Grace will supply whatever faith will call for. God told Paul in 2Corinthians 12:9 (Amplified), "But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving kindness and mercy) is enough for you (sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully); for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me."
Having misunderstood this scripture for years, we missed what transpired between God and Paul. We've thought for years that God was testing and trying Paul because of his ministry. When, indeed, it was God Who gave him the ministry. Because of the revelation of the new covenant that only Paul had at that time, the enemy dispatched a spirit (a messenger of satan) to buffet and harass him wherever he tried to preach. When Paul first began teaching this message of the new birth, no one had ever heard of such a thing. The Jews believed that God's covenant was only for them and the gentiles served their own gods.
Paul was preaching about One God, for all men, with no more sacrifice, no more Temple, no more ritual. He preached that now, by Jesus, even death had been conquered. Satan had only one man to deal with at this time because only Paul had this revelation. If satan could kill Paul, or at least shut him up, then satan could still prevent the people from receiving heir freedom from him. 1Corinthians 2:7-8 (Amplified) says, "But, rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden from the human understanding and now revealed to us by God (that wisdom) which God devised and deceived before the ages for our glorification (to lift us into the glory of His presence)." Verse 8 says, "None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory."
Satan's been trying to cover up his foolish mistakes for two thousand years. He's still working to prevent people from seeing the light of the glory of the gospel. 2Corinthians 4:3-4 (Amplified) says, "But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden (only) to those who are spiritually dying and veiled (only) to those who are lost." Verse 4 goes on, "For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds (that they should not discern the truth), preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah) Who is the Image and Likeness of God."
Grace and truth came through Jesus. John 1:17 (Amplified) says, "For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ." This truth and grace were to deliver all mankind and stop the Law of sin and death forever in all who would believe. Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says that, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilt of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit of Life." Verse 2 goes on, "For the Law of the Spirit of Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being) has freed me from the Law of sin and of death."
Satan had his hands full trying to stop Paul from ever getting this message out. We've mistaken what God told Paul about the troubles he was enduring trying to preach this revelation. Why in the world would God show Paul this new revelation, charge him with preaching it and then do everything He could to stop Paul? What Paul was trying to do (the very same thing we try to do today) was take this mission from God and do it by his own strength. "Therefore," Paul said, "I will glory in my weaknesses. I am glad when my own abilities fail because when I finally realize I cannot do this from my own strength, then God's grace and ability is made perfect and shows up to dedliver me."
We've been short changed when hearing the gospel for quite awhile now because "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17 (Amplified) says that, "Then, if satan can still hinder the preaching of the truth and grace, how can we put faith in what we don't hear?" We have heard a portion of the gospel, but we haven't heard all the "glad tidings" for years.
Romans 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation (for deliverance from eternal death) to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Verse 17 continues, "For in the Gospel, a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from FAITH and leading to FAITH that grouses to more FAITH) As it is written, the man who through FAITH is just and upright shall live and shall live by FAITH."
According to these scriptures, there's a growing faith that comes from the understanding of what salvation really is. In Romans 1:16 (Amplified), we read that "this gospel is the power of God unto salvation." What is salvation? According to the Strong's Concordance, in the Greek text of the Word [34982-4902], the word "salvation" means "to save, i.e. to protect (lit. or fig.) heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole." [#4985] "salvation" means "the body (as a sound whole) used in a very wide application (lit. or fig.) bodily, body, slave." In [#4984] "salvation" means "corporeal or physical bodily." [#4986] "salvation" means "of a safe father, Sopatrus as Sopater." [#4990] from [#4991] "salvation" means "a deliverer, i.e. God or Christ: Savior." [#4991] "salvation" means "rescue or safety (phys. or mor.) deliver, health, salvation, save, saving." [#4992] "salvation" means same as [#4991] "as proper noun, defender or (by implication) defense: Salvation."
So you see, the word "salvation" that Paul spoke of means more than just going to heaven when we die. It means healing, wholeness, soundness, safety, strength, protection, deliverance bodily and morally. This salvation was and is the very presence of "Christ in us, our hope of glory." We have mostly thought salvation meant we were forgiven and could now go to heaven when we leave here. This is very much true. But what Paul discovered was the even here, in this present age, God is still God and His grace, favor and power could work not only when we did the job, but even work better when we couldn't do the job. And, he found out that when human effort failed, then God's strength would take over and we could walk in the very power of this salvation in the supernatural.
Paul was saying that when we're weak ( physically and naturally), God's strength isn't diminished, but enhanced. So now, I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. To reach into this salvation from faith to faith and from glory to glory like the Word says is to learn to know Him. Philippians 4:13 (Amplified) says that, "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; (I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency)."
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