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'Christ in You...'
by Dale Krebbs
“Because now we [really] live, if you stand [firm] in the Lord. For what [adequate] thanksgiving can we render to God for you for all the gladness and delight which we enjoy for your sakes before our God?” - 1 Thessalonians 3:8-9
Our labors in Christ should always be "for your sakes" - for those being served, regardless of the setting or the service. Are we "other oriented"? We should be glad and delight in our sacrifice when we see others benefited by a closer walk with God. All the Apostle Paul said, thought, and did was for the sake of others. Moreover, do you realize that it is the same with God? All things are for our sakes. All that exists was and is being created for our sakes! There is no family project as central in importance as the bringing of children into it. Everything that is done by the parents is ultimately for the children sake. So it is with God - on a grand scale that we can in no way comprehend at this time.
From the very beginning God appoint mankind to have dominion (Genesis 1:26). He gave mankind rulership and responsibility for all the earth, along with instruction to "dress and keep" (Genesis 2:150, beginning in the Garden of Eden. He sent His Son to die in order to pay for the sin of the whole world, because He is a just God as well as merciful and compassionate God. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus said he will make all things new. Certainly this urges us to ask why...the phrase "all things" covers a lot of territory...
Why?...for what purpose?
Could it be that from the very beginning God has had in mind expanding His family, and ultimately to share dominion over "all things" with Himself? The very thought is mind boggling! Perhaps He has had this plan throughout eternity for just such an unfathomable purpose. It is more than our finite being can take in now. When all the Bible is taken together and at the same time asking this question, the evidence seems convincing. But God believes in progressive revelation when He is dealing with mankind. He never shows all that is in His hand. As Jesus told the disciples regarding certain teachings, they could not receive them at that time - they were not ready for more revelation yet (Acts 1:6-7).
It has been so for mankind from the very beginning. First, God allows mankind to experience the principle of caring for the Garden; then eventually as they multiplied, expanding over the entire earth. Throughout history, mankind has explored. New geographical areas, discovering and even creating new things. Of course, man has actually only been working with that which God has already made - man has been reshaping what is already here in some form. Paul himself, did not realize the scope of the statement that the Holy Spirit put into his mind - "But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [[e]who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]." - 1 Corinthians 2:9.
But mankind does not yet have the body, the wisdom, or the character to function as God’s regent over the Universe. As always, man wants to conquer, rule, explore and control before he is qualified to be doing so. God knew this all along, and in His wisdom has so planned history so as to eventually bring about all that man must have, but does not as yet have. Everything that intersects our lives - events, people, choices (ours and others), decisions (good and bad), local, national, and world conditions, past, present, and future - all things are, first and last, for our sakes. In order to begin to grasp all this, we need to stretch our minds beyond the moment; beyond daily cares and concerns per se, and begin to praise Him for His providence with us.
But you and I are of much more importance to Him than even the universe!. The hairs of our head are number. He knows every molecule in our bodies - perhaps they are names. The stars he calls by their names. We are of more value than the stars, so why would He not call each of the smallest elements of our body by name? He is aware of every breath, every heartbeat. Someone has observed that we are all only one heartbeat away from eternity. He knows every step, every time we move a muscle, every time we lie down and rise and in between. He knows our hunger at meal time (or in between), He know every pain, every movement, He knows everything about us and involving us - past, present, and the future. As David said, He knows every word on our tongue before the words are formed on our lips. Why?... why is God doing this; why such amazing focus, interest, and concern, and sacrifice? If we die before Jesus returns our bodies will just return to the dust out of which we were originally composed. As the psalmist said “what is man that you are mindful of him?’. This seems a great mystery to most of mankind, and for most, utterly unbelievable. But there are those who do know:
"Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the [f]divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny]." - (1 Corinthians 2:10)
God knows everything about us (Psalm 139:2-5), because He needs to know. He will need to know again after we die. He is going to put all of us back together again! Our physical bodies are going to be reassembled but composed of a different substance than from dust. We will be composed of spirit, but He will need to remember the pattern of our body. The pattern was constructed when we were in our mothers womb (Psalm 139:14-16). He will remember our pattern. Our bodies must be reassembled, only this time not of the earthly dust, but composed of spirit. When Jesus returns our new eternal bodies will again be breathed into of the breath of eternal life. Our perfected spirit (Hebrews 12:22-23; 2 Corinthians 5:1), will be united with our perfected bodies. We shall be whole again. But more than the former. We will then be completely immortal - body and spirit. Now God's plan has been completed - we have been created and recreated in His image. The repair and the restoration will be complete. We can thank and praise God that Satan will not succeed in thwarting His plan to bring more children into His family. Ultimately all of the curse will be removed, then later all the universe will be cleansed and all things made new (Revelation 21:5). This is the destiny of humanity. It has always been.
Can you believe what God has done in creating you? By repenting of the life you have lived in the original creation which is temporary, and surrendering it to Jesus, your new creation can begin now. All that God has done - all that Jesus has done on the cross, things seen and unseen, now are for your sake. Everything that has happened to you, if you will surrender to Him, will have been for your sake. Your “pattern” will never need to be tossed aside, as unfit to be made an eternal member of the family of God.
Then, all things will have been "for your sake"...
How wonderful is the condescension of our Maker. Thank you, Lord God Almighty, our Father, for loving us so...!
"...how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. For he did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. You put all things under his control." For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, but we see Jesus..." - Hebrews 3:2-9 (NET)
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