Sufficient Grace

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

1 It is necessary to boast; it is not helpful, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. 3 I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak. 5 I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses. 6 For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, 7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. 10 So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul was, in what most of us agree, a man of God who we all would like to emulate. He was shown something that was unspeakable. God allowed him to see something we all would love to see. How special was he? How great was this man of God. Probably in the "Hall of Fame" of heaven. If God had an All-Star team, he would be one of it's captains. Who would disagree with that?

Paul, however, was making the that he wasn't anymore special than anyone else. How many of us would not be puffed up with pride in ourselves if God allowed us to see what Paul saw and experienced? Paul always presented himself as a failed human who was no greater than the next person. He knew how much he needed God's grace. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and I am the worst of them."(a)

"As we never try to fly, because we have no angelic wings; so we do not aspire to supreme holiness, because we imagine that we have not apostolic advantages. Indeed, this is a very injurious idea and must not be tolerated. What the ancient saints were, we may be." Charles H. Spurgeon

We are just as much a saint as Paul. Don't you get that? We have been given the right amount of grace that was needed. We are Saints! We don't need to be canonized. We were given sufficient grace to make us the exact servant God wants us to be. Now that we have excepted Jesus as our savior, and have already received the Holy Spirit, we can be as great as we want. It is a choice of our own will.

Some of you may think you have too many handicaps to be great. Paul said 7 so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. God doesn't expect us to do more than we can. We are to do what we can. Some are given less glamorous jobs, some more.

I have always said that God didn't give me great looks and a great body. This used to bother me, until I realized that God made me the way I am for a reason. He uses what I do have. Plus it probably has kept me out of more trouble than I could have possibly imagined. Some may say this is false humility. Some may say this is what Paul was portraying. Paul had no reason to be falsely humble. His actions spoke for the man he was. He was also trying to tell the Corinthians they needed to strive to be the best they could be in their service to God. We don't know exactly what Paul's thorn that the Lord wouldn't remove was. I think we weren't told for a reason. Maybe because we all have things in our life that we let stop us from doing God's will. Our own "thorns in the side". Maybe it's alcoholism, or you've been married several times, or you've been in an adulterous affair. Only you know. Don't let that stop you from doing what God wants you too. Use your failures in life to help others.

Remember who was ridiculed in Jesus' parable of the talents.(b) It was the man who did nothing with his talent. Think of the talent, or minas, as the talent that God gave you. You are not necessarily responsible to become the next Billy Graham. You are, however, responsible to use the gifts (talents) God gave you. No matter how small it may seem to you.

Boast in your own weakness. You never know who you may bring to the Lord because you did boast in your weakness. Maybe the next Billy Graham. God grace was and is sufficient enough for you.

(a) 1 Timothy 1:15
(b) Matthew 25:14-28