One of the things that the Holy Spirit makes us to understand through this series is that the truth about the personality of Jesus Christ is revealed, that’s why the Bible says no one says Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit of God and no one says Jesus is accursed except by another spirit, which is not the spirit of God. So, it’s not by the Spirit of God that anything contrary to the revelation of the personality of Jesus Christ is revealed. So, for us to know the true personality of the Lord Jesus Christ, it has to be revealed and that is why the Holy Spirit is taking us through this series, The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not known by theology. You don’t do a study of Jesus Christ to know Him. You don’t do a research of Jesus Christ to know Him. You don’t sit down and do strategic permutations and combinations of facts to know Jesus. The revelation of Jesus Christ only comes through revelation.
Listen To Podcast: JESUS CHRIST THE GRACE
Revelation is the pathway that opens us up to the true personality of Jesus Christ. And we have seen, as the Holy Spirit has been teaching us, The Revelation Of Jesus Christ, seeing Him as the Lord, the Master, the owner of all things, that He was the one that God made as Lord and Christ, no other person, no angel, no archangel, no creation whatsoever was made Lord and Christ but Jesus. And we also understood that He is the Word. In John chapter 1, He said in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God, all things were made through Him, there is nothing that was made outside of Him. In Him, all things consist, whether visible or invisible, all things are made through Him so Jesus Christ is the Word, maker of all things, which also gives credence to His Lordship.
Today, we want to look at Jesus Christ the Grace, what does this mean to us? When we talk about Jesus Christ being the grace, what does it mean? We will start by observing John chapter 1, that we read last week but this time we will read verse 14 to 17 of that chapter.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.”16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 1:14-18
And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Holy begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of him and cried out saying, this was he of whom I said He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me. Did you see that? The statement of John made it clear that even though I am forerunning His ministry, I was not in existence before Him. In fact, He created me, He made me, He has been there before me so don’t think that maybe because He is 6 months old younger than me in flesh, I am older than Him, No! He said He has come, He was preferred before me for He was before me and of His fullness, not the fullness of John, not the fullness of an angel, not the fullness of creations but of his fullness, the fullness of Jesus Christ. We have all, including John, we have all received, and grace for grace of his fullness.
He first said and the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, that the only begotten of the Father is full of grace, on one hand and is also full of truth. So it’s a combination of the fullness of two things, if it was grace or truth, we will say maybe grace is related to truth but when it says ‘and’, it is joining two things that are distinct together. He said, He is full of grace and truth. So, we want to look at the grace that He is full of. When someone is full of something, does it not mean that person, He carries in His personality that thing. For example, there is this phrase we often use, we say, look at that man, he is full of pride, what does it mean? When you look at him, his disposition, his speech. When you use the word ‘full’, it means everything about his demeanor talks about pride. The way he walks, the way he sits, what he eats, where he goes, the car he rides, everything about him depicts pride so when the Bible say that Jesus is full of grace so everything about the personality of Jesus Christ depicts grace.
When you see Jesus, you see grace. He speaks grace, he releases grace. Do you understand? When you talk about, he is full of, the entire personality of Jesus depicts grace. When He steps into a place, grace has stepped into the place. No wonder the spirit of Jesus is also called the Spirit of grace because He carries an aura, not just an aura. It will be wrong to say he carries an aura, He himself releases the aura of grace. So, He is a giver and that’s why John said in verse 16, and he said of his fullness, please when we are talking about fullness, understand we are talking about complete measure. The whole measure, not a part. When I say the fullness of this room, does it remove any part from it? There is everything. Everything! So, everything about Jesus talks about his fullness. Of his fullness, we all received, and that’s a key word we must not forget as we continue.
We all received grace for grace, He is full of grace and of his fullness, we received grace for grace. So, He gives grace. He is a dispenser of grace. He gives it not from a portion of Him, but of the fullness of Him. So, Jesus can never become scarce of grace because it is of his fullness. He said in verse 16, and of his fullness we have all received and grace for grace. So, any grace that we have received is from his fullness. He said for the law was given Moses through but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The law was given, Moses stood for the law, Moses dispensed the law because that gives us also another picture of how grace, how Jesus represents grace.
Something happened on a Mount, Jesus took three of his disciples with himself, and they went to the Mount. And on that Mount, there was an encounter, Moses appeared, Elijah, and they were conversing with Jesus and Peter and the other disciples woke up to see what was happening, they saw Moses; to tell you that identities are very real. You don’t need introduction to identities in the spirit. In the spiritual realm, things are real. You might not have met sister 'Bisi' before, but in the spiritual realm if you meet her, you have not seen her before in your life, you will know her, that’s how real things are in the spirit.
