Constantine R. Campbell: Graced

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 2 John 3

“While God does surely extend grace to all people in various forms (common grace), it is a special grace that all believers enjoy. It is the grace that accompanies the merciful forgiveness of sins and the peace of reconciliation with God. In this respect, grace, mercy, and peace come in truth because truth is the boundary marker of the people of God.

And as love is the bond that exists between the members of God’s community, so it is the bond that God has for His children. Grace, mercy, and peace come to us because God loves us. So we may say that truth and love are the primary features of our relationship with God. Through truth and love, grace, mercy and peace are mediated to us.

Since we are assured of these gifts, they will continue to define and shape us. We are people who have been graced — we are the recipients of God’s boundless generosity and kindness. He showers gifts upon us, not the least of which is our salvation by grace. This reality ought to shape our hearts and minds so that we always know that what we have, we have by God’s generosity. Remembrance of grace will make us thankful.”

Constantine R. Campbell in 1, 2, and 3 John (Story of God Bible Commentary; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017) 190.

Campbell is another Aussie scholar in modern times whose writings I have appreciated. Here, he reminds us that we have been “graced” by “God’s boundless generosity and kindness” to bless others. The channel for blessing may be material and it may be spiritual but notice that it flows “in truth and love.” My prayer this week is to be a conduit of blessing “in truth and love.”

I pray the same for you wherever God sends you. Ask Him to fill you with truth and love so that the grace of “God’s boundless generosity and kindness” does not stop with you but flows through you to others. Even as the discipline of daily study shapes me, or reading this sharpens you, be sure to share it with others as God leads so that they too grow in thankfulness and generosity. Graced ones must grace others. It’s God’s design.

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