Jesus’ Parable of the Leaven is found in two of the Gospels. It is a very simple story-- a snapshot of life, really: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33; cf. Luke 13:20-21). Jesus uses this story as an object lesson to illustrate the kingdom of heaven. A woman takes yeast (leaven) and mixes it into dough. Eventually, the whole of the dough is leavened. What does it mean? First, it’s important to define “kingdom of heaven.” By this, Jesus is referring to His domain as the Messiah. In the current age, the kingdom of heaven is spiritual, existing within the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21). Later, the kingdom will be manifest physically, when the Lord Jesus establishes His throne on this earth (After the tribulation, at the End of Jacob's Trouble). (Revelation 11:15). In the Parable of the Leaven, we learn several things about the working of the kingdom in our present age. Each of these lessons stems from the nature of yeast. First, the kingdom of God may have small beginnings, but it will increase. Yeast is microscopic in size (like an apple seed), and only a little is kneaded into the dough. Yet, given time, the yeast will spread through all the dough. In the same way, Jesus’ domain started with twelve men in an obscure corner of Galilee, but it has spread throughout the world. The gospel makes progress. Second, the kingdom of God exerts its influence from within, not from without. Yeast makes dough rise from within. God first changes the heart of a person, and that internal change has external manifestations. The gospel influence in a culture works the same way: Christians within a culture act as agents of change, slowly transforming that culture from within. we praise the joy found in the living God! Our identity is found in the living God! Jesus changed culture through contagious love Third, the effect of the kingdom of God will be comprehensive. Just as yeast works until the dough has completely risen, the ultimate benefit of the kingdom of God will be worldwide (Psalm 72:19; Daniel 2:35). "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Fourth, although the kingdom of God works invisibly, its effect is evident to all. Yeast does its job slowly, secretly and silently, but no one can deny its effect on bread. The same is TRUE of the work of grace in our hearts. The nature of yeast is to grow and to change whatever it contacts. When we accept Christ, His grace grows in our hearts and changes us from the inside out. As the gospel transforms lives, it exerts a pervasive influence in the world at large. As we “reflect the Lord’s glory, [we] are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Unleavened bread is bread that is made without leaven, which is another word for yeast. Yeast makes bread rise, so when bread is unleavened, it remains flat and dense. The Israelites ate unleavened bread as part of the Passover celebration. It was symbolic of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt during the Exodus-- they left so quickly that the bread did not have time to rise. God instructed them to commemorate the event by eating unleavened bread: "You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 16:3). Other verses that command the eating of unleavened bread are found in Exodus 12:8; 29:2; and Numbers 9:11. Leaven is also a symbol of separation from God. Even a small amount of leaven is sufficient to affect an entire lump of dough, and likewise, a little sin-or separation, will hurt the church, nation, or the whole of a person's life (Galatians 5:9). wandering from God starts out small, in the thoughts, and then affects the will and the actions (James 1:14-15). Paul warns the Corinthians that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" and is using this analogy to refer to our need for God's sovereignty, spiritual unity, and repentance. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). Now, once a lump has been leavened, it is not possible to cleanse out the leaven, because it has permeated the dough. What Paul is asking the Corinthians to do in "cleansing out the old leaven" is impossible, for sin cannot be eliminated by human effort or obedience to the law- but through Repentance in Yeshua The law was given to make us aware of sin (Romans 3:20; Romans 7:7). The law is not meant to discourage us, but to encourage us toward Christ, who is the propitiation for our sins. His sacrifice on the cross paid for our sin and made it possible for us to remove the leaven from the lump, as Paul puts it. Another word for this is sanctification (Hebrews 10:10, 14). As we come into the light, and confess that we are indeed stained by sin, He is "faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Thankfully, unleavening is His work, not ours (Ephesians 2:8-10). The Bible teaches that we do not have the power to remove sin. It has permeated us completely, from birth, because—despite future good or evil actions—every person is born in sin simply because we are members of Adam. The first Adam brought separation from God, but the second Adam (Jesus Christ) ❤️ brought life ❤️ (1 Corinthians 15:22). The Lesson of the Fig Tree
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
Imperfect people befriending imperfect people is complicated and hard, but Jesus assures us it’s possible to love each other as He loved us. Jesus came to earth, love incarnate, on a mission to define love, walk out love, and die out of love. . . for us. -Through- Jesus, we embrace this greater love and allow it to flow through our lives, by His power. What Is the 'No Greater Love Is This' Spoken of in John 15? This phrase occurs during Jesus’ sermon about the Vine and the Branches. Christ Jesus used the illustration of a good gardener pruning plants so they produce good fruit. