In Ephesians, the apostle Paul reminds us “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (2:8). Grace is an undeserved gift.
We don’t just need grace one time, and then the rest depends on how well we perform. God doesn’t pluck us from a path headed for destruction and put us on the path that leads to life with a pat on the back and a good luck, kid. We don’t stay in God’s ‘good graces’ by doing a good job following the rules.
Instead, God says “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
He doesn’t say: ‘Without me you can’t do anything good,’ or ‘You can’t do anything worthwhile,’ or ‘You can’t do anything perfectly.’ He says, ‘Without me, you can’t do anything. You need me for everything.’ He says He is the force behind our every move, our every breath.
God wants us to know that we can’t do life on our own. That means He’s going to keep putting us in situations that are beyond us. He’ll keep bringing us to the place where we cry out, “I can’t do this!” Because He wants us to respond by turning to Him in dependence, in confident expectation that He will provide. He invites us to admit our neediness and ask Him to come in and do what we can’t. That’s what prayer ultimately is, and the Bible says when we pray, we come before the “throne of Grace” (Hebrews 4:16). Then God says, “I know you can’t do it. But I can. So let me. I’ve got this.” When we need Him, when the only way we can do something is through complete dependence on Him, we keep our eyes fixed on Him.
Maybe you’re an “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” kind of person (Philippians 4:13). Strength is good. Weak is bad. Strength empowers us to push on through difficult situations. Sort of like the Lord is a spiritual energy drink that will give us a second wind.
But what happens we come to the situations where strength is meaningless? Where willpower won’t cut it. Where we are helpless to do anything to affect the outcome. In those helpless places, in every place, grace is still what sustains us. Sometimes we face a challenge in life that causes us to say, “This will take a miracle.” Jesus responds, “Yes. Yes, it will. You’re going to need me like never before. And I am here for you even in this.”
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God’s power is most fully on display when there is nothing of us getting in the way, when it is obvious that the outcome is something only God could do. Something we can’t take credit for. Something that comes because of sustaining grace.