“And we all received out of His fullness,
and grace for grace.”
John 1:16 (LSV)
Grace flows from the fullness of Christ. In essence, God’s power is given to us to overcome, abound, and show His wonder in an ever-darkening world. Grace is given in our place of need; the greater the need, the more His grace is imparted.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16
Grace comes to the faithful, to those who are ever pressing to proclaim His glory.
“And God is able to make all grace to abound toward you, that in everything, always having all self sufficiency, you may abound to every good work…”
2 Corinthians 9:8 (LITV)
It is impossible to receive the grace of God without abounding in every good work that glorifies and honors Him. Grace is the foundation and spring of all ministry.
“Of this gospel I was made a minister
according to the gift of God’s grace,
which was given me by the working of His power.”
Ephesians 3:7 (ESV)
Grace is given for the life of the Body. To be a faithful steward of HIS grace requires that we minister His grace to our brothers and sisters.
“As every man hath received the gift,
even so minister the same one to another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
1 Peter 4:10
The grace of God flows downward to ALL who have received Him. To those who are faithful, He gives more grace.
“And we all received out of His fullness,
and grace for grace” (*see note below)
John 1:16 (LSV)
To deny His gift is to deny the Giver.
“And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear:
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you…”
Mark 4:24 (ESV)
Grace, as with every other gift from Him, multiplies as we give what He has given us. The “merciful receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7),
Christ exhorts us:
“Give, and good measure will be given to you, pressed down and shaken together, and running over, they will give into your bosom. For the same measure which you measure, it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:38 (LITV)
The life of every Christian is measured in their giving. Let us pay special attention to His Word: “the measure which WE measure” out to others is the determining measure that will be measured back to us! Ministry is simply giving to others His riches. The more we give of ourselves, the greater we receive “grace for grace.” (see note below)
Related Post: PODCAST – The Gospel of Grace
“This glorious life in which we are daily victorious over sin, daily using and scattering the unsearchable riches of Christ, daily helping others up to the throne-life, is within the reach of every reader of these words. God wants you to enter upon it; He has made every provision for it, and is at this moment urging you to enter upon it. The only thing for you to do is to receive the abundance of His grace and of the gift of righteousness. Open your heart and life, and He will fill it; dare to believe that He has filled it, even though you don’t feel it; and go forth to live a royal life, distributing the largess of His royal bounty!
But we must pour out as God pours in! Only so will He be able to trust us with His fullness. Our love to others, our willingness to help them, our forgivingness and patience must go to the point of self-exhaustion, if we would know the abundant life and the grace that flows over.”
– F.B. Meyer
†
Grace For Grace
Greek Study
*Note: “Grace for grace” John 1:16
Vincent’s Word Study: “We received, not New Testament grace instead of Old Testament grace; nor simply, grace added to grace; but new grace imparted as the former measure of grace has been received and improved. “To have realized and used one measure of grace, was to have gained a larger measure (as it were) in exchange for it.” Consequently, continuous, unintermitted grace. The idea of the development of one grace from another is elaborated by Peter (2 Peter 1:5), on which see notes.”
Brian Troxel
1 Corinthians 15:10 Amp
But by the [remarkable] grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me.
Grace is a disposition and attribute of the nature of God, for salvation and sanctification, gifting His divine enablement, His holy empowerment, working in us to change our capacities for work, suffering, and obedience.
Remarkable Grace! What a clear description of its wonder.
And to my comment, I gladly, gratefully add God’s grace He grants for the edification and enjoyment of His and our vitalmost union and increasingly, intimate abiding love communion, of which work, suffering, and obedience are manifestations of His effectual loving grace, even of Himself Who Is Love Almighty, the God of All Grace, the Holy One and the Justice Eternal.
Amen – hope you are well.
Amen! Thank You Lord for Your grace and mercy .
Now and forever!
How often we have felt unworthy of grace, and even more unworthy of more grace? The human heart and mind are limited to accept, much less expect for grace to work the way that it does for God, because we are not creatures to give grace when others need it from us.
Father wants to teach us what His grace looks like so that we can learn to have the grace to share with others.
Blessings Brian
BTW: I hope you are doing well.
Yes amen. Our growth in God is always determined by the measure of which we give to others. Years ago it came to me that we were and are created to be conduits of His grace, not storehouses. The conduit is only full by the flow of His Life through us – as with the widow in Elijah’s day, the oil stopped when there were no more empty vessels to fill. If we walk in cloistered circles, our hearts grow empty and often we fail to sense it.
Blessings
BT