How Do You Grow In Grace?

[pastorpete]

We’re commanded in to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18) To grow in knowledge makes complete sense, we are to learn more about Jesus. But how do we grow in grace?

What does it mean to grow in grace? Maybe a definition of grace is in order right now. Grace, I think can be summed up in most biblical dictionaries as “God’s forgiving mercy.” So how does one grow in God’s forgiving mercy?

In our text from this past Sunday we read that we have received grace upon grace: “From his fullness we have received grace upon grace.” (John 1:16) If our definition is correct we could read this as “we have received God’s forgiving mercy upon God’s forgiving mercy.” How in the world do we grow in that?

I have wrestled with this idea all week. The wrestling with it is not new to me, but has seemed more intense this week. Growing cannot mean to receive more grace; more of God’s forgiving mercy. In our text this week we will read Colossian 1:15-20: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16. for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers? all things have been created through him and for him.17. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20. and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”

Did you see verse 19? Now read Colossians 2:9-10: 9. “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10. and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.”
We’ve already received the fullness of Christ, so how do we grow in grace, God’s forgiving mercy?
I’ve come to a somewhat satisfactory conclusion in my own mind. Growing in grace means to be become more aware of. I did say it was somewhat satisfactory. But as we become more aware, we will become more aware. Does that make sense? With each new awareness, more opportunities of awareness are made known to us.

Maybe Dr. Leonard Sweet’s discussion on a similar topic will be helpful.
One of the most powerful images of the Bible has two manifestations, one in the First Testament the other in the Second Testament: Moses only being able to touch the fringe of God's garment; the hemorrhaging woman only able to touch the fringe of Jesus' garment. Two things we learn from this:
1. We're severely limited in what we can know.
2. But we can touch the fringe; we can see through a glass dimly.

Let's look at each very briefly.
First, we're severely limited in what we can know. Those limitations express themselves in two forms: one is called "The Mountain Effect;" the other is called "The Island Effect."

The Mountain Effect: When you climb to the top of a mountain, you arrive only to see a host of other mountain peeks that invite climbing. And the higher the mountain you climb, the more the peaks you find.

The Island Effect: The greater the amount of knowledge you accumulate, the bigger your island gets, but the greater the shoreline of the unknown becomes.

What we learn from The Mountain Effect and The Island Effect is that God wants us to keep open a space of impossible possibility, of cloudy mists and mysterious fogs. We must fight the disenchantment of the world that Max Weber saw accompanying the rise of science. In the words of Paul, "how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out" (Romans 11:33). The best we can do in this life is to map the mystery.

Or in the words of poet Clifford Scott:
"The more you know the more you know how little you know. Your frustration is finite and your ignorance is infinite. The more you resolve your frustration at your ignorance, and the more you repair the damage done in your life that led to your disappointment in your ignorance, the more you may be able to love your ignorance and woo it. All new will come from what you are ignorant of now" (Clifford Scott, "Who is Afraid of Wilfred Bion?" As quoted on page 27 of Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries, Leaders, Fools, and Imposters: Essays on the Psychology of Leadership; NY: iUniverse, 2003; revised edition).

Second, we can touch the fringe. And that touch gives us a hunger for more. That touch gave the hemorrhaging woman a hunger for more; and that touch gave Moses the hunger for more: "I want to see your face, God." But God said, "No! You're not ready. You can't see it and live . . . when you see it; you cross over to the other side."

So God doesn't give us God's face. But God does give us God's hand. And God's hand is Jesus.

As we grow in grace, we become more aware of God’s forgiving mercy, we will have a hunger to be come more aware of God’s grace, which will give us a hunger to be come more aware of God’s grace, which will give us a hunger to be come more aware of God’s grace, which will give us a hunger to be come more aware of God’s grace, which will…well you get the picture.
[size=200]Pastor Pete[/size]