Category: authentic

Going to War

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,“

Eph. 6:13-17, ESV

You’re called to be armor-plated. Ephesians is quite clear about this, and we DARE not live without spiritual protection, and as a matter of fact, we must wear each piece to survive spiritually. To be ‘naked’ is to invite disaster. Neglecting to dress appropriately brings cataclysmic disaster. We dare not minimize the need for armor.

Each piece listed must be worn. This is a scriptural mandate for every believer in Jesus.

“The whole armor of God” explains the equipment we need to survive spiritually. Here’s a list and a brief comment on the six:

  • The belt of truth–this pulls everything together and holds us and keeps us secure in the truth.
  • The breastplate of righteousness–our spiritual heart is protected by knowing we’re accepted by the Father. Being right with God is not a feeling nor is it a mere hopeful wish.
  • The shoes of the gospel (of peace)–the idea of standing in place (“to stand”) explain our ability to be fixed on grace. When we wear battle shoes we cannot be pushed back or lose our footing. Wearing gospel shoes brings us spiritual stability. We can stand in place, rooted and strong.
  • The shield of faith–is a vital way of protecting ourselves from the evil arrows shot by the enemy. Satan targets us when he thinks that we aren’t using faith to defend ourselves.
  • The helmet of salvation–this is the realization that our mind is protected. This vital piece brings us wholeness as we understand what Jesus has done. We know we are saved and wearing our helmet is our protection from demonic-inspired lies.
  • The sword of the Holy Spirit–the only offensive weapon we have, and it’s all we need. The Word of God will frighten the enemy and push him back. The Word slices and cuts down every obstacle and every lie.

Only those who are spiritual perceive the reality of the spiritual foe and hence engage in battle. Such warfare is not fought with arms of the flesh. Because the conflict is spiritual so must the weapons.

     Watchman Nee

I must stress that clothing yourself is vital. You dare not live spiritually naked wearing nothing. You will be totally vulnerable to the satanic wickedness that is swirling around you. I’m afraid it’s all very real and sobering and there is no escape clause until you finally arrive in heaven.

“We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one.”

1 John 5:19, Amplified Bible

I’m afraid you haven’t been given an option in all of this. Our battle equipment in Ephesians 6 is not just some theological preference or concept. It’s real.

Over 40 years of following Jesus have taught me that most believers struggle because they won’t arm themselves for battle. They refuse to acknowledge the environment they’re in and don’t realize the spiritual battle they are facing. They like the sentiment behind this particular passage, (it stirs their heart) but the reality of the battle never fully sinks in.

They end up leaving their armor behind.

The good news is that we have already won because of what the Lord has done. Wearing the armor strengthens and stabilizes us. He pours out His grace, and there will be times of rest of that I am certain. “He leads me beside still waters.”

As obedient and faithful believers we need to realize we’re secure in Him. Yes, there is a terrible fight, but “The battle is the Lord’s.”

“For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.”

Psalm 18:39, ESV

A Summons to War

battle

“Watch, O Lord, with those who wake or weep tonight, and give your angels and saints charge over those who slumber.“

“Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ, Rest your weary ones, Bless your dying ones, Soothe your suffering ones, Pity your afflicted ones, Shield your joyous ones,”

“And all for your love’s sake.”

Amen.

Augustine

Woven into this ancient ‘evening prayer’ is an idea of God meeting us with overflowing grace and kindness.  There is a strong sense of God watching everyone! And there is also a “tending” sense that He has overall.

As I read this prayer, I seem to focus on the single phrase, “shield your joyous ones.”  To think that these joyful people need protection strikes me as odd.  Why do they even need a “shield?”  Of all people, don’t they have it together?

God sees to our every need, and His flock can be incredibly needy.

As I thought it through, I started to realize that joy is its best standing in the shadow of warfare. The joyful ones are companions– “buddies” who share the same ‘fox hole’ on enemy lines.  But this isn’t a grim thing, Nehemiah told those trying to build the city walls,

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” 

Neh. 8:10

Joy connects with the desperate need of the moment; it is the muscle of all ministry.  And as a result, perhaps more vulnerable.

He didn’t say that the joy of the Lord is our happiness, cheeriness, or merriment. 

