pickledilly

Intellectually knowing that the fullness of God’s power dwells in me is different from knowing and trusting this from the heart as the way to live my life. We need this reminder from John because as we struggle with this mortal life, we often forget that Christ in us has overcome the world. That conquering power is always accessible through the Spirit’s presence in us. This power is given in full measure because the Spirit is given in full measure, so glory to God, there is no difference in what I have been given and what the Apostle Paul was given. I think some primary factors that limit our (my) sense of power might have to start with a lack of knowledge. I was never challenged so specifically before with this bottom-line awareness of the degree of power that is available to me at all times. And we often don't understand how to engage this power. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world…familiar words, but now I receive them in a deeper way. Some other factors that would limit our sense of power include: lack of faith that this is really true for us as individuals; arrogant trust in our perceived abilities or focus on personal weaknesses instead of on God’s wise and unlimited capability; believing the world’s philosophies and deceptions instead of the truth about who we are in Christ; blindness caused by sin.

As the “seal of ownership”, the Holy Spirit validates that believers are now owned by God. We’re eternally established in Christ. We’re marked by God’s mark in the spiritual realm, and nothing can remove that mark. This teaches us that we are not our own, but are in the secure possession of God. As the “down payment”, the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of the spiritual inheritance of the new covenant that is promised to us through the blood of Christ [Ephesians 1:13-14]. Mortal life will be swallowed up by eternal life, with an eternal home in heaven [2Corinthians 5:4b-5]. The full payment of this analogy will be made at the completion of the plan of salvation. God’s people will finally realize complete freedom from sin and death when we're received into the Father's presence. We will share in the eternal glory of Christ [Romans 8:17]! This teaches us to keep a heavenly focus as we live this earthly life, and to stand firm in faith, hope, and joy as we confidently await that day. As an “anointing”, the Holy Spirit is our consecration to set us apart for God’s service. This teaches us that we have value and purpose for the kingdom of God. Believers are anointed with the grace of the Spirit to teach, equip, and guide us in loving God, surrendering to His will, living the life of faith, and doing His works.

I like Pastor Ralph’s example of the access we each have only to our own computer files until we connect to the internet, where we can search files anywhere in the world. The Holy Spirit blows our access to the Father wide open! He is the connection that establishes a personal, reciprocal link between me and God. Jesus wants to reveal the mind and heart of God to me, and that happens as the Spirit serves as a conduit. He searches and understands the thoughts of God, and He searches and understands my thoughts. Then He facilitates communication between us, maybe similar to an interpreter who speaks 2 languages. It is really more than I can comprehend that I have access to the mind of Christ to know His truth and wisdom and thoughts – and specifics for my life. The Spirit enables me to understand spiritual truths and discern all the wonderful things given to me by God. And He never disconnects or goes offline! The Spirit’s activity in gifting believers with specific spiritual gifts is done through this direct connection. He gives to each individual as He wills. And 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 says that there are varieties of gifts and service, but “it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” [ESV]. So this connection to the mind of Christ is important, as the triune Godhead works in unity to bestow, empower, and direct the use of these gifts. The Spirit comprehends the thoughts of God and translates them to us, specifically in this situation to lead us in discovering and rightly operating in our unique spiritual gifts “for the common good”.

