May 14 – Now Complete In Him

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,  and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;” Colossians 2:9-10 (NASB)

The promise we find in the selected verse for today should give us encouragement in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is our Savior and in order to be our Savior he had to be more than what we are;  He had to be perfect.  We’re thankful that Jesus, the Son of God came to earth so long ago and lived his life in the form of a human being like you and me.  Jesus was fully a human and he was also fully God.  We are reminded today that when Jesus returned to heaven after his ministry on this earth and after his death and resurrection, that His work here on earth continues, but in a different way.  He is present working through those who trust and obey so that is happens.  It happens when we believe in Him and allow Jesus to work through us.  Our mission is to tell others by word and by life example what Jesus has accomplished for all people.  Anyone who believes receives Jesus into their life.  The promise is that those who choose to believe and receive forgiveness and eternal life are made complete by the rule and authority of God.  

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December 2 – Superabundant Supply

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” John 1:16 (NASB)

The Apostle John begins the account of Jesus' life with a promise. The Word made flesh (John 1:14) is the source of grace, which is the sum total of all the spiritual favors God gives to people. The words “we … all” refer to Christians and include John the author. Out of His fullness His grace … “grace in place of grace”. This phrase emphasizes the superabundance of grace that has been displayed by God toward mankind, especially believers. Grace comes to Christians in the way that waves continue to come to the shore in both calm and tempest. The Christian life is the constant reception of one evidence of God’s grace replacing another. God does not run out of a supply of grace to give us and He does not consider that any of us have received all the grace we need or will ever get. It is out of His fullness which never is exhausted and love which never ends. We hope the Lord has blessed you many times in the past. In many different ways and He continues to bless us these days. What a promise we have all received – an unending supply of grace.  

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May 26 – Permanent Adoption

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”  - Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV) 

Our promise in our verse today is a promise of adoption.  We are promised adoption into God’s family and this is full adoption as an heir.  It is helpful to know that this adoption the Apostle Paul speaks of is not like adoption we have in our world today.  When a couple seeks to adopt, it is a child they are hoping to adopt.  From newborn up into any age that a minor child may be.  But in the time of Paul’s letter to the Galatians and Romans, adoption was done only with adult males.  It was for many reasons but the main purpose was to designate an heir who would be the chosen heir of a family’s estate and fortune.  All that Christ did after being sent into this world as a human, was done in order to fulfill this promise of our adoption into God’s family.  Our adoption is promised by God and once adopted; we will never lose that blessing.  In the time of Paul, by Roman law*, natural born children could be disowned. but those once adopted into a Roman family could never be disowned.  Our adoption into God's family is even more secure. 

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*There was a power in ancient Rome called patria potestas, which essentially says “the father’s power.” Definition of patria potestas  : the power of the head of a Roman family over his wife, children, agnatic descendants, slaves, and freedmen including originally the right to punish by death and always embracing complete control over the limited personal and private rights and duties of all members of the family

“Patria potestas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patria%20potestas. Accessed 2 May. 2020.

December 21 – Perfect Timing

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB)

We do not know the exact date Jesus was born. That is not recorded for us. We do know that He did come perfectly on time.  In God’s timetable, when the exact religious, cultural, and political conditions demanded by His perfect plan were in place, Jesus came into the world.  And He had set the hour and the place as well.  God sent His Son to bring all who believe out from under bondage to the law—a truth Jesus repeatedly affirmed.  “Born of woman” emphasizes Jesus’ full humanity, not merely His virgin birth.  In the same way still, it is true with the events of our lives. God allows things to come into our lives to fulfill His purpose for us. Things don’t just happen and they aren’t accidental. Let us praise God for that and trust Him. The promise is that Jesus came to redeem all who would believe and adopt as sons* all who receive Jesus as Savior. 

* The Greek word for adoption as sons is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.

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July 19 – Unmerited Unending Favor

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”   John 1:16 (ESV)

These words were spoken by John the Baptist and are part of a much larger proclamation about Jesus when He was beginning His earthly ministry. The Baptist was announcing to his followers the purpose of Jesus' mission on earth.  God was blessing His people through His Son Jesus, and those around at the time were made aware of it.  Although the people of Jesus' race and country rejected Him, Jesus did not reject those who believed on His name.    From His abundance of grace – unmerited favor – we all who believe in Jesus have received grace.  But we do not receive this grace just once and for a singular purpose, we receive this grace continually – more grace is received upon grace that has been received – it overflows.  There will never a time where God's grace will run out.  His fullness is unending.  The Jews were used to the Law and followed it to remain right before God.  Jesus brought grace and truth and forgiveness, which fulfilled once and for all the obligations of the Law.  Do we have a struggle? Do we need grace for a challenge facing us?  It is there and will be there the next time we need it. 

