| The Living Word |
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In one of the most profound passages of scripture, the Apostle John gives us a startling revelation, and confirmation of a divine truth. He states in his gospel account " In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
John identifies Jesus as "The Word" (John 1:12,21-29). The Word is also identified as God Himself. This is interesting in that it reveals Jesus as the living revelation of God. He is the revealed expression of God in human form.
Jesus told His followers, to see Him was to see the Father (John 14:9). Not only is Jesus the manifested person of God, but He is the manifested revelation of God. So when Jesus speaks, God is speaking.
Very early in His ministry, Jesus has to correct those who didn't understand Him being the revelation of God. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus states "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
The Law and the Prophets are terms used to describe the "Old Testament". To those whom Jesus spoke this was the bible. His declaration is that His purpose was not to abolish or do away with, or tear down, or even contradict but rather to fulfill. This word means to to accomplish, or to complete.
So Jesus through His immaculate conception, His life lived in subjection to the will of His Father, His redemptive and atoning work on the cross, and His triumphant resurrection from the grave fulfilled the word of the prophets, and fulfilled the moral, judicial, and ceremonial law prescribed by God.
An interesting point to consider is found in Romans 8:3,4 - "For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
This suggests that one of the purposes of Christ sacrifice on the cross was that the righteous requirement of God, might be fulfilled in us. The righteous requirement of the law is absolute obedience. So the question becomes "how do we fulfill that righteous requirement?"
The answer is in verse 4, when we walk according to the Spirit of God. When we live our lives in submission the leading of the Spirit of God, we're assured of fulfilling the righteous requirement of God. Praise the Lord, what a privilege.
As disciples of Christ, through our lives we have the opportunity to be living examples of The Living Word. Jesus said to see Him was to see the Father, our goal should be to be able to say "to see me is to see Jesus living in me."
Blessings to the " Beloved of God" |
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