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener,” John recorded Jesus saying, "The vine and the vineyard were old sacred imaged in Judaism,” “The vine represented the covenant people of God, planted and tended by him so that Israel would produce fruit.” The love Christ introduced is "agape" love. This love, according to Christianity.com, “refers to a pure, willful, sacrificial love that intentionally desires another’s highest good.” Contrary to the way the world loves selfishly, Jesus loved selflessly and taught His followers to aim for the same. This type of love is almost indescribable, a product of the very character of God, who is perfect love. God prunes our hearts, sanctifying us daily as we draw closer to Him. When we choose to live life within the love of Christ, we are able to accept and receive the gift of God’s love. Submitting our plans, we instead allow our lives on earth to serve as a conduit to spread the love of Christ to the people He has purposefully placed in our paths. “Jesus laid down his life for his friends,” John Piper explains, “Jesus is the pattern and the power of that love. And he can be those for us, even though we are sinners, because he removed the wrath of God by laying down his life for us.” There is no greater love than the love the Father has for us. To send His one and only Son to sacrifice His life on our behalf is the greatest love story of all time. John 3:16 reminds us, He came for the world. Jesus died, willingly and sacrificially, once for all. We talk a lot about unity in our world today and strive for peace. "Jesus didn’t cast Christianity as a glorified clique,” explains Marshall Segal, "but as a contagious love that compels people to come and see.” Jesus loves us selflessly, having chosen to die for us knowing fully we would not always love Him in return. God’s love is not fickle or fragile. Everything He does and allows is meant to draw us closer to Him. His love is a product of -who He is- Yahweh, Abba. Who spoke the world into existence and knit each of us in our mother’s womb. We spend a lot of time worrying about self-worth even though God proclaims we are worthy (Psalm 139). Jesus, the living Word of God, was there at the beginning and now sits at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit, living in every believer, translates the aches and praises of our hearts to God in prayer and faithfully counsels and comforts us. This type of love calls us to lay down our lives, as Jesus did His. Not necessarily on a cross, but through one we carry to Him daily as we lay down our sins, guilt, and shame. We submit our pre-conceived notions and societal expectations for His will in our lives; our selfish desires for His Kingdom purposes. The gift of grace, salvation, and forgiveness reigns in lives surrendered to Christ. It isn’t easy. There’s no ticket to an easy life on this earth. But Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) What Does it Mean to Lay Down Your Life for Others? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 The Bible has a lot to say about friendship. Jesus modeled it perfectly. Without a guarantee of reciprocation, He poured His life out for His friends. His focus was on forgiveness, friendship, and the fruit of walking in love with Him. The Bible is clear that Jesus is the model for selfless love; this is shown by Jesus giving up His own innocent life to save undeserving sinners. The fruits of the Spirit, products of a godly life, are fostered through the grace given to us through salvation in Christ, alone. To be selfless. In a world consumed with self-care, self-love, and self-confidence, Christ calls us to run a race in the opposite direction. He calls us to be God-reliant, to love God and others, and embrace His provision and allow Him to sustain us. Laying down our lives for others is to live a Christ-centered life, and foster Christ-centered relationships. To listen to one another, learn about, remember and encourage one another. God purposefully places us in the generation we live in, amongst the people in our lives. When we notice who they are, through the filter of Jesus, we are able to love them as we are called to. Laying down our lives is refusing to worry about what tomorrow will bring because we understand only God knows. It’s trusting Him to prepare, lead, and provide for us as we work for His Kingdom. How to Receive and Reciprocate “Greater Love”“ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his mater’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that will last- and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15: 9-17 Jesus gave us a blueprint to “greater love.” It has very little to do with us and everything to do with who He is. We are called to submit to His authority in our lives, and obediently follow the truth of God’s Word. “The war between flesh and spirits is a war of allegiance,” Derek Cazel explains, “If we would give in to the flesh, our definition of love would follow the world’s definition, namely, that nothing is greater than our desires and ourselves.” Jesus accomplished what we never could through His life on earth, His sacrificial death, and miraculous resurrection and ascension to heaven. There is power in the name of Jesus, yet He calls us His friends. Shortly after His sermon about the Vine and the Branches, Jesus prayed before He began His final leg of the journey to the cross. The prayer, recorded in John 17, captures greater love in action. Jesus prayed His life and death would glorify God; He prayed for His followers, and then He prayed for everyone else. All of us. Those who would follow. He prayed we would all find unity in Him. Unity requires a greater love. It requires the power and love of Jesus, and the supernatural force He wields within lives surrendered to His call, and God’s sovereign will. "The believer has no fruitfulness apart from union and fellowship with Christ,” “A branch out of contact with the vine is lifeless.” In addition to Jesus’ specific claims about Himself, His disciples also acknowledged the deity of Christ. They claimed that Jesus had the right to forgive sins—something only God can do—as it is God who is offended by sin (Acts 5:31; Colossians 3:13; Psalm 130:4; Jeremiah 31:34). In close connection with this last claim, Jesus is also said to be the one who will “judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1). Thomas cried out to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Paul calls Jesus “great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13) and points out that prior to His incarnation Jesus existed in the “form of God” (Philippians 2:5-8). God the Father says regarding Jesus: “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8). John states that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God” (John 1:1). Examples of Scriptures that teach the deity of Christ are many (see Revelation 1:17, 2:8, 22:13; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Peter 2:6-8; Psalm 18:2, 95:1; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 13:20), but even one of these is enough to show that Christ was considered to be God by His followers.