No one who has yet to come to faith in Christ (with repentance of sin and trust in the salvation He has provided) has the Spirit of Christ living within them. When any individual confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord and believes in the heart that God raised Him from the dead, s/he is saved from sin (Romans 10:9). Then Christ and the Father make their home within that believer in the Person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:23). What should I do to make God feel “at home” in me? For me, the “simple” answer is to love Him with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind (Matthew 22:37-38). This love will lead me to reflect His presence by showing love to others (1John 4:7-8). It will lead me to present my body in an act of worship as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1-2), to put off my old nature with repentant humility and be transformed by the renewal of my mind to discern the righteous mind of Christ (Ephesians 4:22-23). I will be motivated by my love for Christ to obey what He has commanded (John 14:15). My desire in all I do will be His glory (1Peter 4:10-11). I think this is an environment where He will feel welcome and at home. Just like you and me, He wants to live in a place where He is loved. This profound thought has hit me hard. I certainly have a lot of work to do. A home is where one resides. The tabernacle (later, the permanent temple) was originally established as the place where God came to dwell among His people (Exodus 25:8). So they are similar analogies. But He was never a permanent resident “at home” in this temple made by earthly hands (Mark 14:58: Acts 7:48; 17:24). Now, through Christ, the Spirit of God comes to live within believers as He literally makes us His eternal holy dwelling place (1Corinthians 3:17; 6:19). He has moved out of the temporary confines of an inferior earthly building into the hearts of a living, breathing Temple built of believers (Ephesians 2:21-22). The essence of Christ’s character is holiness. The Spirit of God living within me is always at work to develop that spiritual character in me. Apart from Him within me, there is absolutely no possibility of holiness in my life, understanding of truth, or power for victory over sin. His presence in my life is the only source of spiritual power and direction. It’s my responsibility to choose either co-operation or resistance with His work. Evidence of spiritual growth will always include growth of holiness in thoughts and conduct (1Peter 1:15). Choosing Him and dying to self (Galatians 5:24) will be evidenced in the way I live, the things I most desire, the level of my obedience to be salt and light to others as a living testimony of His glory (Matthew 6:13-16). I am so thankful for the promise of Philippians 1:6 – I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Having just experienced Hurricane Florence last month in my state, I am keenly aware of wind, its power, its consequences. This storm came in with forceful winds carrying an unrelenting deluge of rain for days that impacted NC from the coast to the mountains. It caused numerous deaths, widespread flooding, and profound devastation. No one could control its force, path, or duration. Landscapes and lives have been altered, and recovery will take years. The analogy of wind applied to the Holy Spirit gives us an amazing perspective and is an instructive comparison. The origins of the wind, its unknown ways, or where it ends are complete mysteries to man. We know it exists because we can see its impact, observe how it affects the natural world, hear its voice as it whispers in a breeze or howls in a fierce gale, feel its presence as it gently cools the skin or blows so hard that one cannot even stand in its midst. It is raw power that cannot be dominated by man, sometimes profitable in filling the sails of a boat and sometimes utterly destructive in cleansing the land. All of these describe the Spirit of God at work! People born of the Spirit have no real understanding of where He comes from and just how He comes to us. We can “hear” His voice, sense the manifestation of His presence, feel His impact as He regenerates us to spiritual life, and observe the results of real change in our spiritually renewed hearts and minds. But we can’t explain Him, predict Him, or control Him. We are to yield to His power, move with His direction, and trust that whatever He breathes or blows into (or out of) our lives is for ultimate good. May we never recover!

Nicodemus would have been very familiar with the prophecy of Ezekiel 36:25-28 where Yahweh declared that the day would come when He would vindicate His holiness to the world through the house of Israel. In the steps to achieve that goal, He said the people/nation would be made “clean from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols” when He sprinkled clean water on them. Once cleansed, then He would give them a new heart and His own Spirit to dwell within them. For me the question is, what is this clean water needed for cleansing and the giving of the new heart and the Spirit of God? And what did Jesus mean in John 3:5 when He said one must be born of water? As I work through the options, I don’t see baptism as the answer. Baptism isn’t what qualifies a spiritual birth because it cannot cleanse the inner person from sin. Water baptism is an outward testimony of what has already happened to the inner man. And it’s possible for a person to perform the act of baptism without ever being born again. Also, well-studied Nicodemus knew Jewish water immersion, a purification ritual. But he didn’t ask anything about that because Jesus spoke of being born anew of water, not of being baptized. And I don’t think the concept of anything related to physical birth is the answer. Nicodemus must have been confused that this was what Jesus was speaking of because he asked follow-up questions about being physically reborn. In verse 5, Jesus wasn’t making some kind of contrast between natural and spiritual birth. He was explaining to Nicodemus how someone could be born again. In verse 6, He did make a contrast as He made it clear that a human birth can only make you human, but a spiritual birth (being born again/anew) is required to make you a new creation of the Spirit. Could the water Jesus spoke of refer to a baptism of repentance and purification, as modeled by John the Baptist’s baptisms? I feel drawn to investigate the deeper basis for that repentance and purification, which would seem to be of even greater importance. What raises this question for me is that there are some other Scriptures that refer to water and cleansing, but with another possible meaning. The ministry of John the Baptist was based on the word. As he preached the prophecy of Isaiah to the Jews, people responded to the word of truth with repentance as the basis for forgiveness of sin and with renewed expectancy of faith that Messiah was coming. Hearing and accepting that truth of the word was the agent used by the Spirit that caused the response of repentance. In Ephesians 5:26 Paul explains that we’re sanctified (made holy) when we are cleansed by “the washing of water with the word”. In John 15:3 Jesus assured the disciples that they were made clean because of the word He had taught them. James 1:18 says “of [the Father’s] own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures”. 1 Peter 1:23 says we are born again through the living and abiding word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says the word is living and has an active impact on the heart. God doesn’t act apart from the Word, including spiritual birth and salvation. It seems very plausible to me that the Spirit uses the truth of the word as the water to spiritually wash the heart clean and do the miraculous work of purification and regeneration. Dr. J. Vernon McGee had a simple paraphrase that I will borrow: born of “the Word of God applied by the Spirit of God”.

I don’t think that Nicodemus was already born of the Spirit when he sought out a secret meeting with Jesus. It was undeniable to him that Jesus was a very special & unique Rabbi anointed with the power of God, but he didn’t yet discern that Jesus was Messiah, God come to earth as man to take our penalty of judgment. He didn’t grasp that a spiritual birth was required to enter the Kingdom of God. I do think the Spirit was at work to draw Nicodemus to Jesus through the “prevenient grace” explained in Lesson 3. He was using all the background of Scripture and knowledge Nicodemus had gained, along with the divinely empowered signs and teaching of Jesus that Nicodemus had witnessed, to drawn this teacher of the Law to full truth and convict him of the inability of keeping Law to bring about salvation. Spiritual life can only be brought forth by the Spirit, not by any works of man. The first birth can only produce temporal physical life. The second birth of eternal spiritual life can only be experienced through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit [Titus 3:5]. The natural person of only the first birth has no understanding of the need for rescue from the separation from God caused by their brokenness and sin. The spiritual person of the second birth has the power and presence of the Spirit to give spiritual sight/understanding and establish a personal relationship with God. The first birth results in death. The second birth gives eternal life.

Jesus extended an invitation to all who are thirsty to come to the free waters of life. To whoever drinks of the water that I will give him, Jesus promises a free flowing stream of these waters that originate as an unfailing spring welling up to eternal life [John 4:14]. This river of life will flow from within to pour out from us. This river of living water is identified as the gift of the Spirit who is given to everyone who comes to Jesus. Though I seem to allow obstacles that hinder or dam up this free flow at times, I know without any doubt that I received the gift of living water when I chose to come to Christ to satisfy the thirst of my soul. Thank you, Pastor Ralph, for reminding me of that great chorus. Brings back memories of youth camp!

The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth as He leads and assists believers in reaching the knowledge and understanding of what is true. He points the way and opens our understanding when we are exposed to truth from the Father. He brings us to Truth, the Lord Jesus Christ. This applies to the whole span of Christianity. The Spirit guided the apostles to know and be faithful to truth in their task of laying the foundations of the faith. He guides us today to distinguish truth from deception, and to be faithful in living out those foundations of the faith.

The disciples would benefit in 2 primary ways. The departure of Jesus would mean the gain of salvation and liberty from Law-keeping for themselves and the entire world. And it would usher the presence of the Spirit of God into their lives, not as a temporary empowerment but as a permanent indwelling. God in us would become reality for "whoever believes in Me". Believers would now have direct spirit-to-Spirit access to the throne and heart of God. We would be sealed in a permanent relationship that will never end. And through the presence of the Spirit living in multitudes around the world who would come to faith, the works of the Spirit (the same works that Jesus did) would be greater and more far-reaching than those Jesus could do as one Man among them.