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May 15 – Now Complete In Him

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,  and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;” Colossians 2:9-10 (NASB)

The promise we find in the selected verse for today should give us encouragement in our relationship with our Jesus Christ.  He is our Savior and in order to be our Savior he had to be more than what we are.  He had to be perfect.  We are thankful that Jesus, the Son of God came to earth so long ago and lived his life in the form of a human being like you and me.  Jesus was fully a human and he was also fully God.  We are reminded today that when Jesus returned to heaven after his ministry on this earth and after his death and resurrection, that His work here on earth continues, but in a different way.  He is present working through those who are open for that to happen.  It happens when we believe in Him and allow Jesus to work through us.  Our mission is to tell others by word and by life example what Jesus has accomplished for all people.  Anyone who believes can receive Jesus into their life.  The promise is that those who choose to believe and receive the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life are made complete by the rule and authority of God.  

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April 1 – Positive Results

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”  John 15:10-11 (ESV)

With these words spoken to His disciples, during his last evening and Passover meal with them, Jesus made it very clear that it makes a big difference in our Christian lives if we obey His instructions.  What Jesus said to them at that time He was saying to us as well.  He tells us that if we obey His teaching we can expect two results.  First of all Jesus reminds us that by obeying what He has taught us, we can know it is the way to remain in His love.  Jesus will never cease to love us but we can stray from His teachings and find ourselves outside of the blessings of His love.  If we obey Him we can be sure to know that He loves us.  Secondly, Jesus reminds us that He rewards us for obeying Him by filling our hearts with His joy.  The eternal joy given to us is manifested in us when we obey what God has instructed us in His word. 

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January 16 – Adding Grace to More Grace

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”  John 1:16 (ESV)

The words of our verse today are for us just as much as they were for those who had walked and worked with Jesus and known Him when he lived in our world.  We recognize these words as a testimony of the blessings the disciples of Jesus had experienced during that time.  And after Jesus was crucified, died, and rose from the grave he ascended back into heaven, the truth of these words became even more relevant and true for all who believe by faith and receive the gift of salvation.  It's a promise that we received grace to believe and we continue to receive grace to walk and obey God's teaching and instructions.  It is grace that makes our belief and obedience possible.  By ourselves we are unable to do it.  The blessing of grace in our lives is a continual blessing from God the Father through Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Always there, never exhausted we have grace from our Lord. Grace and then more grace upon that and even more upon that is provided.  It's a promise made to us.   

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December 21 – Perfect Time

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,  so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”  Galatians 4:4-5  (NASB)

It is more than 2000 years now since Jesus was born.  Before He was born many people had lived and died here on earth.  We have a promise from the Bible in today's verse which reminds us about the timing of the birth of Jesus.  God had sent an angel to Mary to tell her about His plans.  He also arranged for the official order from the Roman emperor for a census so that Joseph and Mary, living in Nazareth, would be in right place, in Bethlehem, for the right time of the birth.  This was all in accord with the prophecies given centuries before.  Our verse today tells us that Jesus came when the time had fully come for Him to be born, the time which our God had chosen.  The circumstances and time was exactly as God ordained in order for Him to carry out His plan to bring us who believe into His family.  It is by faith in what God did for us that we have been adopted into His family.   God picked the day and the hour and now, He calls us to Himself to be His sons and daughters.  

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October 21 – Grace Unending

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” John 1:16 (NIV)

It is good to take the time to reflect on how much our Lord has given us – so much that we should be praising Him, each day.  John the disciple of Jesus recorded these words in the first chapter of the Gospel of John.  John knew first hand, and in person, the truth of these words.  This was also true about the people who followed Jesus in the days John was living and writing.  It is true about us who follow Him today.  The grace of our Lord, which He has given to us, brings us so much that we don't deserve and could never earn.  But Jesus is full of grace which he continues to give to us.  Have we already received grace from Him?  Yes, if we have believed and follow Him, we have been given grace.  Our promise here is that we continue to receive grace in place of the grace we have received.  God, through Jesus the Son of God, does not stop giving us the grace we need every day. 

