Grow in Grace

When I woke up this morning, the LORD said:  "Grow in grace."  Sometimes we think of grace as something to be received or given.  The fact remains it reaches even deeper:  grace is something to be grown in.  This statement placed upon my heart today is found in one scripture: 2 Peter 3:18.  The context is Peter warning believers that many would twist and contort the scriptures and invite their own destruction.  2 Peter 3:17-18 says, "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. [18] But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." [KJV]  The contrast is clear:  we can be lead away by the error of the wicked or grow in grace.

Grace is undeserved favor, goodness we have no right to be offered or much less receive.  This grace is offered to the repentant freely from God.  The greater grace we extend to others, the greater supply is given to us by God.  When we ration God's grace to only the "deserving," grace is no longer grace.  Too often we tend towards Pharisee favour rather than grace which resembles that of our heavenly Father.  There was no group of people more led away by wickedness according to Christ than the Pharisees, because they justified themselves righteous according to their own works.  By tightly rationing the grace of God with others we constrict His grace toward us.  By tightly clamping our hands on God's grace, we prevent ourselves from receiving additional supply.  Hoarding the gift of grace from others hurts us most of all.  God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Peter says, "...grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."  We ought to increase in grace, meaning that the grace of God should be revealed in and through our lives more each day.  As we surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit's power, our knowledge of God and His ways will grow.  Experience is a great teacher.  That is how we grow in our relationship with the Greatest Teacher, Jesus Christ:  we grow in grace when we experience Him personally.  When our eyes are opened to how undeserving we are of God's favor, He grants us grace to give grace to others.  As long as we are sufficient in ourselves we have no need for grace.  Oh, we need grace - but pride keeps our need hidden from our eyes.

Physical growth occurs through life, nourishment, experience, rest, and how the body is programmed at the genetic level.  Spiritually speaking it is much the same:  God brings life to our souls, nourishes us through His Word, and teaches us through experience as we rest in Christ's finished work.  Stress and resistance placed upon muscles, tendons, and ligaments help them to grow stronger.  Trials and tribulations cause our faith to grow as ease never could.  We grow in grace when we choose to trust God and extend His grace to others as He freely gives it to us.  This will challenge us.  We will no doubt at times feel taken advantage of, unprotected, uncomfortable, and vulnerable.  It is in this place of weakness where God will prove His grace is sufficient for us, for His strength is made perfect in weakness.