The Believer's Eternal Confession
by John McDuff By the grace of God, I am what I am. 1 Corinthians 15 10 This is the
believer's eternal confession. Grace found him a rebel against
God, it leaves him a son of God. Grace found him wandering at
the gates of hell, it leaves him at the gates of heaven. Grace
devised the scheme of redemption, justice never would, reason never
could, and it is grace which carries out that scheme. No sinner
would ever have sought God but by grace. The thickets of Eden
would have proved Adam's grave had not grace called him out.
Saul would have lived and died the haughty, self-righteous persecutor
had not grace laid him low. The thief on the cross would
have continued breathing out his blasphemies, had not grace
arrested his tongue and tuned it for glory. Out of the naughtiest
timber, says Rutherford, God can make vessels of mercy for
service in the high palace of glory. I came, I saw, I conquered,
may be inscribed by the Saviour on every monument of His grace,
I came to the sinner, I looked upon him, and with a look of
omnipotent love I conquered him. Believer, you would have been
this day a wandering star, to whom is reserved the blackness
of darkness forever. You would have been Christless,
hopeless, and portionless, had not grace constrained you. And
it is grace which, at this moment, keeps you. You have often been
a Peter, forsaking your Lord, but brought back to Him again.
Why have you not been a Demas or a Judas? I have prayed for
you that your faith fail not. Is not this your own comment
and reflection on life's retrospect? Yet not I, but the grace of God
which was with me. Seek to realize your dependence
on this grace every moment. More grace, more grace needs
to be your continual cry. This infinite supply is commensurate
with your infinite need. The treasury of grace, though
always emptying, is always full. The key of prayer which opens
it is always at hand, and the Almighty Bestower of the blessings
of grace is always waiting to be gracious. The recorded promise
can never be cancelled or reversed. My grace is sufficient for you. The grace of God is the source
of lesser temporal blessings as well as of higher spiritual
blessings. Grace accounts for the crumb
of daily bread, as well as for the crown of eternal glory. But even in regard to earthly
mercies, never forget the channel of grace, through Christ Jesus. It is sweet thus to connect every
blessing, even the smallest and humblest token of providential
bounty, with Calvary's cross. to have the common blessings
of life stamped with the print of the nails. It makes them doubly
precious to think all this flows from Jesus. By the grace of God,
I am what I am. Reader, seek to dwell much on
this inexhaustible theme.