Part 9-Growing in Grace: This Is Just the Beginning

Grace is not just the starting point of your faith—it’s the entire path.

Too many Christians treat grace like the front door to salvation: you walk through it when you get saved, and then you spend the rest of your life trying to “do better” on your own strength. But grace isn’t just the way in, it’s the way forward.

Second Peter 3:18 (LSB) says, “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.”

Growing in grace means learning to live every moment dependent on God’s goodness, not your own performance.

Grace Is Not a One-Time Gift
Grace saved you, but grace is also what sustains you, teaches you, corrects you, and strengthens you.

• When you face temptation, grace gives you a way of escape.
• When you stumble, grace picks you back up.
• When you’re weary, grace renews your strength.

Philippians 1:6 (LSB) promises, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Grace is God’s commitment to finish what He started in you.

How Do We Grow in Grace?
Growing in grace is not about trying harder—it’s about staying connected to the One who is the source of it.

• Stay in the Word. The more you know God’s truth, the more you’ll recognize His grace at work in your life.
• Pray continually. Prayer keeps you dependent, humble, and open to God’s leading.
• Stay in fellowship. Grace grows best in the soil of Christian community, where we encourage and sharpen one another.
• Practice obedience. Every step of faith builds your trust in God’s grace to carry you further.

The Danger of Grace Neglect
When we stop growing in grace, we start drifting toward self-reliance or spiritual pride. Both are dangerous.

Self-reliance says, “I’ve got this.” Pride says, “I don’t need God as much anymore.” Both are lies. Without grace, we dry up. Without grace, we stumble. Without grace, we forget Who is really holding us together.

Hebrews 12:15 (LSB) warns, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”

Neglecting grace doesn’t just hurt you, it hurts those around you.

A Daily Decision
Growing in grace is a choice you make every day:

• To start your morning with God instead of yourself.
• To respond to frustration with patience instead of anger.
• To give generously instead of hoarding what you have.

Every decision to depend on God rather than yourself is a step deeper into His grace.

So What Does This Mean for You? If you feel stagnant in your faith, don’t assume you need “more willpower.” What you need is more grace. Go back to the Source. Spend time with Him. Trust Him more.

Because grace isn’t just where you began—it’s where you are meant to live.

Next Up: Part 10 – “The Future of Grace.”
We’ve seen grace in the past and present. In our final post, we’ll look ahead to the day when grace will carry us home to a place with no more pain, no more sin, and no more separation from God.

In Love,

Pastor Jody