Spiritual Strength by Grace through Faith
- Jack Selcher
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
In 2012, Alex Honnold speed-climbed the Nose of El Capitan without a protective rope faster than anyone ever did. He did what no one else ever has with his bare hands, gripping crevices and small shelves of protruding rock. He built up his incredible hand strength through years of intensive training.1
Specific strength enables track and field throwers to excel in their events. Valarie Allman, Olympic discus champion, can power clean 270 pounds, more than 100 pounds more than her weight, lifting it to shoulder height.2
Both athletes have garnered worldwide fame for their exploits. In different ways, they have wrestled with gravity and won at least a partial victory.
Most of us Christians will never appear in Wikipedia but need extraordinary specific spiritual strength to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives (Ephesians 2:10). Our opponent isn’t gravity, but “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 NLT).
Where can we obtain the needed strength to weather the category five hurricane forces of demonic resistance? From God’s grace alone. We must trust Him to experience it. Our faith valve opens and appropriates the vast stores of His grace.
Greedy employers often expect unrealistic production from their employees. They don’t care how much stress their expectations create, as long as their employees meet them. How they do that is up to them.
God doesn’t work that way. Paul wrote, “Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1 NLT).
Along with God’s assigned tasks comes the strength to do them. That strength is in Christ Jesus, the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Jesus is God’s Swiss Army knife with multiple purposes. When we are connected with Him by grace through faith, we have access to all the power and wisdom we need for the good works God has ordained for us to finish.
Grace through faith. That is the pipeline through which God’s resources flow. Salvation is by grace through faith. Christian service is also by grace through faith. We tend to overestimate what we can do and underestimate what God can do through us by grace through faith.
How does grace through faith work? We step out in trust that God will give us what He has promised or fortify us to meet a need, and He does, even though we don’t deserve any of His blessings.
He uses us, who don’t deserve His blessings, to bless others who don’t either. Grace’s human distributors proliferate, with many more now than in the first century—each “graced up” by God to be a blessing to others.
As we act upon God’s character and promises, His power, love, and self-discipline become ours. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT).
Power, love, and self-discipline characterize us when the Holy Spirit controls and empowers us (Galatians 5:22-23). Fear and timidity prompt us to avoid challenges, whereas power, love, and self-discipline equip us to move toward them. By grace through faith is the power plant to carry out our God ordained purpose. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.
2. Bing Videos
See free spiritual growth resources for Christians at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com
God has empowered me to write “His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength.” It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship eBook. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead more than 4,450 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 12,079 people. I invite you to explore it.
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