The New Bereans

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things and by him all things consist.  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

-Colossians 1:16-18

If we do not apply this understanding to our theology, our foundation will always be slightly askew.  If the house is just crooked enough to be perceived, we may wonder why it is so displeasing to the eye.  Or we may marvel at how ramshackle it is.  For without a high view of God, there is not a glimmer of hope that our lives can manifest His true glory.   It is a familiar temptation for me to jump to the physical implications of this passage and miss the yawning chasm of deep soaking truth.  We and every other bit of matter, right down to the up-quark and charm-quark are made by Him, and for Him.   This means that we are here for His pleasure and His alone.  We may find deep satisfaction in giving our souls over to His Lordship; however we must never forget that His glory is the ultimate purpose for each breath escaping our lips.

This means we must look at every intrusion of God into history, and recognize that every grace and judgment he presents to Eve’s children, are for the purpose of Him getting the glory He deserves.   The death and resurrection of Christ, while for your salvation, and redemption, is under the umbrella of Gods ultimate purpose of glorifying His name.   This is so that He, the Son of God, will receive the every last concentrated ounce of preeminence.

The Messiah was God come in the flesh to be seen by human kind.  The Messiah was man subjected completely to God.  The two coalesced into one as they were on display for the world to see.  If God was one cord, the Man was another, and the manifestation of the combination was a third cord, then how surely that three-fold cord cannot be broken.  When the Messiah prayed, “Father, glorify thy name,” earth and its denizens hung from the very heights of heaven, and the three fold cord grew taut with all the weight and tension of the universe in between the two.  Then, through the thick of it all, the voice of the Father ripped the heavens asunder with more power than all the dynamite that has ever been ignited.  “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  I imagine that heaven here erupted with all the elegant thunder of Cherub praise, the elders would not be able to prevent the chorus of worship exploding within their breast; the Seraph’s wings would cover weeping eyes in complete deference.   The three-fold cord was not broken, it was sure and it was strong and it was decided to be sufficient for the glorification of the Father.

Would be to God that we as those who take the name of Jesus, hopefully not in vain, upon ourselves, could get an inkling of understanding about this divine communique.   Within this conversation is a galactic nuclear powerhouse of sin-wrecking, blood pumping, cross-bearing, gate of Hades crushing, impermeable truth.

Cast your spiritual pride to the four winds.  Crush, by the power of the Spirit, any doubt that Christ is incapable of accomplishing His sanctification in your life.  Do not think, even for a moment that Christ’s work was inadequate for your deliverance from besetting sin.  If none of these things are being accomplished in your life as a Christian than you may need to take another look at Calvary.  If the Messiah cannot deliver you from your addiction then he died in vain.  For within these few words exchanged between the Elohim of creation, we find that Gods purpose in you is His glory, your part is to simply yield, bend, and decrease that He might increase.