I am. He is. You are. From God's pronouncement of Himself, to our mental assent, to our personal availing of His Person, presence, and promise, relationship with our Lord begins and continues in this light of grace known and received by faith.
I am. The Bible provides God's revelation of Himself. From Genesis to Revelation, our Lord explicitly and implicitly declares His character, way, and eternal purpose in the Lord Jesus Christ. This comprises the central theme of Scripture, which must be viewed as as God-centered and directed it we are to understand it at all. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). Certainly, the Word of God addresses many issues, including our redemption. All must be viewed, however, as sub-themes to the great theme. Indeed, the Lord Jesus declared our reception of everlasting life to be a matter derived from the more central issue of who God is, and our knowing thereof. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3). We thus open the Bible first and foremost in the worshipful awareness of Divine supremacy, seeking light into the great inquiry of our existence: "Who are You, Lord?"
He is. Our role in relationship with God, whether at its inception or in its continuance, begins with the Holy Spirit's illumination concerning God's Biblical declaration of His Person and working on our behalf - He is. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). By His Spirit and His church, our Heavenly Father communicates propositional truth to be received or rejected. "When the Comforter
You are. The mental apprehension of God must become personal. Salvation involves both the believing of propositional truths and the believing of the Person who declares them. The former involves primarily and necessarily the mind. The latter concerns the heart, whereby "man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans 10:10). Our Heavenly Father desires to be known, loved, trusted and obeyed in this central abode of our being, from which the issues of life proceed (Proverbs 4:23). "You are" ushers us into personal relationship with God, culminating and fulfilling the "I am" and "He is" that escort us to the temple where we make our determination to enter, or to turn away. We may well know our Lord's Biblical declaration of Himself. We may be much aware and even rationally believe Him to be who He claims to be. A true reception of grace through faith, however, requires personal encounter with God. We must look into His eyes, as it were, and with our hearts we must confess, "You are!"
We may not always consciously think in terms of "I am... He is... You are." Every step of faith nevertheless involves this God-centered and enabled process of revelation, discovery and determination. Principled and personal relationship with God ensues, pleasing His heart and fulfilling ours. May our Lord be greatly glorified as we walk in this "faith once delivered to the saints," and now offered to us (Jude 1:3).
"I am the Lord."
(Exodus 6:2)
"He is the Lord our God."
(Psalm 105:7)
"Thou art the Lord God."
(II Kings 19:19)
Weekly Memory Verse
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
(Psalm 46:4)
I am. The Bible provides God's revelation of Himself. From Genesis to Revelation, our Lord explicitly and implicitly declares His character, way, and eternal purpose in the Lord Jesus Christ. This comprises the central theme of Scripture, which must be viewed as as God-centered and directed it we are to understand it at all. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). Certainly, the Word of God addresses many issues, including our redemption. All must be viewed, however, as sub-themes to the great theme. Indeed, the Lord Jesus declared our reception of everlasting life to be a matter derived from the more central issue of who God is, and our knowing thereof. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3). We thus open the Bible first and foremost in the worshipful awareness of Divine supremacy, seeking light into the great inquiry of our existence: "Who are You, Lord?"
He is. Our role in relationship with God, whether at its inception or in its continuance, begins with the Holy Spirit's illumination concerning God's Biblical declaration of His Person and working on our behalf - He is. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). By His Spirit and His church, our Heavenly Father communicates propositional truth to be received or rejected. "When the Comforter
You are. The mental apprehension of God must become personal. Salvation involves both the believing of propositional truths and the believing of the Person who declares them. The former involves primarily and necessarily the mind. The latter concerns the heart, whereby "man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans 10:10). Our Heavenly Father desires to be known, loved, trusted and obeyed in this central abode of our being, from which the issues of life proceed (Proverbs 4:23). "You are" ushers us into personal relationship with God, culminating and fulfilling the "I am" and "He is" that escort us to the temple where we make our determination to enter, or to turn away. We may well know our Lord's Biblical declaration of Himself. We may be much aware and even rationally believe Him to be who He claims to be. A true reception of grace through faith, however, requires personal encounter with God. We must look into His eyes, as it were, and with our hearts we must confess, "You are!"
We may not always consciously think in terms of "I am... He is... You are." Every step of faith nevertheless involves this God-centered and enabled process of revelation, discovery and determination. Principled and personal relationship with God ensues, pleasing His heart and fulfilling ours. May our Lord be greatly glorified as we walk in this "faith once delivered to the saints," and now offered to us (Jude 1:3).
"I am the Lord."
(Exodus 6:2)
"He is the Lord our God."
(Psalm 105:7)
"Thou art the Lord God."
(II Kings 19:19)
Weekly Memory Verse
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
(Psalm 46:4)
No comments:
Post a Comment