These disciples, hitherto if you look at the history, they did not physically see Moses or Elijah in their lives, they only read about them. And because I read about you, does it mean that when I see you, I can identify you, No! So, you understand that what they saw was a spiritual thing and they connected with it. They were given the privileged to connect with it. Now there was Moses and there was Elijah and the disciples of Jesus woke up to see this scene and they said Wow! Wow! See Moses, see Elijah, see Jesus. And the Bible says, Moses was gone, Elijah also was gone, they didn’t see him again, the only person that remained was Jesus and the apostles when they were carried away, the Bible says since they did not know what to say, they were afraid.
They looked at Jesus and said “Jesus, we have seen a great sight today, we have had a spiritual encounter in our lives that we cannot recover from, so that we will not lose what we have gotten, let us build a tent, one for Moses, the law, one your Elijah, the prophet and one for you. Let us combine the law and the prophet and grace together. Let them co-habit together, let us not lose anyone. We want to still touch the law, we want to still lay hold on the prophets and we still want to lay hold on grace”. And Jesus didn’t reply. And the Bible says, then a voice, validating grace. The Bible says and God spoke from heaven, God said, on this matter, I will not allow you respond, I myself will respond on this matter to tell you how important grace is to God and the Bible says and God responded form heaven, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him. Did God say more than that? But what God said is loaded. And it validates the same thing that John the Baptist said, He said that we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And God said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, hear Him. No longer will you hear the law or the prophet, hear grace.
And we are going to see in the Scripture why God said so. Hear grace! Let grace teach you. Let grace lead you, don’t be led, no longer be led and hear the law and the prophet. Hear and be led by grace. And that grace is in the personality of the only begotten of the Father, Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth. I will read verse 17 again, for the law was given through Moses and the Bible says in that encounter that Moses was not, Elijah was not, they disappeared, they gave way but only Jesus remained. But grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Verse 18, no one had seen God at anytime. No one has encountered God at any time because God said no one can see me and live but God did something. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared him, how did he declare him? By grace. How was God declared to us, by Grace. So, Jesus, the personality full of grace, came to declare, the Father to us by grace. The Father is declared to us by grace. He has declared it. I also want to re-emphasize that in Romans chapter 5 verse 17-21.
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:17-21
For if by one man’s offense, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive and I want you to note, grace is received. That’s why we receive Jesus, we don’t research him, we don’t study Him. We don’t sit down and be doing soul travel to connect with Him, what do we do? We receive Him by faith. He said much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.Therefore, as through one man’s offence, judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation even so one man’s righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. The free gift, grace. We didn’t do anything to deserve Jesus and that’s why we must understand the revelation of Jesus as the grace. He is the free gift.
He, himself he is the personality of the gift, not that He is bringing to give us gifts. He is the gift. He is the free gift. We did nothing to deserve him. That’s why when a gift is given to you, what do you do? You receive it. If you honor the giver, then you receive the gift. So, those that do not receive Jesus Christ are doing a dishonor, they are dishonoring God because the free gift of Jesus Christ is given to us by God. John 3 verse 16, for God so loved the world that He gave, he gave a free gift, he gave his only begotten Son, He gave grace through Jesus Christ that whosoever believes in Him, whosoever receives Him, will not perish but have eternal life. One man’s righteous act, the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life for as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners so also, by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound, do we understand this? The law came in so that the offence can continue. Apostle Paul said I did not know sin until the law came.
But where sin abounded, so that you understand that Jesus is the free gift, He is grace. Where sin abounded, when the weight of the sin of the world was too much, God sent Jesus, the grace. Grace abounded much more where sin abounded.When there was trouble as regards sin, when sin was a problem, when sin has made men to be in bondage but grace abounds much more. So that as sin reign in death even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, did we see that? So, the personality of Jesus is the personality of grace, He is the free gift, He is the grace that God has given you. So, you are looking for grace, you must be looking for Jesus, you are asking for grace, then you must be asking for Jesus. Of his fullness you have all received grace for grace. John chapter 1, of his fullness. Jesus is the embodiment of grace. His personality speaks grace, He comes into your life to engrace you. 2nd Corinthians chapter 13, still speaking about the gift of grace.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14
2 Corinthians 13 verse 14, we say this all the time, the grace- the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the grace of who? Our Lord Jesus Christ, not the grace of the Holy Spirit. The grace of, not the grace for, not the grace in, the grace of, talking about the fact that He is the embodiment of grace. If it is the grace in, that means it is only a portion of him but if we say the grace of, it talks about the fullness of his personality, no wonder the Bible says He is full of grace and truth. It is ‘of’, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This verse establishes the fact that grace is of the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the embodiment of grace. In that same 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9 to 10, the Bible says and he said to me,
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Now I want to just pause on this, now something happened and Apostle Paul was striving with something. Let me read from verse 7, he said and lest I should be exalted above measure,by the abundance of the revelation, a thorn of the flesh was given to me. A messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I may be exalted above measure.Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord 3 times that it might depart from me and He said to me, God said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. Jesus is more than enough for you.
So, when you say the grace of God is sufficient for me, it means Jesus is more than enough. My grace, understand we said the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, God now said my grace, my Son Jesus, my Son Jesus is enough for you, I have given him to you, receive him. He said for my strength is made perfect in your weakness. When He comes into your life, my grace, the grace of God Jesus Christ, when He comes into your life, he gives you strength, the Bible says because of our riches, He became poor. Because we were weak, because of our strength, He became weak, meaning that everything that we should be faulted at, He has taken over. So, when we talk about grace, don’t you see that we are talking about the power of God because here He said, my grace is enough for you. There is a weakness in your life, there is an area in your life where you are struggling. If only you can receive my grace, my strength will be made perfect in your weakness. See what Apostle Paul said in understanding of this. He said, when I received this and understood this, and it became a testimony in my life. He said because of this therefore, most gladly, I would rather boast in my infirmities, that the power, did you see that? That the power of Christ, may rest upon me. What did God say to him? My grace. When he understood it, how did he understand it? The power of Christ.
The grace of Jesus is the power of God. When you receive the grace of God into your life, you receive the power of God. And when the power of God is available, He handles the issues you could not handle, He sorts out the things you cannot sort out. He said I would rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong. So, we understand what grace does for us, it is the power of Christ. So, when we receive grace, what do we receive? The power of Christ. I want us to see that 1st Corinthians 1: 24,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1Corinthians 1:24
He said, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greek, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God!I don’t want to go into the deep details of it but this verse makes us to understand that there are two dimensions to Christ. Like I said before, grace and truth, now we have seen what? Power and wisdom. So, grace and power are synonymous. Truth and wisdom are synonymous. So, when we say Jesus is the grace of God, Jesus is the power of God. So, the same thing Apostle Paul was emphasizing in this 2nd Corinthians 13; 14 is the same thing 2nd Corinthians 12:9- 10, is the same thing, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. It said Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Grace is power. Don’t think grace is a weak thing. When you say Jesus, the grace you are talking about Jesus the power. I don’t want us to go ahead of ourselves so I am going to move a bit further.
Romans chapter 5, that we read before, verse 18, it talks about the free gift. He said death reigned but when grace comes, when grace abounds, then life comes. So, when the power of God comes upon your life, what does it come to do? It activates the life upon you. So, when the grace of God is released, it is released to activate the life of God in you. So, its not talking about a thing, it is talking about a person, Jesus Christ because many of us has received Jesus as many things, some Jesus are so limited.In the lives of some people, Jesus is so limited. Ah! Jesus is my Lord and Saviour, Jesus is my Lord and Saviour, I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, and that is all. Even that Lord and Saviour, they don’t understand it. Because in the spiritual realm, what gives you authority and right to be able to confront the devil and strip him is your understanding, your revelation. The devil is not afraid that you can see Jesus but the understanding and the power that the name of Jesus commands in your mouth is his fear. And that does not come by research. I want to even research about this man, Jesus, what is it about him and you are opening your Bible? It comes via revelation.
Revelation that produces a solid understanding in you, that you know that Jesus is beyond the letters, that you know Jesus is beyond a name, that you understand the fullness of his personality, that you have a revelation of the fullness of his personality. The Jesus you knowis the Jesus that answers for you. You say “There is power”, sing it, you can even add a solo to it “There is power in the name of Jesus” sing it. If you don’t understand the power, you can’t command the kind of results that that name, that personality can command. Titus chapter 2 verse 11, It is making us to understand that this grace, Jesus is the grace.
