Good Or God? With John BevereSample

The Power We Need

The charge to be holy raises an age-old question: “But how?”

We tried to do it in our own strength, and we failed. But then came grace. We couldn’t earn God’s grace by good behavior, and we didn’t deserve it. It is His gift that forgives and saves us from our sins.

Even though we know this, we’re still frustrated by our inability to live the way God wants us to. We've been born again in Christ, so why do we keep failing?

At this point we have a choice. We can teach that holiness refers only to our position in Christ. We can ignore the many scriptures calling us to holy behavior, and we can excuse our lack of transformation. After all, we’re only human.

If we teach and believe only this, we can silence our consciences. Yet if we listen to our hearts, we'll hear them crying, “There must be more!”

Is there something missing? Would God not have foreseen our dilemma and devised a plan? In fact, He did! This is the aspect of grace many are unaware of.

A lot of Christians would define grace as an unmerited gift, salvation, or the forgiveness of sins. These are all correct. Few believers, however, would identify grace as empowerment. Yet this is exactly how God has described His grace.

Let me show you 2 Corinthians 12:9 again:

“My grace is all you need, for my power works best in your weakness.” (TEV and NLT)

God refers to His grace as His empowerment! It’s the power at work in situations beyond our ability—including our attempts to be holy.

In 2 Peter 1:2–3, grace is again referred to as God’s power. This passage reveals another awesome truth. Every resource we need to live a holy life is available through the empowerment of grace!

How do we receive this power? By simply believing. Romans 5:2, along with many other New Testament passages, tells us we access God’s grace by faith.

So do you want to pursue holiness? Remember, it isn’t an end in itself. We embrace holiness so we can see and know God. If you want to grow in intimacy with Him, believe in the power of His grace. Ask Him to enable you to live in holiness and friendship with Him. You can be sure He will, for He is willing and able!