The apostle Paul, through his epistles, gave us valuable insight and instructions. From him we learn about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), practical and service gifts the Holy Spirit bestows on us from God (romans 12:6-8), and many other things that if followed allow us to live a blessed Christian life. Paul showed extraordinary care for those he ministered to and the body of Christ in general. He not only understood the physical aspects of walking with Christ, but also the mental demands that come with living righteous and holy.
He shows this understanding in Philippians 4:6 when he says: “Do not be anxious for anything, but in every situation, by prayer, and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Grace—God’s unmerited favor—is another gift He freely gives to His children. It is God’s grace, administered by the Holy Spirit, that manifests as real world blessings in the believers life. The person who steps in to help when you never thought to ask. The times you prepared yourself to receive bad news, only to find it turned out good—or far better than you feared.
These are glimpses of God working behind the scenes, quietly administering His grace. Grace is the very reason boasting has no place in the Christian walk. Jesus taught this plainly in John 15:5 when He declared: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothin.”
The “much fruit” Jesus speaks of refers to the many blessings God bestows on the believer whose heart is aligned with His. When we have a desire to be obedient to God, following the will He has for each of us, the “much fruit” brings glory to God.
Every child of God is a servant of Him. When we serve humbly with godly intentions in all we do, we receive His unmerited favor—grace.
“Salvation is only the beginning of our walk with Christ. Being servants of God, and members of the body of Christ, we are to help others in the world come to know God.” God does not want any to perish (2 Peter 3:9).