“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
The Macedonians had come to know and understand the great kindness and favor that was bestowed upon them through Jesus. This grace was a free gift, thus undeserved and unmerited. Notice how this grace was made possible. Christ who was rich in glory, majesty, might and power from all eternity stepped into time and “took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of a man”. When God (the Son) became a man, he was able to die as a man and in the place of man (Philippians 2:7).
Now we who were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” because of sin, He has made us spiritually wealthy through His suffering, death and resurrection (Rev. 3:17).
We deserved eternal punishment from the presence of the Lord, “but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us”, saved us from eternal damnation. What’s even more amazing is that He made it possible for us to not only escape eternal punishment in hell, but He made it possible for us receive eternal blessedness in heaven (Eph. 2:4).
Our response to this grace should be:
We should be as Paul who said, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord…because He counted me faithful” and “by the grace of God I am what I am”. This thankfulness should cause us to sing “with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”And oh that we should ever be like Paul again, who said, “and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain” (1 Tim. 1:12; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:10).
May we lives of gratitude the remainder of our sojourn on earth.
Tavares D. Mathews