And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:16-17

Trying to explain the ongoing grace of God in our lives is like trying to explain the ocean. Just as the waves on the shore roll in, wave after wave, the grace of God comes grace upon grace. Just as the water in the ocean can never be exhausted or diminished, neither can the grace of our God; grace will continually follow grace in a limitless, never-ending flow!

This expression, “grace for grace,” is better translated “grace upon grace.” It has the idea of going from one degree of grace to another. As you read through the New Testament, we begin to see this illustrated for us. It begins, of course, with the saving grace of God, which is God’s power at work to declare us righteous in Christ, to forgive us of our sins, and to make us a new creation in Christ (Eph. 2:8-10). Simply put, saving grace is the impartation of God’s forgiveness.

But this same grace also sanctifies us. This means that we have been positionally set apart for God’s purpose, and the Holy Spirit is at work to make this a living reality practically in each of our lives (Titus 2:11-12). Simply put, sanctification is the impartation of God’s holiness in our lives.

Then the Bible displays for us the power of God’s strengthening grace, which is able to help us live a victorious Christian life in spite of the circumstances we might face in life. Strengthening grace imparts God’s power and might in our lives (Rom. 5:17).

As we grow in this grace, we begin to experience God’s sharing grace, which meets our needs and imparts God’s generosity to us, helping us to share with others (2 Cor. 9:8).

Another wave of God’s grace in our lives is what we might call serving grace, which is the power and ability to serve Him and those He places in our lives (1 Pet. 4:10).

Peter would challenge us to lay “aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Pet. 2:1-3), and to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

Anchor For Today:
O Saviour, teach me to abide
Close sheltered at Thy wounded side,
Each hour receiving “grace on grace”
Until I see Thee face to face.
– James Deck