JOHN 1:14-17 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
THEME OF THE DAY: GRACE, GRACE, GOD’S AMAZING GRACE. Please read today’s scripture again . . . slowly. What are the repeated words? What seems to be the main emphasis of the Lord Jesus becoming the Godman? In reading our Bibles, identifying repeated words is key to interpreting the meaning of the passage. And remember, the question never to ask, either in our private times in the Word or group settings, is “What does this mean to you?” That is a very dangerous and subjective approach. The best question is “What does God mean in this passage?” He has one meaning but often many applications.
So, what do we see as the emphasis in today’s scripture? It is the Lord Jesus coming to earth in the form of human flesh to reveal God’s grace and truth to a fallen world. And it is grace that isn’t just saving grace. It is keeping grace, restoring grace, forgiving grace, empowering grace, abundant grace, and is the grace always available to us in every trial, every circumstance, every relationship, and in every attack from the accuser of our souls, the devil . . .
“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God”” (Revelation 12:10).
When it comes to this enemy of our souls and his role as the accuser of our souls, he is extremely effective in bringing up our past, and we each have a past with many regrets and much remorse.
Yet, here is another aspect of God’s amazing grace . . . how it deals with our past. Please allow Stephen Yuille in his new book titled The Fullness of Grace show us this truth of God’s grace. It is his third book in the series 90 Days with the Puritans. I cannot recommend these devotionals more highly. They are available through Reformation Heritage Books. Now ponder from Dr. Yuille this amazing application of God’s grace . . .
“Can I ask you something? Has your past ever felt like it has a grip on you — like it just won’t let go? Maybe you find yourself replaying old failures. Wrong decisions you made, ways you fell short as a parent, opportunities that slipped through your fingers. Or maybe it’s not regret that haunts you, but pain — abuse, neglect, rejection, wounds that left marks whether others can see them or not. Or perhaps a personal loss weighs heavy on you. Grief over someone you loved. A relationship that fell apart. Maybe shame and guilt follow you around — leaving you wondering whether God wants anything to do with you. Here is something you need to hear: there is grace for all of that. Not just a little grace, but heaps of grace — in Christ! Are you struggling to stay faithful when everything in you wants to quit? There’s grace for that. Do you need courage to face your fears, power to say no to temptation, comfort when you’re drowning in sorrow? Grace, grace, grace, and more grace.”
“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16).
PRAYER: Father, I praise You for amazing grace that was freely given to such an undeserving sinner like me.
REFLECTION: God’s amazing grace far exceeds our heinous sin. Rejoice, don’t presume, upon such a truth.