Yes, You Can Have It All!
So, quick question, and be honest with yourself. What is the one thing you cannot live without?
For many of us, we hear this question and different things pop into our mind. We come up with answers like, my family, my house, my car, my job, my money. I know, then we quickly feel like, oh wait, what a vain answer. What I cannot live without is Jesus. I hope this is how the conversation goes in your head. I know that it is often how the conversation goes in my head! But, let’s not be too quick to get discouraged with ourselves that the thoughts don’t immediately come in the “right order”. After all, we are in good company. Let’s take a look at the following verses:
For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. (7) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (8) For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:6-9
See, the Apostle, because of what He was suffering in the flesh, thought the same as many of us would. He thought what He needed was for the Lord to provide relief in the flesh. This relief that he sought was not what Paul couldn’t live without. No, in fact, the Lord answers Paul’s prayers with what we could perceive as a “NO” because the Lord chose not to remove the thorn in the flesh. Instead, the Lord answered the prayer the best for Paul because our Savior is merciful, kind and loving. He does; indeed, give Paul what is was that he was actually in need of! He gives him grace!
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
He gives Paul more of Himself. My grace is sufficient. Have you ever stopped and considered what the Lord Jesus was saying to Paul in this comment? “My grace is sufficient”
Sufficient: arkeō in the Greek meaning to be content or enough. In reality, what the Lord is reminding Paul of here is that the Lord’s grace (unmerited favor) is actually all we need. What I mean by this is that, we, as Christians, should find that the longer we are with the Lord that what our desire is, and what our need is, are exactly what we received when we first came to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, His grace.
So are you content with the grace of the Lord? Or, do you somehow think that you deserve more?
“Lord all I need grace and a good job.”
“Lord all I need is grace and my family.”
“Lord all I need is grace and coffee.”
I threw that last one in for myself! But, in all seriousness, what does your statement look like? Because, the minute you think you need more, or deserve more than that which is provided in God’s grace. You have made the gift of God, the forgiveness of sins by His shed blood, insufficient in your life. It actually reminds me of the very first Bible verse I ever memorized, and I memorized even before I had become a Christian:
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Now, I memorized this because I, in my unbelief, interpreted this to say, God wanted me rich. He did and does want me to be rich, just not by the worlds understanding of rich. No, rather, He would, within a few short years from when I had memorized this passage, give me all the riches I would ever need in the form of His own Son Jesus Christ making His grace sufficient for me.
Remember, I mentioned that understanding Christ’s grace to be sufficient means that you would be content if that was all you ever had. Content despite what our external circumstances look like. We should be content because His grace is sufficient. Paul would learn this very thing which is why he would go to say:
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
The Apostle would recognize that he would rather have God’s grace than any of life’s comforts. As a matter of fact, He would say that he would glory in the hard things in this life gladly as long as the grace of God was his. Elsewhere, Paul would state this idea of being content with only the grace of God like this: (Interestingly enough, it comes just before the promise in Philippians that God would supply all our need in Christ!)
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (12) I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:11-13
So, I will close where I began, with the promise that you can have it all, as long as you understand all you need is the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. The Lord God almighty!
If you have trusted in the finished work of the cross for your salvation, congratulations! You have it all! If you have not, then please click on the link labeled “60 Seconds” on our webpage. Feel free to email us any further questions you may have. Or, shoot us an email just so I might be an encouragement to you. I hope to hear from you soon!
Love Pastor Brian.