His grace is sufficient for us

Few weeks ago I was on a mission trip with a couple of my friends. And on our way to the city of Nagpur, we lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. Although there was major damage to the vehicle, nothing happened to us. We had experienced God’s protection and were grateful to realize that He hasn’t finished His work in and through us.

While we were completely stranded in a no man's land for about 16 hours waiting for help, I was dying to sleep as I just wanted to give my back some rest. Eventually after a couple of hours I got frustrated both physically and emotionally, as a result I vented it out all to my heavenly Father. Right there the Holy Spirit reminded me of 2 Corinthians 12:9 which says "my grace is sufficient for you". As I meditated on this verse, I realized that God had already done so much. In fact His work was finished at the cross. He has given us His very best. He loved us when we were sinners and brought peace into our lives. What more could I expect or ask? Can I ever compare my temporary hardship with the one He had to endure for my salvation?

So many times the cross becomes a cliche for us. A repeated story and less of a priority than our present needs or problems. I’m not saying that God is not our ever present help. But don't we need to prioritize? Don’t we need to assess what is more important to us. Do we even realize what God has done for us? Can we come to a point of surrender where we can endure our hardship like Jesus who for the joy set before him endured the cross? Can we surrender our pain and be satisfied in His ever sufficient grace? Can we still rejoice in our moments of lack knowing that ‘His grace is sufficient for us’?

Today you might be completely consumed by your problems and stressed out about your life. Your circumstances might seem more important than what God has already done at the cross. Life is pretty rough and everything is a struggle right now. Let me just remind you one simple truth that His gift of grace is adequate and enough. Would you be content?

Samuel Thomas (Sam)

Sam is a Christian minister who is serving the Lord in various capacities. He is working through Cross Impact and also involved with Crossway Church. He can be reached on samvthom16@gmail.com

Let us put on Christ

            There are numerous things that I have been contemplating about and among them I found Holiness to be the most relevant to my own personal life. I have heard a lot of sermons on holiness, studied about holiness and to an extent tried to practice holiness in my own strength.  Yet every time in the presence of the most Holy God, I find myself starkly naked and the verse from the scripture echoes in my heart "your works are but rags before my eyes". The consciousness of the presence of God first reflects to ourself the iniquities of our heart.

The word clearly tells me and you that we are all sinners in the sight of the most Holy God.  And we deserve nothing but his judgment. But in His great love we can never understand why He sent his only Son for our redemption. Whether we receive it or not, it will show our understanding of God's righteousness. And as we accept this gift of acceptance, what do we do next. Do we strive in our own might to fulfill his law? As Paul the apostle wrote "Praise be to God through Lord Jesus Christ who shall deliver me from this body of death". The body of death we live in constantly wars against our walk in holiness. How do we walk in some thing that is so alien to our natural man as fish out of water ? The only way out is to be a new creation . This creation is what Paul wrote about when he told the Corinthian church "now in Christ we are made a new creation". Are we living lives that resemble a new creation ? If not , why is it that we are not it is because in the life of a new creation we need to choose to live a new life or remain dead in sin.

As the apostle says "let us put on Christ" which is said in a manner as a conscious choice . Do we put on Christ as a daily and .more essentially a constant choice of life ? Or is putting on Christ a choice we make only on Sundays? Are we putting to death the flesh and its desires in order for Christ to live in us. It truly is a difficult to crucify the flesh and its desires. It is a painful process. The name crucifixion gives birth to the word excruciating, I think now these terms are self explanatory. The pain to put to death our desires is extreme especially as we have indulged in them and taken pleasure in them. But the eternal pleasures at the presence of the Lord we need to be Holy as He is holy. We truly cannot comprehend the pleasures at His presence as our mortal minds are a till time and spatially bound. A taste of His presence will quench our hunger for other pleasures and leave us hungry for more of Him . A deep desire for HIS TOUCH which will drastically change the way we see and function in this day and age. As His touch transforms us, it will transform our image to His. 

Dr. Justin Paul

Justin Paul is a recent medical graduate, who is also involved in ministry with Crossway Church.