Welcome to another episode of Exploring God.
Today, we will consider that every moment of our salvation is the reality of “grace upon grace.” As Christians, we never move beyond that truth. We have no other boast than in God’s continuous supply of grace through His Son. In John 1:16, we read:
And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
John 1:16
Just a few verses prior, John wrote: “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Paul wrote that creation is through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16).
What is true regarding creation is also true regarding salvation. To believe that salvation is by grace alone is to be fully persuaded that every single part of our salvation is “through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11).
To be more specific, the Bible defines salvation in relation to one’s election, calling, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification, which includes our personal response of faith and the totality of our lives as Christians. It’s grace upon grace upon grace upon grace ad infinitum. Any sense of merit or entitlement is excluded.
Grace alone isn’t only the correct and proper theological term that defines what we believe about the nature of salvation; it’s also the most practical reality—the only practical reality. There’s not a word or work that’s pleasing to the Father that wasn’t conceived through and for the glory of God’s grace.
By default, our thoughts of God are always way too low and our thoughts about ourselves are always way too high. Consider for a moment every Christian who has ever lived, is living, and will live until Jesus returns. When we consider every expression of faith, “every good work and word” (2 Thess. 2:17), and all perseverance till the end of one’s life, we consider nothing else but “grace upon grace.”
When we consider Jesus’ fullness of grace, we needs words like limitless or boundless. You can go as far back into eternity past and never find its beginning. You can go as far forward into eternity future and never even see a slight diminish. He’s an infinite supply of grace and our minds should be stunned by such effectual grace throughout the history of redemption.
In that sense, idolatry is also the lack of acknowledging His grace as the sole fountain from whom the totality of our salvation flows, is established, and will continue. Unless we ascribe it to His grace, we exchange it for man’s decisive and ultimate input.
Idolatry is also the lack of acknowledging His grace as the sole fountain from whom the totality of our salvation flows, is established, and will continue. Click To TweetSuch grace-centeredness shouldn’t surprise us because the same is true in nature. We can only live, move, and have our being when God supplies each breath. We don’t have any inherent life-sustaining abilities.
Just like God is the source of our physical existence, He’s also the source of our spiritual existence. In the natural realm, it means He’s the giver of every single breath. In the spiritual realm, it means that we receive “grace upon grace,” moment by moment. In the famous words of Jesus to Martha, “Do you believe this?” If so, it should deeply affect in how you view God and relate to others.
I’ll hope you’ll join me next time when we will look at grace and truth. When you sign up for my blog, you will receive the transcripts of these episodes and also a free copy of my first book.
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