CHRIST... Why is it so hard to understanding the Obvious?
The ONE true, eternal, Triune God called for (Commanded) a perfect expression of Great Love.
But God knew that a fallen humanity would not only fail at any attempt to pursue this type of Love, but He also knew that we could not even fathom what Holy Love is.
How can anyone not only love a God who needs absolutely nothing, but to also do so with ALL of our being?
And if we're loving God with all, what is left for us to "Love our neighbor" with??
But considering mankind's hubris, we thought that merely saying the words, singing the songs, reading and reciting the Scriptures, giving the offerings, devoting a portion of our time, and teaching others to do likewise would suffice.
Helpless and hopeless humanity strived harder and harder to perfect this endeavor to Worship. God's chosen people became meticulous in their expressions of Obedience to the Greatest of Commands and to all others which flowed from it. Likewise, God's elect has followed this same path, but with less fervor because, after all.... "We have been saved by Grace, not by works." - Ephesians 2:8-9
Why do we love God this way?
Because it makes sense!
What other way could it be??
"I have to Love myself or I'll die."
"I have to Love my wife because the Bible says to do so."
"I have to Love my family; it is intrinsic within my nature."
To do otherwise would defy all reason and logic!
YET... "The Eternal Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, and we beheld His GLORY, a Glory full of Grace and Truth." - John 1:14
Jesus (God Incarnate) explained to us, "You search the Scriptures seeking for and pursuing eternal life, but all of Scripture testifies (tells us) of Me (Jesus the CHRIST)." - John 5:39
We say, "CHRIST... Yes!"
That's what separates us (the elect) from the Jewish faith, because we include that "Name above all names" in our vocabulary.
We know that trying to "Love God with all" and "Love our neighbors as ourselves" is impossible.
We know that Christ did that for His elect.
We know that the Elect are saved by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone.
We know that God Sovereignly chooses His elect, not swayed by any person's actions.
We stand in awe of His display of love, while we continue our way of loving... We have NO other sensible choice but to do so.
The KEY has always been CHRIST.
Christ is more than a Name, a Title, a Messiah...
CHRIST is a Display of love heretofore unfathomable to our carnal minds.
CHRIST is a Way of living heretofore rejected by our instinct to self-preservation.
And the God of LOVE knew, despite His attempts to communicate this message, that He alone would need to SHOW us what all the words of Scripture actually mean. (Hebrews 1:1-2)
CHRIST is a display of HOLY LOVE.
Jesus displayed this love to perfection, so much so that He will forever be known as The Christ.
YES, He alone could fulfill perfection, but now He calls and commands for His own to move towards this very type of love. Moving towards Christlike Love, becoming cleansed from our previous way of loving me, my and mine first, and for us to conform and become transformed (in both thought and deed) to His likeness.
"HE must become MORE while i must become LESS."
We are called to glorify God by loving like this, just a Jesus did.
The Old Covenant demanded PERFECTION; the New Covenant requires SINCERITY.
- Luke 6:46 Matthew 7:21,12:50
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you... Unless you fail the test?" - 2 Corinthians 13:5
We know (because we're told) that we cannot do anything to merit God's favor or earn His salvation. NO actions, what we do or don't do, has any effect over His sovereign election.
But, through what we're told, we can see that God did not elect many, only a remnant.
Jesus said, "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 7:14
We also know (because Jesus told us) that those with possessions (the rich) were very rarely chosen. "Like camels going through the eye of a needle." - Matthew 19:24
So, what are we examining our SELF for?
What evidence is there?
Jesus knew Scripture.
Satan knew Scripture.
But Jesus Loved others while Satan loved self.
John walked with Jesus.
Judas walked with Jesus.
But John grew to Love others while Judas loved self.
Saul of Tarsus pursued God.
Paul the Apostle pursued God.
But Paul Loved others while Saul loved self.
Those on His Right said, "Lord, Lord".
Those on His Left said, "Lord, Lord".
But those on His Right Loved others while those on His Left loved self.
Jesus cast out demons and did miracles.
His disciples cast out demons and did miracles.
But Jesus warned them, "Do not love self because of this..." - Luke 10:18-20
We know that NO actions can gain God's favor, but we also know that there are actions which bear witness to someone not being chosen... Hoarding excess, producing status.
"The rich, the well fed, the entertained, those of who the world speaks well of."
"Those who have prioritized ease and security, those who have sought for and attained status, those who have built a good lifestyle for themselves." - Luke 6:24-26, Amos 6:1-6
These are attributes of LOVING SELF.
Understanding... HOLY
We can begin to understand HOLY by CONTRAST.
We can observe how this world functions, the way people live and interact, and know with certainty... This is "not holy."
Through observation we can learn quite a bit about what is NOT Holy.
But as for what HOLY IS...
We know that the Jewish faith derived many things from Scripture as HOLY.
Many times, the "Experts on the Law" made claims of Him (Jesus) doing something "UNHOLY", but Jesus showed them (by His ACTIONS) to be in err.
They embraced the Scriptures as an authority, Jesus did likewise.
They preached and prayed, Jesus did likewise.
They exalted God, Jesus did likewise.
They loved themselves by attempting to gain favor for SELF by their actions; Jesus did NOT.
Where Jesus lived in total contrast to all of humanity was in how He LOVED.
Jesus set His glory aside for US. Jesus set aside His Own radiant love to show us how to have faith, that God faithfully loves and provides. Jesus showed us how to receive God's love and likewise love others with it (STEWARDSHIP). "We love because He first loved us..." - 1 John 4:19 (RECIEVE AND REFLECT / FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS)
Jesus had always been God, the Source and Producer of Love.
Love had forever flowed from Him; LOVE is God's GLORY.
But Jesus sat aside His Glory (Producing Love) and He took on flesh to show us how to receive love and then glorify God by Loving like God... Reflecting LOVE to OTHERS.
"But, if someone says, 'I Love God', but hates (loves not) his brother, HE IS A LIAR." - 1 John 4:20
Jesus displayed Godlike (Holy, Holy, Holy) Love by loving others despite of how SELF was treated.
Put Him into a body of flesh, placed inside a common girl's womb... HE LOVED US.
Wrap Him in torn strips of cloth and lay Him in a feeding trough... HE LOVED US.
Give Him a life of toil and challenge... HE LOVED US.
Starve and Tempt Him... HE LOVED US.
Disparage Him and Accuse Him... HE LOVED US.
Arrest Him, Beat Him, Torcher Him, Crucify Him... HE LOVED US.
Kill Him... HE LOVED US by rising again!
The only thing we know about HOLY...
Because it is the only thing we've been shown about HOLY...
Is the HOLY LOVE of CHRIST.
His perfect "Self-denying, others focused" LOVE.
God commands, "Be Holy as I AM Holy." - 1 Peter 1:15-16
CHRIST is more than a NOUN...
CHRIST is more than an ADJECTIVE...
CHRIST is a VERB (action)... A display of HOLY LOVE that Jesus calls His disciples to LEARN from, to FOLLOW, and to GROW in.
CHRIST is an expression of HOLY LOVE.
The epitome of this expression being Jesus the Christ.
Being CHRIST, Jesus fulfilled all PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jesus showed us what Scripture meant and how we are to truly LIVE.
Jesus is our example, our Teacher, our Authority, and the Lover of our souls.
JESUS calls us to FOLLOW HIM.
Paul implores us to, "Imitate me, as i imitate Christ."
Paul declares to us, "To live (as a disciple) is Christ".
Paul explained, "Without Christlike Love (Holy Love), our life, love, and words are merely NOISE."
Yes, Jesus alone could fulfill perfection, but now He calls His own to MOVE TOWARDS THIS TYPE OF LOVE. Move towards perfectly Loving, becoming cleansed from our previous way of loving (Me, My, Mine to excess), and for us to conform and become transformed (in both thought and deed) to His Likeness... CHRISTLIKE LOVE.
We don't imitate His actions; we imitate His love.
To His disciples Jesus proclaimed, "You will do greater things than these" but "No one can be greater than their Master." - John 14:12, John 15:20
The more the Body of Christ loves like it's Head (Christ Jesus), the greater our love grows and the more our self dies.
Yorumlar