Christ the Great Grace Dispenser: The Favor of God toward Sinners at the Expense of Jesus

Jesus prays in John 17:6-11 (NIV): “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one.” Grace – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Like the original disciples, those who presently follow the Lord Jesus are to be separated from the world - its values, desires and standards - and seek to obey God’s Word – through His power, for His glory and for their good. It is not in the perfection of the works of those who follow the Lord Jesus rather it is in the commitment made to follow Him – to trust Him with their lives – even though imperfectly.

We will all battle sin, self and Satan – every.one.of.us - all the days of our lives until we are home with the Lord. Yet, He bestows upon us His grace giving way to grace giving way to grace as the waves reach the seashore. And this grace is sufficient to meet our every need. If we do not have the specific need, we do not have the grace to meet it. He is not a grace waster. Further John Owen writes: “Even the best of saints being left to themselves will quickly appear to be less than men, to be nothing. All our own strength is weakness, and all our own wisdom is folly.”  

When the original disciples believed the message and began to follow the Lord Jesus, their commitment was made to walk as the Master, even though imperfectly. They had believed the message of God in Christ Jesus. The same is true for every subsequent believer. This little flock of disciples given to the Lord Jesus were separated from the world and they obeyed His Word – just as modern day believers are to be. We are not to be of this world any more than Jesus was of this world. And we are to obey God’s Word – not perfectly of course, but with the right commitment to do so. Running to Him when we fail for forgiveness and finding the grace needed. And He weakens our corruptions by degrees. The goal is for our faith to always manifest in obedience to God’s revealed, perfect and pleasing will discovered in His Word. He will never go against His Word. And He works in us to the very last.

God desires for His followers to walk as Jesus walked – that He may be the firstborn among many brothers. And all comes from God’s Hand. He weakens our sins and corruptions by degrees through the power and influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit and through His great grace so that none should become proud and puffed by their progress - rather thankful.