The Progression of Grace

 

I went Wednesday night to Albany, to visit my old friend Pete Daughtry.  He teaches the Bible at a small local church there (www.albanybiblechurch.com), and I like the way he organized these principles. 

 

The grace of God follows a sequence or natural progression in the lives of believers.

 

  1. First, God brought salvation.  This is the first appearance of grace for us.  Because of the grace of God, salvation is available to us all!

Titus 2:11

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

 

  1. That salvation is, of course, in Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 8:9

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

 

  1. Now that it’s available to me, the next step makes it mine personally.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

  1. This salvation by grace is not the final step of the grace of God, but only the beginning!

Romans 5:1-2

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

 

Notice that through this point we have done absolutely NOTHING!  Our eternal salvation and future in heaven is possible, and certain because of the grace of God.  If God is the one who accomplished it, then God is the one who should get the credit and the glory!

 

Steps 5 through 8 are related to our experience of grace.

 

  1. Greater grace.

James 4:6

6 But He gives a greater grace. …

 

The grace God gives us to live the Christian way of life is even greater than salvation grace!

 

  1. We looked at this verse yesterday.  Grace is actually multiplied to us:

2 Peter 1:2-3

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

 

  1. We live in the grace of God now, also knowing the grace that will be ours in the future:

1 Peter 1:13

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

  1. The command and the result.

2 Peter 3:17-18

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,

18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.  

 

When we recognize the grace of God for salvation AND for living as a Christian here on earth, and continue to grow in it, then the natural result will be that God gets all the glory!