In the beginning was the word, and the word was toward God, and God was the word. This was in the beginning toward God. All came into being through it, and apart from it not even one thing came into being which has come onto being. In it was life, and the life was the light of men.
Johns Account 1: 1-4, Concordant New Testament
There is popular nationalistic catch phrase which supposedly states the values of this nation. You can hear it spoken every now and then in patriotic circumstances...God, Family and Country! The only kudos I would give to whoever devised this phrase is that at least they had the knowledge to place God first where He rightfully belongs. But somehow I don't feel that the desire of the Lord is to be simply first on our list. No, I believe that the Lord aims to be our ONLY one. Our only hope. Our only life and our only Father. The writer Norman Grubb makes it clear that God comes second place to no one. In his book, No Independent Self, Grubb speaks to scripture from Isaiah to illustrate this point. "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me" {Isaiah 45:5}. Growing up in the institutional church, I was taught to believe that anything which takes the place of God in our lives is to be considered an idol. I agree with very few teachings from the mainstream church, but I agree with this particular one. If God indeed desires to be first and foremost in our life, then He is probably not on board with other things hijacking His importance. Things like our job, money and even at times our families. Remember, there is God and NONE other. We recall that God tested the faith of Abraham by calling upon him to sacrifice his only son Isaac {Genesis 22:10}. Although it grieved Abraham that the Lord would require of him his only son, his faith in God and fear of the Lord prevailed. God not only saved Isaac, but blessed Abraham {Genesis 22:22}. How many of us would do as Abraham has done? That is, to sacrifice their loved ones for the Lord. I suggest that I would not find too many people who trusted in the Lord fully enough to do that. The writer of Proverbs spoke of placing our trust in the Lord in the Old Testament {Proverbs 3:5-6}. As the proverb proclaims, "In all your ways acknowledge Him."
Who, being the effulgence of His glory and emblem of His assumption, besides carrying on all by His powerful declaration, making a cleansing of sins, is seated at the right hand of the majesty in the heights.
To the Hebrews 1: 3, Concordant New Testament
Over the past few months I have been considering more and more what it is like to live fully in Christ Jesus. Overlooking that which is going on all around us and focusing on who it is we truly are in Him. The apostle Paul spoke to this in something I refer to as life according to Paul. Paul proclaims in Philippians that "To be living is Christ, and to be dying, gain" {Paul to the Philippians 1:21}. Paul understood that his life did not revolve around the physical world, but in Christ Jesus in Whom he was in union. Paul had no difficulty knowing what was important in his life. The reason that I contemplate this knowing in my own life is that I believe that it gives us a better perspective on the world surrounding us. When hard times come, and they will, we do well to know that we endure them in union with Christ. Jesus is not simply a Savior sitting in heaven removed from our daily life. When we know Christ as our life, we understand that we endure WITH HIM. This is the union which the apostle John spoke of {Johns Account 14:20}. Jesus in the Father, ourselves in Christ and Christ in us. This is our life in Him.
In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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