But rather, joy would impart strength, and stiffen one’s ability to go to war for our brothers and sisters, our churches, and our communities. There are certain epoxy resins that will only harden when a special light is used on them.  Maybe joy transforms into strength when we step toward our Father.

We need to spiritually protect and cover those who are His “joyous ones.”  They can be found sprinkled throughout our churches and ministries.  And they need us to shield them.  They seem to be quite exceptional, and seemingly invulnerable.  But that isn’t the case.  We need to pray for them. Joyful people inspire me in battle.

“The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.”     Matthew Henry

Discovering Grace Again

“Some Christians are called to endure. These believers are a spectacle of grace to the church, like flaming bushes unconsumed, and cause us to ask, like Moses:

‘Why is this bush not burned up?’

Exodus 3:2-3

“The strength and stability of these believers can be explained only by the miracle of God’s sustaining grace. The God who sustains Christians in unceasing pain is the same God — with the same grace — who sustains me in my smaller sufferings. We marvel at God’s persevering grace and grow in our confidence in Him as He governs our lives.“

— John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace”

All of us know a brother or sister who seems to be a target of an undue amount of suffering. It seems like they’re always in the furnace. Perhaps we should give them double honor for their faith in God’s grace and providence. Their hurt is typically inside, and most carry this pain apart from others’ knowledge. They cry when they think no one is looking.

What can we say to those who seem to be in a white-hot furnace? How can we bless those who are in so much pain? They hurt deeply, and honestly, at times we have no idea what they’re having to endure. They’re being challenged in ways we never imagined. We should realize that their burden would probably destroy us.

Ministering to these sufferers can be a real challenge. Even if God is directing you!

Sometimes just a word of simple encouragement is all that is needed. A phone call or an email is good, and it’s the work of a believer to actively lift each other up like this. This is how the Church is meant to be. We watch out for each other, we care for each brother and sister, and it’s a joy to serve each other like this.

But sometimes it might be necessary to speak directly into their awful storm.

In the midst of some awful difficulties in my early walk, I had a dear brother who was so kind. He gently (and carefully) quoted Philippians 1:6 to me over and over. It was wonderful and so encouraging–he blessed me with that promise and it’s now my “life verse” fifty years later!

“And 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.”

Philippians 1:6, ESV

A good reminder for us is that the pain we feel right now is not the end. Our trials have a finite duration (although it seems far away). There’s coming a day when the difficulty will suddenly cease and we’ll come out on the other side. “We’ll shine like the stars,” scripture promises us. (Daniel 12:3). I really believe we’ll see that.

Much wisdom is needed in our ministry to disproportionate sufferers. We should have a fear of intruding on the work the Lord is doing in their spiritual heart. We must be patient and humble in this matter. There is no rushing God, after all, it’s His work. Most importantly we must be very much ‘present’ for our friend.

“But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance.”

Romans 5:3

But please understand. A “word” spoken out of place can cause even more ‘heartache’ for the sufferer. Let’s be careful. At times it’s better not to say anything, and to be honest, that’s okay. Job’s friends were best sitting in the ash heap saying not a word.  Please dear one, be aware, alert, and very wise about these things.

Just wait on God—-be sensitive, discerning, and pray a whole lot. It’s no small thing to speak to those who are hurting so deeply.

“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”

Isaiah 50:4

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When Pain is All You Can Think About

Sometimes we live in darkness. We suffer and it’s hard. We mentally accept God’s grace and His love for us, but in our heart we remain untouched. Pain saturates everything it seems. We seem to go through the motions, but deep down we’re convinced that we’ll never find the light that so many claim to have.

Are we “cursed?”

Pain fills our life. We live with something that is persistent, and our hope is a day when it’s all over. Psalm 88 is our Psalm. Nothing is sugar-coated. It is raw and unabridged. It’s pain under a microscope. That Psalm is yours.

For my soul is full of troubles,

    and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

    I am a man who has no strength,

Psalm 88:3-4

20 Quotes for the Believer at Christmas

Some quotes on the meaning of Christmas:

He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute.    

–Augustine

There were many who saw the babe, but did not see the salvation.  

