The Supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ - Part 849

Scripture: "For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:18-21)

I heard the same question again today. That is, who is God? On the face of it, the question appears odd, particularly when asked by those who call themselves believers. But when we begin to consider how many preachers/priests in the pulpit today refer to their Saviour as God, and only God without ever identifying Him by name, it only seems fair to conclude that many in their congregations may not know God by name either.

The difficulty in accepting this premise is that it admits that we as partakers in the body of Christ have not effectively done our job. This is not to suggest that we do not praise God, or thank Him continually for His goodness and grace. I am sure we do. And similarly, I am sure that we pray for others making our requests with joy.  It is not in either of these actions that we fail.

What it does mean, however, is that too often, we fail to equip new believers with the Word. We fail to provide them with the full armor of the Word so that when they are asked the question by their peers, "who is God" they are fully capable of responding. But even more important, we should desire to know His name if we honestly love Him with all our hearts, souls, mind and strength.

So, who is God? In Genesis, we read "In the beginning -- God." (Genesis 1:1) Throughout the old covenant we know God by different names. The most popular name appears to be Jehovah, primarily because we sing gospel songs that include the name Jehovah. But in this current dispensation of grace, which was extended to you and I as Gentiles, Jehovah would be incorrect. Why? 

Because God has a specific name for this time period -- the "only" name given under heaven whereby we must be saved. The same name that we use when we come to Him with all our hearts. The same name in which we do "everything in word or deed." The same name that we use for healing and prayer. And yes, the same name in which we are commanded to be baptized, each and every one of us. (Acts 2:38-42)

In John we read, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Later, in the chapter, we read, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:1-18) This was when God became our Saviour, shedding His holy spirit blood on the cross so that you and I could be forgiven for our sins once and for all.

How many times did God state: "I am the Lord thy God and there is no other beside Me?" or "Yet, I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt; therefore thou shalt know no God other than Me, nor any other Saviour but Me." (Hosea 13:4; Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 44:24-28) The first commandment in both the old and new testaments state: "Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." 

Does that mean God is three persons, or a triune God, as many churches today teach? Of course not. God is One, and that same One became flesh so that we could know Him personally. The greatest love story ever told -- and one that God had decided even before the world began. So why don't we know this? Because we don't diligently search the Word for ourselves. We run on the coattails of others, hoping that by virtue of their position within traditional churches, or institutionalized religion, that these actually know the truth. Unfortunately, as a consequence, we become misled by those who are very charismatic in their teachings but fall very short on the Word. 

The Lord said that when the Comforter shall come, He will lead us into truth. He will reveal to us the knowledge of His kingdom. The supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ will be in us, sharing with us His Word. (Galatians 1:18-21) But this is not in isolation. The foundation of knowledge and wisdom comes from reading His Word, and desiring to know more about the Lord. In other words, we have to do our part too.  

So, who is God? His name is Jesus! The Jehovah in the old covenant is Jesus in the new covenant. The one and only God who would ever love us enough to die for us. Hallowed be Thy name -- Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. The name that churches will forget in the last days according to the message John recorded in the book of Revelation. The last book of the Bible that reveals Jesus as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. 

Desire Jesus today. Read His Word and share in the delights that He has in store for those who love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Stand in the offering plate.