THE "GOSPEL OF GRACE"
The Gospel of Grace is not a gospel about the subject of "grace," but it is the Gospel about Jesus. The Good News (The Gospel) is not about "grace," but it is about JESUS who through His sacrifice made the unmerited mercy and favour of God available to all sinners. The subject of "grace" does not stand by itself, because without Jesus there is no grace; grace flows from Jesus; so, in reality, people of grace are not all about "grace," but they are all about JESUS.
John 1:14 says that Jesus was "full of Grace and Truth."
John 1:16, 17 "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
There is a LOT here to chew on here and be blessed by. Let me just share these three things:
1. Moses brought the law, but Jesus brought grace and truth. Not only did Jesus bring "grace and truth," but He was FULL of grace and truth. From Moses until Christ, God's truth was revealed through the law, but that revelation of truth was always followed by something called "judgment." One could rightly say that "Moses came with truth and judgment." Jesus also came with truth, but in His case, "Mercy triumphed over judgment," because He came with GRACE and TRUTH.
It is because He came with TRUTH, that Jesus does not gloss over the sins of humans. He does not take sin lightly, but he paid a dear price for our sin by becoming the bearer of our sins. It is by becoming our sin-bearer that He can give us grace. It is only in Him, the crucified sin-bearer, that we find the synergy of truth and grace. It is in Him that we find grace that gives us not only forgiveness from sin but also victory over sin; but our way to that victory is through our experience of conviction, contrition, and repentance. There is nothing negative about repentance, because for a believer, repentance is our acknowledgement and reminder of our nothingness in our own selves, and of the total victory that is ours in Christ.
2. We have received of His fullness, and grace upon grace. Grace multiplied over and over! And all this though the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we just talk about "grace," it becomes another theological matter that is up for debate. It becomes religion, dead, and lifeless. We can end up as so-called "grace people" walking around with no evidence of the amazing grace of God in their lives.
Let us instead be "Jesus people," focused upon JESUS. He is the one from whom all truth and grace flows. It is our daily experience of Him and our fellowship with Him that brings daily growth and sanctification into our lives through His TRUTH.
And then His GRACE carries us, causing us to overcome our own weaknesses, and the works of satan; as we walk victoriously and serve Him, bearing fruit for His Glory.
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" 2 Pet 3:18
"It is good that the heart be established by grace" Heb 13:9
Originally posted on Facebook by Pastor Christopher Alam