Thursday, July 26, 2012

CHRIST AND THE OTHER GUY
 If we look at the picture of God in the gospel of John we see the picture of filling up.  The Father has given to the Son, the Word that the Son came from the Father.  The Son has given that Word to His disciples and they have believed it.  So we might imagine the Father as the master wine merchant pouring new wine into a perfect wineskin.  Then we might imagine the Son taking that wineskin to pour that new wind into the glass of a guest.
  The picture of God is that of unselfish giving, of emptying the wineskin.  In Philippians 2.8 Paul says Jesus did not try to grasp equality with God.  The Son emptied Himself, He poured Himself out of His Godhead into manhood.  Paul says he is poured out as a drink offering in Philippians 2.17 and 2 Timothy 4.6.

We can think of Hebrews 9.14 in which Jesus--through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God.  In the OT Isaiah 8.8 has a passage in which he speaks of the Euphrates River overflowing its' banks--it will rise up over all its' channels and go over all its' banks.  Then the image changes from water in the OT to wings in the NT--and the spread of its' wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.  This in Isaiah might remind us of the wings of a dove which appeared when Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, Matt. 3.16.

  So we have the picture of pouring out from the Father to the Son to the believers.

  But what would be the opposite of this?  It might be selfishness.  Paul says--Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. Phil. 2.8.  Ezekiel 28.2 describes the king of Tyre as epitomizing this selfishness--
  Because your heart is lifted up
  and you have said, I am a god,
  I sit in the seat of gods,
  in the heart of the seas...
This is the spirit of the father of lies Jesus mentions in John 8.44 as the one who--does not stand n the truth because there is no truth in him.  Did you notice the connection between empty conceit and no truth?  What is being conveyed here is that Satan was not the clear vessel Jesus was.  He did not empty himself, pour himself out or even reflect the light of God's presence.  He took the glory of God which he was reflecting as his own possession (you might say blocking the light) to cast down darkness--his kingdom became darkened, Revelation 16.10.

  Satan tried to be a god without being God--he was a created being; Jesus as God the Son was 'begotten not made.'  The Apostle's Creed puts it as--one being with the Father.  So instead of receiving the Spirit of God as Jesus did, Satan tried to take a kingdom away from God.  Jesus ascended to heaven, Satan was cast down.

  We are called to be clear vessels.  Peter emphasizes the clear aspect of our souls when he writes that we are to be precious stones, 1 Peter 2.6.  These stones, from the crown of David to the heavenly city, are seen when light passes through them; not only is God seen when His presence is in us, but we are seen.  as the precious stones upon which the church is built,we reveal His immanence while He resides in His transcendence.  Jesus seems to summarize this when He says--Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven, Matt. 5.16.

  How can we be what Jesus was, not what the Other Guy was?  Paul seems to answer this at the end of Ephesians 3.  First, Paul says he bows his knee before the Father.  Certainly, Satan is not known for his humility.  Second, Paul asks that we would receive--power through His spirit in the inner man, Eph. 3.16.  And third, Paul says that as we are rooted and grounded in the love of God, Christ would dwell in us so that we would--be filled up to the fulness of God, Eph. 3.19.

  When we humble ourselves before God, we receive His power so that Christ would dwell in our hearts in order that we become filled with God.

1 comment:

  1. This is a great Blog Paul and I hope you keep going and do lots more posts.

    Mike John

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