Growing in grace: What does that mean and more importantly how is it accomplished? I won’t answer these questions too specifically because I think there is some fluidity in both answers and we need to leave room for the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts as individual people with circumstances peculiar to ourselves.
Let me start by saying that growing in grace is another way of talking about abiding in Christ. It is this state of increasing freedom and contentment in being God’s children along with a deepening affection for God, which such an affection is moving us toward the ultimate place where Christ is our highest object of affection, and living for him is our greatest source of joy.
I am moved today by Galatians 2:20, the second half of which says “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” I sense that we all live by faith in something to some degree or another, but most of our faith living is unjustified because the object of our faith isn’t worthy of our faith nor able to sustain us in our lives. After all, isn’t that what we are doing when we put our faith in something; intrusting our sustenance and well being to it?
I see in Paul’s words a justifiable reason for putting my faith in Christ for all things. The first justifiable reason is found in the fact that Christ is the Son of God. The object of my faith is trustworthy. He is able to sustain me and care for my well being because he is the divine creator and sustainer of all that is. No other person or thing has the power, ability or willingness to care for me in the complete way that Christ does, and for this reason, I place my faith in him.
The second justifiable reason for faith in Christ is the way he loved and gave himself for me. Greater love is not found than that which is found in the one who lays down his life for another. Christ did more than this. The demonstration of his love is in that he gave up his glorified state and subjected himself to the same sorrows, sicknesses and temptations that we face everyday so that his death would be effective and a justification for my redemption. He willing subjected himself to his own father’s wrath in order to save me from that wrath. He willing accepted the cruelty of his own creation in order to redeem me from my own lostness. His love is completely selfless and no other has or will ever love me or you in such a way.
If you find these reasons for faith compelling and justifiable, trust Christ today and give testimony to that fact in a reply. Tell me and others why you trust Christ.
Jesus was once asked by a man what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus’ response was that the man should love God and love his neighbor. The man asked for clarification on the definition of neighbor and Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. In the end Jesus defined loving one’s neighbor as showing mercy to whomever we find in need of mercy. (Luke 10:25-37)
This seems like a simple enough command but in practice it is very hard. However, it really is essential to obey.
Jesus said in another place, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). Loving Jesus and obeying his commandments are then conditions of salvation. Oh, don’t get me wrong I know and agree that we are saved by grace through faith alone. I understand that. Jesus’ point is that the change in our hearts as a result of grace, if it is real and growing, will naturally result in a greater love for Jesus and a greater obedience to his commandments, especially in loving our neighbors.
What I have learned is that just as the man confessed his faith in Jesus but asked that Jesus would increase it, we must make it our heart’s plea to God that he teach us to love him more and that he increase our love for him all the more day by day. There are many ways in which he will and can do this, but we must seek it from him. I tell you that I believe with all my heart that if I am ever to be perfect like my heavenly father is perfect, which is my duty to work at, I must grow increasingly more in love with God, for without love for God I can do nothing else, and thus, I expose myself as an imposter of the faith.
So, let us pray today that God will show us more of himself, more of ourselves and more of his marvelous work on behalf of his creation so that our love for him will increase more and more and we find ourselves doing joyfully all the things that before seemed too be burdensome; all the things that we knew we must do but had no real heart to do.