Scripture makes it plain that the Holy Spirit is Person, not an impersonal force or power. The strongest evidence for me is that Jesus was clear in referring to the Spirit as “He”, not “it”. That evidence is supported by the multiple descriptions of the Spirit’s activities on earth that are common to people. He lives with us. He speaks, instructs, guides, corrects, convicts. He relates on an emotional level in ministering to us with comfort and encouragement, and can experience grief when we dishonor the royal law of love with bitterness, anger, malice. I think perhaps it is easy to refer to the Spirit as “it” rather than “Him” because He is intangible and unseen to us. We can relate to the idea of our Father and the Son. But as Spirit, we struggle to grasp the concept of who He is.

To “testify” is to affirm what you know through what you’ve seen, heard, or experienced. The Holy Spirit affirms truth, and Jesus is Truth. Everything that Jesus taught came from the Father, and the Spirit confirms all that Jesus said as true. The apostles were first-hand eyewitnesses to the things Jesus did and taught. However, we are witnesses to the things He does in our own lives and the things He teaches us through the Spirit. I can give personal testimony to the fact that He is a real presence in my life and my relationship with Him has transformed my life. I am still so very imperfect but definitely changed, with entirely different perspectives, motives, desires, direction – in ways that aren’t natural to human nature. I know that my turning point of faith was a specific time when I came “face-to-face” with the portrait of Him in the Scriptures, seeing who He really is and what He has really done for me. I have experienced His power and wisdom, been held steady by His peace and comfort, encouraged by His hope and joy. Jesus is exactly who He said He is: The Lord who died for my sins as my Savior and was raised from death to defeat the eternal penalty for those sins as my Redeemer. And I am exactly who He says I am: a treasured and beloved child of the Father, who has the secure hope of heaven and union with Christ for all eternity, and is sealed to that promise by the Spirit living within me. "So help me God!"

When answering the final question of Lesson 2, I had no idea this would be the next topic and question. In part of my answer there I worked through this same thought. Jesus was the first Helper/Advocate [based on John 14:16]. He dwelt with the people, but had to leave us in order to fulfill His mission of redemption. His physical presence on earth could not provide the widespread outpouring of power into individuals throughout the ages that was needed for us to be saved and righteously live out our faith [ref. John 14:7-14]. . . The Spirit is the second Helper/Advocate sent to dwell within believers and be with us forever. At times, Jesus sent the disciples out to preach with the power and authority to cast out demons and heal the sick [Matthew 10:1; Mark 3:14-15; 6:7; Luke 9:1-2]. So they had already experienced something of the presence of the Holy Spirit as they obeyed their Paraclete. These missions required a measure of the Spirit upon them to equip them for that ministry. The Spirit lived with/upon them. As Jesus faced the cross, He promised them that once He returned to His glory in heaven, the Spirit would be sent to live within them as their second Paraclete. This Helper would do something Jesus could not do in His role as Messiah/Redeemer - remain continually with them forever. It would not be just a portion or a measure, but the fullness of the divine Person called the Holy Spirit that would be poured into each of them. The Spirit would have the same message and truth as Jesus because they are both One with the Father. On the Day of Pentecost, this glorious promise was fulfilled.

The 3 Persons of the Trinity always act together in unity of purpose and plan, although in differing roles. I think when Christ atoned our sins in heaven, He essentially represented to the Father “I have completed what is necessary to dispatch the Spirit to live within Our people of faith. In agreement with Our promise, please send Him now”. Jesus was the first Helper/Advocate [based on John 14:16]. He dwelt with the people, but had to leave us in order to fulfill His mission of redemption. His physical presence on earth could not provide the widespread outpouring of power into individuals throughout the ages that was needed for us to be saved and righteously live out our faith [ref. John 14:7-14]. Christ the Servant [Isaiah 42:1] is now seated next to the Father, still under His self-imposed limitations on His divine attributes. The Spirit is the second Helper/Advocate sent to dwell within believers and be with us forever. The Spirit proceeds/comes forth from the presence of the Father [John 15:26]. The Father gives the final word on timing and execution of the unified plan according His will [ref. Zechariah 14:7; Mark 13:32]. Since they all are acting together as One, it doesn’t matter whether we say the Spirit was sent by the Father or by Jesus.

