And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:16-17

The contrast of law and grace in the above verse calls to mind that law exposes man’s inability to live Holy lives by our own effort, while grace reveals God’s sovereign mercy in forgiveness of men’s sin through Jesus Christ:

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:20

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.

Lamentations 3:22

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:12-13

The other Word in the verse which stands out as equally relevant in the delivery of the blessing of eternal salvation, is “truth” and it also “came by Jesus Christ“, and is mentioned earlier in verse 14: “we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.“.

  • Truth is essential to acknowledge the fullness of a debt so that the fulness of payment can be made.
  • Truth is not subject to the corrupt thoughts of man.
  • Truth is The Light that reveals the Way to God.

The Pharisees had misused God’s Word and their responsibility of shepherding God’s people, they hid The Truth so that those they taught were their slaves,

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte (convert to Judaism), and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Matthew 23:15

But whether it’s the Pharisees, a preacher today, or any person claiming to deliver God’s Word, “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” John 7:18. Note that the first half of this verse is speaking of men as identified with lower case “himself” and “him” whereas the second half is speaking of Christ and God as indicated by capitalisation in the text “He“, “One” and “Him“; this example set by Christ is to be applied by each of His children so that “truth” (Jesus) is delivered, people are freed and God is glorified, so that man becomes less and Jesus is seen for more of Who He Is!

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:31b-32

Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” He is the “lamp to our feet and a light to our path.”, if we’re meditating on Jesus Christ The Truth, the pleasures and cares of the world won’t occupy our lives and we’ll be experiencing the peace, freedom and joy of producing fruit for God’s glory and our present and eternal salvation which has been paid for us with His blood.

God tells us what we should do with The TRUTH that’s been delivered to us in Jesus Christ:

these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 
You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way,
when you lie down,
and when you rise up. 
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand,
and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

If we’re meditating on Jesus Christ, He governs our thoughts, actions, words, location and what we look at when we lie down, rise up, work and relax, and we agree with God’s Word delivered through the writer of Song of Solomon:

Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down in his shade with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Song of Solomon 2:3

APO 10Mar2024