In the text before us, the apostle Paul urges and encourages us based on what Christ our faithful high priest has done and accomplished for us on the cross, having entered into the holy of the holies by his own blood to obtain eternal redemption for us, that we should come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. The grace of Christ is the essence (by grace are you saved through faith: and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-10) as the extension of God’s loving-kindness shown and given us from the beginning of our entrance into the kingdom to the end of our walk and life in Christ Jesus that we may abide in the love of God and to increase in the same as we continue in the fellowship of his Spirit (the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.2 Corinthians 13 verses 14), being strengthens with all might by his spirit in the inner man all the days of our life. Note: if we have found grace in Christ Jesus for salvation, it is our responsibility to see to it that we are strong in the grace and no other way round (grace is the divine ability against moral and spiritual weaknesses. 2 Timothy 2:1), lest we fall away in the time of temptation like the seed which fall on the rock (Luke 8:13), but because it has no root, fall away in the time of temptation, but that we should remain and continue in the grace (Acts 13:43) of God, lest we receive it in vain, so that in the ages to come, when God will show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6), we would not stand to be rejected as those who have began in the spirit of grace but are made perfect in the flesh in spite of all the possibilities of changes and transformation and spiritual growth and fruitfulness made available through grace for our gradual perfection and completeness in all the will of God. Colossians 4:12.
 
Grace is the spiritual game changer from our weaknesses and bondage to the law of sin and death unto the present deliverance and liberty to reign in life with Jesus through the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus which has set us free from the law of sin and death in the expression or revelation of the crucified Christ in us as his epistle, read and known by all men (they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Galatians 5:24), living daily in the divine nature as new creatures, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lusts: according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:3-4.
 
Never has God’s grace been given to anyone to continue to sow to the flesh so that they should reap eternal death and total separation from God throughout all eternity: be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever man a sows that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:7-8. Where sin increase, grace increase all the more (Romans 5:20) is not the allowance to enjoy the pleasure of sin or to be hardened by the deceitfulness therein rather than to see the text as the window of opportunity not to let go or close the space of time given by God’s patience and longsuffering to forgive the sinners of his people (Amos 9:10) without any spiritual changes against the frazzle weary God, so that such should repent and break up the uncultivated fallow ground of their hearts in submission to the word of God by sowing to themselves in righteousness (obedient) that they may reap in mercy (Hosea 10:12) because there is no grace given or available to live and to walk in the flesh for any justification of its works and weaknesses of the unprofitable thereof, the end of those things is death. Galatians 5:19-21. Colossians 3: 5-10. Ephesians 5: 3-7. Let us therefore awake to righteousness and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34.
Anything we do to impress others and is not unto the Lord according the working of the spirit of grace upon us is carnal, fake, diabolical and condemnable as the result of our mockery to feign the spirit of grace for fleshly show, vain glory and men’s admiration because it does not have the nature and spirit of the lifeblood of Christ in it – strange fire. The grace of God is the measure of his glory upon individual’s in the body of Christ to set them aside from the rest of their brethren in a particular office or ministry to minister and to serve the saints for the edification of the whole body. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but be patient that the grace of God upon you should open the door for you (Proverbs 18:16): a man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. Those who envy, fight, oppose and diminish their fellow brethren by slander to obstruct the works of God in the church because of the grace of God upon them are only destroying themselves and their inheritance (if any) in the kingdom of God, except they repent and stop doing so, they risk ending up in hell -follow not that which is evil, but good. Whososever does evil has not seen God, neither knows him.
 
