John 1:14,16,17 "And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth. And out of His fullness we all have received, and grace for grace. For the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the grace of God!"
He not only has grace, He is grace personified!
The grace of God was manifested first in the person of Jesus, and secondly, in the being of the Holy Spirit!
The outpouring of God's grace in the life of Jesus came forth in glory.
Jesus was, is, and forever will be full of the truth of grace, and the grace of God's truth!
When we're born-again, we become partakers of God's nature.
Our true nature is divine, because we're born of God, filled with God, and we're vessels of God.
Therefore, every Christian is filled with the truth and grace of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit fills us with God as His children, and the Spirit spills God through us as His servants!
Since our Heavenly Father is the God of all grace (1 Peter 5/10), He always has grace for everyone of His children, at any time, in any situation, to meet any need.
Hebrews 4/16 reminds us that God rests upon the throne of grace, which we can visit at any instant, to receive mercy for our mis-steps, and locate the needed grace to help us abundantly in time of need!
In His ministry, Jesus always obeyed His Father, and carried out His will.
We can do the same, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus only did that which pleased the Father, He did what He'd seen the Father do in visionary prayer, He only said to people what the Father had instructed Him to say.
Jesus came to set the captives free, to seek and save that which was lost, and to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 4/17 tells us that as Jesus is, so are we in this world, and we can have boldness in the day we stand before God at the Judgement seat of Christ.
Grace has done in us what the Law of Moses nor works of the flesh could ever do, it has made us one with God, and has filled us with Him!
Grace has completed (perfected and matured) us in God through union with Jesus (Colossians 2/10) and by grace, in Him we live, move, and have our being!
As the ambassadors of Jesus, we are representing Him here and now throughout our realm of influence.
We carry the truth of the grace of God from the God of grace, everywhere we go.
Everywhere we go, there the Spirit of the Lord is, looking to confirm the truth of the Gospel of Jesus, with signs, wonders, and miracles!
So, Beloved children, what would the God of grace do, what would grace do?
What can it do today, in us, to us, for us, with us, and through us?
Grace can heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils (Matthew 10/8).
Grace speaks the Truth of God in love, loves people unconditionally, and always pursues being about the Father's business!
Grace is always faithful, hopeful, joyful, and loyal.
Grace gives hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless, and joy to the depressed.
Grace loves the unloved, the unlovable, the unloving, and the loveless!
Grace longs to give sight to the blind, a speaking tongue to the mute, hearing ears to the deaf, and dancing feet to the lame.
The God of grace yearns to give life to the lifeless, victory to the defeated, strength to the weak, and prosperity to the impoverished!
Hebrews 13/8 tells us that Jesus, the grace of God Himself, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Verse 5 of that chapter confirms to us that grace, in the person of Jesus, will never leave us nor forsake us!
Grace is always able and willing to help people and to change them in the midst of changing their situations for the better!
Christopher Longgrear (D.Min., Ph.D.) of Fresh Fire Ministries International is senior pastor of Fresh Fire Church in Marietta, Parkersburg and Athens. Thoughts of Faith is a weekly column written by various ministers and lay people.
