Multiplication of Grace | July 05, 2026 | Pastor Raph

Multiplication of Grace

There are things that can hold and restrict the grace of God upon our lives. And there are attitudes that can increase God's favor. Notice that I used the words “grace" and “favor" interchangeably. 

What is Favor

The word favor is the unmeritorious blessings of God coming to your life. I like to explain favor by comparing it with mercy. While mercy is the complete forgiveness of our sins on Calvary, and because of it, we will not receive all the punishment we deserved. 

Grace, or favor, is to receive everything we do not deserve: all the blessings, all the joy, all the multiplication that Christ is worthy to receive.

Grace is undeserved favor.

 Under God’s favor, the enemy can’t prevail against you. Your critics will have no way to reprove you. Your competitors will not surpass you.

Psalm 5:12 (ESV) "For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield."

Because of God’s favor, the right people will come close and will do business with you. Even if your services are more expensive, people will see an advantage in using them.

As important as they are, honesty and integrity do not increase favor. 

They are rewarded with trust, and that is good. But we want more than that. We need multiplied favor.

Joseph

Joseph is the ultimate example in business, management, and standing out no matter where he worked. 

Remember that Joseph worked with absolute integrity in Potiphar’s house. He refused to sleep with Potiphar’s wife, doing the honorable thing. 

Later, in prison, he was honest, and His integrity earned him trust. 

Both Joseph's superiors trusted him enough to put him in charge of daily operations.

Genesis 39:21 (ESV)"But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison."

Trust is good, but it wasn't enough to get Joseph out of prison or fulfill his destiny. Being a trustworthy prisoner still leaves you in a prison. 

We need more grace. When God’s favor steps in where integrity reached its limit, from prisoner we will be exalted as royalty

God gave Joseph the supernatural ability to interpret dreams, bringing him before Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:39-40 (ESV) "Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command.'"

Because of God’s favor, Pharaoh didn't just see a trustworthy man; he saw a man backed by God. Pharaoh immediately promoted him to the second-highest position in the most powerful empire in the world.

Abraham

Abraham is perhaps the most striking example of favor despite integrity. His story proves that favor is completely unmerited.

If God’s blessing depended solely on Abraham’s honesty and integrity, he would have lost everything. There were two instances (with Pharaoh in Genesis 12 and with King Abimelech in Genesis 20) in which Abraham’s honesty completely failed. Out of fear for his life, he lied and said his wife Sarah was his sister. His lack of integrity put him in a terrible position.

If Abraham had only relied on his honesty, he would have been punished by these kings for deceiving them. He broke their trust. But instead of Abraham being punished, God’s favor intervened. God stepped in, protected Sarah, and actually rebuked the kings. 

Because of unmerited favor, Abraham wasn't just spared; he was blessed with massive amounts of livestock, servants, and silver.

It was not Abraham's excellence or morality, but God's favor, that multiplied his wealth despite his lack of honesty.

Genesis 20:14 (ESV) "Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him."

Abimelech realized that, though Abraham had previously lied to him, Abimelech could not deny the supernatural blessing on Abraham's life. He realized that anyone who opposed Abraham would lose, and anyone who aligned with Abraham would prosper. So he went to "do business" and form an alliance. 

He didn't approach Abraham because of his flawless integrity; he approached him strictly because of the undeniable, multiplied favor of God on his life.

Genesis 21:22-23 22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.”

How To grow in Favor 

This begs the question: how can we increase God's favor upon our lives?

That was the desire of the Apostles for us.

2 Peter 1:1-2 1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Peter made it clear. Faith is the number one condition for multiplied grace. 

A faith that makes you conscious of God’s gift of righteousness.

Favor does not come because we make more things for God. 

Favor is not meant to be a repayment for hard work. The biblical reasoning is: we do more because we have received more grace.

Grace and peace are multiplied when we know more of the Lord. The more you listen to a preaching that exalts the work of Christ. When you learn more about the person of Jesus, everything in your life will prosper.

This is not about the so-called “Prosperity gospel.” This is about the gospel of grace that will indeed produce prosperity.

Romans 5:17 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

So we can pray in the name of Jesus and ask for anything we need, with confidence that the Father listens and answers.

2 Corinthians 5:21 - 6:2 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Cor 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,

and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

It is a matter of seeing more of the Lord. 

We tend to think we need more money, but the Lord says we need more favor, which grows as we see more of the Lord.

Our school had a demand for expansion for this coming school year in August. We had no resources to make that happen. But because of favor, a grant was given to enable us to achieve world-class quality using the best materials and equipment for that growth.

We are opening two new classrooms because of that.

Our foster families were loving these kids with all their hearts, and one of them testified that an unexpected amount was given to them with no application or process. That is favor. 

We are being convinced that it is a matter of better marketing, but it is a matter of more favor.

I talked with a brother yesterday who told me that all his business growth over the past year was driven by word of mouth. He said his only problem now is finding people willing to learn and work. That is favor.

When Peter and Paul say about knowing the Lord, the knowledge here is a “heart” matter.

Therefore, turn on a worship song.

Pray “Lord, I want to know you more.” And by doing that, the favor will increase over your life.

Have a Conscience of Forgiveness

Romans 5:20-21 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Because of what Paul wrote here, many think that he meant to say, "the more a person sins, the more grace one will have.”

