“See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, we are [even here and] now children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory].”
1 John 3:1-2 AMP
Over the last few days we have considered three lenses through which we must look at our Lord in order to truly see and know Him.
Let’s look at these again:
1 - See Him suffering in your place.
2 - See Him resurrected so that you can be raised to new life.
3 - See Him glorified and at the right hand of the Father as the One Who is calling you upward to share in His glory.
In terms of His suffering, the Lord does not need or want our sympathy. Rather, He wants us to see how much He loves us that He would suffer in our place to redeem us out of the clutches of sin and death. As well, we must recognize the depth of our depravity, that such a terrible penalty had to be paid to deliver us out.
“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
“But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:22-23 NLT
In terms of His resurrection, He wants us to see that as He was raised by the Holy Spirit of God to newness of life, just so, we are raised by the Holy Spirit to become a new creation, created in His image, and prepared for good works.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
“And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
Romans 8:10-11 NLT
In terms of His glorification, and being seated at the right hand of the Father, He wants us to see our future wherein we will rule and reign with Him forever.
“This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.”
2 Timothy 2:11-12 NLT
“Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.”
Revelation 3:21 NLT
Now do you understand it? When we look at Christ’s suffering, His resurrection, and His glorification, we are seeing the process God has provided through which we can become sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ!
“For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”
Romans 8:16-17 NLT
Child of God, you should not be able to look at Jesus Christ without seeing what God has done for us, what God has made us to be, and what God has provided for us in terms of a glorious future in the ages to come.
Remember, if you look at Christ, all He has done, all that He is, without seeing what this means for you, then you have missed the point of His suffering on the cross, underestimated the power of His resurrection, and disregarded the glory of His exaltation. This was all done for us to be able to receive the upward call.
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“
Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV
The Lord didn’t need to do any of this to be Who He Is. He did it all so that we can be who He made us to be: His children!
“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.“
Hebrews 3:1-2 NKJV
See Him now! Believe it now! Answer the upward call!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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