Inspiration

The Kiss of His Grace

by Daymond Geary

Spring is upon us and thoughts inevitably turn to love.  As we get inspired by the newness of life and the renewal all around us, we find God drawing us in His love closer to Himself.  In a meeting some years back, the speaker asked us to close our eyes and to imagine God kissing us on our cheek. Some testified that at that moment of imagining a kiss from God they were filled with peace and an overwhelming sense of love.

When looking at scripture it is not a stretch to find precedent for the thought of God giving us a kiss.  The following passage in Psalm 85:9-11 says “Surely his salvation is near to those who honor him; our land will be filled with his glory. Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.”

In this passage the concepts of righteousness, peace, love, and truth are personified. You can see a conflicting nature between truth and love and between righteousness and peace. It would be like a judge saying that you have violated several laws and that the punishment is to be put to death. He is only speaking the truth as stated by law. What if he then asked the accused to approach the bench then bent down and kissed the accused. It would seem strange and out of place-- this combination of truth and love.

God’s way of kissing us, so to speak, is uncharacteristic to  the charges that are against us. He clearly stated that the soul that sins shall die and in the book of Romans, chapter 3 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, or his expectations for us. Yet with this truth He gives to us a kiss and more. He is the righteous judge who after handing us our sentence shows us the depth of His love by coming down from the bench, embracing us and telling the executioner, “take me away and release the prisoner.” What an amazing grace we have received from our God!

When Jesus was teaching at the temple some Pharisees brought before him a woman who had been caught in a sexual act with another man other than her husband. The punishment for this crime according to the law was public stoning by the accusers.  As she stood there with her head down, maybe even bruised from blows received from the accusers, she heard the impassioned calls for her death. It was the law that condemned her. In this situation, grace kissed truth. Only one man, Jesus, had the righteous standing with God to kill this woman.  “He who is without sin can cast the first stone”, Jesus spoke. Everyone walked away because only one was righteous among them. The next question Jesus asked was, “woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you.” (John 8:1-11).

Martin Luther writes, "When you see the nails piercing Christ, you can be certain that it is your work. When you behold His crown of thorns, you may rest assured that these are your evil thoughts." It is in accepting his judgment that we can receive His kiss of grace. The prophet John the Baptist saw this extraordinary blend of grace and truth and declared, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:17)

^“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). If you have areas in your life that need forgiveness don’t try to hide it or run away from it. Come to the only one who can forgive you and receive the kiss of His grace. He died to bring you near. You may want to close your eyes today and imagine God’s kiss upon your cheek.