Jesus is also given titles that are unique to YHWH (the formal name of God) in the Old Testament. The Old Testament title “redeemer” (Psalm 130:7; Hosea 13:14) is used of Jesus in the New Testament (Titus 2:13; Revelation 5:9). Jesus is called Immanuel—“God with us”—in Matthew 1. In Zechariah 12:10, it is YHWH who says, “They will look on me, the one they have pierced.” But the New Testament applies this to Jesus’ crucifixion (John 19:37; Revelation 1:7). If it is YHWH who is pierced and looked upon, and Jesus was the one pierced and looked upon, then Jesus is YHWH. Paul interprets Isaiah 45:22-23 as applying to Jesus in Philippians 2:10-11. Further, Jesus’ name is used alongside God’s in prayer “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2). This would be blasphemy if Christ were not deity. The name of Jesus appears with God’s in Jesus’ commanded to baptize “in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19; see also 2 Corinthians 13:14). Actions that can be accomplished only by God are credited to Jesus. Jesus not only raised the dead (John 5:21, 11:38-44) and forgave sins (Acts 5:31, 13:38), He created and sustains the universe (John 1:2; Colossians 1:16-17). This becomes even clearer when one considers YHWH said He was alone during creation (Isaiah 44:24). Further, Christ possesses attributes that only deity can have: eternality (John 8:58), omnipresence (Matthew 18:20, 28:20), omniscience (Matthew 16:21), and omnipotence (John 11:38-44). Now, it is one thing to claim to be God or to fool someone into believing it is true, and something else entirely to prove it to be so. Christ offered many miracles as proof of His claim to deity. Just a few of Jesus’ miracles include turning water to wine (John 2:7), walking on water (Matthew 14:25), multiplying physical objects (John 6:11), healing the blind (John 9:7), the lame (Mark 2:3), and the sick (Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:40-42), and even raising people from the dead (John 11:43-44; Luke 7:11-15; Mark 5:35). Moreover, Christ Himself rose from the dead. Far from the so-called dying and rising gods of pagan mythology, nothing like the resurrection is seriously claimed by other religions, and no other claim has as much extra-scriptural confirmation. There are at least twelve historical facts about Jesus that even non-Christian critical scholars will admit: 1. Jesus died by crucifixion. 2. He was buried. 3. His death caused the disciples to despair and lose hope. 4. Jesus’ tomb was discovered (or was claimed to be discovered) to be empty a few days later. 5. The disciples believed they experienced appearances of the risen Jesus. 6. After this, the disciples were transformed from doubters into bold believers. 7. This message was the center of preaching in the early Church. 8. This message was preached in Jerusalem. 9. As a result of this preaching, the Church was born and it grew. 10. Resurrection day, Sunday, replaced the Sabbath (Saturday) as the primary day of worship. 11. James, a skeptic, was converted when he also saw the resurrected Jesus. 12. Paul, an enemy of Christianity, was converted by an experience which he believed to be an appearance of the risen Jesus. Even if someone were to object to this specific list, only a few are needed to prove the resurrection and establish the gospel: Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and appearances (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). While there may be some theories to explain one or two of the above facts, only the resurrection explains and accounts for them all. Critics admit that the disciples claimed they saw the risen Jesus. Neither lies nor hallucinations can transform people the way the resurrection did. First, what would they have had to gain? Christianity was not popular and it certainly did not make them any money. Second, liars do not make good martyrs. There is no better explanation than the resurrection for the disciples’ willingness to die horrible deaths for their faith. Yes, many people die for lies that they think are true, but people do not die for what they know is untrue. In conclusion, Christ claimed He was YHWH, that He was deity (not just “a god” but the one true God); His followers (Jews who would have been terrified of idolatry) believed Him and referred to Him as God. Christ proved His claims to deity through miracles, including the world-altering resurrection. No other hypothesis can explain these facts. Yes, the deity of Christ is biblical. Scripture is clear that Jesus is God (John 20:28; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8), and it is equally clear that He is truly human (Romans 1:2–4; 1 John 4:2–3). Jesus claimed the divine name (John 8:58) and did things that only God can do (Mark 2:1–12; Luke 7:48–50). But Jesus also displayed the weaknesses and vulnerabilities common to humanity (Luke 19:41; John 19:28). The belief that Jesus is both God and man is of fundamental importance. The apostle Paul wrote that an affirmation of the divinity of Jesus is required to be saved (Romans 10:9), and the apostle John provided a sober warning that those who deny Christ’s true humanity are promoting the doctrine of antichrist (2 John 1:7). The Triune God of the Bible has existed and reigned from all eternity, and the second Person of the Trinity, the Son, took on human flesh at a particular point in time (Luke 1:35; Hebrews 1:5). God the Son added a sinless human nature to His eternally existent divine nature. The result was the Incarnation. God the Son became a man (John 1:1, 14). Hebrews 2:17 gives the reason that Jesus had to be both God and man: “He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” The Son of God took on human flesh to provide redemption to those under the law (Galatians 4:4–5). At no time did Jesus ever cease to be God. Although He was made fully human, there was never a point when He abrogated His divine nature (see Luke 6:5, 8). It is equally true that, after becoming incarnate, the Son has never ceased to be human. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5, emphasis added). Jesus is not half-human and half-divine. Rather, He is Theanthropos, the God-man. The Lord Jesus Christ is one eternally divine Person who will forever possess two distinct yet inseparable natures: one divine and one human. "The Word" (Logos) in John 1 is referring to Jesus. Jesus is the total Message—everything that God wants to communicate to man. The first chapter of John gives us a glimpse inside the Father/Son relationship before Jesus came to earth in human form. He preexisted with the Father (verse 1), He was involved in the creation of everything (verse 3), and He is the "light of all mankind" (verse 4). The Word (Jesus) is the full embodiment of all that is God (Colossians 1:19; 2:9; John 14:9). But God the Father is Spirit. He is invisible to the human eye. The message of love and redemption that God spoke through the prophets had gone unheeded for centuries (Ezekiel 22:26; Matthew 23:37). People found it easy to disregard the message of an invisible God and continued in their sin and rebellion. So the Message became flesh, took on human form, and came to dwell among us (Matthew 1:23; Romans 8:3; Philippians 2:5–11). Jesus told a parable in Luke 20:9–16 to explain why the Word had to become flesh. “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” In this parable, Jesus was reminding the Jewish leaders that they had rejected the prophets and were now rejecting the Son. The Logos, the Word of God, was now going to be offered to everyone, not just the Jews (John 10:16; Galatians 2:28; Colossians 3:11). Because the Word became flesh, we have a high priest who is able to empathize with our weaknesses, one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).
Love is the greatest force. agape is used 116 times in the NT Think of the love a parent has for their child. Love wants their children to flourish. Love does not give a child merely what they want, because agape love gives the child what they know they need. Let’s look at how the Bible describes love, and then we will see a few ways in which God is the essence of love. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a). This is God’s description of love, and because God is love (1 John 4:8), this is what He is like. In love, God does not force Himself on anyone. Those who come to Him do so in response to His love. In love, God shows kindness to all. In love, Jesus went about doing good to everyone without partiality. In love, Jesus did not covet what others had, living a humble life without complaining. In love, Jesus did not brag about who He was in the flesh, although He could have overpowered anyone He ever came in contact with. In love, Jesus willingly obeyed His Father in heaven. “The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me” (John 14:31). In love, Jesus was/is always looking out for the interests of others. The greatest expression of God’s love is communicated to us in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 5:8 proclaims the same message: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We can see from these verses that it is God’s greatest desire that we join Him in His eternal home, heaven. He has made the way possible by paying the price for our sins. He loves us because He chose to as an act of His will. Love forgives. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). So, what does it mean that God is love? Love is an attribute of God. Love is a core aspect of God’s character, His Person. God’s love is in no sense in conflict with His holiness, righteousness, justice, or even His wrath. All of God’s attributes are in perfect harmony. Everything God does is loving, just as everything He does is just and right. God is the perfect example of true love. Amazingly, God has given those who receive His Son Jesus as their personal Savior the ability to love as He does, through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1, 23-24). First Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This comes just after Paul’s eloquent and famous description of what true love--agape love—is. There are several ways in which love can be said to be the greatest. First Corinthians 13:13 lists love along with faith and hope as a gift that lasts forever. The lasting nature of faith, hope, and love make them greater than all other gifts of the Spirit, which are temporary; the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:8 as coming to an end. Of the three “forever gifts,” love is the greatest. Love is greater than faith and hope in that both faith and hope depend on love for their existence. Without love, there can be no true faith; a loveless faith is nothing but an empty religious exercise. As Paul says, “If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Without love, there can be no genuine hope; a loveless hope is an oxymoron, because we can’t truly hope for something that we do not love. Faith and hope are dead, sterile things if not accompanied by love. One of the reasons that love is the greatest gift is that it is essential to God’s nature. First John 4:8 tells us that God is love. The book of John and John’s three letters are replete with the theme of love. God gives us His love, and we reflect that love back to Him: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. . . . You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:9–17). Here we see that love is something that has always existed among the persons of the Trinity. Love has no beginning and does not end. And this is the love into which we are invited. Jesus desired for future believers to be part of His love as well: “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (John 17:26). Jesus taught that the greatest two commandments both include love, the greatest gift: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40). John Calvin puts forward a very simple reason why love is the greatest gift: “Because faith and hope are our own: love is diffused among others.” In other words, faith and hope benefit the possessor, but love always benefits another. In John 13:34–35 Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Love always requires an “other” as an object; love cannot remain within itself, and that is part of what makes love the greatest gift. 1. Truth aims at love ''The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). Note: instruction is not the goal, love is. Instruction is the means. It is subordinate. Truth serves love. Education serves relationships - mainly the relationship between us and God, but also between Christian and Christian, and between us and unbelievers. The "goal" of all our education is love. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider one another how to stir up to love and good deeds, . . . encouraging one another" (Hebrews 10:23-25, literal translation). The aim of our "considering one another" and "encouraging one another" is that we stir up love. We mingle insight into "the confession of our hope" with insight into "each other," and the effect is stirring each other to love. The truth of doctrine and truth of people-watching unite to aim at love. 2. Love aims at truth ''Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love is glad when truth is spoken. Therefore love aims at truth. It supports truth. "Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you" (2 Corinthians 2:4). Here is an example of how love aims at truth. Paul is filled with love and it compels him to write a letter that was hard, and caused sorrow in him and in the Corinthians. But it needed to be said. So love said it. Love speaks the truth personally and doctrinally. 3. Love shapes how to speak the truth "'Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). There is an unloving way to speak the truth. That kind of truth-speaking we should repudiate. But there is a way to speak the truth in love, and that we should seek. It is not always a soft way to speak, or Jesus would have to be accused of lack of love in dealing with some folks in the Gospels. But it does ask about what is the most helpful thing to say when everything is considered. Sometimes what would have been a hard word to one group is a needed act of love to another group, and not a wrong to the group addressed. But in general, love shapes truth into words and ways that are patient and gentle (2 Timothy 2:24-25). 4. Truth shapes how to show love. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:2). It is not always obvious which acts are loving. So John tells us some truth will help us know if our acts are loving. One truth test for our love is whether we are keeping the commandments of God toward people, In other words, love cannot be cut loose from the truth of God's will. Truth shapes how to show love. Love is core to God’s character and central to the Christian life. The law of Christ is to love God and love others. Love infuses all that God does and should infuse all that we do. "Love never fails ” (1 Corinthians 13:8), and it will never cease. Because of this, love is greater than even hope and faith. Colossians 1:28 Whom we preach Under the above considerations; as the riches, the glory, and the mystery of the Gospel; as the hope set before lost sinners to lay hold upon; as the only Saviour and Redeemer, by whose righteousness believers are justified, through whose blood their sins are pardoned, by whose sacrifice and satisfaction atonement is made, and in whose person alone is acceptance with God: Christ and him crucified, and salvation by him, were the subjects of the ministry of the apostles; on this they dwelt, and it was this which was blessed for the conversion of sinners, the edification of saints, the planting of churches, and the setting up and establishing the kingdom and interest of Christ: warning every man; of his lost state and condition by nature; of the wrath to come, and the danger he is in of it; of the terrors of the Lord, and of an awful judgment; showing sinners that they are unrighteous and unholy, that their nature is corrupt and impure, their best righteousness imperfect, and cannot justify them before God; that they stand guilty before him, and that destruction and misery are in all their ways; and therefore advise them to flee from the wrath to come, to the hope set before them in the Gospel: and teaching every man in all wisdom; not natural, but spiritual and evangelical; the whole Gospel of Christ, the counsel of God, the wisdom of God in a mystery, and all the branches of it; teaching them to believe in Christ for salvation, to lay hold on his righteousness for justification, to deal with his blood for pardon, and with his sacrifice for the atonement of their sins; and to observe all things commanded by Christ, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly: by these two words, "warning" and "teaching", the several parts of the Gospel ministry are expressed; and which extend to all sorts of men, rich and poor, bond and free, greater and lesser sinners, Gentiles as well as Jews; and who are chiefly designed here, and elsewhere, by every man and every creature: that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; not in themselves, in which sense no man is perfect in this life; but in the grace, holiness, and righteousness of Christ, in whom all the saints are complete: or it may regard that ripeness of understanding, and perfection of knowledge, which, when arrived unto, saints become perfect men in Christ; and is the end of the Gospel ministry, and to which men are brought by it; see ( Ephesians 4:13 ) ; and to be understood of the presentation of the saints, not by Christ to himself, and to his Father, but by the ministers of the Gospel, as their glory and crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ. Colossians 1:27 Christ in You, the hope of Glory I love a mystery. I enjoy a baffling exceptionally well-written mystery. Authentic Christianity is an inexplicable mystery to many people. That is because Christ is a mystery. Because of our intimate personal relationship with Him we are a mystery to the world. Those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ will not and cannot be expected to understand the true Christian until they, too, have a saving knowledge of Him. A. W. Tozer got to the heart of this mystery when he wrote that Christians are crazy in Roots of Righteousness: "A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strong when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passes knowledge." Christians are meant to be different, and we are in good company. Can you imagine Christ in all His glorious riches actually dwelling through His Spirit in our lives right now? God's goal is to make us in all respects just like Christ. God is at work. He is sovereign. He is busy changing lives and the way He does it is a mystery. TELL ME A MYSTERY The apostle Paul even said that Christ is God's mystery (Col. 2:2). The good news we share with the world is 'the mystery of Christ" (Col. 4:3). Paul uses the word "mystery" not as we do in our day, but in the context of his day and age. The word "mystery" in the Scriptures is a secret, a truth undiscoverable, except by divine revelation. It is a fact that cannot be understood in detail without divine help. It cannot be known by natural abilities and mental powers. It was a truth that was hidden in the counsels of God down through the ages and generations until God in His grace chose to make it known to mankind by divine revelation. The apostle Paul says, "the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints" (Col. 