Psalm 89:14 - Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
Every building has a foundation – a foundation built of solid materials, sturdy enough to support tons upon tons of other building materials. But this text says that the foundation of our Lord’s throne is not a physical foundation of stone, brick, or concrete, but rather it is a foundation of holy character and attributes. Christ’s throne’s foundation is righteousness and justice. Perfect righteousness and perfect justice upholds His throne, and it will never crumble, never age, never crack like earthly foundations. The Lord’s very character upholds His throne, and Himself on that throne. In this text we don’t read that His throne sits on gold or diamonds, but by His character and justice Christ’s throne stands firm. And emanating out from Christ and His ‘righteous’ and ‘just’ foundation, is “lovingkindness” and “truth”, confirming the absolute superiority and authority of Jesus Christ as God. Christ, himself, is the foundation and the throne. Amen!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
But Now In Christ Jesus
Ephesians 2:13 - But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
How “far off” were we? As far off as light is from darkness, as far off as the opposite ends of all of creation, as far apart as ‘good’ is from ‘evil’. We were stained by both original and actual sin, and were in complete opposition to the holiness of God. We were far enough “off” that God Himself had to span the gulf with His own body. Notice, however, the wonderfully comforting word, “formerly”. For as far off as we once were, we are now so close, so close to Christ, by His blood – His substitutionary blood – so close, that we are actually “in Christ Jesus”. We were once completely outside and apart from Him; we were estranged from God, enemies of God, but His blood, by His grace, has drawn us, “brought near”, to the point that we are actually “in Christ”. We are in Christ to the point that we share His righteousness, we share His death and resurrection, and we share in His victory over death. It is all Christ! It was His blood that brought us near, His atonement on the cross that shrunk the chasm, His mercy that kept us alive, and His grace that give us life. Contemplate the distance that Christ has brought us; from sin to fellow heir, from distant enemy, to betrothed bride, and from death to life. Amen!
How “far off” were we? As far off as light is from darkness, as far off as the opposite ends of all of creation, as far apart as ‘good’ is from ‘evil’. We were stained by both original and actual sin, and were in complete opposition to the holiness of God. We were far enough “off” that God Himself had to span the gulf with His own body. Notice, however, the wonderfully comforting word, “formerly”. For as far off as we once were, we are now so close, so close to Christ, by His blood – His substitutionary blood – so close, that we are actually “in Christ Jesus”. We were once completely outside and apart from Him; we were estranged from God, enemies of God, but His blood, by His grace, has drawn us, “brought near”, to the point that we are actually “in Christ”. We are in Christ to the point that we share His righteousness, we share His death and resurrection, and we share in His victory over death. It is all Christ! It was His blood that brought us near, His atonement on the cross that shrunk the chasm, His mercy that kept us alive, and His grace that give us life. Contemplate the distance that Christ has brought us; from sin to fellow heir, from distant enemy, to betrothed bride, and from death to life. Amen!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Perfect Love
Ephesians 1:22-23 – “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
God the Father, “put all things” in “subjection” under the feet of His beloved Son. The Father is not concerned with having greater authority than His Son, rather, He lovingly, even sacrificially, “puts” all things under the authority of His beloved Son, Christ. Once the Father put all things under His Son’s authority, then He gave His Son to “the church, which is His body”. Christ is the Head and we are the body. Somehow we, the church, His bride, makes Him full – not by any merit or goodness on our account, but by the mercy and grace of the One who “fills all in all”.
What makes this even more beautiful and remarkable is that on the day when there is a new heaven and a new earth, the Son gives it back to the Father – perfect love in full display for all of His elect and the angels to see! And we will fall on our faces in gratitude and reverence to worship the Lamb and the Father, and the Holy Spirit – One in Three, and Three in One. We become His fullness, but only because it is He who “fills all in all”. Amen!
God the Father, “put all things” in “subjection” under the feet of His beloved Son. The Father is not concerned with having greater authority than His Son, rather, He lovingly, even sacrificially, “puts” all things under the authority of His beloved Son, Christ. Once the Father put all things under His Son’s authority, then He gave His Son to “the church, which is His body”. Christ is the Head and we are the body. Somehow we, the church, His bride, makes Him full – not by any merit or goodness on our account, but by the mercy and grace of the One who “fills all in all”.
What makes this even more beautiful and remarkable is that on the day when there is a new heaven and a new earth, the Son gives it back to the Father – perfect love in full display for all of His elect and the angels to see! And we will fall on our faces in gratitude and reverence to worship the Lamb and the Father, and the Holy Spirit – One in Three, and Three in One. We become His fullness, but only because it is He who “fills all in all”. Amen!
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