Jesus full of grace and truth
If you were looking for a person with whom to form a deep and meaningful relationship, you may have the human quality of integrity somewhere high on your list. Would this person be there for you in life’s ups and downs; would they stay with you through difficulty, could you rely on them consistently? Would they set you a good example and bring out the best in you? Would you allow them to speak into your life, knowing they have your best interest at heart, even if what they say is sometimes not what you want to hear?
Of the 3 disciples closest to Jesus during his earthly life (Peter, James & John); John, the closest to Jesus said of his friend: ‘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’ (John 1:14).
The 2 qualities John attributes to Jesus are grace and truth. Grace has been quoted as: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense G R A C E. It’s often found with mercy and was shown supremely when Jesus was being tortured and killed, praying for God to forgive his persecuters. To have a friend who is always full of grace is an amazing privilege. We can access God’s grace for ourselves through Christ. John says Jesus is also full of truth. To have access to 100% undiluted truth is equally amazing but also scary. Truth can be a blessing but also can be used as a weapon and so must be handled responsibly. If Jesus is full of these 2 qualities, he will responsibly handle truth with grace on our behalf.
We need to know God is for us and not against us: grace is one aspect of the love of God for you & me; Jesus also says the ‘truth will set us free’ (John 8:32) in order bring us into the freedom of the sons & daughters of God (Rom 9:26). Please do join us for this important series (please look under ‘diary of events’ for different times and locations in September).
God bless you, Rob Pearson, Pastor
