SOUNDING OUT:
God’s Only Begotten Son, Full Of Grace and Truth
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Jesus was unique in all history because he was the only one to not have soul-life passed down from Adam. Instead, God made a sperm and placed it within Mary. Like the first Adam initially, Jesus, the last Adam, had sinless blood. Unlike the first Adam, however, Jesus lived a sinless life and maintained his pure blood which he shed for us as a sacrifice for sin for all time.
John 1:14-17:
And the Word was made 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.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
  Jesus Christ brought grace and truth (Romans 5:15). How wonderful to have received of his fullness (Colossians 2:9&10). The phrase “grace for grace” is in many translations, “grace upon grace.” We have received grace upon grace. God’s Word is replete with God’s grace—there’s no end to His graciousness to us. What Jesus Christ accomplished for us is so big, we will never fully fathom it. However, God wants us to get an experiential understanding of it that can continue to grow throughout eternity, and there is no place to learn of it apart from His wonderful matchless Word.
2 Peter 1:3:
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
  God has given unto us all things that pertain to “life and godliness.” “Life” covers things on a horizontal level with our fellow man and “godliness” covers things on a vertical basis between God and us. The Word presents everything we need to know on a horizontal level (how to interact with each other) and also on a vertical basis (how to interact with our heavenly Father). So many of the great realities of life, love, grace, peace (to name only a few) have both horizontal and vertical aspects.
  The relationship we have with God is established and maintained by and in His grace.
Ephesians 2:8:
For by grace are ye saved….
2 Timothy 2:1:
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
  Similarly the relationship we have with each other within the body of Christ must also be established and maintained by grace.
Acts 2:47:
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
  In this first Great Statement in Acts 2:47 we see both vertical and horozontal aspects. God summarized the lives of the early believers as “praising God” and “having favour with all the epople.” The words “having favour” may also be translated “operating, using, sharing or living grace.” Their response to God’s grace was to praise Him and to share that grace with one another. These men and women were not only saved by the grace of God and enjoyed a gracious relationship with their heavenly Father, but GRACE was also the standard by which they related to one another. They extended the same grace to one another that they received from God.
  Paul came on the scene a few years later and having received grace and apostleship (Romans 1:5) ministered to God’s people the gospel of the grace of God. He never forgot God’s grace and acknowledged its importance and impact on his life.
I Corinthians 15:1:
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
  Paul’s life was dynamically changed by the grace of God, and he stood fast in that grace and ministered it to God’s people. May we, like Paul, realize the grace of God and let it profoundly impact our lives.
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In the words of Chuck Swindoll let’s have a Grace Awakening and enjoy newness of life acknowledging the grace of God.
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