It’s clear to me that Jesus performed miracles by means of the power of the Spirit that was upon and within Him because, as Son of Man while on earth, He had set aside His rights and powers. And Scripture repeatedly records that He operated by the power of the Spirit. This is certainly important for us as His disciples, since our desire as followers of Christ should be to live according to the life modeled by Jesus. If He was emptied of Himself in order to be filled and guided by the Spirit, how much more do we need to be!!! If His entire ministry of teaching and miracles, and even His joy to praise the Father, was dependent on the Spirit, how much more we need to surrender to the divine empowerment that dwells within us!!

In His role and purpose as Son of Man, Jesus voluntarily set aside the attributes and privileges of His divinity when He came to humanity in human flesh. In the Greek, His statement that “the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing” (ESV) indicates that while here in that capacity, He relinquished the power to do anything of Himself. He was completely dependent on the empowerment of the Spirit, who would only lead Him to do what the Father showed Him to do. Jesus did not depend on His reasoning or purposes or abilities as a man, but on the will and direction of the Father and on the empowerment and guidance of the Spirit. Philippians 2:6-7 reveals that Jesus willingly deprived Himself of His equality in the Godhead and His glory in heaven in order to fully take on the likeness of man [yet without our innate nature to sin]. I think there were 2 reasons for this. First, He had to fully identify with man in order to qualify as the One who could rightfully stand in our place of judgment before God to take the punishment we deserve and defeat the just consequences of our sin. Jesus could not legitimately do this with a dual nature in play. And secondly, He became our example of living a human life that denies self-desire, will, and rights in order to surrender completely to the Father’s will and the Spirit’s power. He humbly lived out the solution for our critical lack of power to defeat sin and live a life of holiness - reliance on the Spirit’s unlimited capacities of might, strength, and ability.

Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:20; Luke 3:21-22 Inspired by God, Luke approached his investigation of Jesus from a doctor's scientific viewpoint. He determined the truth could only be that it was the power of El Elyon that overshadowed Mary as the Holy Spirit of God came upon her to bring about the conception of Jesus. This baby was not conceived in sin [as David noted for himself and humanity, Psalm 51:5]. This baby was conceived of God through the Spirit and was virgin born. This truth was confirmed to Joseph in the dream he was given to assure him that this pregnancy was brought to reality by the direct action of the Holy Spirit. Jesus could only be called the Son of God, not born of any man. At the baptism of Jesus at the start of His earthly ministry around the age of 30, the Spirit again participated in the confirmation of the truth of Jesus' identity. He came down to earth as a dove to anoint Jesus with power, as the Father from heaven audibly declared His love and pleasure in His Son [Acts 10:38]. In thinking of my identity as a disciple of Jesus and child of God, I am reminded of several things. The Spirit is the Helper that first convicted me of sin when I didn’t yet believe in Jesus [John 16:8;13-15] and convinced me that Jesus is Lord [1Cor.12:3]. He is my guide into all truth who takes all that is of Jesus and declares The Way, Truth, and Life to me [John 14:6]. He walks with me to enable me to follow the pattern and way of Jesus’ life [Galatians 5:16,25]. Spiritual gifts specifically apportioned to me for spiritual service and building up the Body of Christ are manifestations of the Spirit in my life [1Cor. 12:7,11; 14:12]. My identity as a disciple is shaped by the Spirit’s ministry of conviction, truth, and guidance. Also, the Spirit is the seal of my adoption by the Father. He is the guarantor of my identity as a child of Father and of the inheritance that is being held secure until the day of redemption when I am given possession of it [Ephesians 1:5,13-14; 4:30]. The Spirit is the testimony that I belong to God [Romans 8:16]. The presence of the Spirit within me is my assurance that I have a deep, intimate, reciprocal relationship with the Father. [1John 4:13]. I never realized before how closely my core identity truly is linked with the Holy Spirit!

The prophecy of Joel was that a day would come when Yahweh would pour out His Spirit on all people who call on the name of the LORD. The manifestation of this promise began on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out to indwell all who believe on Christ, regardless of gender, race, or position. Paul cited this prophecy as he wrote that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved [Romans 10:9]. The Spirit is given to all who are saved when, in faith, they call on the name of Jesus as the resurrected LORD. The prophecies of Ezekiel were that Yahweh has promised His Spirit will dwell within His people to lead them in obedience to God. The Spirit will bring life and will unveil the face of God so that He can be known intimately. These promises were given directly to the house of Israel. We know that through their rejection of Jesus as Messiah, these promises are now extended to all who accept Him in the New Covenant of grace [Acts 13:46-47].

