2018-02-09
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The world and our Lord have diametrically different criteria for assessing a person’s value to the whole of society or the church. We can know what matters to our Deity through the three personalities of the Trinity, while other humans will teach us what the world values. As promised last week, I have been commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about these non-physical phenomena. One can’t hold personality, value, intangibles, etc. in his hand. Yet, they are always on our minds when sizing up a person. The worldly point of view values educational achievement, wealth, position, career, etc. in society. While a garbage collector’s job is essential (consider our lives without his services), his job isn’t held in as high esteem as that of a medical doctor. He is paid much less and therefore, doesn’t have as comfortable a life as a doctor does. The police commissioner of a major metropolitan area has more “juice” (prestige and power) than a patrolman on the beat. Every human must physically obey Newtonian laws and Einsteinian Relativity; those are his physical limits.
However, our God is not limited as such. He is a supernatural Being, one God with three personalities. While the length of a man’s life has physical limits, which God-alone knows before it ends, God and His laws are eternal (timeless-HE 13: 8). Even ordinary people who rise to managerial positions and influence more subordinates than lower level employees. A man will never impact everyone, as God does. The closest to a physical description of God is found in EZK 1: 1-28 and 10: 1-5. We are told that God cannot be seen or completely understood by mankind [COL 1: 15; IS 55: 8-9]. His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence are made clear throughout the Bible. His many names reveal amazing attributes and deeds. God has no limitations, as to Who He is and what He can do. Nor, does God hold anything back, except the date and time of His second coming [MT 24: 36] from the Son.
God’s second personality has all His attributes and is capable of any deed the Father commands Him to do; He is Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son [JN 3: 16; JN 14: 9, 11; JN 15: 13-15; COL 1: 15-20]. He holds nothing back from us, who believe in Him. Our Lord Jesus came to give His life on the cross, so that believing mankind could be saved, eternally forgiven [1 JN1: 9] and justified [RO 4: 3]. This takes us deeper into our faith than the Law alone could, as it only let us know what pleases God and what doesn’t. No other being could be considered both human and deity, visible to man. The ramifications of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to each of us are tremendous!
The least well understood of God’s three personalities is the Holy Spirit. Christ, after His ascension, sent this godly and unseen (intangible) Counselor to dwell within our spirits, to teach us God’s will and His word, and to advise us in decisions we must make at various crossroads in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit, Who pleads with God on our behalves and Who blesses us according to God’s will [RO 8: 14-16, 26-27]. We are adopted into God’s family as His children by means of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit that we experience God’s grace. We must remember that grace is undeserved merit, and that God has already prepared us by granting each of us our unique skill set, gifts, and talents, to do certain good deeds [EPH 2: 8-10].
We can understand EPH 2: 20-22, which uses the metaphor of a temple building, describing it as with “a foundation laid by the prophets and apostles, the Cornerstone being Christ Jesus, Who holds the building together and makes it into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. We are built together in union with Him and make this a place where God lives through His Spirit.” Our God-given understanding of 1 PET 1: 20-22 helps us appreciate what happened before Creation and our relationships with God and fellow believers (and potential believers). Before the Creation ever happened, God raised Christ from death, glorifying Him, so that your faith and hope are fixed on Him. In addition, we are to have a solid vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationships with other believers and potential believers. Christ demonstrates what love is, and we are to mimic this love.
PRAYER: O Lord, our human perspective is limited to things of this earthly life. However, Your perspective knows no limits at all. We strive to gain understanding of the teaching You have given us through our Lord Jesus. There are intangible blessings, attributes, and attitudes that He gives us, which govern our decisions and behavior. Christ inspirited the Biblical writers that came after Him, as well as setting an example by his words and actions of His ideal. We can attest to the enormous changes made in ourselves once He entered our lives. What Christ teaches is forever! While His name was never mentioned in the OT, He is present throughout it, in the form of a theophany. It is no accident that Jacob wrestled with the Man at Peniel, in GN 32: 22-32, or that Moses was told to hide in the cleft of a Rock as God passed by, for this man’s own protection [EX 33: 20-23]. We stand by You, O Lord, in profound faith and to seek the truth. For You alone can supply these things. Remain with us through our earthly lives and afterward forever. We thank and praise You for the love You give us every day. This prayer is said in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about warnings given to the church, regarding people who detract from our ability to grow in faith and pass this on to potential believers. We must also deal with the issue of the ethical slippery slope on which our human society slides. The world respects degrees after one’s name, and they are paid more generously than people without this additional education. Material wealth is considered a measure of one’s prestige and power. Last week, I mentioned my concern about the increasing number of powerful, even famous, men in our society, who are being publicly called out for inappropriate sexual behavior (rape, sexual advances, and harassment in the workplace). Our propensity for ranking ourselves in so many ways leads to unkind, sometimes unethical, behavior toward others. God hates this idolatry! Material greed, hunger for power over others, gluttony, and a host of other attitudes and behaviors make earthly living complicated and often painful. Even the way we dress intensifies this ranking. For example, professional men wear suits and ties, while ordinary people don’t. The wearing of tattoos and piercings in strange parts of the body send negative messages as to if this person is qualified for a better job. Ageism is a common practice in the workplace. White-haired people dye their hair to hide their age. Prejudice exists against overweight people. Faith in God alone can reveal His extraordinary and unmatched love for His human creation. Our Lord Jesus detests these earthly practices. Praise be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
© Lynn Johnson 2017. All Rights Reserved
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