160403 The Radiance of the Glory of God

Hebrews 1:1-4 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

One of my favorite books, in the Bible, is the book of Hebrews. There is much disagreement as to who might have written this book. I am sure it was written before A.D. 70. The writer begins with a description of Jesus as God’s means of communication with man. God had spoken to man throughout history. Paul assured us that God did not leave himself without a witness at any time. (Acts 14:17) In Paul’s introduction to Romans he stated, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of world, in the things that have been made.” (Romans 1:20)

Mankind is clearly without excuse. No one can claim they never knew there was a God. No one has ever had to convince a small child that God exists. That information seems to be programmed in. Every society on earth has had in their history some concept of “god”.  We are all born with some kind of awareness of spiritual beings. That concept does not have to be taught it is simply to be accepted.

Instead, the anti-God people will make every effort to reprogram people so that they can sin and not feel guilt. If God is not there then there is no “right” or “wrong”. There is only situational ethics that you have to work out for yourself on the spot. I am here to tell you, and the Bible has always been ready to tell you, that God is there and he is not silent. We need to recognize that…

God has spoken in many ways. In Numbers 22:28-30 we find an interesting story. There was a man named Balaam who was some kind of witch doctor yet he seemed to also have a contact with God. He was asked to place a curse upon the people of Israel by the king of Moab. After much negotiation he set out to find a way to curse Israel. As he went along his way his donkey stopped and turned aside. When that happened Balaam beat the donkey. A second time the donkey stalled and pushed Balaam’s foot against a stone wall. So he struck her again and got her going. The third time she just lay down. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” ³⁰ And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”

That is one example of God speaking to mankind through an animal. I think we have learned lots of things from animals even though they probably have not spoken to us. Sometimes just their body language or the look in their eyes can speak volumes. We find another example in…

1 Kings 19:11-13. Here we find Elijah running away from the queen, Jezebel. This is after he had defeated God’s enemies in a great contest. Now, some 40 or 50 days later, Elijah has been challenged by God to explain himself. Elijah whined, “I am the only one left”, God’s answer was, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. ¹³ And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Here, we find God speaking through weather and natural conditions. If we will but listen “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)

Hebrews tells us “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,” throughout history God has spoken and now he speaks…

By His Son. The one who existed with God forever and is clearly, himself, God. John 1:14-18 tells us And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

This is a very powerful passage of Scripture. First of all, Jesus is identified as the Word who became flesh to live among us. Second, he brought glory from the Father to the earth. Not only that, but he brought grace and truth into the world in human form. Then John clearly identifies him as “God”. The best translation of verse 18 is shown here in the ESV: “The only God, who is at the Father’s side,” not the only son who is at the Father’s side. The writer of Hebrews is in complete agreement with John the apostle. Here, right in the beginning of the book of Hebrews, Jesus is presented as fully divine. The exact imprint of his nature could easily be translated as the duplicate of God the Father. For those people who go around door-to-door saying that Jesus is not really God we have John’s Gospel clearly, repeatedly, presenting him as God. We also have Titus 2:13 “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” and 2 Peter 1:1 that tells us of “the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” And, Romans 9:5 speaking of the Jewish people, “To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” Not only was Jesus eternally God but he is clearly identified as…

The Creator of the world. We’ll look back to John’s introduction. John 1:2-3 He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Not just existing in the beginning with God but also creating everything. Without him nothing was made that has been made. Long before time began (and I really don’t understand how that can be — time beginning I mean) Jesus existed as the Son along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The concept of the Trinity is hard to grasp but I would like to briefly explain it so we can see the roles played by each person in the Godhead.

The clearest explanation of the Trinity was given by Jonathan Edwards, America’s greatest theologian. Edwards explained that God, existing forever and perfectly understanding himself had as it were an exact image and representation of himself ever before him in actual view. That image of himself we know as the Son. Since he existed as a perfect duplicate of the father the second person of the Godhead had an energy force flowing between the two. And Edwards words, “There is God and the idea of God, if it be proper to call the conception of that that is purely spiritual an idea.” All of this occurred before anything else existed. God the Father contemplated God the Son and the energy that flowed between them takes on a personality as the Holy Spirit.

Now this explanation is way too simple but it helped me a great deal in the understanding of the Trinity. If you really want to know more about it I can get you an article that contains Edward’s comments on the subject.

As the creator of everything…

Jesus is the heir of everything. Our supporting passage is found in Colossians 1:15-20. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Again we see that Jesus is the perfect duplicate “image” of the invisible God. He existed before all things and consequently created all things.

It doesn’t matter where those things existed in time or space they are all created by him. Heavenly things such as angels and spiritual authorities and earthly things such as the animal world, humans and all the rest of creation.

Verse 17 tells us that he is the “glue” that holds everything together. Jesus represents the force of gravity physically and spiritually binding all things together. Paul wants us to be very clear on the subject. Not only is Jesus the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, but He was the container — if we can call Him that — of everything that is God while he was on the earth.

When Jesus was taken, questioned, scourged and condemned to the cross all of God existed in him while simultaneously existing throughout the universe. This was a choice of God the Father before the world was created. Its way beyond my job description to understand what this is really saying. I have to be completely dependent upon God through his word to understand these things. Since the Godhead existed in Jesus Christ the suffering he endured and the blood he shed was necessary for our salvation. Since all of God existed in him Jesus is…

The reflection of God. Paul picks up the theme in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Again we see that Jesus is the “mirror image” of the Father. An image that the lost world must see in order to understand salvation. Our enemy, Satan, who roams the world looking for those he can devour, takes every action conceivable to keep mankind from recognizing the God who loves them and who gave his only Son for them. It seems that in American society a larger number of people than ever cannot see “the point” of Jesus. Throughout the New Testament we see that understanding Scripture needs moral and spiritual abilities rather than intellectual ability.

You see God must enable a person to be persuaded of the gospel or they will never understand and believe in him. So our prayer needs to be that this creator of the universe will bring his light into the darkness, even into the heart of men, thereby allowing the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ to exist.

God has spoken in many ways but the most important way is by his Son the creator of the world and the heir of everything. The one who came into the earth as the image of God is also…

The One who cleanses us of our sin. John picks up the theme for us. 1 John 1:5-10 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The very reason that Jesus came into the world, according to his own words, is “the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) His life was not to demonstrate God’s goodness, though it certainly did, his life purpose was to bring as many as possible into his kingdom. To do this Jesus had to provide a way for man’s sins to be cleansed. The Bible is very clear that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)

“When we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I am so grateful that John used exactly the words he used here. Now I realize that the Holy Spirit guided him in providing the correct word formulation. But I’m so glad to see the pronouns “us”, “we”, “our” because this includes John. You see, John was — so far as we know — the last living apostle. John was perhaps the closest of all Jesus’ disciples. He referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. What a wonderful thing it would be to be a personal friend of the Lord Jesus, the Christ!

Yet with all that personal relationship John still recognized that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,” (1 John 1:9) John confessed himself to be yet a sinner in need of cleansing. So Jesus who came to seek and save that which is lost laid down his life in payment for our sins. Not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world. Jesus came into the world to radiate the glory of God and to pay for the sins of mankind.

He was born of a virgin who descended from David the king. He was raised in the household of a man who also descended from David the king. He walked on earth as a man and was tempted in every way we are yet without sin.

Now He sits at the right hand of God. Let’s see what Paul had to say about it in Romans 8:32-34. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Jesus did not go, empty-handed, into heaven. He entered the Father’s presence with his own blood and presented it, once for all, as our faithful high priest. Having presented the proof that he paid the price for our sins, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God and now is our mediator who intercedes for those who believe. We do not have some copy of the original sacrifice. We have the original sacrifice which is Jesus’ blood offered to cover our sin. Not just the sacrifice of the lamb or a goat we have available to us the sacrifice of the image of God. Jesus is the one who brought the light of God into the world. We need to be among those who reflect his light. In exactly the same manner…

