Friday, December 5, 2014

December 6, 2014

"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 1:14

The Baby Jesus was sent from Heaven to be the voice of God to this world.

The Baby Jesus was sent from Heaven to be the vision of God to this world.

And, the Baby Jesus was sent from Heaven to bring the victory of God to this world. Jesus came "full of grace and truth". How do grace and truth bring victory?

Let me suggest four significant ways truth and grace will bring you victory. Four key words are:

Reality
Repentance
Regeneration
Relationship

Truth connects you with reality. The purpose and power of truth is to anchor your life to reality. Whatever is most real to you will determine what is true for you. The best example in support of that claim is Adam. He became susceptible to rebellion against God the moment he lost touch with the truth that God is Ultimate Reality because He came first, He created everything that is real while everything else apart from Him is unreal and temporary.

Adam believed the implied lie from the lips of the serpent, "God wants to keep you from knowing what He knows. You will not surely die."

Grace would have kept Adam from erring from the truth. 

How? 

When the serpent caused Adam that moment of doubt about God's nature, Adam should have extended God the benefit of the doubt.

God gave you the benefit of the doubt when He sent Jesus "full of grace and truth" to call you back to His truth and reconnect you to what is real and eternal.

Truth calls you to repentance. Once God's Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, convinces you of His truth it convicts you of your lies. But, at the same time His truth condemns you, His Spirit calls you to His grace so that His compassion seems more real than your condemnation! His grace leads you repentance for believing lies and reconnecting with His truth!

Repentance leads you to regeneration! When you turn from your sinfulness by believing His truth and receiving His grace, the Holy Spirit brings His life into your spirit! That "born again" experience is known as regeneration. 

Once you are alive in Christ by His Spirit, you are brought into a personal relationship with Christ. He steps in and fills that huge empty place in your heart by gracing you with His love, His peace and His presence!

God will become real to you as He speaks to you and as you hear His voice. God becomes real to you as He listens to your voice. You will become aware of an eternal spiritual reality. What you can't see with your eyes will become more real than those things you can see! What you hear from God will have the ring of truth and keep you grounded in His reality.

The old saying is true - truth hurts! That is why truth must be coupled with grace because grace helps!

Aren't you glad that Jesus came from Heaven full of "grace AND truth"?