“By the grace of God I am what I am” is a statement of fact. We will look at who said it and why.
Have you read our article on What Is The Grace Of God? I shared information on the grace of God in the Bible, and what the grace of God can do.
Also, we looked at the phrase, “There, but For The Grace Of God, Go I” in another article. You should check it out!
By the Grace of God I am what I am Scripture
The statement was made in 1st Corinthians 15 verse 10 by brother Paul. In his letter to the Church at Corinth, brother Paul preached the Gospel of Christ with witnesses.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-10 (WEB) Paul said, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
What Does By the Grace of God I am what I am mean?
From verses 9 and 10 of the qouted portion, we see brother Paul doing a contrast with what he was before and what he is, as at now.
In verse 9 he said, “For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.”
That said, brother Paul before now, was a persecutor of the assembly of God (the church of God). But now, he became a preacher for the church, an Apostle to the church, and according to his letter, he laboured even more than the rest by the grace of God.
From Paul the Apostle, by the grace of God I am what I am would therefore mean that all brother Paul became in contrast to all that he was, were made possible by God’s loving kindness expressed towards him both to inspire, save, and strengthen him.
What is the Lesson of 1 Corinthians 15:10?
Brother Paul having the knowledge that God was at work for him, in him and with him, accredited all his work of ministry (including salvation and good works) to the grace of God. He said, “…yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
The lesson of 1 Corinthians 15:10 for The Believers Today who believe like brother Paul did is, the grace of God encompasses everything from our salvation to glorification.
In conclusion, we should always accredit the inspiration of God, the salvation of God, the strength and sustenance we have from God to God, and not to ourselves.
