Even More on Relating Rightly to the God of All Grace

The God of all grace . . . Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as
being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God . . . He is also Mediator of a better
covenant, which was established on better promises. (1Pe_5:10; 2Co_3:5; and Heb_8:6)
If we are going to live by grace as God intends, we must get to know "the God of all grace." As
we get to know Him, humility and faith develop in our lives. They are relational realities.
They become real in our lives as a result of getting to know the Lord better and better. As we
walk with the Lord in humble dependence, we are living by the grace of God. The Lord gives
grace to the humble (1Pe_5:5 and Jam_4:6), and faith accesses grace (Rom_5:2; Rom_4:16).
The scriptures indicate that there are many ways to relate rightly to the Lord in humility and
faith. In our previous meditation, we saw that living by the Spirit and living by
resurrection power are two examples of this truth. Now, we will consider two more
examples.
Living by the sufficiency of God is a profound opportunity to relate to the Lord in humility
and faith. This heavenly perspective begins with a declaration of our own inadequacy. "Not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves." It is true
that we disciples of Jesus Christ are so inadequate that we are unable to produce any of the
Christian life ourselves. Jesus Himself taught this radical fact. "Without Me you can do
nothing" (Joh_15:5). If we embrace this humbling truth, we are walking in humility before the
Lord. The corresponding declaration points us to the source that we need. "But our
sufficiency is from God." Only God's resources are sufficient to produce the kind of fruitful
spiritual life that God calls us to live. Jesus taught this great truth as well. "I am the vine, you
are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit" (Joh_15:5). If we
accept this encouraging truth, we are walking in faith toward the Lord.
Living by the promises of God offers another significant opportunity to relate to the Lord in
humility and faith. "He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on
better promises." The promises of the old covenant of law (which are basically, "Do these
commands, and you shall live" see Lev_18:5) depend on man's ability and faithfulness.
The better promises of the new covenant of grace depend upon God's ability and
faithfulness. Abraham was "fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able
to perform" (Rom_4:21). Sarah "judged Him faithful who had promised" (Heb_11:11). It is
humbling to know that we can't perform well enough to enjoy the promises of the law.
Contrariwise, it is faith building to know we can trust in the Lord to fulfill all His promises of
grace.

Dear Lord of all grace, I humbly admit that I can only live by Your sufficiency and
your promises. By faith, I look to You to do for me and in me what You alone can
do, Amen.