Chuckle:
The last fight was my fault though.
My wife asked "What's on the TV?" I said "Dust!" --Red Skelton
Quote:
"When I say 'I'm a Christian,' I am
not holier than thou. I'm just a simple sinner who received God's grace,
somehow!" --Unknown
origin
"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, God's grace is the means 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.
Our basic
passage tells us 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 13:4b NIV), or "I will be with you always, to the very end
of the age" (Matthew 28:20b NIV).
Love, Jerry &
Dotse
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