Glorious Out Pouring of Grace

Grace is Deep

The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people!

John 1:14–18 NRSV

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

The glorious out pouring of God’s grace is the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Who came into the very world he created. The light of grace and truth stepped down into darkness, and the darkness couldn’t overcome it.

Last night or even this morning we were reminded of the darkness that still plagues God’s good creation. Brothers and sisters God poured out his glorious grace on us to be the light of grace and truth in the darkness, of our world. As we pray for our country, our elected officials, lets also seek God how we the church can be agents of his grace.

Almighty God, as we give thanks for your glorious out pouring of grace in our lives, how can we be agents of your grace? How can we shine the light of grace into the darkness we face? May your work of grace poured out on us and all creation be at work in and through your people.

Glorious Grace

Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition 1. Bless God for the Plan of Redemption in the past (1:3–6)

Christians not only are recipients of grace but also mediate grace to others

While there is a lot on predestination and election in this passage, grace is also at work. In this passage from Ephesians Paul begins to introduce the major theme of grace in this letter. Grace is at work in our world today through the prevenient grace of God calling others to follow him. Grace is at work in every heart that responds favorably. Grace saves us, but that’s not the end, grace is at work in and through us transforming us into christlikeness. God’s work of grace continues until Christ returns.

God has a predestined plan for his church and for all of creation. Through grace he is redeeming all of creation.

Until Christ returns who are we the church to be? We are agents of God’s grace. We are the hands and feet of Christ, sent to minister grace and truth.

Ephesians 2:8–10 NRSV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

We receive God’s grace through faith in the work of Christ. Through his blood he has redeemed us from the darkness of this world and called us into his marvelous light. It is by his grace he forgives all our sins according to the riches of his grace. Our salvation is completely a work of God.

God doesn’t call us from the darkness to stand on the sidelines, but to be agents of his grace at work in the world. By grace we are created new in Christ for good works, which God prepared before hand to be our way of life.

The state of our politics in this country is a reminder that God’s work of grace is far from over. The attempted assassination of the former president is a reminder that as agents of grace the way the church speak about things in our political environment must be seasoned with grace. We must be people of grace in all we say and do.

Be People of Grace

Colossians 4:6 NRSV

6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

No matter what we see in the news and how dark and divided our world looks, we must be people of grace. In the face of the evil in this world, may the glorious grace of God that is transforming us and all creation, be visible in all that we do.