02/28/2022
Joh 1:15-17 Darby (John bears witness of him, and he has cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me;) (16) for of his fulness we all have received, and grace upon grace. (17) For the law was given by Moses: grace and truth subsist through Jesus Christ.
Spiritually, we were destitute, blind, unclean, and dead. Our souls were in peril of everlasting punishment. But then came grace. God extended His favor to us. Grace is what saves us (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is the essence of the gospel (Acts 20:24). Grace gives us victory over sin (James 4:6). Grace gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). Paul repeatedly identified grace as the basis of his calling as an apostle (Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 3:2, 7). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace, coupled with truth (John 1:14).
The Bible repeatedly calls grace a “gift” (e.g., Ephesians 4:7). This is an important analogy because it teaches us some key things about grace:
First, anyone who has ever received a gift understands that a gift is much different from a loan, which requires repayment or return by the recipient. The fact that grace is a gift means that nothing is owed in return.
…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. — Romans 5:20
In the Old Testament actions (sacrifice) had to be taken in order to cover their sins by the blood of animals. When Jesus gave His life and shed His blood was the ultimate and final sacrifice for the remittance of our sins.
