Perhaps one of the unique characteristic of the Godhead is that He always WAS. At the beginning of time, He existed. At the end of time, He will exist. Today, He exists. God had no beginning and He will have no end.
Genesis 1:1—”In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” When time, history, creation began, God was there. He is the One who created it all.
John 1:1-2—”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." Again…the beginning. Verse 14 interprets “The Word” for us: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Christ, the Word, was at the beginning, with God.” Just think: where would we be if Christ had not been made flesh and dwelt among man?
1 John 1:1-2—”That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested unto us.) This verse ties together Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, with John 1:1-2 "God made flesh, walking among mankind, who is now the One declared to be the bearer of eternal life, with such truths being declared to result in fellowship and joy for the believer: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:3-4)
Rejoice, for “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
Showing posts with label 1 John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 John. Show all posts
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Describe Him: Advocate
1 John 2:1 declares “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
As I read this verse this morning, I knew I had to write on Jesus Christ, our Advocate. I am not a deep theological thinker, so simply put, Christ is the One who stands before the Father on our behalf. We are the ones who have sinned, and He is our "substitutionary, intercessory advocate.” Christ has not only finished the work necessary for the believing sinner to be called righteous before the Father, but He now pleads our cause after we become righteous. While Christ has conquered the penalty of sin, the presence of sin in the believer’s life is never completely gone while we are alive here on earth. Such a state of sinlessness will only take place when the believer is in heaven.
Because of the continual presence of sin, the believer still sins. The believer still needs One to stand before the Father to declare that He has paid the price of His blood to make this poor sinner righteous in the sight of God. This is a marvelous truth. Praise God for a salvation that remains secure, despite sin in the believer’s life. Praise God for a Savior “that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34) He does not condemn the sinner who believes on Him. Rather, He “ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
The holiness of God demands justice be paid for sin. The blood of Christ paid the one-time price of redemption and righteousness. The advocacy of the Son before the Father pleads the positional righteousness of the believer. Praise God.
As I read this verse this morning, I knew I had to write on Jesus Christ, our Advocate. I am not a deep theological thinker, so simply put, Christ is the One who stands before the Father on our behalf. We are the ones who have sinned, and He is our "substitutionary, intercessory advocate.” Christ has not only finished the work necessary for the believing sinner to be called righteous before the Father, but He now pleads our cause after we become righteous. While Christ has conquered the penalty of sin, the presence of sin in the believer’s life is never completely gone while we are alive here on earth. Such a state of sinlessness will only take place when the believer is in heaven.
Because of the continual presence of sin, the believer still sins. The believer still needs One to stand before the Father to declare that He has paid the price of His blood to make this poor sinner righteous in the sight of God. This is a marvelous truth. Praise God for a salvation that remains secure, despite sin in the believer’s life. Praise God for a Savior “that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34) He does not condemn the sinner who believes on Him. Rather, He “ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
The holiness of God demands justice be paid for sin. The blood of Christ paid the one-time price of redemption and righteousness. The advocacy of the Son before the Father pleads the positional righteousness of the believer. Praise God.
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