THURSDAY: WHAT IS GRACE?

Dec 29, 2022
2 min read

Lord, thank You for sending me Jesus to teach me about Your grace and Your truth. I pray He will fill me full of both grace and truth, so I can shine for You!

John 1:14-16

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John the Baptist testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

In order to see the glory of Jesus, I need to recognize His grace and His truth. Through His truth, I see my sin and know I am a sinner. Through His grace, I realize He died for me, forgives my sin, and motivates me to live in obedience to Him.

The hard truth is that without His grace, I am destined for hell, eternal separation from God. There is nothing I can do to earn His grace. I cannot earn His grace through good behavior or good works. His grace is a free gift and is given to all who believe in Him.

The abundant life Jesus brings comes out of His fullness. Jesus is so full of life, righteousness, power, and wisdom, that He overflows these blessings onto me when I repent of sin, accept His truth, and recognize His grace through faith.

John the Baptist realized that a humble heart toward God is at the root of grace. Once I humble myself and look to the One who is before me for the answers, I can stop trying to figure out my future and my answers in life. I recognize the truth while understanding His grace.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: If I approach the people I know simply with the truth, yet without grace, I show them only the law. The law gives me truth, but it has no grace. It tells me that as I disobey the law, I am condemned.

If I approach people simply with grace yet without truth, I only exercise tolerance. Tolerance does not recognize sin; it proclaims acceptable any truth I choose to believe. This negates the need for Jesus’ sacrifice for me on the cross; if there is no sin, there is no need for a Savior.

Lord, today I recognize Your truth: I am a sinner. You have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. The law says there must be a sacrifice for sin; You have chosen to be that sacrifice and give Your life as a payment for my sin. Now, that is grace! Thank You, Lord, for both Your grace and Your truth!

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman