^{AMAZING GRACE: AMAZING LOVE!}

 ^“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

In the preface to his work, “The Glorious Mystery of the Person of Christ”, page 30 (which can be downloaded from Google books), John Owen quotes Maxentius, with words which we need to grasp hold of as we think of this season we call Christmas.

It is something I've noticed missing in the many essays and articles about the season, which regale many internet pages and publications. 

As I wrote recently, the hype about giving and getting, surrounding the commercialisation of Christmas, seems to have top billing, even among those who claim to belong to Jesus Christ.

We do not confound the diversity of natures, howbeit we believe not what you affirm, that Christ was made God; but we believe that God was made Christ. For he was not made rich when he was poor; but being rich, he was made poor, that he might make us rich.He did not take the form of God when he was in the form of a servant; but being in the form of God, he took on him the form of a servant. In like manner, he was not made the Word when he was flesh; but being the Word, he was made flesh.

Down from His glory

Ever living story,
My God and Savior came,
And Jesus was His name.
Born in a manger,
To His own a stranger,

A Man of sorrows, tears and agony.

O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all!
The great Creator became my Savior,
 And all God’s fulness dwelleth in Him.

What condescension,
Bringing us redemption;
That in the dead of night,
Not one faint hope in sight,
God, gracious, tender,
Laid aside His splendor,
Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.

Without reluctance,
Flesh and blood His substance
He took the form of man,
Revealed the hidden plan.
O glorious myst’ry,
Sacrifice of Calv’ry,
And now I know Thou art the great “I AM.”