Actually, that was exactly what Paul’s opponents accused him of saying. If you read the following verses,

Romans 6:1-2 1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

What Paul was teaching is that one must be conscious of how sinful and broken and wretched they were without Christ to be so thankful and pleased with the great forgiveness they had received. 

That is why it is so important to know that we would never be worthy of God’s favor based on our own merits and uprightness.

The law was like a spoon.

If you have a cup of water with residue at the bottom. While the sediments are still and tamed at the bottom, the water seems crystal clear.

But if a spoon moves the water, the dirt from the bottom will be revealed.

The spoon did not produce the dirt in the water; it only revealed it. The spoon is the law.

The law does not have the power to clean the water. The spoon only reveals there is a problem. 

Sin is already in our flesh. And unless one sees their sin, they would never perceive the need for a Savior.

Here is how the grace can increase. Once one says yes to God’s solution for our terrible sinful condition, saying yes to Jesus, we no longer need to live under the conscience of sin. 

We need to grow in the conscience of forgiveness.

Luke 7:47 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

The one who knows and reminds himself of God’s complete and amazing forgiveness will love the Lord the most and consequently will receive more favor.

The problem with the conscience of sin is the continuous shame and condemnation that it evokes.

These things prevent the favor from growing in our lives.

Think like this: 

If my son wants to relate to me based on shame and fear, with a continuous sense of fear and a belief that I will cause him some pain or punishment. And I bless him with a new pair of shoes. That can be a problem.

While I am trying to show my son that he does not need to act like that towards me, he insists on that approach. But we need to have a relationship built on joy, trust, and genuine vulnerability with each other.

So, my son, because he received a new pair of shoes, now he wants a Brazil soccer jersey. So he acts in the same distant and fearful way as before.

He acts shy, isolated, and afraid because he feels very undeserving of any gifts or favors from me.

If I give my son that Brazilian jersey, I would be reinforcing that kind of relationship.

I love my son. And for the sake of our relationship, I can’t bless him until he changes his conscience of sin to a conscience of love and forgiveness.

I heard the story about one of our Vine pastors who grew up in a small town. His father owned the small dollar store in that town. Growing up, he wanted one chocolate bar from his father's store, so he snuck in after business hours. He took one bar, and he hid it from his father. The other day, his older brother, as any older brother will, snitched on him to his dad.

His father called him in private and said, “Wait. They are starting to close tonight, and we will have a talk later in the house.” The boy waited, fearful and expecting harsh punishment and judgment. That was the right thing. However, out of love and forgiveness, the father acted mercifully and told him, "Son, you are my son. You are fully forgiven. Do you believe my love?” In the sunset, in tears, he said, "I do. I'm so sorry for what I have done.” Then the father said, "Do you really believe my love?” The son said, "I do. Thank you for forgiving me.” Then the father said, "You are the owner of the entire store. You do not need to steal anything that already belongs to you. You can always come to me with anything you need. If you want a chocolate bar, I have an entire box just for you. Here it is. You have the entire box just for you.”

Did you understand the story? It was not merely a matter of mercy. Out of forgiveness and the conscience of love, the young boy was blessed with favor. The more we trust in her father's love for us, the more favor we have.

Have a submissive, humble heart

When we act confidently in our works, we are actually trusting in our own merit. We approach God to demand something we believe we deserve. The biggest problem in people's lives is not sin, because we all have sin. The greatest problem is a sense of merit, self-righteousness.

Luke 2:51-52 1 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

There was something that the Lord did that brought even more favor upon Him. In the Lord's life, everything was by merit, for He never sinned, so all the blessings of the law were upon Him. However, the Gospel says that He grew in grace. If you observe the context, you will see that grace came along with Jesus’ submission to His parents. He grew in wisdom because there was one thing Jesus did not know: being God, He had never submitted to anyone before. When He does this, He humbles Himself. Being God, He makes Himself lower than Joseph and Mary. Lord Jesus did not tell Joseph, 'I am the Son of God, and you are the one who should submit to me.’ He never claimed any merit. He humbled Himself.

Philippians 2:5-8 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

At twelve years old, Jesus was already debating with the doctors in Jerusalem. How do you think He debated? He could have told a teacher, 'You are already seventy years old and still don't understand what this Bible passage means,’ or say to another, 'You know I was the one who wrote the law, so I can tell you what it means.”

No, He did not do it that way. The Bible says that He listened and asked questions of the teachers. The Lord, at twelve years old, knew much more than His parents, but even so, He was submissive to them, and because of that, He grew in favor before God and men.

Some assume they submit only to someone greater and better than themselves. But that is not submission. If the other person is greater and stronger, there is no choice.

1 Peter 5:5 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Humility involves letting go of the ego, which is rooted in feelings of entitlement, pride, and rebellion. Those filled with self-righteousness believe they deserve recognition, leading to pride and rebellion.

God's grace is like water: it flows downhill naturally. His favor does not increase by positioning ourselves as superior. 

Humble yourself, and you will receive God's favor. When we submit, we attract His favor, and He will raise us up.

Many think that God opposes our exaltation, but in reality, He advises us not to exalt ourselves because He desires to lift us up; That is when we experience true glory.