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In Ephesians 1:17, Paul prays:
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."
Center-Point of Heaven and Earth
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many
times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his
Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made
the universe" Hebrews 1:1-2.
In the Old Testament, God spoke at many different times, in many
different ways, through many different people - but when Jesus came, He
was the embodiment of all those words. He was the totality of that Word
become flesh.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among
us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from
the Father, full of grace and truth" John 1:1,14.
The Foundation
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say
John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the
prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon
Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" Matthew
16:13-16 (read also verses 17-19).
Everything in the Christian life begins with a revelation of Jesus. Peter
received a revelation of who Jesus is, and Jesus declared that upon this
"rock" - the revelation of jesus Himself - He would build His Church.
The Birth of the Church
"...God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ"
Acts 2:36 (see also verses 37-41).
When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, the crowd received a
revelation of Jesus which "cut [them] to the heart." Three thousand people
responded and the Church was born.
Life Transforming
"'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, who you are persecuting,'
he replied" Acts 9:5-6.
Saul - hater and destroyer of the Church (read Acts 8) - is transformed into
the great apostle Paul by a revelation of Jesus. Our lives are transformed by
a continuous revelation of Him.
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being
transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes
from the Lord, who is the Spirit" 2 Corinthians 3:18 (see also 1 John 3:2).
All Things Center in Christ
"For from him, and through him and to him are all things. To him be the
glory for ever! Amen" Romans 11:36.
From Him - the Source
"...yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came
and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through
whom all things came and through whom we live" 1 Corinthians 8:6 (see
also 2 Corinthians 5:17-18).
- Jesus is the source of all things (James 1:17), so for my life to work properly, it must find its source in Him (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13).
- Jesus is the author of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). That means when I need salvation, I seek the Saviour.
- Jesus is the author of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Therefore, for true faith to operate, my focus must be upon Him. Faith is not trying to believe. Faith is acknowledging Jesus as the source of my life.
- Jesus is the author of our righteousness (Romans 3:21; Philippians 3:9), so I must look to Him in order to stand clean before God.
- Jesus is the author of the new creation life (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). He is the starting point for everything in my life.
Through Him - the Power
Jesus is not only the source of our life, but is also the enabling to live that
life.
"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and
may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing
in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to
his glorious might..." Col. 1:10-11 (see also Galatians 2:20).
This "incomparably great power" that is available to us is the same mighty
power which raised Christ from death (Ephesians 1:19-20). We are able to
face the enemy of our souls - Satan - and stand unmoved, because we are
"strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power" (Ephesians 6:10). His grace
(which means "the enabling power of God") is sufficient for us in all
circumstances (2 Corinthians 12:9).
- Through Jesus we have the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
- Through Jesus we always triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14).
- Through Jesus we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).
- Through Jesus we bear fruit to the Father (John 15:5-8; Philippians 1:10-11).
- Through Jesus we can do all things (Philippians 4:13).
"For in him we live and move and have our being..." Acts 17:28.
To Him - the Goal
"I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" Revelation 22:13 (see also 1:17-18).
In all things, Jesus is the goal of the whole Christian life.
- Jesus is the goal of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
- Jesus is the goal of our life (Philippians 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:9).
"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all
things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him
all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is
the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in
everything he might have the supremacy" Colossians 1:16-18.
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Copyright © 1995 Paul, Bunty and David Collins. All rights reserved. This study may be freely used and reproduced, wholly or in part, by the Christian Church for the non-profit purposes of study and training only, provided copyright and contact information is included.
Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures quoted in these studies are from the New International Version of the Bible, © New York International Bible Society, used by permission. Other versions referred to are: KJV (King James Version), NKJB (New King James Bible), TLB (The Living Bible), Amp (The Amplified Bible) and The Message. All versions used by permission.
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