17th January 2017

A ‘Yes’ Face

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIVUK)

Charles Swindoll in his book, The Grace Awakening, tells a story about American president Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions who were travelling across the country on horseback. They came to a river swollen by a recent downpour. The rapid currents had washed the bridge away and therefore each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, and fight for his life against the currents. There was a very real possibility of being drowned, which caused a traveller who was not part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side. As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, “Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favour of?” The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. “All I know,” he said, “is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘no,’ and on some of them was the answer ‘yes.’ His was a ‘yes’ face.”

Unfortunately, some Christians portray both the Father and Jesus as having a “no” face. They portray them as stern-faced, hard taskmasters who strictly police a set of rules and regulations. As a result, some have even reasoned that God is possibly best approached through intermediaries, such as saints.

But Jesus came to humanity with a ‘yes’ face. As the embodiment of truth, he understood the human condition with all its faults and flaws, and knew that human beings are spiritually sick and unable to heal themselves. Yet he was able to empathise with their weaknesses and had a ‘yes’ face that projected God’s love out to the general public.

As the embodiment of grace, he came as the solution to that spiritual sickness. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). Jesus came to draw all peoples to himself and therefore, as the opening scripture shows, we have the certainty that all God’s promises (including salvation) are ‘yes’ in Christ.

In broad terms, the gospel of grace is the gospel of God with a ‘yes’ face—it is a plea to all humanity to say “yes” to God’s “yes” in Christ and accept the salvation he freely offers.

Prayer
Father, we thank you for the precious promises you have given to us and for their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
Amen

Study by Eddie Marsh

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About the Author:
Eddie Marsh attends Grace Communion International in Sheffield.

Local Congregation:
Grace Communion, Sheffield
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Meeting Time:
Saturday 10:30am

Local Congregational Contact:
Email: sheffield@gracecom.org.uk