By Abel Ukachi Amadi

Text: 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 Key verse: 2 Corinthians 6:1: “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain,” (KJV).

2 Corinthians 6:1 was an urgent and powerful message delivered by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. Apostle Paul entreated the brethren to make good use of the Grace of God, rather than waste it.

Grace is the most expensive gift in the universe. It cost God the life of His only begotten Son on the cross. It is His unmerited favour, His divine enablement, and His transforming power given to us freely.

Yet, the scriptures reveal a sobering truth: it is entirely possible to receive this magnificent grace and still have it mean absolutely nothing in your daily life. To receive grace in vain means to let it go to waste, to render it empty, fruitless and devoid of purpose. Today, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly maximising the power of God’s grace, or are we taking it for granted?

Some believe that because God’s grace is infinite, it does not matter how they live. But true grace does not excuse sin; it delivers us from it. Turning grace into a free pass for a compromised lifestyle is a mockery of the cross. Titus 2:12, states that God’s grace “teaches us to say, ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. When we try to fight temptations purely out of human strength, we ignore the Holy Spirit. If we rely on our own natural power, we become as dry and dead as a branch cut off from the vine. One of the evidence that we have received grace is to bear fruits of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual fruit is not something human effort can manufacture; it is the natural, outward overflow of a heart surrendered to Christ. Grace acts as the spiritual lifeline, drawing nutrients from the root (Christ) to produce visible characteristics in the believer. In John 15:5, Jesus teaches: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Look at the very next verse. Paul quotes the Old Testament and says: “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation,” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Paul emphasised the word “now.” God’s grace is not just a historical ticket to heaven that you put in your pocket for 20 years from now. Grace is an active, current reality designed to carry you through today’s pressures, today’s temptations, and today’s trials. When you delay your obedience, when you procrastinate your repentance, or when you drift through life assuming you will get serious with God tomorrow, you are wasting the “now” of God’s favour. The door of opportunity is open today, but the Holy Spirit reminds us that the night is coming when no man can work. How do we live so that grace is not in vain? An appropriate response to an undeserved gift is deliberate obedience. Another thing to do is to abide in Christ constantly. Wake up every day admitting your total dependence on Him. Pray for His strength before you face your workplace, your marriage and your secret battles.

• Today’s nugget: Abide in Christ constantly. Prayer: May your grace never be in vain in my life. Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected], Rev. Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.