“A Masterpiece of Glory"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

"A Masterpiece of Glory"

     The doctrines of Scripture, all of them, shine brightly with the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life.  And they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).

    From creation to salvation to prayer to righteousness to peace to joy to life, to love, and to every Biblical subject, all doctrinal Truth begins and forever continues in the Christ who declared, "I am the… Truth (John 14:6).  He is the living Word to which the written Word directs our hearts and minds.  We may not always know how verses and passages, particularly in the Old Testament, have their meaning and significance in Christ.  But we can know they do, as our Lord declared, "they are they which testify of Me."  Thus, we open our Bibles to seek the Savior, whether in the shadows of the Old Testament, or the bright sunlight of the New.  In the light of Scripture, we see Christ, and in the light of Christ, we interpret the doctrinal Truth of the Bible.

   Establishing Christ in our hearts and minds as the central theme of Scripture paves a smooth pathway for the Holy Spirit to teach, lead, and empower us.  The Spirit's purpose involves glorifying and revealing the Lord Jesus: "He shall testify of Me… He shall glorify Me" (John 15:26; 16:14).  Thus, we would expect the Bible inspired by the Holy Spirit to accomplish this dual intention.  It does, and the more we seek the Savior in the Spirit's Scriptures, the more we find ourselves illuminated, encouraged, and challenged to also testify of Christ and glorify Him.

   People read the Bible for many reasons, some genuine and sincere, and some for other reasons.  Only one primary purpose, however, must initiate our considerations.  We "search the Scriptures" to discover the One who said, "They… testify of Me."  The Lord Jesus awaits us in the words, sentences, verses, chapters, and books of the Holy Spirit's Christ-exalting masterpiece.  We open the sacred written Word of the Bible to behold the sacred living Word of the Father.  Scripture leads us to Christ, who leads us back to Scripture, which then leads us again to Christ, who then points us back to Scripture in a beautiful cycle of living and doctrinal Truth.  "In Thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:9).  

   Let us open our Bibles today in search of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus.  The Holy Spirit will serve as our guide, pointing out new facets of our Savior's glory, and reminding us of those already known, but which will forever offer beautiful enhancements for our understanding.  Through the prophets and apostles, the Spirit of God inspired a masterpiece of glory that reveals our Master's Person, presence, peace, and power.  

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

(Luke 24:27)

"He mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ."

(Acts 18:28)

"Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures."

(I Corinthians 15:3)

"The gospel of God, which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

(Romans 1:1-3)

Weekly Memory Verse

   "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." 

(Ephesians 1:3)