Through prophecy, Yahweh revealed a time to come when the Holy Spirit would empower His Anointed One to usher in the year of the LORD’s favor. I understand this to parallel the Year of Jubilee decreed by God for His chosen people as a time of restoration and freedom from bondage [Leviticus 25]. Isaiah was one of the prophets who was given this message. He was shown that the Messiah would come through Jesse [the lineage of the Israelites] and would be anointed with the presence of the Spirit to give wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and a reverent awe of the LORD. By the Spirit of God, Messiah would be Yahweh’s chosen servant who would bring justice to the nations of the earth and deliver the good news of a covenant of peace between God and man through salvation. He would heal mankind’s brokenness, secure liberation from slavery to sin, and open the spiritual prison doors that separate man from God. By the Spirit, Messiah would declare the LORD’s year of favor toward all who respond to Yahweh with mourning over their sin. This “year”, an extended period of God’s patience as He offers mercy, was contrasted with His “day” of vengeance when He will take quick action against all who reject that mercy. Prophecy promises that when Messiah comes to fully manifest the freedom of His people, it will also be the time for the eternal destruction of all His foes [2Thessalonians 1:7-9]. These prophecies given to Isaiah are all fulfilled in Jesus the Christ, the Messiah promised by God. Luke 4:21 records that Jesus made this clear in His declaration that Today this Scripture [Isaiah 61:1-2] has been fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus physically came to earth through Jewish lineage. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit on the day of His baptism. His ministry was to deliver the gospel message of peace between God and man through forgiveness of sin. He secured this peace and liberation from bondage to sin when He became the final sacrificial atonement offering on the cross. His resurrection has guaranteed our hope of deliverance and the ultimate final defeat of all enemies of holy God [including satan!].

The weight of carrying the burden of the entire group of Israelites, with all their grumbling and complaining, was too heavy for Moses alone. Yahweh promised help through the appointment of elders to share this burden. The 70 elders were enabled to lead the people because Yahweh put His Spirit upon them. The presence of the Spirit was validated to themselves and the people when these elders were equipped with a one-time gift of prophecy. This confirmed to everyone that they were selected and guided by the Spirit of God, just as Moses was. Their specific task was to assist in leadership and administration of justice. Moses wished the LORD would put His Spirit on all the people. This may have been a foretelling of the future time when this very thing would come to pass as the Spirit now indwells those who believe in the Gospel. He longed that this was possible for the people he led, for they would also be empowered for holy service and would have personal relationships with God themselves. They would have had a greater sense of unity and purpose as His people, and greater humility before the LORD.

The Holy Spirit was put upon selected individuals in the Old Testament to anoint and equip them for specific purposes and service. This wasn’t a permanent indwelling of the Spirit like we have as followers of Christ. Unrepentant disobedience would result in being cast from the Spirit’s presence and suffering rejection of God’s favor. However, similar to us, this O.T. anointing of the Spirit provided a unique and powerful connection of relationship with God. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit that rested upon them, these individuals knew Yahweh more intimately, were spiritually transformed for the duration of the presence, could directly receive Words from the heart of God, and were spiritually empowered for service. David knew the history of Yahweh’s rejection of Saul and withdrawal of His Spirit. He understood unrepentant sin as the root of that rejection. To me, that makes his plea recorded in Psalm 51 even more powerful. After an utter failure in living righteously, David brokenly confessed his sins and cried out for forgiveness, cleansing, restoration, and renewal. He pleaded not to be cast out from the Spirit’s presence (like Saul) because he passionately valued his relationship with Yahweh and respected the requirements of faith and obedience.

