Secondly, No one can actually complain that they are doing too much.

Bible says if anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies. "Which God supplies" . In another translation it says " as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly". The conclusion of this point is, it is God who supplies the strength abundantly and we can serve tirelessly. When we are tired we know we are not under His strength and we should stop. The giving of the gift in itself and the empowering of the gift is both from the Lord. This makes ministry easy. For those of us who have signed up to serve in the church or are planning to be in a mission trip, be at rest with what you have in God. Be secure and enjoy where you are. As long as you are in it, know that His strength will never run dry. You can go on and on-- He supplies strength abundantly. Even if you only do very little, doing things that are humanly not significant, that is the many sided grace of work given just for you. Be rested in it. Paul writing about victory over sin puts it in the simplest term: You will not Enjoy serving God. Questions 1. What is God's purpose in giving us " many sided" ( diverse) grace ( empowerment / gifts) to serve Him? 2. Read 1 Peter 4:10 what can you learn about Serving God just by reading this verse? 3. When you read part of 1 Peter 4:10 which says, " if anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies...", a. What does this verse help teach us about our ability to serve God? b. How does this truth help you now in your ministry? 4. How does this verse show or teach us that ministry can be easy and not burdensome? 5. How does this verse teach us to be secure in ministry or when we serve God? 6 1 Paul in his battle against sin laments "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24 NKJV). Paul did not say WHAT will deliver me, but WHO! Jesus the grace of God in us is the one Paul implies as the one who will deliver him. Sin will not have dominion over you for you are no longer under law but under grace which is Christ living in you and becomes the hope of glory. be dominated by sin! Why? Because we are no longer under law. Remember the weakness of the law is the flesh-- our self effort ( Romans 8:3). When we try to overcome sin by our self effort we will never make it but rather will be filled with frustration and discouragement. Under the law it is the sheer ability of the flesh ( man) that will help him out of sin and into victory but that is never possible. But thanks be to God we are under grace! It is walking in this grace that will result in peace, joy, rest and victory. Now that we know of the grace of the Lord in and for us, what about living my new life in victory and freedom? How to deal with the sin issue in this new life? There are sins we fall into after we are born again. We fall into sin through ignorance and unbelief for victory over sin. which is contributed by a false understanding of grace. A continual life in grace is the only biblical answer For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14 NKJV)

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"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him," (Colossians 2:6 NKJV). If the believer continues in Christ He will see the power of grace in that life. The moment we believed in Christ, His grace came into us and we were changed. In that same way if the greatest change came about because we believed, why not continue in the same believing. Remember it was the Spirit of God that did a work in you, and how is it that now you are saved, you can finish the work by your own ability? Definitely not! We did not get saved by our own effort likewise we cannot bring change by our own effort. Christ in you living through you is the answer to beat all addiction to sin. This does not mean you will not sin. You and I will sin due to our human failures but we will not be under the control and power of sin! "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3 NKJV). Don't try to beat sin in your own flesh. Walk in Him, declare His fullness and the grace of God in and for you, and sin will have no dominion over you, for you are no longer under law (human effort) but under grace! Questions 1. Read Romans 6:14 - why is it that under grace you have the power to overcome sin and not so under the power of the law? 2. Under law we were subjected to the power of sin. Why is the law not able to help us overcome sin? ( Hint : Read Romans 8:3 - the weakness of the law is the flesh ( our self effort) 3. When you read Romans 7:24, why did Paul say WHO and not WHAT will deliver him? Who is he referring to? 4. Read Colossians 2:6 a. When Christ ( the grace of God) is in us, what happens to our sin fighting ability according to Colossians 2:6. b. What happens when we continue in Christ? How does continuing in Christ help our victory over sin? c. How do you continue in Christ? 2

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen"(1 Peter 4:10, 11 NKJV). All of us have received different gifts to serve God. God gave it and entrusted it to us through His many-sided (manifold) grace of God. The word "manifold" or "many sided" is the extremely diverse powers or empowerment and gifts granted to Christians by the unmerited favor of God. That means the manifestation of the grace varies and it is not the same for everyone. It is extremely diverse ability given through God's grace. That means God has a purpose for our difference. Stop comparing your gift with others Firstly, the grace of God gives you the security not to be like someone whom you are not. Be rested in the fact that God's grace is given to celebrate differences. When you see someone effective in marketplace, you don't have to be like them but learn from them. They do what they do well is because of the empowerment of grace that enables them. When you try to be like them, you will be miserable, tired and frustrated because you may not have the same empowerment from the Lord. The conclusion from this point is, it is God who gives the gift through His grace and this grace makes us secure and not jealous.

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To us grace can be very risky to be entrusted to man but not so for God. He is an extravagant God who does things extravagantly. He is gracious, generous and a giving God! It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. The more we see and experience the goodness of God, the more we will end up loving God. Jesus said if we are forgiven much, we will love much! Today look at how much God has forgiven you though Jesus and meditate on the kindness of God towards you. Think of the goodness of God each time you encounter failures and be ready for a new encounter of love from God! How does it feel to bank in RM 10 million ringgit in someone's bank account for their safe keeping? Even if you trust that person the risk for abuse of the privilege is always there. When God gave us His grace we must understand that grace is not a license to sin to the point that man can do whatever he wants. Grace is actually the goodness of God revealed in Jesus for us. Grace is Jesus in me, living through me. Grace is the unmerited favor of God poured upon us through the finished work of Jesus on Calvary! Questions 1. How does it feel to bank in RM 100 million in your teenage son or daughter and you expect them to safe keep the money? Will be worried? Why? 2. When God gave us His grace, do you think He would have been worried that we would abuse it? a. Read Romans 2:4. What can you learn about God's willingness to trust us with His grace? b. How did God plan to win us over to Him? Through His generous abundance or through judgement? c. So is grace too risky to be given to us since it is open for abuse? Did God withhold his grace? 3. What can you learn about the heart of God through Romans 2:4? When God gave us Jesus, He gave us access to the rich blessings of God in us. "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ". (Ephesians 1:3 NLT). Through the fullness of Jesus we have received one blessing after another ( John 1:16). Is this like one having the access to all the wealth in the bank? Is this risky? Did God consider it risky? He gave freely through Jesus! God was not one who worried that grace will become too risky to be entrusted to man. "Dont you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Cant you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" (Romans 2:4 NLT). Why was God so generous? It's His way of saying " I want to win you over through my love and kindness because your own love for me will fail and your efforts to live right with your strength will fail and that is when you need my love. The more you feel condemned with your failures, the more my love will speak louder. That love will win you over!

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