What Does It Mean To Continue In Grace?

Q: In Acts 13:43, Paul encourages believers to continue in the grace of God. What does it mean to continue in grace?

A: Grace is the fundamental principle that God loves us, accepts us, and saves us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. The reasons for His love and His working in our lives are found in Him, not in us. This attitude isn't just the beginning of the Christian life; it needs to permeate throughout the entire Christian life. We need to stay in the grace of God.

There are other passages in the New Testament where Paul expresses his fear that Christians would receive the grace of God in vain or that they would depart from the grace of God. We need to be careful of that. We should not see grace only as the starting point but as our standing place.

I wrote a book on this titled "Standing in Grace," which I would recommend. The central idea behind that is that grace is our standing before God. So, Paul's exhortation to continue in the grace of God is basically saying to keep standing in grace. That's how you came to Christ, and that's how you're rooted in Christ. Stay there and don't think that you graduate to law, legalism, or some other principle. That's the most concise way I can put it.