Page 7 - August 2026 - Truth & Tidings

who shall be able to teach others also” and rejected by men. Divine grace was
(2:2). Many of us have benefited greatly manifested when He allowed men to ar-
from the faithful handing down of divine rest Him in Gethsemane, telling Peter to
truth from generation to generation by put away his sword and not requesting
gifted teachers of the Word. It is now our immediate angelic deliverance, for “how
solemn responsibility to faithfully pass then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that
on “the same” to the next generation of thus it must be?” (Mat 26:54). The full-
believers, thus preserving divine truth ness of divine grace shone forth when He
right up until the soon coming again of opened not His mouth in defence before
our Lord Jesus Christ. the manifest injustice of the Jewish council
(as well as Pilate and Herod), submitting
The Past Appearing of the wholly to the death He must accomplish
Grace of God (2:11) in obedience to His Father’s will.

There has been the historical manifes- This tremendously fundamental verse
tation of the grace of God, personified in about God’s salvation would also empha-
the Person of our Lord Jesus when He size the unlimited scope of the sovereign
first came as a Man into this world: “For grace of God, “bringing salvation to all
the grace of God hath appeared [Greek men” in terms of provision and availabil-
epiphaino, become visible], bringing ity. In His incarnation, the Saviour was
salvation to all men” (RV). God’s unmer- made lower than the angels, “that he by
ited favour towards sinful humanity was the grace of God should taste death for
embodied in His Son, the One who was [Greek huper, on behalf of] every man”
uniquely “full of grace and truth” (Joh (Heb 2:9). Universally, no sinner deserves
1:14). That divine grace became unmistak- or merits God’s salvation, but because of
ably visible and shone forth in its fullness the unmerited favour of God, salvation
on the historic occasion of Christ’s death at has been provided and made universally
Calvary. The salvation that Christ brought available for all sinners. God’s grace not
is based upon all that He suffered in that only recognised our need as bankrupt
death, taking the place of sinners, volun- sinners before God by sending His Son,
tarily going into death, and upon the truth but it also fully provides for the need of
of His subsequent bodily resurrection on all humanity.
the third day. The coming of the Lord Jesus opened
This was the extent to which the grace up this present age of God’s rich grace,
of God was demonstrated by our blessed when “grace reign[s] through righteous-
Saviour: “For ye know the grace of our ness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was Lord” (Rom 5:21). The coming down of
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, our Lord Jesus Christ has brought that
that ye through his poverty might be rich” salvation within the reach of all, and in
(2Co 8:9). The grace of God appeared the gospel we can genuinely invite all sin-
when God’s Son left the splendour of ners, the “whosoever,” to come to Christ
heaven to be a Man in this sinful world. for this eternal salvation. Truly a gracious
That grace was further displayed every God is “not willing that any should perish,
day He lived here as the unrecognised but that all should come to repentance”
and unappreciated Saviour, despised (2Pe 3:9).

231
TruthandTidings.com I August 2026 231