Monday, January 9, 2012

Jesus is Simply Enough

This morning’s devotion for me went hand in hand with what James preached in the first service at FPB yesterday. Allow me to quote a portion from my devotion this morning.

“We would suppose that God in stepping down would step down just as little as possible. But instead He came down to the lowest order and took on Himself the nature of Abraham, (Humanity). I like what John Wesley said concerning this mysterious act of God in stooping down to tabernacle with us: we should be sure to distinguish the act from the method by which the act was performed. Do not reject the fact (God came in the flesh as Jesus) because we do not know how it was done, Wesley advised.
With the saints of all ages, we do well just to throw up our hands and confess, ‘Oh Lord, Thou knowest!’” {Taken from Renewed Day by Day, A.W. Tozer}

I may not be able to tell you why He did it except that the Almighty loves humanity but I confess and simply believe that the Creator of all things took on the form of a servant (humanity) and came to humanity. He could have only stepped down to become an angel but He became human and was tempted in all point such as we yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) I don’t have to know all the whys of theology I simply confess that Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings, He is God, the God.

The Apostle Paul, in writing a letter to a church in Corinth, takes a whole chapter to warn them against people teaching false religion. It is during this letter that he tells them just as the serpent lied to and deceived Eve in the beginning, Paul is worried that people are being fooled in their thinking and are walking away from the sincere simplicity of Jesus Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2Corinthians 11:3 NKJV
This is still a concern in our day. People tend to rush past the power of Jesus trying to find a great theological explanation. Again as Tozer said, “We need to confess and throw up out hands and declare, Oh Lord you knowest” He is the Lord.

Look at the Gospel of John in your New Testament Bible. John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (At creation the Word that created all things was God, it was all about God)
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Skip down to verse 14
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.

The Word that was in the beginning, that created all things, that Word, that God was made flesh and walked among humanity. The Almighty clothed himself in a created body as a person would put on a robe and lived with the human race He had created. He became Emmanuel God with us.
So if you are tempted to rush past Jesus I would remind you today you are rushing past the Creator of all things. When we live as to believe that Jesus is not enough, when we direct our lives as if to not put importance on Jesus Christ we live as if to say the Almighty, the Creator of all things is not enough. They are one in the same.

Jesus wasn’t one of God’s many sons who drew the short straw. He was the only God. He wasn’t one of a multitude of messengers send down from above He was The Messenger come down from heaven to earth. God did one thing, He came!
John doesn’t write, a Word became flesh.
Or that, some Word became flesh.
Or the, flavor-of-the-day Word became flesh.
Or even that a, really good Word became flesh.
And certainly not, one of many Words became flesh.
John wrote that, the Word became flesh.
The same W-O-R-D that spoke at creation became flesh.
The One Word. The Definitive Word.  The One and Only Word – Jesus Christ.
God came! Understand the is a very important word as it tells us that there is no other Word that came to make a difference in the lives of people. The Word, a big-W not a small one but a capital W-O-R-D came! And the Word, the same word that spoke the worlds into their place. He came!

In the book of Acts we find the starting of the Church, the very first church and the very first sermon preached. It happens in Acts chapter 2. Jesus said it would happen this way starting at Jerusalem. “…and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:47 -49 NKJV

I want you to understand today that sermon is only a short ten days or so from Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19 when He says, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” When the Apostle Peter preaches the first sermon that day there standing with him are the others who Matthew says were with them that day in Matthew 28. They all heard what Jesus commanded them to do. So when Peter preaches in Acts he is not being a rebel. He knows that John 10:25 tells him the name of the Father. He knows that John 14:26 gives him the name of the Holy Ghost. Peter knows a Father has to have a name, a son has to have a name and a spirit has to have a name. Peter does not miss the power and simpleness of the Name of Jesus. If he had of acted in a rebel fashion some of the others who heard Jesus’ words would have stood up. But everyone understood that the Word came and the Word was Jesus, He was the one and only God.

So, when Peter and the others are asked by the crowd that day, what they must do?  Peter preached: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Act 2:38-39 

Peter and the rest knew that the Almighty had a name and His name was Jesus. They understood as simple as it was “All power in heaven and earth was in the name of Jesus.” Matthew 28:18
So for the entire New Testament everyone is baptized in the Name of Jesus. Jesus was enough for the whole New Testament. As simply as it may sound today, you need Jesus in your daily life. Jesus is all you need. Why? He is the Word; He is the one true God.

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