Saturday, July 8, 2017

The Saturday Series - 22 - "Superlative"


(Friends:  Most Saturdays for the duration of this year, I plan on sharing a message that relates to the character and nature of God, and our response thereunto.  I hope you will find it helpful, and as always, thanks for allowing us to send the devotionals to you.  Glen).


The Saturday Series - 22


"Superlative"      
    
   
   When God acts and gives, He does so abundantly, as proceeding from the abundance of who and what He is.

   "And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth" (Genesis 1:21-22).
   "In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore" (Genesis 22:17).
   "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
   "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power the worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, world without end, Amen" (Ephesians 3:20).

   When an infinite Being condescends to act in a finite creation, His doings will always achieve the standard of superlative.  Our earthly eyes and perceptions will not always perceive the abundance, but our hearts must believe the plainly stated Word of God regarding His measure of immeasurability.  God always gives more than necessary, including and especially the grace of our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

   "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:20-21).

    "Exceeding riches of His grace" bless all who trust in the Savior (Ephesians 2:7).  His love "passeth knowledge."  His joy is "unspeakable and full of glory."   His power enables us "exceeding, abundantly above."  He provides "all things that pertain to life and godliness."  His presence graces us "always."  And the fulfillment of our Lord's work in us proceeds "until the day of Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:19; I Peter 1:8; Ephesians 3:20; II Peter 1:3; Matthew 28:20; Philippians 1:6).  These and many other assurances confirm our Heavenly Father's abundance of grace, as based upon His abundant heart, mind, and determination.

   The more we discover through science the immensity and complexity of God's physical creation, the more we should realize the far greater wonder of His new creation in Christ.  The world of God reveals the former; the Word of God proclaims the latter.  As Solomon affirmed, "The Heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee!" (II Chronicles 6:18).  God Himself is the great Superlative.  We will never fully ascend to His heights, nor plumb His unfathomable depths.  We must view God in such terms, or as writers of old described Him, "the Beyond in the midst."  Through the Lord Jesus, the Infinite somehow inhabits the finite as the Holy Spirit indwells trusting hearts with the abundance of Christ's life.  Again, when God acts and gives, He does so abundantly - especially in His saving grace as provided through the One who came that we may have "life, and life more abundant."

"But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior."
(Titus 3:4-6)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee: be Thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
(Isaiah 33:2)
   
    

No comments: