Beloved, today we stand together before the word of John 1:16 — "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." It is a short verse, yet within it lies a truth that runs through the whole of our faith. This morning, let us reflect on it together in three movements.
Grace freely received
When we look back over our journey of faith, the first truth we meet is that everything we have received is a free gift. Grace is not a reward we earned by doing well; it is love that flows from the very character of God.
Ephesians says it plainly: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Salvation is not our achievement but God's gift. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, and so God proved His love toward us.
Therefore we have nothing to boast of — only something to be thankful for. That we opened our eyes this morning, that we can sit together and worship here, is all grace given freely.
mindmap
root(("Grace is received, enjoyed, and then pas"))
("Grace freely received")
("Ephesians 2:8")
("Grace from His fullness")
("John 1:16")
("Grace passed on")
("2 Corinthians 9:8")Grace from His fullness
John confesses, "from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." The source of grace is the inexhaustible fullness of Christ. Whatever our circumstances, the spring of grace never runs dry.
The wells of the world run dry when we draw from them. But the grace that flows from the fullness of Christ never runs dry, no matter how much we draw. Rather, it is poured out fresh each day — grace upon grace.
Does your life feel like a dry wilderness right now? Do not lose heart. The source of grace is not your situation but Christ Himself, and His fullness is unchanged today.
Grace passed on
Grace received is not to be stored, but to be passed on. God makes all grace abound to us so that we may abound in every good work.
The Jordan, which flows onward to the sea, is alive; but the Dead Sea, which keeps and never gives, is lifeless. So it is with grace. Grace only received and never shared grows stagnant. But grace passed on grows richer still.
The grace we receive today is the beginning of grace that will reach someone tomorrow. This week, let the grace you have received flow to one person. Let us live our days upon grace, grace upon grace. Amen.