| “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” |
| —John 1:16-17 |
How patiently did your parents behave toward you when you were a child? My parents had infinite patience with me. Only on the rarest of occasions did my father get angry with me. And, as far as I can remember, my mother never got angry. They were both firm in their expectations. But, anger directed toward me was not a common part of our family existence.
Over the years, I have had friends and acquaintances who did not fare so well in their upbringing. Several have recounted an almost constant sense of anger directed toward them. Sometimes that anger might have come from disappointment in their behavior. But, most of the time, the anger was fueled by alcohol, or mental illness, or a generalized dissatisfaction with life held in the hearts and minds of their parents.
In contrast, God remains infinitely patient with His dearly loved children. He created us so that He could fellowship with us. But, our sinful disobedience pushes Him away because the holiness of His nature cannot tolerate sin. Yet, in spite of our willful disobedience and our misbehavior, God has made provision through His Son, Jesus, to forgive our sins.
God has consistently poured out His grace on those He loves, beginning with His chosen people, the children of Israel—the Jews. Throughout the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures), we see time after time when God bestowed great grace on His set-apart people. He continues that caring, patient, love-giving nature with us “Christ’s-ones” who have been grafted into the line of David through the shed blood of Jesus.
Speaking of our Savior, Jesus, the Apostle John makes this declaration, as recorded in John 1:16-17:
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Through the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, God gave grace upon grace to His dearly loved people. He extended His magnificent love to Gentiles, granting them entrance into His family. He made those who believe in Jesus to become brothers and sisters with His chosen people, the Jews. That’s why the relationship between Christians and Jews has a preciousness that few today seem to understand.
We rely on God’s grace continually. Therefore, at the start of this new day, we need to rejoice in this constant outpouring of His mercy, love, and grace. We need to celebrate our oneness in Him. We need to sing praise to Him and glorify His precious and holy name.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, August 24, 2017
