The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Who We Will Know"
"To the degree we know and believe the truth of His moving within us for fellowship with Himself will be the degree to which we reciprocally move toward Him through His Spirit, by His Word, and in fellowship with other believers."
The Lord Jesus Christ defined eternal life not in terms of duration, but of relation.
"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
Certainly, God's grace in Christ provides "everlasting life" (John 3:16). Nevertheless, who we will know rather than how long we will live supplies the greatest blessedness of eternity to come. The triune God exists as the very essence and heart of relationship - "God is love" - and He made the human race in His image to make possible our fellowship with Him as the very Life of our lives (I John 4:8). Sin grievously damaged this potential at the outset of human history, making necessary our Heavenly Father's redeeming administration of grace and truth in the Lord Jesus to provide relationship with Him. This He does in all who believe, and He perpetually works in us to lead us in loving fellowship with Himself. "I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:26).
Of course, born again believers in the Lord Jesus presently "walk by faith, not by sight" and "see through a glass darkly" (II Corinthians 5:7; I Corinthians 13:12). Consistent fellowship with God presents a great challenge in a fallen world as our spiritual enemies seek to hinder our faith in the Holy Spirit's moving within us to know the love of God, and to love Him in response. Overcoming the challenge begins with the confidence that the Spirit of God works in us to lead us in communion with our Heavenly Father. He loves fellowship with us - "the prayer of the upright is His delight" - and He works accordingly to lead and enable our walk with Him in loving devotion and communication by faith (Proverbs 15:8). To the degree we know and believe the truth of His moving within us for fellowship with Himself will be the degree to which we reciprocally move toward Him through His Spirit, by His Word, and in fellowship with other believers. "When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face, my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek" (Psalm 27:8).
A long forever awaits believers in the Lord Jesus. "The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him" (Psalm 103:17). While limited in comparison to glories we will know in our present existence, "to everlasting" has already begun for Christians. God can be known. He desires to be known. He works mightily in us to be known. We can fellowship with Him accordingly, and we must. He calls us indeed to "seek ye My face." May our hearts respond with the Psalmist: "Thy face, Lord, will I seek." He will not disappoint us, and we will discover the relationship that serves as the greatest blessing of eternal life both now and forever freely given by the Lord Jesus.
"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life."
(I John 5:20)
"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us."
(Romans 5:5)
Weekly Memory Verse
When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face, my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
(Psalm 27:8)
7035
No comments:
Post a Comment