MORE GRACE

JAMES 4:6-8 NKJ 
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 
"God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

I am glad that God gives more grace. God's grace is God's favor, power and ability on our behalf. We can't earn grace, or it wouldn't be grace. But we can receive more grace. And that's great news!   

James then gives us insight as to how to receive more grace in our lives.   

God resists the proud. Now, this does not say God hates the proud, but He does resist them. Think of the people who say, "if God will prove to me He is real, then I will believe Him." Asking or demanding that God meet our standards is pride. Demanding that God adjusts to our ways is pride. Those who demand God do something to prove His existence before they will believe do not experience His salvation.   

But those who accept God's word and believe Him without external proof are the biblically humble. And the humble get grace. It took humility for you to accept Christ as your Savior. And as you did, you received grace for salvation. Humility means we submit to God and His word and ways. When we do, we are in position to receive more grace, then we resist the devil, and he runs. Satan runs from the submitted person.   

We don't wait for God to draw close to us. The humble, those submitted to God's ways, not their own, come close to Him first, then He comes close to them. Humility is the pathway to more of God's grace.   

APPLICATION: 

I believe humility has received a bad reputation. This bad rap has to be the work of our enemy, Satan, because humility is the path to more grace. And more grace is more power. If there is anything the devil does not want, it's more powerful believers.   

We have wrongly associated humility with weakness, lack of confidence, and a sure way to lose in a dog-eat-dog world.   

Being humble is a heart attitude towards the Lord first. It's God-promoting, not self-promoting. But as we humble ourselves before God, He gives us more grace. He lifts us up (vs. 10), and He exalts us. (1 Peter 5:6) That's not weak, and it's not losing. That's the key to overcoming and strength. So, since God gives more grace, let's humble ourselves before Him and receive more grace. More grace is definitely more better!   

PRAYER: 

Dear Father, please show me what true humility looks like in Your sight. I don't want to be resisted. I want more grace.