1 Corinthians 15:10 - Grace Made Person.
1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV) But by the grace
of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me
was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly
than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God
which was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT) But whatever I am
now, it is all because God poured out his special
favor on me - and not without results. For I have
worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet
it was not I but God who was working through me
by his grace.
1 Corinthians 15:10 (AMP) But by the grace
(the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am
what I am, and His grace toward me was not [found
to be] for nothing (fruitless and without
effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them
[the apostles], though it was not really I, but
the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of
God which was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10 (MSG) But because God
was so gracious, so very generous, here I am.
And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste.
Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of
the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to
all that much. It was God giving me the work to
do, God giving me the energy to do it.
INTRODUCTION
As a zealous Pharisee, Paul had been an
enemy of the Christian church - even to the point
of capturing and persecuting believers (see
Acts 9:1-3). Thus, he felt unworthy to be called
an apostle of Christ. Though undoubtedly the
most influential of the apostles, Paul was deeply
humble. He knew that he had worked hard and
accomplished much but only because God had poured
kindness and grace upon him. True humility is not
convincing yourself that you are worthless but
recognizing God's work in you. It is having God's
perspective on who you are and acknowledging his grace
in developing your abilities. [Life Application
SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Had Biddy Chambers given up, no one would
have criticized her. Her God-given assignment was
to partner with her husband in teaching the
Bible.
They met in 1908, and by 1910 they were
married, living in London, and busy about their dream
of starting a Bible college. Biddy's training
was in stenography. She took careful notes of
her husband's lectures and turned them into
correspondence courses.
Then came the setback. Complications from
appendicitis rendered Biddy a widow. All dreams of a
teaching ministry would need to be abandoned, right?
No! Biddy turned her husband's notes into
pamphlets, and eventually they were compiled into a
book. My Utmost for His Highest was published in
1927. It has since sold more than thirteen million
copies and has been translated into more than
thirty-five languages. The work of Oswald Chambers
surely exceeded his fondest hopes. But it was the
sincere faith of his wife that made the difference.
She gave what she had to Jesus, and with
it Jesus fed, and feeds, the multitudes. Let's
follow her example. [You Can Count On God by Max
Lucado]
COMMENTARY
By the grace of God I am what I am, and his
grace to me was not without effect. There is only
one relationship that really matters, and that
is your personal relationship to your personal
Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs,
letting everything else go, God will fulfill His
purpose through your life. One individual life may
be of priceless value to God's purposes, and
yours may be that life. [In His Time; My Utmost
For His Highest]
Some Of The Top 25 Quotes By Oswald Chambers
Taken from Top 25 Quotes By Oswald Chambers
(of 754):
https://www.azquotes.com/author/2691-Oswald_Chambers
We are not responsible for the
circumstances we are in, but we are
responsible for the way we allow those
circumstances to affect us; we can
either allow them to get on top of us or
we can allow them to transform us
into what God wants us to be. [Oswald
Chambers]
The remarkable thing about God is
that when you fear God, you fear
nothing else, whereas if you do not fear
God, you fear everything else.
[Oswald Chambers]
The great thing about faith in God is
that it keeps a man undisturbed in
the midst of disturbance. [Oswald
Chambers]
God is not concerned about our plans;
He doesnt ask, Do you want to go
through this loss of a loved one, this
difficulty, or this defeat? No, He
allows these things for His own purpose.
The things we are going through are
either making us sweeter, better, and
nobler men and women, or they are
making us more critical and
fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way.
The things that happen either make us
evil, or they make us more saintly,
depending entirely on our relationship
with God and its level of intimacy.
[Oswald Chambers]
If you are going to be used by God,
He will take you through a number of
experiences that are not meant for you
personally at all. They are designed
to make you useful in His hands, and to
enable you to understand what takes
place in the lives of others. [Oswald
Chambers]
The greatest test of a man's
character is his tongue. [Oswald Chambers]
CLOSING THOUGHT
A self-made man is the antithesis of a
grace made man. A self-made man becomes desperate
for God on occasion, as when a crisis occurs -
but a grace made man is continually desperate
for God, since he sees himself as a needy man. A
self-made man struggles to give God the glory for his
accomplishments, but the grace made man is quick to give
Christ the credit for his success. Grace brings out
the best in humble hearts.
Furthermore, a grace made mans work is
led by the Spirit. Gratitude governs grace-based
behavior into focused diligence. A man or woman
motivated by the grace of God works for an audience of
One. Their godly ambition has an eternal
allegiance that no earthly boss can inspire. So, we
work hard because Gods grace is at work within
us. Is your work and life a divine portrait of
grace? If so, you are attractive, beautiful to
behold. Gods grace makes the man; man does not
make the man. T was Grace that brought us
safe thus far and Grace will lead us home.
(Amazing Grace, the hymn) [Wisdom Hunters
Devotional]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
John 1:12 - The Born Again Experience!!!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210420-0902.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
