Jesus said, "I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which Thou gave Me out of the world. Thine they were and Thou gave them Me, and they have kept Thy Word. Now they have known all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the words which Thou gave Me, and they have received [them] and have known surely that I came out from Thee and they have believed that Thou didst send Me.
I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine, and all Mine are Thine, and Thine are mine and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own Name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy Name ..." (John 17:6-12)
A similar message was given when the Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, saying, "What mean ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live," saith the Lord God, "ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the Father, so also is the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die ... but if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right!" (Ezekiel 18:1-5)
The message being to declare His Name within the congregation. To declare His Name throughout the countryside. That in everything we do in both word or deed, to be done in His Name. And, as a consequence, we desire to be clothed in His righteousness by being water baptized in His Name. But we also know that His Name has become a stumbling block in many circles. "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." (Psalm 118:22)
"This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the Head of the corner." (Acts 4:11)
But as Peter filled with the Holy Ghost proclaimed to the rulers of the people, "Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole -- be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by Him doth this man stand before you whole .... neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:8-12)
This is why the apostles preached Jesus everywhere they went. Because His Name (in this current dispensation of grace) is Jesus!
We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation because of the mystery that was revealed in this last time, "wherein ye greatly rejoice." (I Peter 1:5)
The mystery of godliness -- that was beheld in the bosom of the Father until this very time.
"And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (I Timothy 3:16)
"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11) The Word of the Lord made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:1-18) This is why Jesus said, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:28)
This is why Jesus said, "I and My Father are One." (John 10:30)
This is why Jesus said, "If God were your Father, ye would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I Myself but He sent Me. Why do ye not understand My speech? [even[ because ye cannot hear My Word." (John 8:42-43)
And this is the problem we are seeing today. Everywhere around us, are those who want to deny the Name of Jesus, and hide the Light under a bushel. These do not want to admit that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true. "And we are in Him
that is true -- in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." (I John 5:20)
In other words, when you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father. Jesus said, "If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also; and from henceforth, ye know Him and have seen Him." Like many of us tainted by a false religious culture, Philip said unto Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us." Jesus said unto him, "Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father, and how say thou [then], "Shew us the Father?" Believe thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the works." (John 14:6-10)
But Jesus does not stop there. He continues saying, "Believe Me that I [am] in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you -- He that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] that these shall he do because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My Name, I will do [it]. And I pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever ... [even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him, but ye know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. I shall not leave you comfortless. I will come to you." (John 14:11-18)
This is why Jesus said "yet a little while, and the world sees Me no more, but ye shall see Me because I live, ye shall live also. At that day, ye SHALL know that I [am] in My Father and ye in Me and I in you. He that hath My commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me, and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father and will manifest Myself to him." (John 14:20-21)
He will come as the power on high, that all those who gladly received the Word on the day of Pentecost understood. These 3,000 souls understood that this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified is both Lord and Christ. Not another but the very same God who loves His beloved creation so much that He would bring us His gift of salvation.
This is why Peter (standing with the eleven) on the day of Pentecost stated in response to the people's question, what must we do to be saved -- "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:36-47; Acts 10:40-44)
"But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them from the wicked, and save them because they trust in Him." (Psalm 37:39-40)
Who is the Him? The one and only Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ.
"The Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: but they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of My holiness. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people." (Isaiah 62:8)
Who was the right arm of the Lord? As the psalmist so aptly pointed out, "A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for He hath done marvelous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory." (Psalm 98:1)
"And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call His Name JESUS for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call His Name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 1:31; Luke 2:7, 21; John 1:29; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 42:13)
His Name is Jesus.
And some day very soon, " ... at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; and [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-9)
It is herein that we begin to understand that God became our Saviour.
"But after the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared ... which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7)
Not another but the One and Only. God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by [His] Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of [His] glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high ..." (Hebrews 1:1-13)
His Name is Jesus! Stand in the offering plate.
No comments:
Post a Comment