Grace in Christ 4

Great Christ of God in human form wast with humanity adorned, nor scorned the base estate of man to all fulfill the Father’s plan.

These simple lines express the grace revealed in Jesus Christ.  Paul stated in the early church hymn found in Philippians 2:6-7, “Who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be found equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men.”  The humility of Christ is one of the great expressions of His grace.

In Luke 2 we find Jesus in the temple with the learned men of the Jews.  There in their very midst was the Word of God incarnate.  He was everything that they had learned in memorizing the Old Testament.  In that childhood flesh in front of them was the fullness of the godhead in bodily form.  I have taught school for many years and I know how pompous a child can be if they think they are “somebody”.  Arrogance is part of the disease of our sinful nature.  But Jesus, the Word of God, was not arrogant.  His parents found Him in the temple listening to these men, some of whom would one day demand His crucifixion, and asking them questions.  That is graciousness. 

How did He manage to do this?  Well, of course He was God, but that doesn’t leave us off the hook for emulating him.  In Luke 2:40 we are told he grew strong in spirit and that the grace of God was upon Him.  When we trust Christ as our Savior then the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us.  We now have the nature of God in our fleshly bodies.  The grace of God has been poured upon us to have faith in Christ in the first place.  We have the ingredients for a life of Christ likeness.  The Scriptures now call upon us to walk a life of graciousness as we see in Christ.  It is the walk of grace.

Now men of God reflect your Lord, the Christ of God by us adored, show forth in life and word and love, the blessed grace of Christ above. 

 

 

 

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