Article of Faith: The blessings of grace, By Femi Aribisala

“Always give people what they don’t deserve.”

Grace is the highest expression of God’s love and blessings showered on us. It is God’s special favour reserved for a chosen few. God says: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19).

So, “It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Romans 9:16).

Grace is when God gives us what we do not deserve. As someone who has received grace upon grace from God, the Lord gave me a directive: “Femi, never give people what they deserve. Always give people what they do not deserve.”

The testimony of my life is about receiving grace upon grace from God. When I did not know God, He introduced Himself to me by saying: “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:16). He then showed me: “Great and mighty things, which (I did) not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3). He taught me to see Him with the eyes of my heart. (Ephesians 1:18). 

He opened my ears to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. (John 10:27). He told me that God does not desire sacrifice and offering but an obedient heart that delights to do His will. (Psalm 40:6-8). 

I am grateful to God that I see what others do not see, and hear what others do not. God made me a promise: “(I will) make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8-9).

I testify that in my life of faith in Christ, He has kept this promise repeatedly. Indeed, God’s grace has been more than sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9).

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” (Zechariah 4:6-7).

Who are you, indeed? Who are you, O great mountain,? Before Femi Aribisala, you will become a plain.

You see, the grace of God does not just enable us to succeed in something. It also ensures that we: “Bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7). It even gives us the strength to endure failure. It empowers us to face whatever situation we find ourselves in.

How will we survive this disastrous “Emilokan” economy?

The answer is by the grace of God.

How will we afford the high cost of food and groceries?

By the grace of God.

How will we pay for the high cost of petrol?

By the grace of God.

How will we afford the high cost of transportation?

By the grace of God.

How can we pay the high cost of rent?

By the grace of God.

What about the skyrocketing cost of school fees?

By the grace of God.

The grace of God provides the answer to every challenge and prevails over every adversity.

Here is grace. Paul says: “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Blessed be the Lord our God.

The grace of God enables us to endure persecution, adversities, difficulties, disappointments, bereavement, and every other situation and circumstance. God is a redeemer. He does not often deliver us from bad situations. In most cases, He gives us the grace to endure them.

Paul wanted deliverance from a thorn in his flesh. But Jesus refused to deliver him. Instead, He told him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Therefore, Paul changed his tune. He said: “Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. “By strength, no man shall prevail.” (1 Samuel 2:9). “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2).

God does not fight Goliath with another Goliath. He fights Goliath with little David and prevails over him. Therefore, we are strong when we are weak. Joel says: “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” (Joel 3:10).

Foundation Stone

God is the Alpha and the Omega of everything. (Revelation 1:8). He is the Uncaused cause of everything else. Therefore, He orchestrates everything that happens to us. Since that is the case, how can we pray for deliverance from anything since God is the cause of everything?

What are we going to pray for? Jesus says when we pray, we should ask for God’s will to be done. (Matthew 6:10). That means believers are the people who pray for God’s will to be done. We must not pray to God against God’s will. We must pray that we should learn what God wants us to learn from whatever situation we are in. We should ask God for the grace to learn whatever He wants to teach us in any situation or circumstance.

Groans for Grace

Shall we pray for deliverance? Shall we pray for strength? Shall we pray for endurance? There is no way of knowing. That is why we have the Holy Spirit. He is the One who guides our prayers along the path of life.

“The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26).

Thank God for the Holy Spirit. Thank God for Jesus. He is our prayer partner: “He is at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34).

Jesus says: “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19).

Join faith with Jesus. Agree with Him and it shall be done.

Lessons from Gethsemane

What did Jesus receive at Gethsemane? He did not receive deliverance from the cross. But He received the grace to endure the cross. 

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Jesus received the grace of God.

“He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’ Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” (Luke 22:41-43).

Jesus received the strength to endure. He received the grace to prevail. He received the grace to succeed in the purpose that was purposed for Him. We also need that grace. The grace to prevail in the challenges of life.

Faribisala@yahoo.com; www.femiaribisala.com