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Titus 2:11-15
For the grace of God, remember what God said to Paul, my grace, for the grace of God that brings salvation, who brings salvation? Jesus Christ. Scriptures explaining Scriptures to us, it doesn’t happen until there is a revelation. For the grace of God that brings salvation, Jesus Christ, has appeared to all men, teaching us, so there is something that Jesus teaches. When you receive the grace of the Lord, you receive Jesus Christ into your life, He teaches you. No wonder they call him rabbi, the teacher, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Now this is it, the grace of God, the personality of Jesus has appeared to all men, and this grace teaches us. So, when you received Jesus into your life, what kind of Jesus have you received that has not been teaching you? I am born again, do you have a functional relationship with Jesus Christ? Yes, I have received Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. What has He been teaching you since you received him? What change has happened in your life? What have you been engraced for? What has He given you to power to do? Because when the grace appears and He is received, it activates something in your life, what has been activated? God said to Apostle Paul, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness. I am giving you Jesus and He is enough for you. For He will make you strong, He will teach you how to be strong and you won’t be weak again. So, you have so accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Have you accepted grace? 2 Corinthians 9:8; because Jesus is grace
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:“He hasdispersed abroad,He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
2 Corinthians 9:8-10
And God is able to make all grace, so when God is talking about grace, it doesn’t talk about a measure, it doesn’t talk about a part, all grace. God is able to make all grace, He is able to make Jesus to abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency. You always, so when you have received Jesus as the grace, you are not in lack. You don’t add Jesus to the law, you don’t add grace to the law, to the prophets, you don’t receive Jesus and you are still quoting Psalms inside water. When grace appears, it is sufficient, enough! What does it mean to be sufficient-enough!
And God is able, and He has done it, to make all grace. And who is the fullness of grace? Jesus!So,God is able to make Jesus enough for you. ‘In sacrifices and offerings, you do not desire but a body, you have prepared for me and my desire is to do your will’. So when God gives you Jesus, He knows that He has given you all that you need, so why are you struggling? He said always having, I love that word, always, there is no time you are in lack. Jesus sent his disciples two by two to the places he has intended to go. He said don’t take an extra sandal, don’t take an extra thing, go! They went and by the time they came back, He asked them did you lack anything? What did they say? Nothing! Your word is more than enough. Your grace is enough.
And Jesus is asking that same question, haven received me, have you lacked anything? What is your response? Are you still in lack? Because Paul said God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having sufficiency, in some things? In all things. Body, Soul and Spirit! The grace, that means, he is saying that my grace is not only for your spirit, it is also available for your soul, it is also available for your body. He said that same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, the spirit of grace, will quicken your mortal bodies, this flesh. Having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance. Did you see? That you may have an abundance for every good work. And as it is written,“He has dispersed abroad, that’s why I love this. He has dispersed abroad. What did he disperse? Grace! He has given to the poor;His righteousness endures forever.” Now, verse 10, Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.
Now, what does grace do in your life? He said grace will teach you, Jesus will teach you. Another thing grace doesin your life, is that grace empowers you, it is the power of Christ. Number 3, grace gives you abundance, you don’t lack. Grace gives you abundance, that’s why God said my grace is sufficient for you and he is not just saying that to Apostle Paul, what I say to one, I say to all, my grace is sufficient for you. Jesus is more than enough for you, stop adding things to Jesus. Enough of consulting spirits and you are still consulting Jesus. Jesus is enough. Enough of consulting 'spiritists', consulting different people, and you are still consulting Jesus. Jesus is enough because the grace of God, the personality of Jesus is sufficient and He supplies, grace supplies. What do you need? Grace supplies, grace supplies seed. Grace supplies food. If you need to sow, Grace supplies your seed. If you need to eat, grace supplies your food. I hope the Holy Spirit is helping us to understand this. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 9, so that we will understand that all these things are so connected.
9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
Hebrews 13: 9
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines, for it is good that the heart be established by grace. Let Jesus be the foundation of your life. The right thing for you to do is that your heart is established by grace. Not with food, which has not profited all those who are occupied with them but let your heart be established by grace. Let grace establish your heart.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16; we have come to the throne of grace, and we come with confidence, simply to receive something. He said we have come to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. So, grace helps you. Have you been down to a point that you know you need help? What you need to receive from God is his grace. His grace will help you. His grace will strengthen you. His grace supplies strength. His grace supplies help. So, when we receive Jesus, we have received grace, the grace of our lord Jesus Christ. Let that grace be active and alive in your heart. You have received Jesus, you have received grace. Are you in lack? Are you in want? God said my grace is sufficient for you and what does God want you to do, he wants you to receive the free gift.
