James 4:6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness]”.
It is only by the grace of God that we can live the Christian life–literally! Grace is the gift God continually gives us each day. Grace, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, can help us overcome temptation and sin and live obediently, reflecting our faith in Jesus Christ and the gratitude we have for our salvation. Without God’s grace each day, we wouldn’t be able to conquer sin or temptation as we wouldn’t have the same level of faith or confidence in the Lord.
We must humble ourselves before the Lord and live in the awareness of our need for Him every moment of every day. We are not self-sufficient in our own righteousness or sufficiency; we are self-sufficient in Christ’s righteousness and His sufficiency. We need to turn away from self-righteousness because God is opposed to the proud and haughty.
If we think we can do this in our own strength, relying on our own ‘know how’, we cannot expect God to pour out His grace upon us or to bless us in our pursuits. It’s when we give ourselves up as a living sacrifice to Him, and give up our pride and self-righteousness, that He pours out more and more of His grace upon us. And we do need more of His grace, each day, to live the Christian life and to continue to walk in surrendered obedience to Him. God’s grace is His undeserving favor towards us. It isn’t something we can earn through self-effort, but it is a free gift from God given to us each day. God gives “more and more grace”.