Our world is a place of constant change and shifting, a place of insecurity and questions, a place where everything is disposable - with “new and improved” around every corner. We long for something dependable, substantial, and enduring. We respect strength and power. The rock images of Christ would be attractive and appealing to our world in their sense of solidity, reliability, and permanence. But what a paradox that it is those very things that also repel people. We have a restless and prideful nature that wants things our own way when we want it and how we want it. We want to be in control and determine our path. A firm set of absolutes is an obstacle to that nature, and we resist. What do these absolutes mean in my own life? Jesus is the durable, immovable, powerful Rock that is the “raw material” that God uses as our fortress and place of protection (Psalm 18:2). In Him, I find salvation and the sovereign strength that provides a place of refuge and the crushing defeat of any enemy, including those in my own heart. Jesus is the Stone that was cut and polished by the Father through great suffering to be set in place as the precious chosen cornerstone of the Kingdom of God that defines the parameters and perfectly squares up the structure. My life is one of the living stones He has set in place to build that Kingdom. He is polishing and refining me to destroy my unholy and rebellious nature. Father also set Jesus as the capstone that locks and holds the entire Kingdom together. I must completely trust that Jesus is the key to my forgiveness of sin and acceptance as God's child, and He has locked down and guaranteed my entry into His Kingdom. And Jesus is the Foundation upon which the Christian life is built. My works and service must be built on Jesus, never on my own plans, desires, strengths, or efforts. Nothing of self will survive the final testing that will reveal “what sort of work each one has done”; only what is built on Him as the Foundation will endure and be rewarded (1Corinthians 3:13-14).

As the Beginning and Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18), Jesus is the source, creator, sustainer, ruler, and unifier of the Church. He ranks first over its many parts and causes its growth. The Church is nothing without Him – just like a physical body is nothing without its head and brain. This relates to the universal Church, but since every believer is incorporated into that Body this also relates to local congregations and the individuals who belong to them. We are powerless, clueless, and ineffective without submission to our Head. A physical body doesn't have the ability to sustain or direct itself without the brain, the head. That is a picture for our relationship to Jesus as Head of His Body of believers, the Church. We have absolutely no ability or power to generate, sustain, or direct our lives and service in the spiritual realm. Everything we do corporately as the Church must also be affected by that truth. Only what Christ generates, empowers, and sustains is of God. Otherwise, our efforts and plans are only of men – and that is vain and useless to His spiritual Kingdom. A physical body can only demonstrate the power and reflect the authority the hidden brain commands. In normal life, no one can see our brains. No one can see the astounding power that is generated in the brain. No one can see the intricate network of communication from the brain and spinal cord throughout the body. No one can see the orders for proper function given by the brain for every single cell and system in the body. But the evidence of those unseen processes is demonstrated in every single thing we do. Every step and every breath we take are controlled by the brain. Our ability to balance, interpret external sensory data, react to stress or threats, sense hunger, think, and speak are all directed by the head. The activities and function of the entirety of the body are simply manifestations of this power. That is also a picture for the relationship of the Body of Christ to our Head. The visible Church represents the power and influence of our otherwise unseen Head. As we rightly respond to that power and influence, we are the demonstration and evidence of His presence and authority in our lives, our congregations, and ultimately, our world.

The Good Shepherd has a love for His sheep and genuine concern their welfare. It's not just a paying job to guard and oversee the flock. The Good Shepherd owns, knows and cares for each of the sheep – and has a vested interest in them. He seeks the best grazing areas to nourish his sheep and leads them to the clearest waters to refresh them. He protects them from enemies and dangerous terrain. He gives them freedom to roam as desired within the borders of His protective care, but His attentive eye is always on them and has shepherd's crook ready to reach in with assistance, guidance, or correction when needed. He is willing to sacrifice of himself in order to provide this care.. In the church, leaders should have the mentality and philosophy of genuine loving care for their “flocks”. Detached, self-serving and loveless leaders do not model the example of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. To a hired hand, caring for the sheep is just a job. To a Good Shepherd, it is a labor of love.

Jesus accepted the responsibility to buy His kin back out of slavery, to buy us back from the bondage that captured us through sin. Humanity became spiritually destitute and had absolutely no means by which to pay the cost of redemption. There was no way to be freed without someone else to come to our aid. Jesus came to intervene, and the price was so high that it cost His own body and blood. The Law required the sacrifice of blood for purification and forgiveness, but there was no blood holy and pure enough to atone for all of humanity once and for all before God. With the one exception of the blood of Jesus. The Father paid the price of offering His Son as our sacrifice, and Jesus paid the price of offering His blood as our redemption price.