Our Lord Jesus was full of grace and truth when he came into the world, from his fullness (the more of self we are willing to empty and to crucify to the world, and the world crucify unto us, the more of his true grace we shall receive from God – you adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture says in vain, the spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy? But he gives more grace. Galatians 6:14. James 4: 4-6) we are receiving increasing measure of grace to grace. John 1:16. Is it not written that it takes the grace of God (but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Hebrews 2:9) for our Lord Jesus to finally empty himself (not as I will, but your will be done. Matthew 26:39) before God the Father for the help and strength needed at that particular time at Gethsemane while preparing to die for us on the cross with the services of the angels sent to strengthen him to face Golgotha – the place of skull with the full assurance of the eternal and unchanging promise of the Father which David spoke about long before our Lord’s birth, death and resurrection (Psalms 16:10), and of which Peter made mentioned at Pentecost that thou will not leave my soul in hell and will not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption – resurrection from dead. Acts2:27.
There is no limit to our spiritual growth and usefulness in God the husbandman and in Christ the vine if we would keep walking, speaking and living before him as we have come to Christ wholly dependent in him as a little child (Colossians 2:6) lest we observe lying vanity to forsake our own mercy, lest we be quickly remove from the true grace of God unto another gospel (Galatians 1:6), or to fall from the grace of God through contemptuous treatment of the spirit of grace. God is unsearchable, unimaginable and immeasurably great and so are the riches of his grace which we are called upon to grow therein, including the growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18.
There are two key secrets to grow and to abound in grace and in the knowledge of Christ – humility and diligent. Humility will increase the grace of God upon us because God resist the proud, but he gives grace to the lowly. Faithfulness (which require diligent) in any little thing committed to our trust will make God to increase and multiply the operation of any of his gift in us. If we would continue to be diligent (which require focus) in any area of our gifting and calling; to walk desirously, decisively, laboriously and consciously in humility, not speaking loftily or arrogant (thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Psalms 45:2), the husbandman will keep pruning (John 15:2) us to grow day and night that we may increase in fruit bearing, and multiplying his grace and glory upon us: the Lord God is a sum and shied, giving grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalms 84:11. Note: scriptural knowledge received without the application of the word will do us no good (also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. Ezekiel 33:30-32) and God will not increase revelation truth to sanctify any disobedient heart that has done nothing with the previous truth.
 
Now that we love God (though he has first loved us) by the love he shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, our obedience to his word would be the sole delight of his soul and the proof of our sincere love before him; we must therefore seek to grow in obedience until every thought in us is brought to the obedience of Christ by asking for grace each day to help us to conform increasingly to his will against the evil (temptation) that is in each day. We cannot remain in sin for grace to abound, but we can confess our sins for cleansing and forgiveness by the blood of Christ, seriously ask for grace and power to forsake any particular sin that is waging dominion and destructive war against our soul (order my steps in your word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Psalms 119:113) so that by forsaking it, we can obtain God’s mercy upon us (Proverbs 28:13): for sin shall not to have dominion over us, for we are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14): this is the grace we are called to have, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28 -29.
There is grace to triumph over anything you can ever think of in the kingdom of God in order to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, and whatever is lacking in your faith (1 Thessalonians 3:10), grace is available for its abundant supply. God is the God of all grace (but the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.1 Peter 5:10) which means that grace is multifarious in diversities of operations and functionality (as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to him be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.1 Peter 4:10-11) in each and every one of us according to divine calling, placement, purpose and glory.
Note: all the outward manifestations of the gifts of grace and the inward operations of it to transform us into the image of Christ through different stages of growth and experiences in the life of faith; be it the grace of salvation (general grace), or be it the grace for the edification of saints (spiritual gifts), or be it the grace for the work of the ministry, for the perfection of saints (ministerial gift), or be it the grace to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (personal spiritual growth) and be it for the many tribulations we must all pass through to enter into the kingdom of God (endurance grace), grace is inexhaustible from God which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, who comfort our hearts, and will establish us in every good word and work. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.
The true grace of God (1 Peter 5:12) in all its unaltered understanding and incorruptible operations for all intents and purposes is in all the fruit of the spirit which is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:9) which God has abundantly made available for our glory ready to be given upon asking from the throne of grace if we do not ask amiss to consume it on our lusts (for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared unto all men, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:11-14) to present us holy and without blame before him at his coming and appearing; therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 2 Corinthians 8:7. Note: whatever we are not willing and ready to part away with in order to please God is the sin we are not sincerely asking the spirit of grace to teach and help us to overcome. What an eternal danger that awaits such soul?
 
