Laboring By Grace

The great grace of God is not just for the purpose of saving us, and not just for us developing a spiritual mind set of love, joy, peace, etc. He grace is also His means of developing us for and to good works. 

1 Cor. 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

No one ever worked harder of the Lord than the apostle Paul. The reformed persecutor, the self-confessed chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), out traveled, out worked, out preached them all. 

Paul several times reminded those who he’d worked closely with his great efforts. “Recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” (2 Thess. 2:9) “I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” (1 Cor. 11:27) “remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.” (Acts 20:31) 

He did this not brag about his work, but to encourage other to be so likewise and equally committed to the things. of Christ.

Col. 1:28,29“And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”

The effort was always to bring people to, and perfect them in, Christ. This, foremost of all reasons, is a worthy purpose for the making a great labor of our lives.