His wonderful Life in me.
If a Christian wants to be seen and known as a person to be admired, a person who receives compliments and praise, he will do nothing good (John 12:43) in secret. He will never allow a shadow to cover his good works but will make sure he exposes them to the bright light of public awareness and approval. Now, compare that to what Jesus received from the public because He spoke the Truth. They tried (Luke 4:29) to push Him off a cliff, they picked up stones (John 8:59) to stone Him, the religious leaders consulted (Matthew 12:14) on how to do away with Him, they said (Mark 11:18, John 8:48) that He had a demon, the frenzied mob screamed (John 19:6) crucify Him and (John 19:18) nailed Him to a cross - - (which became THE CROSS). What was God’s opinion of Jesus? This is My Beloved Son in Whom (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5) I am well pleased.
As we compare the proud show-off braggart with Jesus we need to realize that all of us have to deal with sin on a daily basis and we can be enslaved by sin. Enslavement to sin (John 8:34) is a reality (Dr. Stanley) “Just one little sin and then one more and then one more and - - -. Sin’s captivity advances slowly so that we can be almost unaware of its progression. We can be enslaved to pride, a familiar habit or anything else that controls us. Little by little it fills us and before we know it we are enslaved to that sin.”
A Christian - - a slave?!
How can I avoid being enslaved to sin? Establish my steps (Psalms 119:133) and direct them by means of Your Word and let not iniquity have dominion over me. God is Truth, all Truth, very Truth and the Word of God is our only reliable Source of Truth. You shall know the Truth (John 8:32) and the Truth shall set you free. Free to become the person God created you to be. God loved us so much, so generously, so unselfishly, (John 3:16) that He gave His very best for us. (Oswald Chambers) “God’s grace turns out men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ – not milksops.”
If God’s Word does not fill my heart and mind and life, sin will slowly invade, progressively fill, increasingly dominate my heart and mind and life, make me a slave and will destroy me. If we can’t see that the Living Word of Eternal God is more essential to us than the breath in our lungs, we are already slaves and if we are not set free, we are heading toward destruction.
But - - - I want to share with you something that is continually throbbing in my heart and mind.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High (Psalms 91:1) shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. From this verse the Holy Spirit assures me that my home can be and I can live in the heart of God, at the feet of Jesus, under the shadow of the Cross. The secret place of the Most High is the innermost part of God’s Presence, the place of prayer, of continuous communion, the very heart of God. If I can see someone’s shadow that person would have to be quite near to me. On the Cross of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:19) God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. It was on the Cross of Jesus, it was at Calvary that Almighty God came so near to us that we would see right into the very heart of God (Deep awareness made me tremble as I wrote that last sentence.) The shadow of the Almighty is the shadow of the Cross where Almighty Amazing Grace made it possible for us to live continually in the shadow of the Most High. (Oswald Chambers) “Whose power no foe can withstand.”
I want to be so close and ever closer to the Triune God that not so much as a sliver can get between us. This morning at breakfast as I was thanking God for my food, this thought came into my mind – that, in a sense, the food on my table came straight from the Garden of Eden.
Often I have to cuddle up close to my heavenly Father to thank Him, in sheer wonder, for His continual tender mercy, loving kindness and unfailing compassion. I am not rich in the money and goods of this world but I have the greatest richest treasure in all the world (Psalms 19:7-11) the eternal Word of the Sovereign God – my Bible. The proof that Jesus has fully paid for my sin, the proof that all my sin has been totally and forever forgiven, the proof is the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He is the first fruit (1 Corinthians 15:20) of the resurrection of all those who have put their faith in Him for salvation through His shed Blood and atoning death. Jesus so fully satisfied the just wrath of holy God - - that His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6) was the only possible resulting outcome. One day, and I think it will be soon, the Lord will come to take us Home (1 Thessalonians 4:17) to be with Him forever. But what a glorious privilege and preparation that NOW (John 14:23). God the Father and God the Son make their home with those who obey the Lord. As we continually abide in Him, we are assured that (Psalms 84:11) no good thing will he withhold from them who walk uprightly. If God takes, He never forsakes. David had a noble dream to build a house for the Lord but God had a better plan. He took that dream from David and (2 Samuel 7:12-13) fulfilled it through Solomon. There are things that seem good, even necessary to us but sometimes through suffering or loss God takes those things from us. Why? Because He sees where they might lead us and He has something far better, already planned in His mind for us.
Through grace God condescends to come down and live with me on earth (Isaiah 57:15) and through faith I can ascend in prayer to the high and holy place where God, Whose Name is Holy, dwells in eternity. For whatever time I still have on earth, I want to live in the heart of God at the nail-pierced feet of Jesus, under the shadow of the Cross, by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
Will you join me there?
If I put even a shred of reliance on anything or anyone including myself, other than God alone, I am heading for guaranteed failure. If I am so sufficiently right with God that I can dare to believe that he meant what He said (Oswald Chambers) then I can expect Him to manifest His wonderful Life in me. I know that this is God’s intended purpose – for me and for you.
(Dr. E. Lutzer) “None of us can enter heaven unless we are as holy as God is.” God commands us (1 Peter 1:13-16, Leviticus 11:44) to be holy as the One Who called us is holy with right thinking, balanced judgment and depending only on the grace of Jesus Christ. Augustine prayed – “Lord, command what You will and supply whatever You demand.” The answer is that God sent everything we need for holiness in the Person of Jesus Christ.
On the Cross Jesus received what He did not deserve – our sin, and we, by faith in Him, received what we did not deserve – His righteousness. Only God is holy and apart from Him there is no holiness. The fact is that without holiness no one will see the Lord. But because of the holy very life and perfection of God within us through Jesus Christ, we have become (Hebrews 12:10) sharers of His own holiness. Grace – incredible grace that is greater - - - we who are truly born-again will enter heaven as holy persons.
The wonder, the scope, the holy glory of our salvation make us fit and adorns us to shine with the holy beauty of Jesus throughout the endless ages of eternity.