A man who was fishing one day noticed that the fisherman next to him threw the big fish he caught back into the water, while keeping the small ones.
This went on all day until the first man couldn’t hold his curiosity any longer.
“I don’t understand,” he asked the other fisherman.
“Why do you keep throwing the big fish back and keeping only the small ones?”
“It’s simple,” the other man answered.
“My frying pan is too small to cook the big ones.”
We cannot limit Christ’s grace.
We read this in Philippians 4:23:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”
We see here that Christ Himself is the source of grace.
The Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve or we can use the acrostic: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
Grace is the basis of our salvation and all other spiritual and material blessings that come to us, because of Jesus Christ Himself and our union with Him.
Notice that Paul shows where the grace of Christ operates.
It is in our human spirit, which is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
When we yield to His power, the grace of Christ, remolds our entire orientation to life so we can we live by grace.
It will free us from sin’s power and provide us with power to live in newness of life.
Christ’s grace will be the basis of our future rewards as well.
Christ wants us to remember that some day He will richly reward us at the Judgment Seat of Christ in heaven for all that was done by the Spirit’s power while here on earth.
Some time ago a car dealer went out of his way to give a foreign student an honest deal on a new car.
Fifteen years later, the young man became the sole purchasing agent for the Iranian Contractors Association.
He showed his gratitude to the car dealer by placing a multi-million dollar order with that dealer for 750 heavy dump trucks and 350 pickups.
“It’s unbelievable!” exclaimed the businessman.
The good he had done was rewarded years later beyond his wildest imagination.
Just as that salesman’s reward came later, so too the Lord will reward us in Heaven by His grace, and it will be as sure and generous as He is.
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler