"The Power of Weakness" Part 1

"The Power of Weakness"

Part 1

   Sin and evil began in the choice of a created being, Lucifer, to believe that the power, beauty, and wisdom that dwelt in him originated of him.

   "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High... Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness" (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:17).

    The name "Lucifer" means "light-bearer" rather than "light-be-er".  God Himself is light, and only He exists in the glory of inherent, underived beauty, power, and wisdom.  "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me" (Isaiah 45:5).  We must therefore understand and affirm the being of the Creator, and the bearing of created beings.  Only God is self-existent.  Angels and humans are not.  Only God exists "from everlasting to everlasting" (Psalm 90:2).  Angels and humans do not.  Only God dwells in attributes He did not receive, but which constitute His eternal character, nature, and way.  This cannot be said of angels and humans.  Only God is, in the sense that nothing caused Him to be, nor has there ever been a time or a circumstance of eternity in which He did not exist.  Not true of angels and humans.  "I AM" He commanded to declare as His name to Israel (Exodus 3:14).  Of no other can this be said -  "Thou art God alone" (Psalm 86:10).

    In order to redeem humanity and creation from the darkness of the devil who sought to be more than he is, the Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself a nature that is less than He is.  The infinite God enrobed Himself with finite humanity for our sakes.  "The Word was God… The Word was made flesh" (John 1:1; 14).  Moreover, the Be-er  became a bearer (without relinquishing His Divine nature).  The Lord Jesus revealed the proper constitution of human beings by becoming one Himself.  He lived His earthly lifetime as a man dependent on God - "I live by the Father… The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works" (John 6:57; 14:10).  Thus, in order to know what it means to be truly human, that is, to be a bearer, we "look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).  The Son of God, a member of the triune "I AM", took upon Himself the nature of a bearer.  Thus, in weakness, our Lord trounced His enemy Satan in order to reveal the absurdity of created beings attempting to be more than they are.

   The principle still applies.  The Lord Jesus presently reveals Himself most often not in terms of outward glory, strength, and overcoming, but in the power of weakness, as it were.  "My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9).  Again, recall that God purposes to overcome the deception of inherent ability in created beings who seek to be strong in themselves.  What better way to reveal the error of such deception than to defeat it by weakness?  We will consider this enigmatic truth more in messages to come.  For now, let us find a place in our hearts and upon our knees to marvel at the God who so loves human beings that He became as one of us - a bearer - to redeem us from Lucifer's lie of seeking to be...

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

(Philippians 2:5-11)

"In Him we live and move and have our being."

(Acts 17:28)

Weekly Memory Verse

    And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me"