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July 28 – Grace In Place of Grace Received

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” John 1:16 (NIV)

The Gospel of John begins by telling us how the Son of God took on a human form and lived here on earth.  Our verse today reminds us how much good we have received because Jesus did this, because God the Father sent His Only Son to earth for us.  When John wrote these words, Jesus had returned to heaven but the blessings His followers had received from Him were still continuing.  And they still continue for each of us.  We don't need to go through a day without experiencing the blessings of the Lord. And the blessings we received are not limited to one-a-day.  God's grace can be as our verse says, blessing upon blessing. God's grace comes to us multiple times and so we receive grace heaped upon grace we have already received.  So aren't you glad my friend,that God continues to pour out His blessings on His children?  His storehouse is great and has an endless supply of blessings for us.  What an encouraging promise we have received from God.

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May 4 – Filled and Complete

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;”  Colossians 2:9-10 (NASB)

Our God has great plans for each person on this earth who becomes a part of His family by faith in Jesus Christ. How wonderful that He has revealed in the Bible what He has planned for us. An example of this is in our selected verse for today.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior He brings a fullness into our lives. There may be days when we feel that our lives are empty. We might even be tempted to wonder if life is really worth the struggle of living.  Thoughts like this don't come from God, they are from His enemy and the enemy of our souls.  No, friends, there is no need for our lives to be empty – even for a minute – because they are not. Today, let's look ahead to the hours of a day or hours of a night realizing what God has provided and has promised. We have been made complete, we have been brought to fullness in Jesus Christ.  

January 16 – Fulfilled

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)

Jesus came into this world to reveal to human beings what God is like. Jesus was divine while He was human. He was God in human form. When we believe in Jesus as our Savior, His promise is to live in us and fill us with His love so that we are conscious of His presence. He is fully God and He wants to help us experience what God is through the way he cares for us.  So let's be sure that we recognize that we have the promise of His divine presence fulfilled in our lives in a way which pleases our Father in heaven.  God is with you today friend, and He is in you. Let Him be a part of your thinking and let Him guide your thinking. 

December 2 – Unending Supply

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” John 1:16 (NASB)

As the Apostle John begins to write the account of Jesus' life he gives us a promise. These words of course are from John's experience as well as that of the other disciples of Jesus and of those who followed Jesus in the Way. But more than that, this is a promise of our experience as well. We too receive grace in on top of grace already given to us. God does not run out of a supply of grace to give us and He does not consider that any of us have received all the grace we need or will ever get. It is out of His fullness which never is exhausted and love which never ends. Hasn't the Lord blessed you many time in the past my friend? In many different ways and He continues to bless us these days. What a promise we have all received – an unending supply of grace.  

November 4 – Ultimate Authority

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)

As we read these verses we are reminded of what God has made available to us who believe in His Son Jesus. We're thinking especially of the words “in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”  Yes there is available to us a spiritual fullness as we continue living a life of faith. We may feel sometimes that we are so empty, but God has made available to us a fullness in Christ. It is true that in ourselves we do lack a lot but God wants us to look to Him for our complete fulfillment. This is available for us today, right now. Let's trust Him and let's thank Him for this promise of fullness in Christ Jesus.

September 20 – Grace Upon Grace

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” John 1:16 (NIV)

John was testifying about what our Lord Jesus had done for him and for those living at that time. John had received blessings from the Lord and so had all his friends. We believe that what he wrote has been given as a true promise for all believers and it is true for the followers of Jesus today. Yes we can testify that we have all been filled by the grace of our Lord in continued blessings. We believe that you, our readers are receiving blessings from the Lord, if your are open to them. His blessings are of so many different kinds – all made to fill our different needs. Let's be open today to receive the blessings from God? 

May 15 – Lacking Nothing

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)

The people who these words were first written for – the believers in city of Colossae – were people just like us. They were people who heard that Jesus had died for them to bring them into God's family. They needed to understand how much God had done for them,and that is what we need too.  Our verses tell us that in Christ is the fullness of God Himself living in bodily form.  Christ lacked nothing.  God has placed us in Christ and has given us fullness in Christ. This means that as we trust the Lord we have all that we need.  Are we waiting to receive something more? We already have it. In Christ we don't have just a portion of what we need – we have all of it, here is nothing lacking. We have fullness in Christ. Let's live today knowing that we have fullness of joy and peace in Jesus. Our hearts can be filled as full as our verse says. 

January 16

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” John 1:16 (NIV)

After starting with a description of Jesus as the Son of God, as being with His Father from the beginning of all things, the Apostle John writes these words of encouragement. We are reminded, as we need to be all the time, how much we are receiving from our Lord Jesus Christ. We have become God’s children through faith in Jesus as our Savior but that is only the beginning of His blessings to us. Our verse inspires us to think of all the good things God is giving us each day. Because of His grace we receive blessings every day of many different kinds – so many that it would be difficult to count them. Let us agree today with the writer of our verse and be thankful for the grace we are receiving.