We have spoken about the gift of grace for faith for salvation (holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. 1Timothy 1:19), but there is another greater level of the gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9) given by grace for the manifestation of spiritual gifts with power such as God wrought through Stephen, a Christian deacon, full of faith and power to perform miracles among the people at Jerusalem before he was martyr for Christ (Acts 6:8): having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teaches, on teaching; Or he that exhorts, on exhortation: he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; he that rules, with diligence; he that shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:6-8.
As far as to what concerns faith, all that God asks from us is a faith as small as a mustard seed, though some have it so great faith, let it be to help others as iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17.
We do not have the same measure of faith, and let none with so great of faith seek to dominate those of little or weak faith in their faith walk and growth (2 Corinthians 1:24), but to seek to draw them along with love and patience until their faith is strong to increase: to avoid doing anything that may wound their weak conscience by their great faith they exercises in such things that might be good before God and right in their own sight which those who are weak in faith cannot understand or are not convinced to do (Romans 14:1-3), but love would make us restraint in order to seek for the profit of many of little or no faith, that they may be saved and edified. Each branch (long, thin, small or short) in the vine has its purpose for the beauty and growth of the tree: none should seek to do anything beyond the measure of grace received so as to contribute to the healthy growth and peaceful life of the branches (church) in the vine –Christ.
 
Ministerial grace and gift is another different ball game entirely because of the high expectation and trust God placed on those who are called, furnished and equipped with grace to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the task, responsibilities and accountability it entails (Ephesians 4:12-16), and for the culpability, guiltiness and condemnation of those who shall be guilty of the blood of the sheep and of the unsaved they led astray to perish by their corrupt preaching and doings (and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shown you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Acts 20: 20-27); and of those who are not honestly called, but have thrust themselves into the ministry for whatever reason in opposition to the purposes and pursuit of God for the perfecting of his saints. Have you ever think of the reason Apostle Paul received ministerial grace of apostleship beyond the measure of grace to function effectively above those who are apostles before him? Ephesians 4:7-11. Galatians 1:17.
To keep the twelve in lowliness of spirit and in the meekness of Christ lest they should think of themselves beyond the measure of faith in contest of superiority and greatest among themselves (Luke 22:24), and lest they should fall into the sin and condemnation of Satan, God wisely raised up another man who was the least of the apostles, though he is not worthy to be called an apostle because he had once fought, persecuted and wasted the church of God. But by the grace of God he was what he became in God: and his grace which was bestowed upon him was not in vain; but he labored more abundantly than they all: yet not him, but the grace of God which was with him. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.                                                                    
 
The wisdom of Christ given unto Apostle Paul through the revelatory grace for explicatory inspiration and revelation of the scriptures (but I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12) to unfold the mysteries of Christ and of the gospel (for this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Ephesians 3:1-3) was exceeding abundant with grace above the rest of the apostles who were the eye witnesses of Christ life and teachings, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 2 Peter 3: 15-16.
For his self commendation (for not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. 2 Corinthians 10:18) and presentation of the distinction of his apostolic profile which he thinks was far beyond other servants of God before him, apostle Paul would have the following glorious testimony to share with us of the fellowship of his sufferings in Christ suffering (for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Philippians 1:29: 3:10) and of his endurance in the affliction of the gospel which he partakes through grace according to the power of God ….. are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more (this is the weakness of a deceitful heart – pride: for he once wrote: and these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollo’s for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who makes thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if you have not received it? Corinthians 4:6-7); in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  in weariness and painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness. 2 Corinthians 11:23-27.
The beloved apostle Paul got it all wrong for flaunting his apostolic credentials, having forgotten that it is the faithfulness of God that has not allowed him to be tempted more than the measure of grace given unto him, that the grace given unto him was according to the measure of his burden and cross to bear which has been programmed from eternity (Acts 9:16) for him to bear with victory and success in Christ Jesus: therefore, it is of no surprised when he sought God’s throne of grace for help and grace for the removal of the thorn in his flesh sent and allowed from heaven to check and balance him in humility, but was denied the healing and deliverance of it lest he should be defiled by pride to miss heaven: whom the father loves he chastises, and he corrects every son he receives: and lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10. Note: whatever is our lot in Christ Jesus (overall circumstance or condition and experience as allowed by God), and whatever the out of season experiences we are as it pleases the Lord, grace has been given to us to enables us to accommodate and to adapt ourselves (Philippians 4:11-13) as we expectantly watch out for all things that will work out for the good of those that love God and are called according to his purpose for the praise of his glory. Note: grace is everything we are in God, and grace is everything God is in us: none us of us can do, bear or support, keep or hasten anything without the operation of the spirit of grace in us: as it is written; not by power, nor by might, but by my spirit says the Lord God of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shootings’, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Zechariah 4:6-7.