None Other Than Jesus - Part 596

Be still and know that I am God. Know too that there is no other Lord and Saviour beside Me. (Isaiah 45:1,5-6, Isaiah 43:11, Isaiah 44:6)

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. [But] the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said, "Let there be light." And the light shone. And God seeing that the light was good then divided the light from darkness. And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years." And it was so." (Genesis 1:1-16)

The Almighty God, even the Lord our Saviour, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof the perfection of beauty. God hath shined. 

This is why we delve into reading the Bible. Because all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16)

Indeed, similar to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and by extension all humanity -- you and I -- our Lord God and Saviour desires that we become complete in Him as a consequence of His grace and mercy. Fulfilled. Joyous. Complete in the knowledge and wisdom that our Lord God and Saviour Jesus loves us beyond measure. 

"Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man [or woman] that trusts in Him." (Psalm 34:8) 

Moreover, when we believe in Jesus, we can be confident in this God-intended completeness that had been decided since the beginning. Indeed, even before the universe as we know it was shaped. When we open the scriptures, we begin to understand that the written Word -- God in the flesh according to I John 5:7-- established Jesus the Christ as the Head of the church. The scriptures similarly establish that Jesus alone saves. 

That it is in Him -- Jesus our Lord God and Saviour -- that the safety of the members of His body depends. For it is Jesus the Christ who loves the church -- His betrothed bride. It was Jesus the Christ that surrendered His own sinless body of flesh up to death for His betrothed. It was Jesus the Christ who counted His own sinless flesh body to be incomplete without the companionship of His betrothed. 

Certainly, creation alone could not break the shackles of sin that had engulfed His one and only love. We know this from the prophecies and journeys elaborated on within the Old Testament. 

We also know that salvation required -- indeed demanded -- that any redemption plan that would save humanity had to include a pure righteous man. This is why Jesus laid down His sinless flesh on a cross for you and I. In so doing, Jesus rescued His betrothed, sanctifying and cleansing her. 

His betrothed church body -- holy -- purifying and consecrating her. As a consequence, Jesus made her body free from all sin. The Spirit of God washed His own redeemed betrothed church body with the washing of the water of His indwelling. Loving words of His declared promises. She in turn willingly submitting to His words of love, and even following Him to death. 

The Spirit of God then -- desirous to present to Himself a glorious church-body. His betrothed as a beautiful splendid bride -- a bride who has not one spot or wrinkle, blots or disfigurements. This redeemed church body -- the betrothed bride of Christ -- became His purchased possession. Now born again. Now faultless and perfect. The Spirit of God which was in Christ loves His betrothed body. He loves His betrothed bride even as He loved His own flesh. For indeed, she was His own flesh. She was created in the beginning for Him. She was the flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone.

Furthermore, there were no limits to His love. There was no orders to her to do this or else. In fact, Jesus did not just talk the talk. He also walked the walk too. For the God who created us, there was no mountain high enough or valley deep enough to keep the Holy Spirit from His betrothed. So Jesus sacrificed His own natural body in order to woe her back from the house of bondage. He willingly sacrificed His own sinless body. He endured all things. Now that is love. 

That is, He brought His grace to man. Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary. His divine love so that you and I would be the betrothed bride of Christ. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)  Stand in the offering plate.