Living Manna

Today marks the beginning of the season of advent and for each week, the churches of the world focus on the 4 benefits of the gospel, many churches will observe joy, hope and peace. Some churches focus on the salvation and restoration.

For us to unlock and unleash the power of this verse John 1:14 in our church, we need to understand full and glory.

The word “full” in John 1:14

Apostle John uses the word “full” to describe the glory of Jesus Christ. There is no lack. If we understand this, we can truly believe in the gospel. If Jesus came and he is full of truth but no grace, he will become a God who is unwilling to save us. If he is full of grace but no truth, would you want to follow Him? If he is neither, he would be like any god.

The doctrine of karma

They get it right when they say what goes around comes around. That kind of make sense as vengeance belongs to the Lord. They do have that inkling of truth but there is no grace. Santa Claus has a list of naughty and nice. There is this massive group of Christians who call themselves universaries. They say all people are going to heaven. How nice but there is no truth. Imagine you see all the people who did not repent in Heaven with you, where is the justice? Jesus is full of grace and full of truth. More than anyone in Heaven, He speaks about the judgement. If someone ask you how do you know Jesus Christ is God? You can say that Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth. The law of Moses sets out the truth but the law itself cannot save. The sins of mankind are too terminal and that is why the Word became flesh to come to save. In Romans 3:21-26, Paul is saying that God does not compromise. God is the God of grace and truth, Jesus Christ is too. Only begotten means there is none like God. There is no God like Him, there is no God besides Him.

The word “Glory” in John 1:14

The next word “glory” means brightness or splendorous. Glory is the dazzling radiance that floods your soul with glory. The Hebrew word for glory means heavy. When you glorify someone, you are making the people heavier in the hearts of others. The glory of God lies in his goodness. He is full of grace and truth. The Bible shows us that the glory of God cannot be set apart. Wherever God goes, His glory is there too. Can we see His glory? Apostle John wrote John 1:1 but we were not there then. How can we say we saw His glory? In John 17:20, Jesus prayed for us who will come to believe in Him. How can we see His glory? It is through the preaching of the gospel. If His gospel is revealed, the glory is unleashed. Matthew 28:19-20 says wherever the Word of God is proclaimed, there God’s presence is, there God’s glory is. Let us host the glory of God. When we attend services and Bible study, we are holding God heavy in our hearts.

The reflection of our worship

As a church, we need to reflect on our worship. If Jesus Christ shows up at every service, that means God is there. Satan wants us to take service lightly, he wants to take God’s words lightly. Is the size of the church based on the building or the people? Jesus says when 2 or more gather, God will be here. Solomon’s temple was destroyed shortly after it was built because the glory of God left. What matters is how heavy the Word of God weighs on the hearts of the people who are there. We are in the process of transforming for each service we attend. Let us abandon our casual attitude for the things of God. As we grow in our worship, we will also grow in His glory.

AMEN.