“So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but God who causes the growth.”
(1 Corinthians 3:7 NASB)
Have you ever considered how you receive grace daily or how you grow in grace as Peter exhorts us to do in 2 Peter 3:18? Grace is a divine gift, unearned and freely given by God (Eph. 2:8-9). Yet Peter’s words indicate that we are not to remain stagnant in grace—we are to increase in it. If grace cannot be earned, how then do we grow in it? Does God deposit an allotted amount into our souls at salvation, or does He bid us seek and ask that we may receive more from His throne of grace?
Scripture teaches that, while grace is a gift, there are means by which we may receive greater measures of grace. In Psalm 84:11, we read, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” The more we conform to His ways, the more we experience His grace in our lives.
Peter opens his second epistle by declaring, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2) and closes with “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Here we see the key: grace and peace are multiplied in the knowledge of God—acquired through immersion in His Word, through prayer, through meditation, and through obedience.
Because as we take in the Word of God, our hearts and minds are aligned to His truth. The psalmist declares, “Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11). In other words, as we strive to walk according to His Word, we place ourselves in the path of His blessing and favor.
This principle is echoed in Philippians 2:12-13: “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” So while salvation is entirely of grace, God commands us to labor in the means He has provided—trusting that He will multiply grace to us in the process. As we strive for holiness, He grants more grace to make us holier. As we draw near to Him, He draws near to us, increasing our hunger for righteousness.
William Ames wrote, “The Spirit itself applies all saving things to us, internally and most nearly… we do not properly confer grace by ourselves; rather, it is the Spirit which works together with us.”[1] This reminds us that, though we must pursue growth, the increase comes from God alone.
“… the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)
Contemplations
- The Source of Growth. Lord, You alone add to the church those who are being saved. You give to Christ those whom You have ordained to eternal life (John 17:6). No one comes to You unless the Father draws him, and no one comes except it be granted by Your will (John 6:44, 65). Paul planted, Apollos watered, but You alone give the increase (1 Cor. 3:6-7). Open my ears to hear Your Word and my heart to receive it, Lord, that I may grow in grace.
- A Childlike Desire for the Word. Lord, make me like a child in my love for Your Word. Cause me to hunger for it, to delight in it, and to depend on it as my necessary daily food. Let it be sweeter than honey to my soul (Ps. 19:10; Job 23:12), that I may grow in spiritual strength and maturity in my walk with You.
- The Means of Grace. Lord, make every use of the means of grace fruitful in my life. Whether it be prayer, the study of Your Word, the preaching of the Gospel, or fellowship with the saints—let these be instruments in Your hand to conform me into the image of Christ. For I know that without Your Spirit working through these means, how can I ever prosper spiritually?
Prayer
[Adoration to the God of All Grace]
Lord, You are the fountain of all grace, the source of every good and perfect gift. From You flows mercy without measure, strength without limit, and love beyond comprehension. You sustain all things by the word of Your power, and nothing exists apart from Your will. You are the giver of life, the sustainer of my soul, and the One in whom all things hold together.
O God, I lift my eyes to You, for You alone are worthy of my highest praise. You have lavished Your grace upon me, not because I deserve it, but because You are rich in kindness and steadfast in love. You are my refuge and my portion, the One who nourishes my soul and satisfies my deepest longings. Apart from You I have nothing, but in You I have all things.
As a child depends on his father, I depend on You. As a servant longs to please his master, I long to obey You. As the deer pants for the water, so my soul thirsts for You, O God. You are my strength when I am weak, my joy when I am weary, and my hope when all else fades. I cannot take a single step apart from Your sustaining hand, for it is You who gives the increase and carries me from grace to grace.
O Lord, how great is Your faithfulness! You have called me to grow in the likeness of Christ, and You alone will bring to completion the work You have begun in me—my sanctifier and my sustainer.
Let my life be a song of praise to You. Let my every breath proclaim that You are good and that Your mercy endures forever. Be magnified in me, O God, that I may glorify You in all I do. And let my heart never stray from its highest joy—You, my Savior, my Lord, my everlasting delight.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the fullness of grace and truth, I worship You. Amen.
Further References for 1 Cor. 3:7
1 Cor. 4:5; Ps. 62:12; Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; 2 John 1:8.
[1] William Ames, The Marrow of Theology, 33:3.
