As Jesus is...

For many months I have been thinking about a section of the Bible found in Ephesians chapter two. The truths found here have impacted me immensely and have changed my life.
I have spoken about these before in this blog and have probably quoted them but it is worth quoting them again...

'But God, being rich in mercy,because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.'
Ephesians 2: 4 - 7
 

 Awesome words.
You know the Bible is something else. It's not just a book. It is a living word and it is probably the most misunderstood book ever written; misquoted, misinterpreted, misused, abused, villified and persecuted. I was listening to the radio recently and an announcer who I in fact like a lot starting talking about what the Bible says about women...now I have no idea where she got her material because her observations showed a total lack of understanding of anything the Bible says and a total misinterpretation of the stuff she quoted from and only showed that she, despite being a learned person who claims to have got 496/500 in her HSC, has absolutely no understanding of the truth of Jesus. I listened, I could have got annoyed but I ended feeling very sorry for her.
Why is there so little grasp of Jesus in this world?
You know it is a sad fact that the Church is largely to blame because the Church has failed to grasp truth and has been peddling an alloyed message that purports to bring freedom but in fact brings bondage.
What is he talking about I hear you ask?
Dear precious reader we cannot mix grace and law.
We cannot have a little bit of each. We can't talk about a message of grace and about being gracious to one another etc. etc. but continue to burden people with rules and regulations. We cannot give lip service to a gospel of grace and then put requirements upon people that, at the very least are downright burdensome and expect people to find freedom in Christ.
When we bring Christianity and alloy it with law the result is a burden that results in an enemy taking it and producing frustration, distortion, anger, abuse and total disillusionment.
You cannot have two mothers...either your mother is grace or your mother is law...you cannot have both.

Now I could talk a long time about this and by this time you are either interested or you have probably zoned out. I don't suppose what I say will have much impact on you but today I just want to share a few thoughts with you because today I was drawn to another verse in the Bible which then directed me back to verses that precede the ones that I have quoted above and add another wonderful brick in the structure that God is building for me...the Life of Purpose.
Listen to this...

'Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world.'
1 John 4: 17
 

First thing to note is that 'Love has been perfected among us.' God is Love and what follows reveals the perfection of Him.
Second as a result we need have no concern about the day of judgement because we are not measured or judged on the basis of our performance but instead God looks at Jesus and sees me and you. Our sin has been, once for all, completely dealt with at the cross and the under-pinning term of the New Covenant is that God remembers our sin and our iniquities NO MORE!
Third 'as He (Jesus) is, so are we...' Notice this is present tense, 'as He IS' that is how we are right now in this world wherever we are. You, if you believe in Jesus, are 'as He is' right now.
So the question then has to be asked...how is Jesus today, where is He?
It was then that I was turned back a few verses from the ones that have consumed me for months, and which I quoted above, to these majestic words. Listen to this...

'...He (God) raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.'
Ephesians 1: 20 - 23
 

Immense words, do you not agree?
Now meditate on this...'as He is, so are we in this world.'
See yourself as Jesus is, far above all power, dominion, name, negative situation, I could go on and on but I would rather you go and meditate on this truth. Write your own list of the negative things of this world that He is far above...and you are far above in Him.
You know as we walk along life's pathway there are blessing upon blessing that we miss...why?..because we fail to see them.
Open you eyes and see and in the seeing you 'with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,' will be 'transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.' (2 Corinthians 3: 18)
It really is in the seeing and the great mission of the enemy of mankind is that their eyes will be veiled and blinded so that they will not see but instead will take a few isolated verses and develop a doctrine that adds another layer of veil...this is what the radio announcer did and often, so sadly, this is what many a well-meaning preacher does because they have received grace but then alloyed it with law and the burden increses.
Be set free.
See yourself as God sees you...seated with Him in heavenly places enjoying the benefits of being sons and daughters of the King.
God bless you today with his Shalom.