(Audio)
From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace,
because while the law was given through Moses,
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Moses was a great figure but he was limited. He was able to receive the law from God and deliver it to the people. But that law itself did not have power. Without the ability to change hearts that law could only condemn. It did so inflexibly and pitilessly for it was merely a written word that could need speak specifically to individual situations.
The greatness of Jesus was that he was able to bring grace and truth to mankind. Being God from God Jesus was himself the lawgiver. What he asked was more than mere adherence to the law. He showed the true purpose of the law by requiring a dynamic adherence to the one who created the law in the first place. The first choice was no longer will I do or not do this or that moral and immoral act. The first choice was now whether or not to accept Jesus himself.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believe in his name,
who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
It is only the grace flowing actively in the context of this relationship that makes it possible for us to keep the law. Only as children of God does the law take on its true meaning. From a written code condemning us our view of the law changes. We now see a spiritual code governing our family household, designed, not to condemn us, but to preserve our family life together.
Only the word made flesh, the word who was in the beginning with God, who was himself God could bring us the grace we need. All humans were too finite, too limited to make the permanent and ontological change necessary in the human story. Humans were able to receive and deliver words and acts from God. But while these had limited value for a time, lasting change needed the grace upon grace that only God could bring. Human life was insufficient. God raised it up by filling his people with his own life and made possible true fulfillment for humankind.
The grace of Jesus Christ keeps us safe even now. Deceivers, "antichrists" have appeared that would have us place our hope in literally anything but Jesus. But grace is our guardian. It keeps us safe from the lies and wickedness and snares of the enemy.
But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One,
and you all have knowledge.
I write to you not because you do not know the truth
but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth
The Father has made us his sons, brothers and sisters of Jesus. Our family is invincible as long as we avail ourselves of the protection it offers. Let us remain in grace. Let us grow in it more and more for indeed we are tempted to fall back upon our own resources constantly. But the grace of God, if we trust it, is always enough.
The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
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