1 John 3:2-3
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
God said it, I believe it, and that settles it, is one of the most powerful statements of faith that a child of God can make. In essence it says, I will trust the Lord in everything, no matter what it otherwise appears to be. That’s true faith talk.
Today’s sermon came out of a frustrating moment where I overheard Christian believers making negative confessions of faith and unscriptural assertions concerning the Word of God. The most egregious statement was, ‘I’m just a man. I’m not Jesus.’ Well, I will ask, why aren’t you more like Jesus? Didn’t He empower us to do just that? I contend, we have no excuse. The same power that raised Christ from the grave is available to us today. We only need to access it.
The scriptures declare the ‘just shall live by faith’. This characterization of the life of a believer goes beyond simple righteous living. The faith of the child of God balances the eternal paradox of God’s goodness. Faith says God is good all the time. Faith says God is incapable of making mistakes. So those of us that walk by faith (and not by sight) accept every one of life’s circumstances as the provident will of God.
Nothing is more powerful than faith. We live it, trust it, hope and believe it. Remember, if we talk a faithless talk, we end up walking a faithless walk. The just must walk by faith. But to do that, you have to fully recognize the vastness of the sovereignty of God.
God’s word is truth without compromise, apology or defense. We simply accept it because it’s His word, not because we’ve inspected it, or have come into agreement with it. Hebrews 11:6 declares, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It’s of the utmost importance that we establish a trust in the Almighty beyond our understanding, comprehension, wisdom or knowledge. Faith demands that without any proof, substantiation, or evidence we concede that God exist. And not only does He exist, but that He is eternally good. We can’t see God, hear God, feel or understand God, but here’s the one thing we can do, trust Him.
How do I affirm what I heard is from God? If I use my cognitive and cognition abilities I’m limited to only what I understand or agree with. That’s not going to work. God is not interested in what I think I know, he is not moved by the things I conjure up in my mind. God knows. He does. God is. We are in such a rush to understand the impossible, to comprehend the incomprehensible, and to control the uncontrollable, that we stand to miss the blessedness of Christ within us right now.
Since we are incapable of perceiving God through human means, God has to reveal himself to us. To do that, God has to reduce Himself small enough for humanity to comprehend His presence. Subsequently, He became flesh that we could behold His glory and not die; because if the Omnipotent One showed up in His full glory, the very earth would melt at His appearance. Sparing us that fate, He sent Jesus Christ to become the express image of His likeness in human form. And with that creative act, the Word was made flesh to dwell among us. Through Jesus Christ, the directives of God come to us through means we can perceive. We now can read it, listen to it, preach it, pray it and live it with the confidence of knowing the messenger for ourselves.
But there’s more. While the will of God from the ancient past is embodied in Christ Jesus and expressed to us through His Revealed Word, the Living and very present Spirit of Christ now dwells in all of us that receive Him. So the concealed word from the ancient past became the current revealed Word through Christ Jesus, and lives in us as the fruition of eternal Kingdom glory. We have divinity surging through our veins. And yet some of us have the audacity to doubt. Shame on us.
Dear children, we now live in hope beyond comprehension. We have a promise from a God that cannot fail. We have heard from heaven concerning who we are, what we are, and what we shall be. Presently, we are the children of God. And are becoming what Jesus is. But until His return, you are the closest representation of Christ the world will ever see. Only believe.
God bless
