WE TURN NOW from the Epistles written to churches to Epistles written to individuals. When Paul told the churches that they were in Christ, he thought of Christ as a corporate Person; to be in Him was to be in a divine society. He is also a personal Person, however, and one can be in Him as an individual. The letters known as the Pastoral Epistles emphasize this. Paul gives his personal testimony to a person, Timothy. “Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 1:13–14). “The grace of our Lord overflowed.” It couldn’t be kept within the bounds of legality—Paul was guilty before the law—nor could it be confined to the good—it overflowed to him though his hands were stained with blood. It overflowed and found him. He never got over the wonder and surprise of it. The most beautiful introduction I’ve ever heard was by a bishop when he called out his wife: “Here is the lovely lady. Thirty-five years ago I looked into the limpid depths of her eyes and I’ve never gotten over the spell of it.” Paul felt that way. He looked into the limpid depths of the eyes of Jesus and saw faith and love there—faith in Him in spite of what he was, and love for Him in spite of what he had done. And he never got over the spell of it!
Nor have I! Fifty-nine years ago I looked into His eyes and saw forgiveness there, and I’ve never gotten over the spell of it. And never will! Faith in me—think of it! Love for me—think of it! It’s incredible. Yet looking at Him it becomes the most credible thing in the world. He being what He is could not do other than just that. The incredible, credible thing is the Person. His grace overflows all boundaries and barriers of unworthiness and reaches us redemptively.
O Jesus, Lord and Master, Thou art the miracle—the miracle of grace. Others claim signs and wonders, but in Thee the sign and wonder is Thy grace that overflows me and overwhelms with the deepest gratitude imaginable. I thank Thee. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: “The grace of our Lord overflowed”—let that be said of every day of my life.
