Don’t Frustrate God’s Grace

Galatians 2:20,21; 6:14

Paul said “I will not frustrate the grace of God.” The 1828 Webster Dictionary defines frustrate as Literally, to break or interrupt; hence, to defeat; to disappoint; to balk; to bring to nothing. I think of the number of times I may have frustrated my parents, my wife, and even my children. I can’t tell you the number of times I have frustrated God and yet through his mercy and long suffering he remains patient and understanding with me. We may frustrate him in disobedience, repetitive sins, complaining, and unbelief. But Paul said that he will not frustrate God in the realm of his saving grace.

To frustrate grace is to disrupt the flow of God’s means of living out himself and his purposes in us. To disrupt grace would be like damming up a stream that feeds a pond. Eventually the pond dries up and what is left is a wasteland. The Galatian church was doing this very thing. They were being influenced by Jews who said that they needed to be circumcised and follow the tenets of the Law in order to be saved. They didn’t believe that salvation was a work of Christ alone, atoning for and producing righteousness in the believer by way of the cross. To disrupt the flow means that the living water of the Holy Spirit cannot freely work in and through our lives producing Jesus Christ in us. (Vs 20)

Webster also defines frustrate as To make null; to nullify; to render of no effect. When we as believers try to please God and merit his favor in the flesh by a strict observance of the Law we cut off all of the help and means to live the Christian life. In essence we are saying, God thank you for saving me, but I will handle it from here. With this attitude we make null and void the work of the cross and live our lives in constant failure.

Paul’s wrote at the end of the letter “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

(Galatians 6:14) Let us with Paul celebrate the amazing grace that God has bestowed upon us. Let us humble ourselves and be appreciative for his unmerited favor that he has lavished upon us. Let us allow God to delight in our dependence upon him that we may fully delight in him. Let’s us say as the Psalmist said in Psalms 115:1 “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.”

Pastor Robby