THE LIFE JESUS CAME TO GIVE
There is a “Greater Grace” than the Grace of Old.
Romans 15:29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. (KJV)
What an incredible thought that the Apostle Paul wrote in this scripture!
Fullness means “abundance, full” - like a ship filled with freight and all the sailors needed to manage it.
Blessing means “extension of benefits or largeness, a concrete blessing or benefit praises to God.
Gospel means “news that is too good to be true, yet it is true!”
When we consider the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ and look at all the amazing things that Jesus has done for us, we have to ask the question, why? What kind of love is this? What qualifies us for this great blessing? In reality, how does a person come into the life that Jesus came to give?
John 1:16 (Amplified) For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. 17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.
This is why the Gospel is news that is too good to be true - none of us deserve it, no one can earn it, but Jesus Christ has freely given abundant life to all who believe. We have freedom from sin, healing, peace, prosperity, guidance…. He is a friend who will never leave us or forsake us and He has conquered all the power of the enemy! We are victorious in Jesus. One grace after another, blessing on blessing!
The Old Covenant had a grace but there is a greater grace for that grace!
2 Corinthians 3:10 Indeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor [[a]the glory of the Law in the face of Moses] has come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it [[b]the glory of the Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ]. (AMP)
The grace we receive from Christ changes us into His image - from glory to glory, grace to grace! As we receive His grace and understand the greatness of His love towards us, we begin to see a glimpse of the fullness of God.
The fullness of the blessing of the gospel is not found in the works of the law. It is not found in religion; it is not found in the letter of the law. It is found in the spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus! We follow after Him and the grace we have received from Him now is grace in us answering back to the grace in Him.
Ephesians 3:17-20 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (according to the understanding of His great love towards us.)
Understanding the love of God is the key to living the life that Jesus came to give! It is not being rooted and grounded in religion, not rooted and grounded in good works, not rooted and grounded in the law, but rooted and grounded in love. To be rooted, let’s refer to the roots of a plant. It is that part of the plant that develops and as it develops it grows downward enabling the plant to become anchored, or “grounded.” When we become rooted and grounded in Christ’s Love, we have allowed this love to have its perfect work in us developing us to where we are mentally and emotionally stable or “grounded” in His Love.
In the springtime people transplant flowers, trees and shrubs and for a little while those plants go into shock but soon they flourish with the warmth of the sun. I know that even in my own life, I discovered that although I had been taught about the love of God, my life was not rooted and grounded in love. Several years ago, just one week after Easter, the Lord touched my wife Jane and I, as our eyes were opened to the truth - Jesus came full of grace and truth and this encounter revealed His love to us in a very profound way.
Ephesians 3:18 - comprehend: to have full strength to lay hold with the mind – “what is the breadth, and length and depth and height of the love of Christ”
The life that Jesus came to give is laid on the foundation of love. There are many trials and tribulations that come in life. Some people find themselves in the midst of a life that was laid on the foundation of religion, or on the foundation of the failure of man. But it doesn’t matter where we came from or what our background is because, by the power of the spirit of God, everyone can be rooted and grounded in the love of God!
Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Here are two Greek words: knowing: to know experientially and intimately as a husband and wife know each other and knowledge: moral or mental wisdom
So Paul is telling us that we may know experientially and intimately that which cannot be known morally or with mental knowledge and wisdom. Christ's love can only be known by revelation. A person cannot study and find out how much Jesus loves them because it is not found in the realm of mental or moral wisdom! The Apostle Paul was praying for them to have an overwhelming, saturating experience of how much Christ loves them.
Rom 15:29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. John 1:16 NLT We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us — one gracious blessing after another.
Experiencing the unconditional love of Christ takes us beyond an ordinary life. His great love takes us into an incredible experience called life more abundantly! When we try to understand it mentally it becomes impossible to understand, but as we experience it, His love changes us little by little and day by day until soon we are so filled with His love that it begins to overflow from deep within the fabric of who we are out into the lives of other people unconditionally!
Superior in quality and a superabundant quantity of life. This is how we are filled with all the fullness of God himself. God is love! Come, experience and believe!
This is the life that Jesus came to give!
