The Grace Of Christ

by F. McCormick | Category: The Glories And Excellencies Of Christ | May 1958

The grace of Christ is inseparably linked with the manifestation of God's attitude and purposes toward mankind. Grace was in the heart of Christ from all eternity, but was revealed in that self-humbling, self-effacing act of self-denial and sacrifice when He became in the form of a Servant in order to accomplish for man what he was unable to do for himself.

"The law was given by Moses" : that law revealed the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the depths of human guilt, but "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," and "ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8.9).

It was an act of grace on His part to leave the wealth and riches of His heavenly abode and appear as a Bondservant in a spiritually bankrupt world, in order eternally to enrich men. That act originated in the gracious thought of the mind of Christ, it brought Him to the depths of poverty and destitution in order to bestow upon believing sinners, bereft of spiritual wealth, the riches of heavenly blessings. It was grace in the heart 6f Christ that caused Him to

"Leave those courts of everlasting day,

And choose with us a darksome house of earthly clay."

Thus, " the Word became flesh ...

"and the Child grew.... and the grace of God was upon Him:"

"and Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature and in favour (grace, R.V.M.) with God and men" (Luke 2.40, 52).

No boy ever lived and acted as He did or dealt with others so graciously. lie never succumbed to 3ealousies, envyings or fightings, nor did He ever seek to best others to advance Himself. Ah, no; He was transparently honest, truthful, kind, considerate and gracious in all His ways and words, inside and outside the family circle. He was an example to others. He was absolutely guileless; there was nothing shady or blameworthy about Him. He was sincerely pure in thought and deed. All boy-disciples of the Lord Jesus should seek to be like Him.

In manhood, as Jehovah's Servant, His graciousness shines out in the beauty and sweetness of His perfect life and service. Of Him it is written

"Thou art fairer than the children of men;

Grace is poured into Thy lips" (Psalm 45.2).

He knew and saw the vile corruption of the human heart with its deception and hypocrisy, yet in compassion He spoke to men words of eternal life. He revealed God's purposes of grace toward men in preaching the gospel to the poor. His words were spirit and life. Never man so spake. At Nazareth in the synagogue He manifested such grace in His God-like demeanour that the eyes of all were "fastened on Him, ... and they wondered at the words of grace

which proceeded out of His mouth" (Luke 4. 20-22). He was full of grace and truth. "He went about doing good." He had a gracious, loving approach to the needy and sorrowful. Never was there One so sympathetic and kind, so unrepelling and gentle as He entered into the griefs and sorrows of others. With a tenderness of heart which was uniquely His, He manifested the grace of God as He dispensed untold physical and spiritual blessings upon sin-afflicted mortals.

"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53.4).

Multitudes were enriched and blessed by His gracious ministry, for,

"The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20.28).

Herein is revealed a twofold purpose of His coming: To minister, and to give His life as a ransom price. In life He ministered, in death He gave. Not one moment of that precious life was wasted! What a lesson! What a ministry! We gaze in admiration and wonder upon the perfect symmetry of His holy life, the perfect blending of grace and truth in all His ways. We cannot think of what He did without thinking of the beauty and glory of the Divine Worker, the Man Christ Jesus, manifesting omnipotent benevolence in matchless grace. He reveals Himself as the sent One of God. To us who have come to know Him He is the altogether lovely One, the Chiefest among ten thousand. He was ever the conspicuous One among the myrinds of heaven, and will ever remain so among the myriads of the ransomed hosts in all the perfection of His beauty and character as Redeenicr, Lord and King.

The crowning act of His wondrous grace is revealed at the cross. There we behold Him as perfect Man, " crowned with glory and honour, that by the grace of God He should taste death for every man" (Hebrews 2.9). It was there the venom, hatred, malignity, and devilish cruelty, latent in the hearts of fallen men, were manifested in all their fury and fulness against the gracious Benefactor and Saviour of men. Never in this world's history were men more manifestly guilty and deserving of judgement than when they became the betrayers and murderers of the Christ. Though they nailed Him to the accursed tree, they could never stop that flow of divine grace and love. From the heart of the impaled Saviour were spoken these gracious words which reached to the throne of heaven:

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23.24).

In grace He yielded His all, and the utmost depths of His poverty were reached when the Messiah, the Anointed One, was cut off and bad nothing. (See Daniel 9.26.) God has accepted the redemption price paid by the gracious Redeemer, and in answer to that plaintive cry from the cross, God, "not reckoning unto them their trespasses," offers to guilty man a perfect pardon without distinction, and, says Peter,

"We believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they" (Acts 15.11).

The Lord Jesus is now the exalted and glorified One upon the throne of heaven. Because lie is High Priest on behalf of His people we are exhorted thus

"Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need" (Hebrews 4.16).

Those who are saved by grace are taught by the grace of God to "live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world" (Titus 2. 12). In our failure and need in the struggle, mercy and grace are ministered through One who knows by personal experience all that is involved in the path of obedience. Whatever is involved, we are encouraged to press on by His own words, "My grace is sufficient for thee."

"Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in

Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2.1).

"Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal" (Timothy

8.12).

"Grow in grace," and "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in uncorruptness" (Ephesians 6.24).

F. McCormick | May 1958
The Glories And Excellencies Of Christ