For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ.

I have had so many instances lately where people have given me grace, though undeserved. And it helps me, in small part, to understand the grace of God. The Jewish law was designed to point out the error of sinful ways. It was designed to help a community thrive through looking after each other and by keeping peace and structure in society. The Constitution of the US was founded on Judeo-Christian morals and laws (at its core is the Jewish law). Laws work because they set a standard of acceptable conduct and correct and (in extreme cases) punish those who fall below the standard. The Law was also full of rules showing grace and kindness. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭7‬ says this: “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”

But God saw that though the law was good, men were inherently evil and distorted the law to make it into something it was not intended to be. And so Jesus came and gave this inherently sinful human race great gifts — two of which were Grace and Truth. I love how the amplified version expands on the meaning of grace: “the unearned, undeserved favor of God.” We cannot work hard enough or give enough money to earn it, and we certainly don’t, as sinners in the face of an almighty and pure God, deserve it … but there it stands, a free gift. And Truth — what can be said about something that illuminates life in such amazing ways? When we understand who God made us to be (his precious and beautiful children), we realize that in his love he sent his Son to save us and pay for our sins, and we know that his wonderful plans for our lives are for good, then we can really dive into learning, with ears that can hear and eyes that can see, THE TRUTH!

So while Moses gave a very good gift of God to the Jews — The Law (much of which is still in use today), Jesus gave a much greater gift in modeling and teaching a life of truth and grace. And he has given those of us who choose to follow him with 100% commitment to his ways, power to become people of grace and truth. This is by his Holy Spirit living in our hearts, who is also called the Spirit of Truth We can really change from being trapped in sin to becoming freed up to love in grace and truth!

Hallelujah! Praise you, Lord Jesus! You have taken this sinful and broken man and are making me into one who seeks after opportunities to serve and bless others. And the more I seek you, the more complete in your grace and truth I will become. You truly give me “grace upon grace” each day, so that I can live a life of eternal impact and heavenly love.