Jesus Is…, 28

~ Jesus Christ Is Full of Grace ~

Passage  ~  “And the Word [Jesus Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:8). 

Significance  ~  “Grace and Truth” is a fascinating pairing. 

Grace and TRUTH:  Emphasis on Truth without equal emphasis on Grace would condemn us for who we are and what we have done—it would condemn us eternally. 

GRACE and Truth:  Emphasis on Grace without equal emphasis on Truth would condemn us to remain who we are—it would also condemn us eternally. 

Grace AND Truth:  This is the necessary and correct balance! 

Comment  ~  Jesus Christ is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).  One of my favorite definitions of Grace is the acrostic:  God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.  This is a great summary of The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Grace is receiving something good which is undeserved—theologians often describe grace as “unmerited favor.”

the key question:  “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).  This is the most important question you will ever answer.  If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Jesus Is…, 13

~ Jesus Christ Is Full of Grace ~

Passage  ~  “And the Word [the Living Word—Jesus Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Significance  ~  The classic Biblical definition of grace is “unmerited favor.”  Others have stated it as “getting that which you don’t deserve.”  I would add that it is “receiving good that you don’t deserve” (as opposed to mercy which I define as “not receiving something bad which you deserve”).  One acrostic which has been used to define grace is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”

the key question:  “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).  This is the most important question you will ever answer.  If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Love, 5of9

~ Divine Love Is Grace ”For You” ~

“Grace”  ~  The most common definition of grace is in Christian circles is probably “unmerited favor.”  Grace is a simple, but often misunderstood word.  In my simplistic thinking I define grace as “receiving something good which I did not deserve.”  (It is the opposite of mercy which is “not receiving something bad which I do deserve.”)  Also, consider a GRACE acrostic: “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”

Consider God’s love “for you” based on the 4 U’s below…

Unmerited (not that we loved God)  ~  “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

Unlimited (God so loved the world)  ~  Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:14-17).

Undeserved (while we were yet sinners)  ~  “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

Unchanging (an everlasting love)  ~  “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:  ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you’” (Jeremiah 31:3).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .