Verse of the Day 3/20

 

John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Occasionally I'll listen to Christian financial advisor Dave Ramsey on the radio.  I always enjoy to hear someone ask him the simple question "how are you doing?"  Invariably, his response will be "better than I deserve.  It is the response of a Christian who admits that he is a sinner who has been saved by grace.  It is not of himself, it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.  It is all grace. 

 

We may think that many of the nice things that we enjoy in life are things we deserve, that we've worked hard for.  To some extent that may be true, but when it comes down to it, God gave us those talents, he gave us our minds and our bodies that enable us to do whatever we do.  It all comes back to this grace "heaped" upon us, out of the overflow of His mercy and loving kindness.

 

E. Schillebeeckx writes, "The history of salvation, the word, and holy scripture together form one single continuous activity of grace, which appears to us in a historical and tangible form."  The non-Christian doesn't understand this, can't wrap their minds or arms around it.  The Christian embraces it with all that he has, it is bedrock, foundational.  It is real, it is a gift from God, "this one of a kind God -Expression" (The Message) came from the heart of the Father who has made Him "plain as day", full of truth and grace.

 

May we realize and be thankful for his generous bounty, gift after gift, day after day.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

 

John 1:16-18The Message (MSG)

^16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding—
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
    No one has ever seen God,
        not so much as a glimpse.
    This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
        who exists at the very heart of the Father,
        has made him plain as day.