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Advent Devotional - December 7, 2016

“He rules the world with truth and grace / And makes the nations prove / The glories of His righteousness / And wonders of His love”

-Joy to the World

Isaac Watts wrote “Joy to the World” in 1719 as a meditation on Psalm 98. Thus the words of what has become a beloved Christmas song were actually written to celebrate not the coming of Jesus on that first Christmas but His second coming as ruler, judge and King.

Let’s look more closely at the last stanza. He [Jesus] rules the world with truth and grace – drawn from John 1:14, where we’re told that the incarnate Christ is the glory of God on display, “full of grace and truth.” And in his ruling, [He, Jesus] makes the nations prove [or to test the reliability and certainty] of the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love. In writing this hymn, Watts shows us how in Psalm 98, the Lord judges with righteousness and love, comparable to grace and truth found in John 1.

Jesus, the Word who became flesh, is full of both grace and truth. Often we struggle to balance grace and truth. Those of us who are truth oriented love studying Scripture and theology, but are sometimes quick to judge and slow to forgive. Grace oriented believers love forgiveness and freedom but may neglect Bible study or see moral standards as “legalism” to be avoided. Our countless mistakes in dating, marriage, parenting, ministry and other relationships reveal our constant failure to properly balance grace and truth.

The good news is that Jesus has come! He perfectly balances grace and truth; He is 100 percent grace and 100 percent truth. As we sing this Christmas season, let’s be reminded that Jesus is our King who rules and reigns! He deals with us perfectly in truth and bountifully in grace. And He is coming again. This is good news! Let’s celebrate with great joy and let’s go tell the world of this joy that has come to us and is truly and graciously offered to them!