–Author Unknown

For the Christ-child who comes is the Master of all; No palace too great, no cottage too small.  

 –Phillips Brooks

Rejoice, that the immortal God is born, so that mortal man may live in eternity.    

–John Hus

His poverty was so great that He was born in another man’s house, and buried in another man’s tomb.    

–John Boys

It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the most profound unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. God became man; Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the incarnation.  

–J.I. Packer

Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.  

–Corrie Ten Boom

The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the Incarnation.  

— J.I. Packer

There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today.    

–Thomas Merton

Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man – His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God – when we present our bodies a living sacrifice.   

 –Vance Havner

The idea that there’s a force of love and logic behind the universe is overwhelming to start with, if you believe it. Actually, maybe even far-fetched to start with, but the idea that that same love and logic would choose to describe itself as a baby born in shit and straw and poverty is genius, and brings me to my knees, literally. To me, as a poet, I am just in awe of that. It makes some sort of poetic sense. It’s the thing that makes me a believer, though it didn’t dawn on me for many years.    

–Bono

The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation. They say that God became man.   

— C.S. Lewis

Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.   

–Charles Spurgeon

Carols stir us. Holy words inspire us. The golden glow from the manger warms us. A little religion at Christmas is fine. But that glow in the manger comes from the Light of the world. It exposes evil and either redeems it or destroys it. The babe in the manger is far more than an object for sentimental sighs. He is the Son of God who must be accepted as ruler – or confronted as rival.  

–John G. Stackhouse, Jr.

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.  

–Charles Dickens

Christmas is for children. But it is for grown-ups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and a nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chilled hidebound hearts.  

–Lenora Mattingly Weber

Hark the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn king.”
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.

–Charles Wesley

This Gospel anticipates a world far different from C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, where it is “always winter, and never Christmas.” The promise of the Gospel is that it is “always Christmas.”  To be “in Christ” is to enjoy each morning as a Christmas morning with the family of God, celebrating the gift of God around the tree of life.  

–Kevin VanHoozer

The spirit of Christmas needs to be superseded by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world.  

–Stuart Briscoe

Here’s a side to the Christmas story that isn’t often told: Those soft little hands, fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, were made so that nails might be driven through them. Those baby feet, pink and unable to walk, would one day walk up a dusty hill to be nailed to a cross. That sweet infant’s head with sparkling eyes and eager mouth was formed so that someday men might force a crown of thorns onto it. That tender body, warm and soft, wrapped in swaddling clothes, would one day be ripped open by a spear. Jesus was born to die.    

–John MacArthur

Learning Christmas Again

“This Gospel anticipates a world far different from C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, where it is “always winter, and never Christmas.” But the promise of the Gospel is that it is always Christmas. To be “in Christ” is to enjoy each morning as a Christmas morning with the family of God, celebrating the gift of God around the tree of life.”

–Kevin Van Hoozer

Christmas can be a torment for many. I have no doubt it brings grief. Family, friends, finances– mixed liberally with heavy doses of materialism and politics will always bring us issues.  The music and decorations seem like nothing more than mere Novocaine (which doesn’t always work). Stress builds up. And we want none of that.

Being mentally or physically ill often accentuates these issues.

I’m not sure why exactly, but suicide increases during this season. Perhaps the challenges Christmas brings just overwhelm a person who is struggling hard just to make it.

“Christmas is for children. But it is for grown-ups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and a nightmare, but it is a period of necessary defrosting of chilled hidebound hearts.”  

–Lenora Mattingly Weber

As I think about Christmas, it is helpful for me to see it as a “mirror.” It is my own reflection and it’s not always pleasant. What we see, is who we are. If we have issues in our own life, the Season will just magnify them.  But this doesn’t mean it’s bad, far from it.

I’m convinced that in all of this, there is an opportunity for us to grow.  

There is a real chance to connect to “Christmas.” The very idea may seem strange.  But Christmas can be an exquisite treat.  It is made by mixing love and truth in generous portions. Our discipleship needs this holiday. I really do need Bethlehem.

I had to learn Christmas.

When we truly process this, we’ll find Christmas. And honestly, it is more than a holiday. For the Christian, it is now a special time. And yes, there will be times when it is trying. Refuse to let that happen. Stop and look for God’s presence.

