The Gift of Grace

14 And the Word 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. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. John 1:14-18

Imagine receiving a big, beautifully-wrapped gift when there is no special occasion. The sender simply chose to do this for you. Inside the package is something very special. Eagerly, you read the card to discover who could have been so generous. To your amazement, you learn the giver is someone you have been avoiding and to whom you have been unkind! What do you do?

This gift giving is a picture of the Father’s grace in sending His Son Jesus to earth for us. There was no special occasion. God simply had the desire to do it. The present arrived, despite the fact we were either passively ignoring the Lord or actively rebelling against Him. This is grace… God’s goodness and kindness extended to those who do not deserve it and have no possible way to earn it.

In the Son, we see the fullness of God’s kindness revealed. First, Jesus has fully met all the requirements of divine law by living a perfect life on earth. Second, because of His sinless life as a man, He was qualified to pay the cost for our rebellious ways. Third, Christ sacrificed His life on the cross to pay for all our sins— past, present, and future. Fourth, when we receive Him as our Savior, God counts Jesus’ death as payment for all we have done wrong. Fifth, upon our salvation, Christ’s perfect life is counted as our own. His righteousness becomes ours through faith.(Romans 4:5)

What will you do with God’s gift of grace? Will you refuse it, or say, “Thank You” and take steps to know Him? And if you already do know Christ, have you been taking Him for granted?

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful gift of grace through Your Son Jesus Christ! I could never do enough to earn it, and yet You lovingly gave it. Help me to never take it for granted, and keep my eyes always focused on You! Through Your Word, I will learn more and more about You. I consider it a privilege and a high honor to serve You all the days of my life, simply for the gift of grace! In Jesus' Name~Amen