The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Christ Is Context"
The writer of Hebrews calls believers challenged by the realities of walking faithfully with God in a fallen world to remembrance and refreshing found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:3).
This echoes the words of the Savior Himself.
"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
What does it mean to "consider Him" and "come unto" Him? Countless answers present themselves on the pages of Scripture and its glorious revelation of "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). One especially brilliant ray of illumination simply calls us to realize that the Lord Jesus exists as the center and circumference of our existence. "To live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). Certainly, we only faintly see this brightest of all stars in our present lives. Even devout believers "see through a glass darkly" (I Corinthians 13:12). We must nevertheless establish within our hearts that Christ is context, that is, everything God does in our lives somehow relates to "the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11). In this sense, our Savior provides the answer to every "Why?"… What?… How?… When?… Where?" of our lives.
Paul's beloved assurance found in Romans 8:28 speaks to this truth - "All things work together for good to them that love God" - if we allow the Apostle to finish his thought in Romans 8:29 - "He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." In this light, we see that the "good" of Romans 8:28 must be defined as conformity to the spiritual and moral image of Christ, as revealed in Romans 8:29. Thus, to be strengthened by considering and coming to the Lord Jesus involves the realization that whatever our lives may involve at any moment, likeness to Him constitutes our Heavenly Father's all encompassing presence and working. Again, Christ is context. He is the reason for every season of our existence, whatever the circumstance, condition, or situation. "He is thy life" (Deuteronomy 30:20).
Such truth, blessed as it is, does not remove all the sharp edges of the thorns that prick us. It does, however, encourage us with the realization that no randomness exists in our lives. Such consideration leads us to come to our Lord for the rest found deep in heart, even amid the toils that challenge our minds, hands and feet. Yes, our Heavenly Father incessantly works to conform His trusting children to the image of Christ. He could do nothing better for us, nor can He love us in any greater mode or measure. Hereby, we consider Him, which leads us to come unto Him to find rest in the assurance that Christ is context…
"He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
(Philippians 1:6)
"We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."
(I John 3:2)
Weekly Memory Verse
Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
6380
No comments:
Post a Comment