1:26). It was concealed from angels and men until God revealed it. The only way of knowing this "mystery" is through a self-revelation of God to man. God revealed a great mystery to the apostle Paul. God made it visible or known to man. If Paul has in mind the heathen use of "mystery" whose secrets were kept confined in a strict narrow circle of initiated members of their society, then he tells us that the Christian mystery in Christ is just the opposite because it is fully declared and proclaimed in the open to everyone in the world. God has revealed His deep secret to all mankind by means of His special revelation. There are no secrets with God. He has fully revealed Himself in Christ. The deep mystery is that God has granted free admission of all Gentiles on equal terms with the Jewish believers to all the privileges of the covenant. God has now told His secret to all His saints. God's riches are no longer limited by national ties. God has done this according to the riches of His grace. The context of this great passage on God's mystery in Christ is the church as the body of Christ (Col. 1:24). For some it is strange to say that the apostle can "rejoice in my sufferings for your sake." The apostle had learned the joy in Christ in times of suffering (Phil. 4:4). In fact, verse 24 is a great outburst of thanksgiving to God for the privilege of suffering "on behalf of His body." There is a sense of purpose in his experience. "I am filling up in my turn the left-overs of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh." Genuine Christians are strange, indeed. Does Paul's suffering have any atoning value for his sins? No. Do our sorrows have any atoning value for our sins? No, of course not. We do not come adding any virtue or merit to the completed work of Christ. Christ's work of atonement for sin is complete. It was completed when Christ declared from the cross, "It is finished!" We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The Christian's suffering is on a different level from that endured by Christ on the cross. Punishment for sin is not in view here. The sufferings of Christ alone have atoning value for the sinner. Ours do not. It is part of our stewardship. We suffer troubles, afflictions, tribulations and persecutions because of our identification with Christ (Matt. 5:10-12). The afflictions of the church are also the afflictions of Christ (Acts 9:4-5). The person who persecutes the church persecutes Christ. When believers suffer, Christ suffers. It is this stewardship as a member of the family of God that he was "made a minister" on behalf of the church. God assigned him the task of fully proclaiming God's message to the known world. The call of God was to preach without reserve the whole gospel of God to the ends of the earth. Paul now proceeds to tell us about that great responsibility that was thrust upon him and every Christian minister (Col. 1:25). THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST IN YOU In Jesus Christ are summed up everything we can know about God and His eternal purposes. In Christ we see the riches of God's glory, wisdom and grace (Rom. 9:23; 11:33; Eph. 1:7, 18; 2:7; 3:16; Phil. 4:19). Christ is a mystery The gospel is a mystery of mysteries. Christ is Himself the grand mystery of redemption. It is the majestic secret of God with us. It is the glorious manifestation of God's dealings with mankind. The Holy Spirit takes the revealed Word of God and illumines us individually. We are made gloriously wealthy by this mystery. C. H. Spurgeon said: "Each separate individual must have Christ revealed to him and in him by the work of the Holy Spirit, or else he will remain in darkness even in the midst of the gospel day. Blessed and happy are they to whom the Lord has laid open the divine secret which prophets and kings could not discover, which angels desired to look into. "Without controversy," said the apostle Paul, "great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." The Lord Jesus is crowned with "glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." He is "the brightness of the Father's glory." We have "unsearchable riches in Christ" because "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." As Spurgeon noted: "Oh, the riches of the grace of God which it has pleased the Father to impart unto us in Christ Jesus! Christ is the 'mystery,' the 'riches,' and the 'glory.' He is all this . . . He is all this among us poor Gentiles . . . and we are made heirs of God. . . . All things are ours in Christ Jesus our Lord." The essence of the mystery is Christ Himself in His person. It is Christ in all His glorious riches actually dwelling through His Spirit in the inner lives of His believers. The incarnation of Christ is a mystery The incarnation of Christ is a deep mystery. It was born in the unsearchable wise mind of God. The idea of "Immanuel, God with us" was conceived in the omnipotent omniscient mind of God. Every regenerated mind delights in this vital union between God and man. The apostle Paul tells us another mystery. Let the quotable Spurgeon say it for us. "Our Lord's person is at this day constituted in the same manner. He is still God and man; still He can sympathize with our manhood to the full, for He is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh; and yet He can help us without limit, seeing He is equal with the Father. Though manifestly divine, yet Jesus is none the less human; though truly man, He is none the less divine, and this is the door of hope to us, a fountain of consolation which never ceases to flow." Very God-very man. God incarnate became a vicarious substitute for sin and died and rose again. The death of Christ is a mystery Since the incarnation is a great mystery we are ever mindful of the great mystery of His death. That the Son of God should die as a substitute for our sins is quite beyond us. He humbled Himself and became a servant, and died as our substitute on a cross. He bore our terrible load of sin on the cross that we might never bear the Father's righteous wrath. He took the cup of wrath that we ought to have drunk forever and drained it dry. He bore our punishment in His death. He redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Moreover, He has made everything right and safe for us with God the Father by making an end of sin and an everlasting righteousness on our behalf with the Father. The finished work of Jesus Christ is a grand mystery. Jesus Christ is all my righteousness. He