THE GRACE OF GOD IN TRUTH

Col. 1:6

Morning Meditations 6/12/17

Colossians 1:6 will be our meditation this morning: “Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:”

I believe all of us have a definition of grace. I have several and all of them are directed to explain a certain aspect of this great truth.

Grace is an aspect of the glory of God: Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 6 says “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Glory is that in any thing that calls for praise. It is the sparkle and beauty of the diamond. So Paul associates praise and glory with grace in this verse. I stand in awe when I realize that it is to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He has made me accepted in the beloved.

The grace of God in truth is that God at His own expense saved me and made me acceptable to Himself. Salvation does not make me acceptable to the world. It actually makes me more unacceptable to the World. It does make me acceptable to God. It is grace that made Him to be sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him. This is the grace of God in truth.

How far does the grace of God in truth go? It goes from its entrance into my life at the point of salvation to the day of presentation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul says in this same chapter and verse 22: “In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Col 1:22)..

I am absolutely overwhelmed by the love of God shed abroad in my heart at the contemplation of this truth. I need to pause and have an old-fashioned camp meeting spell at this point. Excuse me. I really didn’t want you to know that I lean toward jumping and clicking my heels together when certain truths flood my soul!

Think about what he says in this verse. He died that through His death on the cross He might present me holy, unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. That means when Jesus presents me before His Father that the Father will not be able to find the slightest flaw in me.

That is the grace of God in truth. Grace is the sparkle of the diamond of God’s glory. God has condescended to my lowly estate, embraced me by His love, satisfied Himself for my sins through the incarnation and death of Jesus on the cross, and has given me His own righteousness (Rom 5:17) that makes me holy, unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. This is the grace of God in truth.

The grace of God in truth also extends to that which is required of me to receive it. The preparation for its reception is the Word of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit that makes me see my need. Then God shows me the gospel which is His way of meeting my need. Then God invites me to receive His Son as my personal Saviour by faith which is non meritorious. When I receive Him as my Saviour and Lord, God makes me His child through the New Birth and leaves me in a state of peace, joy and awe. The grace of God in truth leaves me to praise Him alone for salvation. That does not leave room for me to praise the Baptists’ or any other denomination or my own good works. Those things do not even enter the picture. Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 21 says “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” It is not “in the church, the church be glory.” I love the church because it is the place where I hear the Word publicly. It is the place where we fellowship around the same truth that brought us all to salvation. It is a place of collective praise. All of us have been purchased by the blood of God (Acts 2028). It is the place where there is no difference racially or socially. The middle wall of partition has been removed. We are one in Him. I love the church. But the church is the body, He is the head. It is to Him be glory in the church.

The grace of God in truth leaves me to praise God alone for salvation. I will close this meditation with 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 30 and 31 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

May the Lord bless these words to your heart as He has to mine.

In Christ

Earl White, Gal 2:20