For me Christmas is becoming a time of great joy and anticipation. Jesus has come for me!

“The universal joy of Christmas is certainly wonderful. We ring the bells when princes are born, or toll a mournful dirge when great men pass away. Nations have their red-letter days, their carnivals and festivals, but once in the year and only once, the whole world stands still to celebrate the advent of a life. Only Jesus of Nazareth claims this world-wide, undying remembrance.”

“You cannot cut Christmas out of the Calendar, nor out of the heart of the world.”   

Anonymous

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Still Standing, Still Running

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.”

“And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Hebrews 12:1

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”

     Philip Yancey

Just on a general basis, life can be terribly hard. I have had to face down so many enemies. Most all of them have been health issues, some critical. I know that there are many others that have also been besieged. To stand, and run with endurance takes the Holy Spirit (+ our weakness).

We’ve been called to stay standing, and to continue running.

The Bible is rich with verses that encourage believers to persevere, remain steadfast, and endure through hardships. Here are 10 promises that will never fail.

  • “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
  • “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36
  • “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,” Romans 5:3
  • “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3
  • “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

“To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.”

    George Mueller

  • “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” James 5:11
  • “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”  Hebrews 10:36, NLT
  • “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:13
  • “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,” Romans 15:5
  • “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4
  • “But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.” Romans 8:25, LB

Somehow I just realized that “joy” must be found. The race is long and hard. If you are really a believer, you will run for the rest of your life. Challenging, yes. But the Holy Spirit will give you His joy. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10.)

“The only true conqueror who shall be crowned in the end is he who continues until war’s trumpet is blown no more…. Christian, wear your shield close to your armor and cry earnestly to God, that by His Spirit you may endure to the end.”

     Alistair Begg

Your Heavy Load

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28-29, Amplified Bible

He is inviting us.

Jesus requests our presence in one simple statement, “come to Me.” This phrase must be our starting point. It’s how you begin daily. If you’re His disciple, it’s imperative that you obey. But this concept is nuanced, it has profound meanings.

“All who are weary.” Each of us carries a heavy load. Sin has weight, whether we believe it or not. When I start to see this, I really begin my discipleship. Apart from Jesus’ invitation I will try to carry this heaviness on my own. This is called “religion,” and it’s a bad thing.

“My guilt overwhelms me—
    it is a burden too heavy to bear.”

Psalm 38:4

“I will give you rest.” It’s His gift, given to each believer. It isn’t earned, you don’t deserve it. His heart is for you to “rest.” The original Greek word often means “to refresh, or to cease your work.” Every true disciple knows this, and understands that Jesus rather laying a terrible burden on us, takes it off.

We must understand our calling.

Another burden (His own burden), is now given to us. It’s Jesus’own weight shared with believers. But it’s a restful burden that gives joy and peace. There are no longer sweaty religious rules, but authentic rest. Real discipleship is now based on love, not duty.

To follow Him in obedience is the happy delight of every disciple. When you are in love with Him the rigors of obedience have little weight.

“It never cost a disciple anything to follow Jesus; to talk about cost when you are in love with anyone is an insult.”

 Oswald Chambers

“For I am gentle and humble in heart,” is His nature. He always acts this way, it is who Jesus is. This is how He behaves to each of us. It becomes the very essence of how He relates to human beings, always gentle and completely humble. Sometimes we add things that obscure this, and we see Jesus in our own particular image. (Maybe that’s a way of defining idolatry?)

And finally--“and you will find rest for your souls.” Again, the Greek here is quite instructive: rest, “cessation of any motion, or labor.” My walk, following Him, isn’t working harder, but being in a joyful rest. God’s saints aren’t called to sweat, but walk in the sureness of the presence of Jesus inside them.

Life can be awfully hard. Trials come and we get overwhelmed.

The joyful rest is only a slice of what heaven will be like. If joy and peace are a wonder now, just you wait, our future holds promises of a continual awareness of Him in our new bodies. This fallen world will be completely remade. Sin, sadness and Satan will be no more.

“And me? I plan on looking you full in the face. When I get up, I’ll see your full stature and live heaven on earth.”

