Divine Grace & Undeserved Treasures

Gifts of grace are those divine treasures God gives me that I do not deserve, and often grace is the lack of other so called, ‘treasures’ which I do deserve. Grace is free; it is not a prayer that I pray; it is the very essence of my life! Grace is my breath of life, and my very breath of real living! Grace tells me that all I have to do is breath. Grace is like drinking from a wellspring of living water out from which I need never thirst again.  Biblical grace is the full, satisfying, gratifying, uplifting, spirit and heart warming of Jesus Christ to my soul.   As a Christian, I see Biblical grace as the fullness of Christ Himself which I have received.

 (John 1:16 KJV)  And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.

John bares witness of Jesus in this verse and, he brings to light the cumulative nature of grace.  Of all that John the Baptist said, no finer, brilliant expression with words could be spoken concerning Jesus! We receive fullness in Him of “grace for grace.”  I want to briefly examine this expression, “Grace for grace!”, with the hope that someone will accept His gift today!  All you have to do is reach out and take it, and truly accept it as a gift!

Let me begin with a crude mind’s eye depiction of a bucket.  This container holds refreshing water in a desert land.  How fortunate and life giving it is to drink from this holy pail!  Now, I picture in my imagination my Savior who is ever pouring this water of life into my bucket. It is not long till my pail overflows in a Niagara fashion.  My imagery ever grows. I picture the awesome power of this water within; the stream not only spills over but causes my very bucket itself to grow. My bucket swells larger than my desert and overcomes it.  Grace for grace!

We all live under grace; this is true for saint or sinner.  The very breath I breathe is grace from God.  I am like that bucket of water in a desert.  However, Jesus comes to me with ‘Amazing Grace’ and changes my life (when I am in the seventh grade in an old fashioned revival meeting 46 years ago!)  and starts adding to my bucket.  Every day He adds grace to my thirsty heart, and my cup continually overflows.  Grace is cumulative and one day will take me to heaven.  Out of His fullness I receive ‘grace for grace’, blessing following after blessing!

(Acts 15:11 KJV) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

(Ephesians 2:5 KJV) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

(Ephesians 2:8 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

(2 Timothy 1:9 KJV) Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

(2 Peter 3:18 KJV) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

(Titus 2:11 KJV) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

(1 Peter 1:10 KJV) Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

The gifts of Christ are always cumulative. The amazing grace of Christ saved me, but through this grace for grace, I can say, “I was saved, I am saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved!”

The preposition ‘for’ also carries with it the idea of an exchange as in a sell. Jesus takes grace and every day exchanges it for newness in life. There is grace for every day of living. It is like the manna to the children of Israel.

(John 6:30-35 KJV Bible) They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? (31) Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. (32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (34) Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. (35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

The story is that Jesus is our bread from heaven. As God took care of the daily nourishment of the children of Israel, so does Christ, day by day, grace for grace! Every day is fresh and new in Jesus!

’Charis’ is the transliteration of the Greek word for grace, and it is found over 170 times in the New Testament. It denotes God’s favor. His favor in life, in salvation and in His many and manifold blessings to the Christian. We have received this ‘grace for grace’ His ‘fullness’ of ‘grace and truth!’ (John 1:14)

There are many thoughts stemming from this term, ‘grace for grace.’ My three favorites are:

1. Grace upon grace: this thought says that grace is added to grace and that one blessing is piled upon another! WOW!
2. Grace towards grace; This message says that grace is supplied towards the propagation of grace. (See Lightfoot). God wills that everyone receive this message of Christ. Grace is the means of grace!
3. Grace for (exchanging for) grace: This idea is sort of like “an eye for an eye.” (See Vincent’s Word Studies under Gospel of John.) The idea of ‘for’ is over against another like an exchange. An example is that Christ exchanged the grace of the law for saving grace. Christ’s grace is ever exchanging the new for the old. There is new grace each day for that day. Another WOW!

Finally, whereof does this grace originate? It is from His fullness! He is full of grace and truth. Indeed, I can say with Paul, “His grace is sufficient!”

• His grace is sufficient for every person!
• His grace is sufficient for every situation for every person!
• His grace is sufficient for every moment for every situation for every person!
• His grace is sufficient for me!

(Ephesians 2:8 KJV Bible) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: