Category Archives: Scripture

Christ came, full of grace & truth

Posted on by
Reply

JOHN 1:14 says, “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.”

This speaks of the incarnation (“God taking on human flesh”) of Jesus Christ. It is the climax of the prologue to John’s Gospel. It ends with the phrase “full of grace and truth.” What does this mean? While some think it refers to the moral character of the Lord Jesus Christ (which was/is gracious and truthful), others see it as describing the spiritual riches He brought into the world of men as Savior.

So thinks J. C. Ryle, who writes:

“He came full of the gospel of grace in contradistinction to the burdensome requirements of the ceremonial law. He came full of truth, of real, true, solid comfort, in contradistinction to the types and figures and shadows of the law of Moses. In short the full grace of God, and the full truth about the way of acceptance, were never so clearly seen until the Word became flesh, dwelt among us on earth, opened the treasure-house , and revealed grace and truth in His own person.”

Praise God for the coming of Jesus Christ!
pdb

Jesus is the reason for this?

Posted on by
Reply

In the midst of our culture’s materialistic fervor during the “holiday season” does it help for believers to chine in, “Jesus is the reason for the season”? I think Warren Cole Smith — (writing in WORLD Magazine) draws a helpful line for us….

I consider myself a “fellow warrior” with some of these folk. By that I mean that we agree on many things, and I would normally join them in their “culture war” fights. But on this one, please allow me to offer a dissenting view to the prevailing “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” mentality.

First of all, Jesus is most certainly not the reason for the orgiastic spending spree modern Christmas has become. I certainly think anyone should be able to say “Merry Christmas” if he wants to. But given what this holiday has become, there’s a part of me – a big part of me — that wants to keep the Jesus I worship as far away from this commercial debauchery as possible.

Of course the incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God, is the reason Christians celebrate Christmas — including the giving of gifts to one another. But this celebration of the incarnation is not an excuse for such Christless-commercialism and materialism (seeking happiness in possessions).

Remember the Word of Him who took on flesh and dwelt among us (Hebrews 13:5), “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

— pdb