Question Show
 Answer Paul had many things about which he could have boasted. His experiences were incredible. He lists some of them in 2 Corinthians 11:22–28 to illustrate that, while he above others might have reason to boast in his own flesh—his experiences and his abilities—he would only boast in Christ. Paul recognizes that we have no real power in ourselves except for Christ in us, and he explains in Philippians 3:4–7 that, even though he has quite a list of impressive achievements, he counts all those as loss for the sake of Christ. They are worthless—even having negative value—in comparison to the joy of knowing Christ. In 2 Corinthians 12:1 Paul provides an example of how a person should not find his or her identity and confidence in personal achievements because only God’s grace is sufficient. While showing mercy means not giving to someone what he does deserve, showing grace means giving to someone what he doesn’t deserve. God shows grace in giving us life and providing for us and strengthening us for the path ahead. That grace is sufficient—it is all we need. To illustrate the principle, Paul tells of a man who was caught up to the third heaven and saw and heard indescribable things. This man was remarkably privileged, and it seems apparent in the context that Paul is talking about himself. He adds that, because of the greatness of the revelations he was given, he was also given a thorn in his flesh that would keep him from exalting himself (2 Corinthians 12:7). While Paul tells us very little about the nature of this “thorn” (what he also refers to as a messenger from Satan), he makes clear that its purpose was to help ensure his humility. Paul begged God that this thorn might go away, and God repeatedly said no to Paul’s request. God’s response to Paul is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9—“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God was reminding Paul that the strength behind Paul’s ministry was not Paul’s experiences or abilities, nor was it the absence of difficulty. On the contrary, Paul’s ability to be faithful in ministry and survive incredibly difficult times was due to God’s grace. God’s grace is sufficient. When we are weak, God’s strength is even more evident. Paul could rejoice and boast in God because Paul knew the power that God exerted in Paul’s life through God’s grace. Paul could then boast in God’s strength, recognizing that, even when we are weak, God is strong. He provides the strength for us to withstand whatever challenges are before us. Paul illustrates this same idea in Philippians 4:11–13. He explains that he has learned how to be content in any circumstance no matter how severe. When things are going well or when things are going badly, Paul knows that contentment doesn’t come from circumstances—contentment comes from recognizing that we can do whatever God intends for us to do through Christ who strengthens us. God is so gracious to provide strength when it is needed so that we can find our identity, our confidence, and our contentment in Him. This is what God meant when He said that His grace is sufficient—it is all we need. Return to:Questions about 2 Corinthians What does it mean that God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)? Subscribe to theQuestion of the WeekGet our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox!
Are we enough? In short, no. We cannot fully rely on ourselves; rather, we need to fully rely on God. Christians can often forget that the verse where this originates (2 Corinthians 12:9) comes from a place of weakness and frailty. God’s grace fills the holes that other things we try to rely on cannot. What is biblical grace?Part of the reason Christians can misquote, “My grace is sufficient for you,” is we often don’t have a grasp of God’s grace. Biblical grace means blessing or favor from God in terms of our sinful nature. God chooses to offer salvation to us, despite our rebellious nature and disobedience to him. It’s him withholding his wrath and offering a path to heaven if we follow him (John 3:16). Grace saves us when we cannot (Ephesians 2:8-9). The verse, written by Paul, makes it clear that in our weakness God’s grace alone saves us. Where else does the Bible talk about grace and sufficiency?Some other verses in the Bible that point to grace and sufficiency are: 2 Corinthians 9:8 – God makes his grace abound to us so we will be equipped for every good work. God’s grace gives us the tools we need to preach the Gospel and speak about the hope we have in Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:5 – Our adequacy comes from God. John 15:1-7 – We cannot survive without the vine. A branch apart from a vine will bear no fruit. Because of our weakness, we can only boast in Christ because we know any good work comes from Him working through us. These verses show us we need to rely on God. Only when we cling to the vine can we see God’s grace abound. What is the context of 2 Corinthians 12 where we learn about sufficient grace?Paul, here, is preaching to the Corinthian people. Like many believers today, the Corinthians had a problem with self-reliance and boasting. To go the extra mile and make a point, Paul is telling the Corinthians he has nothing to boast about except his weakness, because his weakness makes him realize how much he needs to rely on God. He speaks about a thorn in his side that he’s asked God to remove, but God won’t take away the thing that makes him realize his weakness. Some theologians have speculated as to the nature of this thorn. A few have suggested Paul had a lisp of some sort that made it difficult to preach, or possibly epilepsy. Others have pointed to the great persecution he experienced. Either way, because Paul had a number of revelations and visions, that could cause some Christians to be jealous of these epiphanies, his thorn in his side brings him back to earth. Paul tries to help the Corinthians to do the same, to realize that only God’s grace is sufficient for us, and we should boast in nothing else but God’s grace. What is this verse trying to teach Christians today about grace?Similar to the Corinthians, we can sometimes get a little puffed up. If we have a certain spiritual gift or a gift in a ministry, say we are strong prayer warriors for instance, we might run the risk of getting prideful about that gift. We could forget from whom that gift came (James 1:17). Often, we can receive a thorn in our side to remind us of our weakness and the need to rely on God’s grace. Maybe you have a gift for music and sing on your church’s worship team, but the thorn in your side is you lose your voice or can’t sing for a few weeks. This verse teaches us to rely on God’s grace. Although he may bring us amazing experiences, such as the visions Paul received, we can’t forget God during the good moments. We have to rely on him at all times. We can sometimes misinterpret this verse to say God’s grace will pull us out of the hard time into greener pastures, but we run the risk of preaching false doctrine when we say that. God will not always remove the thorn in our side, but his grace will be all we need, thorn or no thorn. Consider saying this prayer below if you feel as though you need to rely on God more or if you’re dealing with a thorn in your side, like Paul.
Fully rely on God's grace.If you find yourself relying on yourself, remind yourself of Paul. Even though many Christians talk about his accomplishments and how he shaped the faith and the history of the church, he always points back at God. One of the most famous Christians of all time boasted in his weakness, because he knew he couldn’t take a step without God’s help. In your own life, try to find areas where you may be relying on something else apart from God. Even when God gives us a spiritual gift, we can end up worshipping it instead of Him. Find those areas and ask God to help you remove those idols and turn to His grace alone. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/aradaphotography.jpg What does God mean by my grace is sufficient for you?#2 “My grace is sufficient for you,”
This grace was first manifested in his salvation of Paul on the road to Damascus. In this case, God is saying that his salvation was all that Paul truly needed, and also that God would give him the grace to weather this “weakness.”
What Scripture talks about God's grace is sufficient?2 Corinthians 12:9 was just one of several scriptures used by my preacher on Sunday, which talked about joy in suffering, having sufficient grace and power, and being made perfect in weakness.
What does Isaiah 40 29 mean?What we require is spiritual strength to endure faithfully. We are the ones who faint and grow weary. In verse 29, the Lord promises to provide strength to us: “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Who said my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness?In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul quotes Jesus who said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God is perfect in every way, giving Him the power to make up for any weaknesses we have.
|
Bible my grace is sufficient for you
Copyright © 2024 en.apacode Inc.
