2008-07-04
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As we wind up the examination of cross-references to MT 7: 1-28, the Holy Spirit leads me to hover for awhile in the book of Colossians-one of my favorites. If we look at COL 1: 27-29, we learn an important secret which God reveals through Paul. [Paul is speaking here about his work for Christ]. “God’s plan is to make known His secret to His people, this rich and glorious secret which He has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God. So we preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature individual in union with Christ. To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.” This has a profound effect on the judgment we should be using in our lives. Remember that the things of the Spirit are opposite to those things of the flesh [GA 5: 16-17]. Thus, if we are in union with Christ, our judgments and ways of looking at things will be opposite to those people who are flesh-led.
Two references immediately come to mind that point out the consistency of the Lord’s teaching. One of them is EPH 1: 18-20, which tells us that we have been equipped with the same power God used to raise Christ from death to life to battle to victory in spiritual warfare in His name. If God equips us to do this, isn’t it logical that He would also equip us to make wise judgments, to witness to the truth and thus, bring many people to where the Holy Spirit can give them faith in Himself? The other reference has to do with empowerment by Christ to do whatever is God’s will. It’s PHIL 4: 13, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” The Father has given us both His word and the ever-open channel of prayer to find out what His will is. Then, He has empowered us and authorized us to do it.
Any discussion of the precious secret revealed to us [in boldface] in the first paragraph begs us to have a better view of just Who the Lord Jesus is and His work. COL 1: 15-16 gives us Who He is. “Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. For through Him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through Him and for Him.” This is certainly supported in JN 1: 1-4, “Before the world was created; the Word already existed; He was with God, and He was the same as God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him. The Word was the Source of life, and this life brought light to mankind.” Christ certainly has the right to say what He did in JN 14: 9b and 11a, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father…Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me…” Moreover, our picture of Who Christ is and what He does is fleshed out in COL 1: 19-20, “For it was by God’s own decision that the Son has in Himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to Himself. God made peace through His Son’s death on the cross and so brought back to Himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.” Yes, Dear Ones, this is the Son Who makes it possible for people to repent of their sins, come to faith in Him, and enjoy the eternal blessings of salvation [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 245-25]. Praise be to Him!
We haven’t strayed from the subject of judgment when we are reminded of Who really is the ultimate Judge. We can see His profound impact on the lives of true believers in COL 3: 1-4, “You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on His throne at the right side of God. Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. For You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ and when He appears, then you too will appear with Him and share His glory.” We are commanded to keep our lives intimately connected with Christ’s for as long as we live. COL 2: 6-7, “Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with Him. Keep your roots deep in Him, build your lives on Him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.” When we are true believers, we have shucked off the old self and taken on a new self that lives righteously without being self-righteous. We have a constant reminder of God’s love for us if we are willing to look at it. COL 3: 9-10, “Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God its Creator, is constantly renewing in His own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of Himself.” Precious words about a precious relationship! And it’s all here for the taking.
PRAYER: O Lord, long ago You gave Daniel, and therefore us, a vision of You authorizing and empowering the Lord Jesus to be the ultimate Judge of mankind [DN 7: 13-14]. With the clarity that hindsight gives us, we now realize just how important that decision on Your part was. And yet, there is more for the future that You reveal to us, those of us who will take the time to realize how important to us that is. In the word, You have given us the gift to know you better. Through prayer, You give us direction for our lives, encourage us to live righteously, and correct us when the sinful side of us gets a chance to be seen. We must understand that You care about every detail of our lives, no matter how seemingly insignificant. PS 37: 23-24, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every details of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” We understand that there are some judgments that must be left strictly up to You, but that others are permissible for us to make on smaller matters. You have told us in the course of our prayers what those smaller matters are. When we find ourselves on the horns of a dilemma, we can come to You for direction, and You will give it to us. O how much courage it must take for You to stand by and sometimes allow us to err in those judgments, so that we will learn the consequences of our foolishness! Yet, You have promised us protection and deliver us from our more serious mistakes, if we will only remember to turn to You for help, with thankful hearts, not ones full of the will to blame You. PS 40: 1-2, “I waited patiently for the Lord’s help; then He listened to me and heard my cry. He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a Rock and made me secure.” Dearest Abba, I am happily married today after suffering misery for the first 33 years of my life, solely because this passage is so true about You. Imagine my delight when I came upon Christ’s mission statement and Your own, in JN 6: 39-40 and EPH 1: 4-5 respectively, and realized that getting us saved from slavery to sin and bringing us back to You for an eternal life of bliss are Your first priority. Never before have we all felt so loved than when we realized the love You have for us! We thank and praise You, in the glorious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Next week, we will look at a series of dos and don’ts found in MT 6-7, which will lay a foundation for better understanding of what constitutes good judgment and discernment. If, like me, you feel a warm, soft aura of love surrounding you, then, the Lord is using me to get His message across to us. Being a real and true believer in Jesus Christ, my Yeshua, allows us to perceive the love the Lord has for each of us. We can feel secure in His protection, something repeated many times throughout the Scriptures. PS 91: 14-16, “ God says, ‘I will save those who love Me and will protect those who know Me as Lord. When they call to Me, I will answer them. When they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and will honor them. I will reward them with long life; I will save them.’” Loving God is allowing His Spirit to live within us and guide us through our lives. 1 JN 4: 12, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” The very nature of a covenant is a two-way relationship in which both parties sustain the relationship, keeping important promises made to each other. While God can be counted on to keep His part to perfection and to be the dominant Partner in the Covenant of Grace, we are called upon to use His Son as our Model to follow in an effort to improve the keeping of our own promises to the Father. His love for us is so great that He rewards righteous living. PS 33: 5, “The Lord loves what is righteous and just; His constant love fills the earth.” Praise be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
© Lynn Johnson 2008. All Rights Reserved.