is all my salvation and all my desire. The resurrection and ascension of Christ is a grand mystery On the other hand since He is the second person of the Godhead, the Son of God, the eternal Word of God, should we be in the least surprised that He should rise from the dead? Jesus Christ "is the firstborn from the dead" (Col. 1:18). He overcame death and passed to His sovereign throne at the right hand of the Father in heaven where He reigns as the living Lord. He has overcome death. He is alive! Since you are a believer you have been raised up with Christ, therefore keep on constantly seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father. Because of the new birth Christ now lives in me. This is the greatest miracle of all. Christ in me is the most certain thing in my personal experience (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 3:16-17). A total change took place in our outlook when we came into personal contact with Jesus Christ. There was a time when we were "alienated from God" and we were "dead in trespasses and sin." We began and ended each day without any serious thought about God and His will for our lives. He was not important to us. We were hostile toward God. But something happened in our lives. Now we are reconciled to God. Now He is our most valued person. Something happened within us. Something changed our attitude toward Jesus Christ. In the moment we believed on Jesus Christ our whole life changed. God is in the business of changing lives and He does it when we repent of our sins and believe on Christ as our Savior. What happened? We were born again. A spiritual birth took place and Christ came within you and the Holy Spirit made you His temple. If you need your life changed that is where you must begin. It begins when you open your heart to Christ and receive Him as Lord. Every believer has stamped in him, "Made in Christ." That means there are no cheap imitations of Christians. The crowning work of redemption is conforming the believer into the image of Christ (Gal. 4:1). The greatest miracle is Christ in you "Christ in you, the hope of glory." The grandest mystery of all Paul tells us is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ in me creates the "hope of glory." A. T. Robertson stresses the idea of the preposition en here is "in" not "among." The context requires that we understand the phrase as referring to an inner subjective experience. The mystery long hidden is not a diffusion of Christ among the Gentiles. It is the indwelling of Christ in His people, both Jewish and Gentile. The declared "hope of glory" of both is "Christ in you." Paul has in mind the indwelling Christ in the heart of every believer. Though "among you" makes good sense, it is more probable "in you" or "within" (cf. Rom. 8:10; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 3:17). It is the personal experience of the living presence of Christ in the individual life of the believer that is the mystery of mysteries. Ephesians 3:17 tells us Christ "dwells in your hearts." The central fact of an intimate personal relationship with Christ is this great truth of "Christ in you." This indwelling constitutes "the hope of glory" for every believer. Jesus is the Shekinah glory of God, and He shines in our hearts so that we see the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18; 4:6, 16; 1 Jn. 3:2-3). The Christian has experienced the superior light and knowledge of Jesus Christ and all other religious experiences and claims of the Gnostics and secret mystery religions fade into nothing when compared to the inward knowledge of an intimate love relationship with Him. The first Adam headed up the human race and stood for us, and fell for us, and we fell in him. How marvelous that the second Adam took up within Himself all His people and stood for us and kept the covenant with God the Father so that now every blessing of that new covenant is infallibly secure to all who are risen in Him. "Whatever Christ is His people are in Him. They are crucified in Him, they were dead in Him, they were buried in Him, they were risen in Him; in Him they live eternally, in Him they sit gloriously at the right hand of God, "who has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' In Him "we are accepted in the beloved,' both now and forever; and this, I say, is the essence of the gospel; he who does not preach Christ, preaches no gospel. . . . Christ Himself is the life, soul, substance, and essence of the mystery of the gospel of God" Anything short of Jesus Christ will leave you short of salvation. You have to reach Christ, and touch Christ and nothing short of this will save you. Jesus gives us Himself. To have Christ is to have eternal life. He does not merely give us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption etc., but He is made of God all these things to us. He is our life. Therefore, we cannot do without Him. The Christian experience heightens every individual power we have. Keep in mind the person in whom Christ begins to possess does not cease to be himself. He does not become a robot. This is not some pantheistic philosophy Paul is teaching. "Christ in me" means that He is bearing me along from within. His motive-power carries me on giving my whole life a wonderful sense of God's presence. It gives me life with an endless song in my heart. This blessed union with Christ is a vital union with God. The more a person is "in Christ" the more he is "in God." To be united with Christ is to be united with the God who raised Him (Rom. 8:11; Col. 2:12). The heart of Paul's fellowship with Christ is found in his certainty that "God was in Christ." The believer is risen with Christ through faith of the operation of God who raised Him from the dead. The apostle John says, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). It is Christ in you or within you that gives us the riches of His glory. The mystery is the indwelling Christ in Gentiles. It was not a mystery to the Jewish people that the Messiah should come and dwell among His people. That was their great hope. However, that the Messiah of Israel should dwell among the non-Jews was an entirely new revelation of the purposes of God. Christ freely given to the Gentiles is the mystery. Christ now indwells in His people, regardless of whether they are Jewish or non-Jewish. Christ in you Christ in you accepted by faith alone means Christ possessed. When Christ is in you the law has nothing more to say to you. It can no longer condemn you