A couple of blogs ago I overviewed “Grace and Truth” from John 1:17, which says:
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
In the Old Testament, on Mount Sinai, (Exodus 20) God provided the Israelites what we refer to as the “Ten Commandments.” In Galatians 4:24, Paul explains that Mt Sinai and Hagar (Ishmael’s mother) are allegorical representations of the law, which – if not followed perfectly – creates bondage or slavery to sin. Righteousness does not come from the Law.
In Galatians 3:23-29, Paul explains the purpose of the law to the believers in Galatia: “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
In the book of Hebrews, the writer explains with exquisite detail that the OT law and priesthood served as “the copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” (Hebrews 8:5). Further, he states that, “For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. … so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.” (Hebrews 7:18-19, 22)
In Hebrews 10, the writer focuses upon Christ’s sacrifice – once for all – “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, ‘THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM, He then says, AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.’ Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
The beauty and completeness and brilliance of what God did through Jesus is beyond anything I can describe in this blog. I do encourage you to read the book of Hebrews, as it marvelously describes Jesus’ fulfillment of the OT law.
It is against this backdrop that I revisit grace. In John 1:14, the apostle John writes, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus came “full of grace and truth.” And – again – John 1:17. . . “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
I have heard Graham Cooke say numerous times, “Grace is not unmerited favor, because if it is then Jesus didn’t have any.” I had to sit with this statement, ponder it, process it, for a while.
Graham would go on to say that grace is God’s “empowering presence.”
I have heard Sam Soleyn talk about grace. He eloquently describes grace as the “currency of the Kingdom.”
As I pondered these teachings, read scripture, asked God questions through the years about grace, my understanding has grown / matured.
The point of this current blog is to encourage you to consider / ponder for yourself the deeper, multilayered, Kingdom of Heaven meaning of the word “grace.” Please ask Holy Spirit. He is delighted to lead you into all truth. (John 16:13)
I cannot offer a definition. What I do offer is that the richness of what grace is; what the word encompasses; is much more complex and multidimensional than what most of us have been taught.
Consider this reality the next time you hear, “It is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4)
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)
