God's Never Ending Grace

Chuckle: A kind woman watched a small boy as he tried to reach the doorbell of a house. Thinking she should help, she walked up and rang it for him. “Okay, what now?” the woman asked the boy. “Run like crazy,” he answered. “That’s what I’m gonna do!”

Ponder This: “Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father , full of grace and truth . . . From the fullness of his grace we have all received (one) blessing (grace) after another" (John 1:14, 16 NIV).

God's grace is an amazing attribute of his character. Literally, "grace" is getting what we do not deserve -- or more than we deserve. Grace should not be confused with "mercy," which is not getting what we deserve, or "justice," which is getting what we deserve. Initially, it is God's grace whereby we are saved: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

As important as God's grace is for our salvation, there is much more of his grace available to us every single day. Remember, God wants each of us to experience a life full of joy and peace. He wants us to have the absolute best and fullest life that only he can give us. See John 10:10.

In our basic passage, we are told that Jesus came full of grace and truth. God's "grace" springs from his never ending boundless love and generosity. "Truth," on the other hand, stresses God's determination to be consistent, reliable, predictable, and trustworthy in his dealings with us. You can trust all the promises of God recorded in his Word. You can take them to the bank, so to speak. Grace without truth would make it meaningless. In declaring the character of God, Jesus combined an infinite tenderness toward us, as sinful people, with an unswerving fidelity and faithfulness.

Also, notice that God gives us his grace followed by even more grace -- one portion of grace after another. The flow of God's grace is like the waves of the ocean. One wave of grace is followed by another wave of grace over and over again. God's grace is never ending. Once the gift of God's grace is received, it never stops flowing and growing. God wants us to be conscious of his grace and draw upon it daily for strength, peace, and comfort. And, as the God of truth, he wants us to trust him implicitly and rely upon his promises. Promises like: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5b NIV), or "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b NIV).

Love, Jerry & Dotse