But by the grace of God

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. – 1 Corinthians 15.10

As Paul continues to explain the basics of the gospel he gives a list of who saw the resurrected Christ. At the end of the list he mentions himself, the last one to see the risen Christ.

Paul says he was not worthy to be called an apostle. After all he had persecuted the Church of God. Surely, if anything could disqualify a man form being an apostle it would be someone who killed and imprisoned Christians. Surely God could not use him of all people.

But some of the most amazing words ever written come next - 'but by the grace of God I am what I am.' This is yet another one of those great 'Bible buts.'

But, by the grace of God I am what I am. What blessed words of comfort for each of us and a reminder not to get too high and mighty. For, without the grace of God we would all be hell bound sinners.

But we have the grace of God. Like Paul our goal should be that his grace is not in vain. God's grace should motivate us to labour for Him. His grace should labour in us. 

Not only that, it is that grace working in us that produces any good.

There is nothing good in and of myself – the phrase ‘there, but by the grace of God go I’ is more than just words. But by the grace of God we are no better that than the worst criminal or the most wicked of men.

By the grace of God I am what I am – nothing more and nothing less. 

Thanks to a dear friend for this addition.

"I am not what I ought to be—ah, how imperfect and deficient! I am not what I wish to be—I abhor that which is evil, and I would cleave to that which is good. I am not what I hope to be—soon, soon I shall put off mortality, and with mortality all sin and imperfection! Though I am not what I ought to be, what I wish to be, and what I hope to be—yet I can truly say, I am not what I once was—a slave to sin and Satan! I can heartily join with the apostle and acknowledge, "By the grace of God—I am what I am!" (John Newton)