"And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. ... And you also were included in Christ, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." (Eph. 1:9-10, 13)
The story of God's people is a long one, stretching back thousands of years to the beginning of creation. What purpose did the Lord have in mind in this strange and beautiful world? What was He aiming for when He began the redemption story with a chosen family? What were all those Hebrew biographies and chronicles about? What ultimate purpose was it all pointing to?
God's ultimate aim was and is to bring everything in heaven and earth under Jesus. That goal was present in the Hebrew Scriptures, but it's only unveiled in completeness in the New Testament. This purpose is why we take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5) and rejoice in the fact that every knee will bow to Him (Phil. 2:10). The fall of humanity scattered elements of creation out from under God's good dominion, and in Christ they are brought back into His hand. Jesus, as other translations of this passage say, is the "sum" of all things.
We often miss the significance of "all things." We think Jesus reigns over compartments of our lives, especially the spiritual things. But His reign is comprehensive; the whole earth, and in fact the whole universe, is coming into His dominion. The world doesn't always look that way, but that's the direction we're headed. Every knee will bow - it's inevitable. And all things, even the physical creation, will be restored.
That's why the New Testament is so insistent on a bodily resurrection. Jesus is Lord of every atom in the universe. And that's why our tendency to confine His lordship to the purely "spiritual" aspects of our lives often leaves us with a sense of defeat and discouragement. But there's no need to limit our expectations of what we can bring to Him or what He might do. We can be encouraged that He is interested in every detail of our lives because every detail is ultimately His. Our whole life - including whatever we might be facing today - belongs to Him.
"There is not a thumb's breadth of this universe about which Jesus Christ does not say, 'It is mine.'" - Abraham Kuyper
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Road to Wholeness
"This is what God the LORD says - he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 'I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.'" (Isa. 42:5-9)
Deep in the heart of every person is a desire for wholeness - for things to work out, for fulfillment to come, for life to be filled with things that are right and good. In some hearts, that desire is deeply suppressed and obscured, probably from years of bitter disappointment. But it's there. It's always there.
The promise of the Messiah addresses that desire. Isaiah prophesied to a people in rebellion and headed to captivity, and he gave them a picture of deliverance, justice, restoration, and life (vv. 3-7). He would shine light in darkness and bring hope to every remote island. He would release captives and open eyes to see truth. He would give the human heart everything that long-buried desire was afraid to hope for. And He would bring it about by taking us by the hand and leading us into His righteousness and blessing.
Too many Christians approach the life of faith as an obligation, seeing obedience as a "have to" rather than a "get to." But according to God's Word, righteousness that comes from God is a privilege that leads to wholeness. It has the power to reach down into the soul, stoke the embers of that dying desire, and blow it into a living flame. His righteousness brings life and fulfillment - the kind we always hoped for.
The irony is that we think we can find life and fulfillment in other things and that righteousness will depress us with a long, painful to-do list. But the whisper that told us that didn't come from God. It came from a thief who steals, kills, and destroys, a liar who hates God and anyone He loves. The truth is that when God takes us by His hand and leads us in His righteousness, all of life comes into focus.
Don't be afraid to be led by God, even at the expense of those things you thought might bring you life. Only His truth, His Messiah, His righteousness can make you whole. Walk in them. Run in them. Never let go of the hand that leads you.
"The righteousness of God is not acquired by acts frequently repeated...but is imparted by faith." - Martin Luther
Deep in the heart of every person is a desire for wholeness - for things to work out, for fulfillment to come, for life to be filled with things that are right and good. In some hearts, that desire is deeply suppressed and obscured, probably from years of bitter disappointment. But it's there. It's always there.
The promise of the Messiah addresses that desire. Isaiah prophesied to a people in rebellion and headed to captivity, and he gave them a picture of deliverance, justice, restoration, and life (vv. 3-7). He would shine light in darkness and bring hope to every remote island. He would release captives and open eyes to see truth. He would give the human heart everything that long-buried desire was afraid to hope for. And He would bring it about by taking us by the hand and leading us into His righteousness and blessing.
Too many Christians approach the life of faith as an obligation, seeing obedience as a "have to" rather than a "get to." But according to God's Word, righteousness that comes from God is a privilege that leads to wholeness. It has the power to reach down into the soul, stoke the embers of that dying desire, and blow it into a living flame. His righteousness brings life and fulfillment - the kind we always hoped for.
The irony is that we think we can find life and fulfillment in other things and that righteousness will depress us with a long, painful to-do list. But the whisper that told us that didn't come from God. It came from a thief who steals, kills, and destroys, a liar who hates God and anyone He loves. The truth is that when God takes us by His hand and leads us in His righteousness, all of life comes into focus.
Don't be afraid to be led by God, even at the expense of those things you thought might bring you life. Only His truth, His Messiah, His righteousness can make you whole. Walk in them. Run in them. Never let go of the hand that leads you.
"The righteousness of God is not acquired by acts frequently repeated...but is imparted by faith." - Martin Luther
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)