Imagers of God through Jesus Christ

John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. There’s a pointed contrast in this statement by the Holy Spirit through the apostle John. When the Word of God was given through Moses, grace and truth did not come into being. That’s the idea conveyed in the word translated as "realized.” The Greek root word is similar to our English words genesis or generate. So the idea is that the Law had a flaw. It could not enable one to see or understand both grace and truth. The Law does manifest the truth, but there’s no place for grace in its administration. Many people feel that way about Christianity. They see it as a bunch of do’s and don’ts, which fails to give one an understanding of God’s grace. If you think living to love with Jesus is a law or a standard that you have to live up to in your own strength to be accepted by God, then you don’t really know Jesus. He revealed what James called the royal law or the law of liberty (2:8, 12). When Jesus came, He didn’t replace the truth in the Law; He fulfilled it with grace, thus grace and truth are realized through Him. Having His life in us, we love the truth. We love what He loves, which is righteousness. Heb. 1:9 says, “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.” Because Jesus lives in us, He gives us the desire and the power to love, and it’s not burdensome to us. We see the truth in God’s Word given to us through Jesus, and we receive the grace to walk in it through Jesus. So we live to love with Jesus because grace and truth are realized through Him. Do you get it? Maybe we can see grace and truth more clearly when we read about the New Covenant God made with His people through Jesus. Hebrews 8:10 says, “I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.” Do you realize the grace and truth revealed through Jesus Christ? He doesn’t throw away the Law. He writes it on our hearts and puts it into our minds. That’s both grace and truth. As we live to love with Jesus, we are demonstrating the reality of John’s declaration about Jesus in this verse—grace and truth are realized through Jesus Christ. We fulfill our destiny. We become what we were made for—imagers of God—through Jesus Christ. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may be encouraged to turn their hearts to God and live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.