Friday, May 3, 2013

“Superlative Salvation”



   
    “God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7).

    The Apostle Paul proclaims rich mercy, great love, and exceeding riches of grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, all leading to an eternally ongoing “ages to come” experience of God’s kindness for all who receive His superlative salvation. 

   Because we still live in that epoch wherein we “walk by faith, not by sight,” we don’t always consciously realize or remember the greatness of our Lord’s working on our behalf (II Corinthians 5:7).  Thus, we must encourage each other with frequent remembrances of the Bible’s declarations and promises.  “Exhort one another daily” commanded the writer of Hebrews, a big part of which involves the mutual edification that results from reminding each other of “great love, rich mercy, and exceeding riches of grace” (Hebrews 3:13).

     The dispensing of mercy, love and grace in the Lord Jesus flows according to God’s perfect wisdom, knowledge and purposes.  Sometimes our Heavenly Father will determine or allow us to walk along pathways wherein earthly darkness will cause “the unsearchable riches of Christ” to seem but a dream.  We will be no less blessed with His superlative salvation, but appearance and even experience will belie the truth that “His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3).  A great challenge of faith confronts us in such times.  Will we trust the heart and word of our Father when His hand administers the abundance of Christ with blessedness our senses cannot apprehend?  Much, if not most, of our earthly sojourn will involve this challenge that is actually an opportunity.    Indeed, trusting God when both He and His provision cannot be seen provides opportunity to honor Him, to reveal Christ to others, and to experience Heavenly realities often missed from summits where the light brightly shines.  “The light shineth in darkness” (John 1:5).

     Doubtless, we all presently have aspects of life wherein God’s riches in Christ gleam in open and obvious display.  Other matters, however, tempt us as they did the Psalmist: “Hath God forgotten to be gracious?” (Psalm 77:9).  No, He hasn’t.  He rather perfectly remembers His loving purpose for each of us, which includes the necessity of our learning to trust Him in both dark valleys and upon bright summits.  The abundance of His provision exists in both venues, and we must embrace the opportunity provided by both the obvious and the obscure dispensations of great love, rich mercy, and exceeding riches of grace.

“Moses endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.”
(Hebrews 11:27)   

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