The moon has no light of its own. All the moon’s light comes from the sun. In the same way we have no glory of our own. All the glory of God that we have comes from Jesus Christ in us. God’s glory is the reason why we were created, (Isaiah 43:7) When the Bible speaks of our sin we are told that we fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The only hope we have of God’s glory is Christ in us. (Colossians 1:27) Are you ready and willing to allow Christ to rule in your life so that you bring glory to God? The only hope we have is to put our full faith in Jesus.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

160327 The Reward of Jesus’ Resurrection

Colossians 3:1-4 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

This morning we are going to take a new look at the results of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have spent a lot of time over the years looking at the physical aspects of his resurrection. Now we need to look at the rewards of his resurrection. There is no way that I could share with you all of the rewards he has for us. I don’t even know what they all are and will not know until I have joined with the uncounted number of those who stand before his throne. At that point, I believe I will be so caught up in those rewards that I won’t be concerned about knowing all of them. Let’s see what we can see now.

Many of the benefits of Christ’s resurrection are already being distributed to those who have placed their faith in him. And yet many times we do not even see what God has done for us when Jesus died on the cross the Bible says that he took us with him there. When he died, symbolically, we died as well. His death on the cross was imputed to us just as Adam’s sin was imputed to Jesus. He had no sin of his own. This is very good news! God sees us as being guilty of Adam’s sin. In the same way God sees us, in Christ Jesus, having our sins paid for through Jesus’ obedience on the cross. So when we died with him we also were buried with him. When Jesus died on the cross God the Father put our sins on Christ. Therefore…

Christian believers are raised with him. Let’s look at Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:12. Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Since we have been buried, symbolically, with him in baptism then we are able to recognize that we are also raised with him through faith and the powerful working of God. When God raised Jesus from the dead, or when Jesus took his life back, we receive the benefits by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is as if the Holy Spirit reproduces Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives. God counts us who believe in Christ as having died with him on the cross and having been raised with him from the grave.

More than that, we are now seated with Christ. Ephesians chapter 2 begins by proclaiming that we were dead in the trespasses and sins that we once lived in. Being dead, we had no ability to do anything good for ourselves. So let’s look ahead to Ephesians 2:4-7.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God’s abundant mercy is poured out on us who place our faith in him. Knowing that we were dead, and unable to respond spiritually, God the Father bound us together with Christ and took our sins to the cross and imputed Jesus’ life to us. Then, God went one step further by binding us to Jesus in heaven. According to Scripture the old rebellious person that we were was crucified in Christ, buried, and a new person was born, raised, and ascended into heaven. That’s why the term “born again” is used. Don’t worry about how you feel just think of what God’s word teaches! He has raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places. In that sense he has already glorified us. These things being true…

We should join with Paul’s focus. Let’s look at the apostle’s words in Philippians 3:14.  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

We are all progressively becoming more and more like Christ, if we cooperate with him in our spiritual growth! Paul’s goal is the upward call of God in Christ Jesus and it should be ours as well. We are not already perfect but we are being perfected. Therefore…

We must remember to whom we belong. Look ahead to Philippians 3:20-21. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

You see, though we are very much a part of this world our true citizenship is in heaven. While we are still in this body we wait for a change that will come when our Lord Jesus Christ returns for his own. When he does, our lowly bodies will be changed to be like his.  Later, John the apostle would write, “when he appears we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).

Jesus’ resurrection body is the same body that he walked on earth in but it is now made perfect. This is the kind of body we will have when Christ returns and we are raised from the dead. The resurrection body is imperishable, glorious and powerful. Jesus showed his disciples his body and spoke of it as being flesh and blood after his resurrection. Jesus was not then and never will be a disembodied spirit.

Not only are we physically citizens of Earth we are spiritually citizens of heaven. As a result of that condition…

We need to have the right mind-set. Let’s look at Romans 8:5-8. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

When we are born, dead in our trespasses and sins, we continue in that condition by having our minds set on the things of the flesh. When we become believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we need to set our minds on the things of the Spirit. We should no longer live according to the flesh. Instead, we are to live according to the Spirit.

In our Christian lives, as citizens of heaven, it is very important that we depend on the Holy Spirit’s direction and power. The Holy Spirit is received by faith in the beginning of the Christian life (Galatians 3:2) and continues to work in our life according to our faith. We are to live according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and set our minds on the things of the Spirit. Everything we do should, in some way or another, be recognized as being directed by God. As Jesus said, in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) We are strangers to this earth which explains the struggle we have, as Christians, living in the world culture. Most of the time we do not recognize that…

We have died along with him. Yet the Scripture is very clear. Let’s look at Romans 6:3-5. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Jesus’ resurrection becomes a part of our lives as we put our faith in him. That is one of the reasons why we baptize by immersion. Having died with Christ, we are buried with him, symbolically, in the water and raised up to live a new kind of life.

When he died on the cross we were united with him in the mind of God. Now, we are united with him through the Spirit’s presence in living our life day to day. It is not easy to live the Christian life — in fact, it is impossible in our own strength — so God added to the verses we’ve already read one of the greatest promises in Scripture.

Verse 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

This verse does not say sin should not rule over us it says that “sin will have no dominion over you,” the grace of God is come into our life and will finally do its work of shaping us in his image of the Lord Jesus because…

Jesus is our life. Let’s look at his words found in John 11:25-26. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Martha came out to meet Jesus while grieving the death of her brother, Lazarus. Four days had passed but the pain of separation was very clear. As soon as she saw Jesus she spoke her pain to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21) While he was on earth Jesus was light and life. (John 1:4) In explaining himself to his disciples Jesus later said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) He is our life! Jesus is not just raised up he is the resurrection! When we place our faith in him those things become ours.

Martha, and later Mary, would see that Jesus had held off coming to their aid. He had told the disciples, on the way there, that for their sakes he was glad he was not there. This allowed them to see something they needed to strengthen their faith. They had seen Jesus call others back to life. Never had they seen a person called out of the grave. Lazarus’ healing from death was one step closer to what would happen to Jesus after he was beaten, crucified and buried.

All of the resurrections that Jesus had participated in were temporary. Every one of those people would die again. I wonder sometimes how much they remembered about their temporary stay on the other side of the veil. Did God mercifully wipe it from their mind or did he allow them to remember! I don’t know. Perhaps it is not at all important, if it were, surely God would have told us.

We have a new citizenship if we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and we have a new life which is “Christ in us the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27)

The reward of Jesus’ resurrection is many things. The power of his resurrection allows us to be raised along with him to a new life. The power of his resurrection allows us to be seated with him in heavenly places. As a result of this work in our life we need to refocus our attention and remember to whom we belong. We need to have the right mind-set.

We have died with him and therefore we have the possibility of being set free from our sinful human nature. Remember, Romans 6:14 promises us that sin will not have dominion over us. I claim that verse for myself and encourage you to claim it for yourself. No matter how many times we struggle to be set free from sin, and it seems to rule over us, God promises us that it will not rule over us. Along with the promise of deliverance from prevailing sin is the promise that…

When he comes he will bring us. Assuming we have gone into heaven already let’s read 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

At the second coming of Christ there will be a great army accompanying him. Those who have died in faith will be blessed to be with him. If, on the other hand, Jesus returns while we are still alive — and he certainly can after all he’s in charge — we will be changed instantly and rise up to meet them in the air.

The power of Jesus’ resurrection promises us that we too will rise. There is a lot that we do not know about that resurrection but we have God’s promise and that’s all we need.

There are many things that come into our life as a result of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the rulers of this world had really understood what would happen they would’ve never crucified the Lord of glory. Jesus had become flesh and blood in order that he might destroy the enemy we all face. In doing so he is able to deliver us from the fear of death and the lifelong slavery such fear imposes upon us. Praise God! He did triumph over death and hell and in the power of his resurrection he frees all those who put their faith in him. I hope you have committed your life to him. If not, today can be the day of your salvation.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.