I consider my life worth nothing to
me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord
Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's
grace.1
It is through Jesus we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. I stand in Grace not in my own righteousness, I did nothing, I stand hidden in Christ, it is what he did. I do love him because he first loved me. God chose me as his son, adopted me into his family, this is amazing grace. It is because of this grace I count my life nothing, as long as I testify to this gospel of grace. Jesus was full of Grace and Truth, he was the Word which became flesh and dwelt among us, the glory of the only begotten son of God. He came to give us this fullness of Grace and Truth, And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.2 God relates his grace like a father, son relationship, such is of trust and grace. The son's love for the father is perfected by the fathers love for the son, in such a relationship the son seeks to please the father, to be like him, to conform to his image, his fullness of Grace and Truth.
Faith is the means to our salvation, the end thing is salvation, it is by grace through faith we are saved. This the prophets inquired and prophesied of, through this grace salvation would come to us.3 This is amazing grace. God wants to give this grace to all people. What keeps people from accepting this Grace? faith and believing in Jesus is needed, but besides disobedience and unbelief what keeps people from believing? maybe we think it is to good to be true, this unconditional love, surely I must work for it. The enemy twists the truth. He is not about grace, he is the opposite; condemnation, accusations, fear, hatred, anxiety, confusion, and all kinds of things to distort the grace of God. He says things like; you have to work for God's love, then once you earn it you have to work hard to keep it. And be very very careful you might loose it as God will adopt you into his family but if you blow it he will kick you out.
The enemy portrays God as a dictator demanding obedience, my way or the highway, he turns God into an image like a man. You can't trust God. He tries to keep us from believing and then he tries to keep us from living; by putting us under a heavy burden. Boldly approach the throne of Grace, and receive Grace and mercy as needed.4 If I am saved by grace, then how should I live? under the law? surely not! His grace is sufficient for me. It is more than sufficient, it is through this grace sin has no more dominion over me.5 His love perfects me into following his word, his instructions. These are the words given to Jesus from the Father.6 Words that are alive and active, words of Grace and Truth. These words bring in a new covenant, in his blood, of salvation and relationship by Grace. This is how God really is, maybe you missed it, God is love, his fullness is grace and truth.
God's ways are not our ways. Jesus prayed to the Father; glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you. The Father had given him the authority to give eternal life to all who believed. He had glorified and accomplished the work that the Father had given him, such obedience in the flesh glorified the Father. But now Jesus says he seeks a higher glory. A higher glory than obedience, doing the will of the Father? He asks the Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.7 Amazing! He asks for another glory greater than this glory, such a glory was in the beginning with the Father; he was one with the Father, full in Grace and Truth. This glory the Father had sent him to give to us so we too could be one with the Father. This love perfected him to do the will of the Father in the flesh. To be full of Grace and Truth, would be glorious. We can abide in his love, and by our love for one another the world will know He is from the Father and we are his disciples.
This Truth was word from the Father, a Way to a relationship with the Father that gives everlasting Life. This word became flesh to give the good news of this gospel of grace. For by Grace are you saved. The glory that the Father had given him he gave to those whom the Father had given him, that they may be one even as we are one.10 So that they may be perfected in his love, like the Father and Son, he would love them as the Father loved the Son.11 The world will know the Father sent Jesus by such love. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. The name of God was made known to them by Grace and Truth. By our love we are made known, If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.12
Jesus desired that we would see his true glory, the glory that had been given to him by the Father, because the Father loved him,12 If we could capture the glory of the one true God, it would be Grace and Truth. I rejoice in my suffering because my hope is in the glory of God, much more, suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts. Oh Father may this love be poured into our hearts as to experience your fullness, let it overflow from us, may it pour into others, may we proclaim the good news, the gospel of grace and truth.
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.14
Overwhelmed
Faith is the means to our salvation, the end thing is salvation, it is by grace through faith we are saved. This the prophets inquired and prophesied of, through this grace salvation would come to us.3 This is amazing grace. God wants to give this grace to all people. What keeps people from accepting this Grace? faith and believing in Jesus is needed, but besides disobedience and unbelief what keeps people from believing? maybe we think it is to good to be true, this unconditional love, surely I must work for it. The enemy twists the truth. He is not about grace, he is the opposite; condemnation, accusations, fear, hatred, anxiety, confusion, and all kinds of things to distort the grace of God. He says things like; you have to work for God's love, then once you earn it you have to work hard to keep it. And be very very careful you might loose it as God will adopt you into his family but if you blow it he will kick you out.
The enemy portrays God as a dictator demanding obedience, my way or the highway, he turns God into an image like a man. You can't trust God. He tries to keep us from believing and then he tries to keep us from living; by putting us under a heavy burden. Boldly approach the throne of Grace, and receive Grace and mercy as needed.4 If I am saved by grace, then how should I live? under the law? surely not! His grace is sufficient for me. It is more than sufficient, it is through this grace sin has no more dominion over me.5 His love perfects me into following his word, his instructions. These are the words given to Jesus from the Father.6 Words that are alive and active, words of Grace and Truth. These words bring in a new covenant, in his blood, of salvation and relationship by Grace. This is how God really is, maybe you missed it, God is love, his fullness is grace and truth.
God's ways are not our ways. Jesus prayed to the Father; glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you. The Father had given him the authority to give eternal life to all who believed. He had glorified and accomplished the work that the Father had given him, such obedience in the flesh glorified the Father. But now Jesus says he seeks a higher glory. A higher glory than obedience, doing the will of the Father? He asks the Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.7 Amazing! He asks for another glory greater than this glory, such a glory was in the beginning with the Father; he was one with the Father, full in Grace and Truth. This glory the Father had sent him to give to us so we too could be one with the Father. This love perfected him to do the will of the Father in the flesh. To be full of Grace and Truth, would be glorious. We can abide in his love, and by our love for one another the world will know He is from the Father and we are his disciples.
This Truth was word from the Father, a Way to a relationship with the Father that gives everlasting Life. This word became flesh to give the good news of this gospel of grace. For by Grace are you saved. The glory that the Father had given him he gave to those whom the Father had given him, that they may be one even as we are one.10 So that they may be perfected in his love, like the Father and Son, he would love them as the Father loved the Son.11 The world will know the Father sent Jesus by such love. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. The name of God was made known to them by Grace and Truth. By our love we are made known, If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.12
Jesus desired that we would see his true glory, the glory that had been given to him by the Father, because the Father loved him,12 If we could capture the glory of the one true God, it would be Grace and Truth. I rejoice in my suffering because my hope is in the glory of God, much more, suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts. Oh Father may this love be poured into our hearts as to experience your fullness, let it overflow from us, may it pour into others, may we proclaim the good news, the gospel of grace and truth.
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.14
Overwhelmed