“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, putting me into service…”
This is Grace upon Grace! When Jesus puts us into service it is because He has first effectually called us to Himself “it is His doing you are in Christ…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Secondly, when He puts us into service it is because He Himself has given us the strength – provided the breath, capacity to think, speak, or even move (Acts 17:11, 1 Peter 4:11) – to do this service. All this is from God. All is by grace so that no one may boast and so that Jesus will receive all honor and glory. Therefore our service, our works of faith, which come from Him, could never be credited to our account with regard to salvation.
Yet it is also so unimaginably beautiful, generous, and amazing that even though all this is from Him, He does credits such service to our account for reward! “He considered me faithful.” What! How can this be? All is from God – “what do we have that we have not received (1 Cor. 4:7),” “apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5),” “Not I, but the grace of God in me (1 Cor. 15:10)”. But He does – He actually counts us faithful and credits such works of faith (which themselves are given as gifts!) to our account and will, by and by, reward us generously for that which He has done in us. What love, what generosity, what mercy, what grace upon grace! Oh, what a beneficiary I am; what riches I have inherited in Christ.
Paul expressed his utter amazement at this mercy he received, knowing that he was so utterly unworthy, he expressed thankfulness in a declaration of God’s wondrous and glorious grace; “Now to the king internal, immortal, invisible, the only God the honor and glory forever. Amen. (1 Tim 1:17)”
Yes, thank you Jesus. Amen!
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