Title: Grace upon grace/John 1:14-16
Contents Grace upon grace/John 1:14-16
Key Verse: “And from his fulness we all received, grace upon grace” (verse 16).
Word: On the 15th of last month, Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei returned to Earth in a spaceship called Shenzhou 14 times (500,000 km) in 21 hours, and emerged as a hero of 1.3 billion Chinese. After passing the 200:1 astronaut exam in 1996, he trained hard for 4 years and finally succeeded in space flight. It was the result of extraordinary training and hard work. This also applies to the spiritual world. In order for sinners to receive salvation and to become like our Savior Jesus Christ and fulfill their duty as saints in the field of life, they must receive grace upon grace.
First, sinners must receive the grace of redemption for eternal life. After Adam, everyone has become a sinner. Because of the original sin inherited from him, there is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But God, who is rich in mercy, sent his Son Jesus into the world as a scapegoat to bear our sins on him (Isaiah 53:6). The sin we committed with our ancestors, and Jesus took the punishment for that sin. Those who realize this grace of atonement and accept Jesus as their Savior become children of God (John 1:12). And you get eternal life. Since we have already been saved by the grace of redemption, we are those who have eternal life (Ephesians 2:8).
Second, believers who are saved by grace must receive the filling of the Holy Spirit through the Word and prayer (verse 14). Grace is the Holy Spirit, and truth is the Word of God (John 17:17). In order for believers to resist the temptations of sin and preach the gospel, they must be armed with the Holy Spirit and the Word (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus was also filled with the Holy Spirit, teaching about the kingdom of God, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and setting the oppressed free (Luke 4:18). The last thing he commanded his disciples was to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and be my witnesses (Acts 1:4-8). Only when the disciples devoted themselves to prayer, they received the filling of the Holy Spirit and became witnesses of the gospel. It is grace upon grace. We must grow to the full measure of Christ.
Third, a life that bears good fruit is grace upon grace. If Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, we are a branch on the vine and bear much fruit. It is a fruit worthy of repentance, with the praise of God and blessing on the brothers on the lips, evangelism to unbelievers, faithfulness in the work assigned to the church, and bearing the fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. is. Yang Liwei became a hero in China, but believers who are armed with the word of God and the Holy Spirit must win as a person who resembles Jesus until the day when they are rewarded as stars in the kingdom of God.
Prayer: God our Father, rich in grace! Fill us with the word of God and the Holy Spirit so that we can become more like Jesus and live a life of witness to the gospel. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer