By Abel Ukachi Amadi

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 is about the tragedy of a wasted gift. Imagine someone gifting you a priceless, authentic masterpiece painting. Instead of hanging it up, you take it home, throw it in a dark closet, and let it gather dust. The gift is still real, it is still incredibly valuable, but to you, it has become useless.

This is exactly what the Apostle Paul is warning the Corinthian Church about. He uses an urgent word: “beseech.” This isn’t a casual suggestion; it is a desperate, passionate plea. Paul is begging believers not to take the radical, life-altering grace of God and render it empty, fruitless, or in vain.

Grace is an unmerited favour and getting what we do not deserve. We deserved judgment; we received mercy and justification through Jesus Christ. Grace is a transforming power and active power of the Holy Spirit working within us to change our desires, our character, and our actions. Grace invites us into partnership with the Divine. Paul notes that we are “workers together with Him. We receive grace “in vain” when we live without change. If we claim to be saved by grace but our lives look exactly the same as the rest of the world, we have wasted its purpose. Grace is meant to teach us to deny ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12). We receive grace in vain when we use it as license to sin. Grace frees us from sin, not to sin. We abuse the grace of God when we turn into legalism. If you rely on your own good works to be right with God, you are saying Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t enough (Galatians 2:21). Grace is given to us to bear fruits. God pours grace into our lives so that it flows out to others. If we hoard His blessings, forgiveness, and love without sharing them, we are choking the pipeline of grace.

Paul quotes Isaiah to emphasise that grace has a timeline: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The urgency of maximising grace is “now.” Do not postpone obedience.

Procrastination is a subtle way of treating grace in vain.

Assuming you have “plenty of time” to get right with God, to forgive that person, or to step into your calling is treating grace as a cheap thing. Every single day we wake up, we are given a fresh supply of grace. It is designed to help us overcome today’s temptations and fulfill today’s assignments. We should maximise the grace of God in our daily living. Grace is given to us to help us live a fruitful Christian life. Grace is a kingdom advantage to every believer. Let us ensure that the grace we have received is producing faith, holiness, love, and good works in our everyday lives.

2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us that now is the accepted time. When scripture speaks of the “accepted time,” it refers to the dispensation of grace and the era we are living in right now. Right now, God is actively looking in grace upon a fallen world. He is sitting on a throne of grace, ready to hear the cries of a repentant heart and respond with immediate forgiveness. Why God demands “Now” to maximise grace and repent from our sins is because now is the only moment we truly possess. Scripture warns, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7).

• Today’s Nugget: Grace is a Kingdom Advantage. Prayer: Lord help me to be fruitful with the grace I have received. Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected], Rev. Dr. Abel Ukachi Amadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria