppered throughout the pages of Scripture.

Psalm 111:4 tells us that the Lord is gracious. It is who and what He is in Himself; it is part of His divine nature. Proverbs 3:34 reminds us that He is the Giver of grace because He is the God of all grace (1 Pet. 5:10). As followers of Jesus Christ, we now have access into the presence of this God of all grace and are able to come to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Heb. 4:16). The writer of Hebrews refers to the Spirit as the Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29), and the message that we proclaim through His power is called the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Paul committed those at Ephesus to the Word of His grace (Acts 20:32).

This grace was prophesied by the prophets of old and has now come through the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:10; Jn. 1:17). We read in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” And it is from His fullness that we receive grace upon grace (Jn. 1:16).

This grace was upon the Lord Jesus as a young Child, and gracious words proceeded out of His mouth as He began His ministry (Luke 2:40; 4:22). Even in His death, we read of this grace: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9).

In our verse today, Paul realized that the more he suffered for Christ, the more this grace was made available to others, and that God would be glorified as He gave Paul more of this abundant grace.

Grace is God’s unmerited and undeserved favor toward us who believe, and His saving grace is available to each one who comes to God through Christ.

Anchor For Today:
As we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we learn of His sustaining, strengthening, and supporting grace, and how His grace is sufficient to meet our every need!