grace and our ability to love

So I've had this thought for about a week now:

The more we understand true grace found in Jesus, the more powerfully we are able to love. Agape love that Lewis points out.

I think this point is true in relationships between friends, and married couples as well. I've also been thinking about some of the saints that have walked before me in history and current ones. Some of the well-known ones, and some of the lesser known ones. People like Mother Teresa, William Carey, the Apostle Paul, John, Augustine...and some missionaries out there on the field today.

It seems like they each have a pretty deep understanding of what grace found in Christ really is, and what it means. In turn, that has motivated these individuals to selfless action in pursuit of God's glory.

I don't even know if it's proper to say, for these subsequent actions in following the understanding of grace, that it's a "response" to grace. When people respond to things, the action tends to be limited. They do enough for what merits a response, and usually not much more. In addition, "responding" to grace is very human-centric powered. The real love that comes from these devoted saints I find it very hard to believe was somehow man-made.

I think I'm still a long ways off from really getting it. I really think this is true though:
The more we understand true grace found in Jesus, the more powerfully we are able to love.

I really want to get it. I'm still a long ways off. I think, however, a deep understanding of Christ's grace that motivates action in love has a lot to do with submission and yielding. To the point that the "love actions" that result from a person end up becoming something like extensions of Jesus Himself, working in these people. So in fact, ironically, it isn't the people loving at all.

Again, it's Christ. Full circle. Grace. Our ability to love. A beginning and an end.

And He somehow thought and wanted to include us in the process...