Facing Death To Deliver Grace

In 2 Corinthians 4:11, Paul writes that he faced death daily to deliver grace to people.

Why would a person stare death in the face for the purpose of sharing grace with others?

Before we answer this question, let's answer another question:

What is grace?

Grace is everything God has done for us through Jesus to forgive all of our sins, make us completely righteous and holy before him, reconcile us to himself in a love relationship, bring us to life in Christ, seat us in heaven with him, and the list goes on and on.

Grace is the kindness of God expressed to us in Jesus' dying for all of our sins and forgiving us of all our sins.

Grace is Jesus taking our sinfulness and giving us his righteousness, which we receive by faith.

Grace is Jesus taking our guilt and giving us his innocence.

Grace is God making us alive with Jesus when we were dead in our sins.

Grace is Jesus bringing us to peace with God when at one time we were under the judgment of God because of sin.

Grace is all of these and so much more.

So why was Paul willing to die to deliver grace to people?

First, Paul's life was transformed by the grace of Jesus who loved him and gave his life for him.

Before Paul experienced grace, he related to God through the Law of Moses (works, self-effort, expectations, disciplines).

However, after grace, he related to God through the grace given to him in Jesus.

Grace transformed Paul's life.

The second reason Paul was willing to face death daily to deliver grace to people was because he was convinced everyone was loved by Jesus, and because of this love, Jesus died for everyone (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Paul was compelled to communicate the love and grace of Jesus to everyone, even if it meant dying to deliver it to them.

Everything Paul went through: sleepless and cold nights, hungry and hard days...daily facing death...was for the one purpose of getting out grace to more and more people.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:15:

"All this is for your benefit, so that the GRACE that is reaching more and more people may result in thanksgiving overflowing to the glory of God."

Paul knew that when people heard about and understood God's grace freely given to them in Jesus, their lives would be transformed, resulting in people seeing how great God is (glory) and thanking God for all he did for them in Jesus.

Paul was willing to die to tell people about God's transforming grace.