Psalm 17:15, MSG

The Present Tense Jesus

All we really have is the present moment. The past is gone, you can’t change it. The future isn’t here yet, we really have no idea what it’ll bring. But we have the now, and Jesus reveals Himself to us, right now.

This doesn’t mean the past or future is irrelevant or unimportant.

God redeems our past, and our future as believers are filled with His precious promises. This is no small thing. We learn from our past, and believe Jesus will be there for our future. I cannot or won’t diminish this. Both our past, and our future, matter. We learn (reflect) and trust (faith).

But Jesus often refers to the present moment. For instance, in the Gospel of John, the Lord uses the immediate now to explain who He really is. (There are seven of these here and now verses.) He says I am, and that is right now.

Notice: Not I was, or I will be, but now in this present moment, Jesus says, “I am.“

Due to grammatical rules, “I am” must be translated, from the original Greek, as present tense, and 99% of every Bible translation agrees. “I am” is right now, in the present tense. Not I was, or i will be. (Sorry, I am being redundant here.)

The Seven I AM Statements of Jesus as found in John’s Gospel.

  • “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51)
  • “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) 
  • “I am the door [or gate] of the sheep.” (John 10:7, 9) 
  • “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) 
  • “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) 
  • “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) 
  • “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) 

Because these characteristics are neither past or future we can be confident that these are in the now. We know that God doesn’t change, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8.)

So, when you wait on God, it’s all in the present moment.

The “I am” is now. When He states “I am the bread of life,” we understand that Jesus wants us to come and dine, right now. When he says, “I am the good shepherd,” it is meant for me being in His flock, right now.

Why does this even matter?

Well first of all, it gives us confidence that Jesus is our present tense Savior. He is always there. Furthermore we’re not trapped in the distant past or the nebulous future. We only have the now– this present moment. When this present moment happens, it slides into the past.

I guess this idea is a bit of a shocker for me.

Living in the now and gripping on Jesus when I pray and worship, or read the Word gives me the powerful sense that He is present. He’s now focusing on me. I do admit that my past life has been terrible, I can’t live there, and my future, well, it only builds on the now.

It has taken me almost 40 years to see this.

Moses understood this concept. “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”  And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14.) These emancipated slaves needed the present tense “I am God” to lead them every step of the way. They needed Him every morning–everyday.

Be aware of Him in this present moment. Jesus is waiting for you. It’s time to press into the Lord of the now. I believe He can’t wait for you to join Him. He stands at your door, and knocks. Please let Him in.

Question: What does it mean for Jesus to be in the “present tense” in your life?

We See So Little

“Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Job 26:14

Job’s suffering has led him to this point. He realizes how little he understands God. I guess pain can have a powerful effect on how we see things. Job has learned the immensity of God.

In verse 14 he speaks about the “outskirts” the word in Hebrew means the mere edge, or fringe. One translation of this verse reads like this: “These are only a few of the things that God does. We only know about a few small things. If he used all of his power, we could never understand.“

“That being the case, let’s consider God’s capacity for just a moment. He’s not only “high capacity”, He’s “infinite capacity.” He never sleeps or slumbers. He is perfect in all His abilities. There isn’t a single thing that He doesn’t know, and there is no one more powerful than Him. And unlike humans who can only be in one place at one time, He is everywhere at the same time. This is amazing, and just like the Psalmist said in Psalm 113, “Who is like the Lord our God?” The answer, very simply, is no one.”

John Piper

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)

I’m thinking about Moses who asked to see God’s glory. Moses was called “the friend of God,” but he wanted to see more. God’s response was that He couldn’t because it would kill Moses. But provision was made for him to see the backside of God as Moses was in a cleft of a rock. (Exodus 33.)

The Bible doesn’t reveal it all. But we’re given enough. Job told us that only the outer fringes can be seen by men and women. We see His periphery, but we must understand our limits. We’re told that we will see Him someday–but not yet. But at the moment of death, we will see Him.

The Lord Jesus came to show us the Father. “In [Christ] all the fullness of deity dwells bodily.” When we see Jesus we see the Father. Reading the Gospels we are encountering God, because Jesus reveals Him fully.

 

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” 

Hebrews 1:3

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Romans 11:33

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