Grace Upon Grace in Our Lives

Day By Day By Grace
Bob Hoekstra
January 2, 2011

Grace Upon Grace in Our Lives

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…And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for [upon] grace. (John 1:14, 16)

The grace of God is found in a person, Jesus Christ. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Through His Son, the Father now proclaims His full message. "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2). One of Jesus' titles is the Word. When He became a man, He was God's incarnate message, His Word to humanity. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." As the early disciples watched Jesus living His perfect life of godliness, they were looking at the glorious revelation of God's uniquely begotten (that is, virgin-born) Son. "And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father." His life was an overflowing demonstration of divine grace and truth: "full of grace and truth."

Jesus showed us the kind of life that God's grace could develop in us—a life of truth, a life of godly reality. Jesus came as the One to offer that fullness of grace to all who would trust in Him. Now for those who depend upon Him day by day, life is explained and developed "grace upon grace." God's grace first establishes a layer of forgiveness and spiritual new birth. Then, layers of growth, transformation, fruitfulness, victory, maturing, service, etc. are added as His grace is received by faith.

Oh, what fullness is available to us in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:9-10). Our wholeness of life comes from His fullness. Wherever we are in our spiritual pilgrimage, progress has come through receiving by faith from the fullness of His grace. Whatever remains to be accomplished must transpire in the same manner, receiving more fully of His fullness. Yes, daily Christian living is to be "grace upon grace"—upon grace, upon grace, upon grace—until we stand face to face someday with our Lord of grace!

Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to dwell among humanity. I worship You for the fullness of grace available in You. I appreciate so much the layers of Your grace that You have built into my life. I reach out to You with expectation for the grace needed in the days ahead. This I ask in Your holy name, Amen.