Beach Reach Devotional | Wednesday
John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This morning, my invitation is for you to meditate on the glory of Jesus and the fullness of grace and truth found in him. This verse ends with an interesting description of Jesus; his glory (the visible revelation of his character and nature) is full of grace and truth. Jesus perfectly embodies complete grace and compassion but does not compromise truth or discard reality. He is full of truth, justice, and righteousness and yet extends free favor to those who deserve judgement. Jesus’ glory is revealed all through his life. As we will consider more shortly, Jesus, the holy and sinless one, was truly a friend to sinners. The most incredible display of the fullness of his grace and truth is found at the cross. The hard truth is, we all deserve God’s wrath for our sin. So how can God be so gracious to sinners? At Calvary, God’s justice was satisfied. Jesus took our place and thus, God’s truth is upheld! Through him, grace is justly extended to all who believe! All praise to our God who is full of grace and truth!
Spend a few minutes worshipping Jesus: Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
As you have interacted with partying college students this week, what emotions and reactions have been stirred up towards them? I have found often that these interactions expose the sinful dispositions of my own heart. As you have encountered the darkness on the island, you have possibly been tempted to judge those you meet. At times, I have justified myself like the Pharisee in Luke 18 saying, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men,” drunkards, adulterers, or these partiers. In these interactions, sharing the truth seems easy but I lack grace and struggle to truly be a friend. Alternatively, you may be hesitant to start spiritual conversations, intimidated by the thought of identifying as a Christian among partiers. The fear of seeming judgemental keeps you from speaking the truths of the Gospel. In these cases, we befriend and relate but are slow to move toward spiritual conversation. Grace is extended but truth is withheld. If any of this feels relatable, you aren’t alone. In myself, I so often see a shortage of grace or truth or both.
Thankfully, we have a gracious God who will always be true to his word. We can approach him with confidence and find grace to help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)! If you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit is with you to help you and transform you to be like Christ! He is our great example and so, we are going to consider a few of Jesus’ interactions with sinners, especially those most condemned by the religious elite. As you read, consider the questions below and seek God in prayer for help to be like Jesus!
Luke 5:27-32 - Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector
Luke 7:36-50 - A sinful woman is forgiven
Luke 19:1-10 - Jesus and Zacchaeus
John 4:1-30 - Jesus and the Samaritan woman
What does this passage reveal about Jesus and his heart towards the lost?
Where am I tempted to act, speak, or think differently from Jesus?
Pray and ask God to help you and our group to be transformed into Jesus’ likeness, full of grace and truth