“Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.” (Resolution 30)
Colossians 1:10 – so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
2 Thessalonians 1:3 – We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
I Peter 2:2 – like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
2 Peter 3:18 – but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Scriptures are clear that believers are to grow spiritually. There are many ways that the believers can gauge their growth. Edwards wanted to strive to have visible growth each week. He wanted to have a greater or higher exercise of grace than he did the week before. In one sense sanctification is really spiritual growth. In another sense the believer is to die to self more and more and be filled with more of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. Believers are to grow in at least the following ways:
1. Their knowledge of God and to grow in knowing God
2. Their faith is to be enlarged
3. Their love toward other believers is to grow
4. They are to grow in respect to salvation
5. They are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
But how do believers know that they are growing in grace? Are they to pursue sin so that grace may abound? As Paul said, “may it never be.” So many think of grace in terms of sin alone which really relates to forgiveness alone. But we must learn to think of grace as that which strengthens believers in walk by grace. It is this grace in the believer that strengthens the believer to live to the glory of God. In reality it is another way of speaking of the life and strength of Christ in the believer.
Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
John 15:4 – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Colossians 1:29 – For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
One way to measure grace is to learn to know our own hearts. Where does our strength to live and work come from? Do we find strength in the grace that flows through our own weakness and death to self? Do we find that there is something that cannot be explained in us apart from the grace of God? Growing in grace is the opposite of growing in self-confidence, it is growing in weakness to self so that all that we do is moved and strengthened by grace. Growing in grace is really the life of Christ in us that is growing and exerting itself in and through our spiritual inability and weakness of self. That is why Paul said that he was crucified with Christ and that it was no longer he that lived but that Christ lived in him (Gal 2:20). Christ lives in His people by grace.
God Loves... Himself 
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