A misunderstanding that has led to slothfulness - "It all happened through God's unmerited favour" (Part 2)

We highlighted in the previous article that there is a religious mindset that prevails among a good number of people concerning how God blesses. The concept of grace being unmerited favour has made many think it brings great glory to God when testifying about how unqualified, unprepared and second rated their work was among others and yet God did it for them.

Many feel then and then only will men understand the goodness of God. It sounds like what was said in the days of Paul "shall we continue in sin that grace may abound". It is a total misconception of what grace is and how God works first in and then through man. The thinking is that I can do substandard work but God will still elevate me by His grace (unmerited favour). The whole premise of grace doesn't function that way.

God picks up "nobodies" pours His grace into them transforming them into men of excellence and outstanding character whom their environment have to depend on to survive and thrive.

Paul speaking about this grace did not show any sign of slothfulness in his dealings. He said I am what I am by the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."

One can clearly see the amount of work Paul did in establishing all those churches and writing about two-thirds of the New Testament. He didn't fold his arms and grace then produced it. Grace worked on the inside of him such that the amount of work that was done through him was humanly impossible.

Anyone who looked at Paul's schedule would have said: "no man can possibly do this, he will have to be a spirit to accomplish all this". Then they will see Paul doing that measure of work yet looking more refreshed than those who were doing a fraction of what he did. The conclusion becomes, this is nothing else but the grace of God at work in man.

Grace doesn't cover failure, it enables men to live above human standards. It doesn't blind men from seeing what is really going on. Grace enables men to produce things of highest value and quality and not covering with a mask that which is substandard.
Grace produces a strong work ethic in us, it is not an excuse for slothfulness or inactivity.

Those who were elevated by God in the canon of scripture demonstrated to those in authority an exceptional ability to get unprecedented results. Grace taught those men what to do and enabled them to do it and so when their works were made visible and others came in direct contact with it, they saw and felt the intelligence of God at work in man.

No man was elevated by God without their works being first carefully examined and then they found that men of grace were doing what no other human being could do. We are commanded in scripture to test before we promote.

Here are a few examples of work being evaluated and rewarded. God promotes on the basis of merit, its just that its grace that shows us how to get the job done.

Paul
Galatians 2:8-9
"(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles: And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."

Joseph
Genesis 41:38-40
"And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou."

David
"And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep."

Daniel
Daniel 1: 19-20
"And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."

Daniel 6:3
"Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm".

Poju Oyemade