The Journey of Grace-II

[God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

²¹ And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. – Colossians 1:13-23

You came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross my debt to pay. From the cross to the grave. From the grave, to the sky. Lord I lift your name on high. These words from a contemporary Christian song that was a favorite of mine years ago only begin to describe the journey of grace that Jesus took in order to redeem us. 

I like to think of the incredible glory, bliss, honor, and majesty that Jesus experienced from the beginning of time (the Word was in the beginning and was God, and became flesh – cf. John 1). He came from that glory to the ignominy of the cross. He did that so that we would be reconciled to God, at peace with him. Holy and blameless and above reproach. Imagine that! Above reproach. No one can lay a charge against us because of the righteousness of Christ. I want my actual outer life to reflect that inner reality of Jesus’ mercy, grace, forgiveness, and love.