To Encourage You

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Is there anyone in your life that you don’t like very much? Maybe there’s even someone that you despise, someone who every time you think of that person it’s a bad thought, and every time you talk about that person, the words are negative. Maybe you just can’t stand them because of who they are, what they’ve done, or even more, what they’ve done to you personally or to someone you love, especially if you or they have done nothing to deserve it!

One of the most awesome things about Jesus is that He is full of truth, and yet full of grace. He knew everything about everyone when He walked on earth, and He knows everything about everyone right now. He knows every evil thought, and every word you and I have ever said. He knows every time we’ve taken His name in vain, every time we’ve sinned against Him, every time we’ve broken His law, every time we’ve lusted, or stolen, or harmed someone with our words or actions. Yet he is full of grace.

Grace – unmerited favor. Jesus is full of this. Being full of something means that there’s no room for anything else. You can’t be full of grace and full of anger against someone. You can’t be full of grace and full of spite and bitterness, or full of anything else that is negative, including full of yourself. Yet, you can be full of grace and truth or full of grace and love, or full of other things that are Christ-like, like kindness or gentleness or patience, because being full of grace implies one is full of all these other things as well.

But someone might say, it was Jesus that was full of grace. Surely no mere human could be this way. Well then, what about Stephen, who the Scriptures say was a man “full of grace” (Acts 6:8). He proved this as he was being stoned by those who hated him for simply telling them the truth. Among his last words before he died were “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). He not only didn’t wish harm on them, he wanted what was best for them. Stephen was a man full of grace.

To be Christ-like is to be full of grace. And that’s exactly what God wants for us.  Did you know that the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, has prayed that each and every believer in Jesus Christ would “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).  Isn’t that an awesome truth? Father help us to be full of grace rather than full of ourselves and all the negative attributes that come with it.