What do you have that God hasn’t given you?
—1 Corinthians 4:7
“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” (1 Cor 4:7). Augustine said the entire doctrine of grace was in this single verse; that absolutely everything we have is a gift of grace.
Our existence is a gift of grace: “In him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).
Our uniqueness is a gift of grace: “God’s grace has made me what I am” (1 Cor 15:10).
Our talents are a gift of grace: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” (Rom 12:6).
Our salvation is a gift of grace: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith . . . it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).
When earth is done and heaven begun,
we will praise God for the grace given us.