because God has declared you acquitted. You have been justified by faith in Christ. Christ in you means Christ experienced in all His power. Christ in you fills your life with His holy presence and power. That which the law can never do, Christ does by indwelling in you. Christ in you is His sovereign rule in your life. Christ in you is Christ's scepter from the center of your being over every facet of your personality. Christ in you is His power bringing every thought into captivity to Himself. Christ in you means the imperial sovereignty of Jesus Christ over your life. We find our freedom by being in submission to His sovereign hand over our lives. Christ in you means His filling you with His wonderful presence. Christ in you transforms your person until you become like Christ. When Christ enters into our lives and we yield to His presence He transforms, elevates us to His likeness. The apostle Paul declared, "I live, yet not I, Christ lives in me." When Christ enters in He sanctifies us, and sets us apart for His glory. Christ in you means He enters into us and becomes our life. Christ in you means His power in you. We were without spiritual strength until Christ came into our lives. We were dead in trespasses and sins. Now our spiritual victory is guaranteed. Christ in you means we are spiritually rich. We were in spiritual poverty until Christ came in and now we have all the riches of Christ Jesus. We are now rich because He is rich. Christ in you means honor and glory. He glorifies the place where He dwells even for a moment. If Christ comes into your heart His whole court comes with Him! Rejoice for you have Him as a holy guest. People who value and love Him cannot be happy without Him. OUR HOPE OF GLORY The indwelling Christ is the ground for the expectation of glory both now and the future. "Christ in you, the hope of glory." The word "glory" points to the great consummation in God's eternal purpose, and is a comprehensive word for God's glorious presence with His people. The wealth of glory for the believer is this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ. Our ground of hope is "Christ in you." ''The full glory of the inheritance was a hope, to be realized when Christ should appear. Glory refers to the glory of the mystery; hence the glory consummated at Christ's coming" the glory which shall be revealed." The glorified saints around the throne of God have no higher source of joy than the saints on earth. They have no higher theme or song of praise to the Father. They are only happier because their discovery of these things is more complete and are now freed from all earthly hindrances and limitations that interrupt our enjoyment in our present state. Christ alone is our foundation for the blessed hope in the future, or eschatological glory. The fact that we now have Christ in us is the pledge of final glory when Christ returns. This glory is yet future. We will share in the yet future full manifestation of God's glory in Christ. Jesus Christ focuses our minds and desires on that which is above in heaven and the eternal future. Christ in you gets eternity into the picture. He gets our minds off our past through the forgiveness of our sins and into the present as He lives within us and into the future as we concentrate on our blessed hope in Him alone. "Christ in you" energizes the present and gives us a song to sing. Lord Jesus, will I see You today? Even so, come! Paul wrote in Colossians 3:4, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory." The apostle Paul prayed that this great truth would become a reality for the believers in the church at Ephesus. He prayed, "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:16-19). That will take your breath away! When Christ in you offers all of those glorious benefits why in the world do people go turning to new age movements, secret mystery religions, occults and cults seeking the most recent religious fad? If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior He wants to settled down and make Himself permanently at home in your heart. He wants to settle down in your "inner man" that is, the personal, rational self, the moral I that has experienced spiritual renewal by the Spirit of God. He is talking about the very core of your inner spiritual being, the place where the Holy Spirit works to fashion and form His temple since the moment you were born again. That is the place where He is at work forming you in the image of Christ. It is there Paul tells us Christ "dwells" "in your hearts through faith." Christ wants to settle down in a dwelling, to dwell fixedly in a place, to live in a home. He wants to settle down and feel completely at home as a permanent dwelling place in your heart. But Paul is not through. He says in a great doxology, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Eph. 3:20-21). Literally Paul writes, "But to Him [God] who is able above all things to do exceedingly above . . ." It is exceeding some number or measure, over and above, more than necessary and is intensified by adding the idea of exhaustlessness and "above." The apostle Paul has in mind something that is beyond all things. It is superabundantly and over and above anything he can imagine. Now to our God who is able to do exceedingly beyond all things, superabundantly and over and above all things, exceeding all things beyond all things, we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. What a great God and Savior we worship! Our weakness is connected to God's omnipotence and omniscience. God is able! The amazing thing is the best is yet to come! These are words of hope and confident assurance of the believer's future. The apostle John wrote of that final glory in 1 John 3:1-3. What glory is ours, glory unspeakable! We shall have glorified bodies just like the resurrected body of Christ when He appears in glory. "He who has come to live in our hearts, and reigns as our bosom's Lord, makes us glorious by His coming," declared Spurgeon. When Christ comes to reign He brings countless blessings with Him. Just think of it. "He who went to the cross for me will never be ashamed of me: He who gave me Himself will give me all heaven and more: He that opened "˜His very heart to find blood and water to wash me in, how shall He keep back even His kingdom from me? O sweet Lord Jesus, thou art indeed to us the hope, pledge, the guarantee of glory." The Lord Jesus Christ entered into a covenant with God the Father to bring His people home to glory. He who pledged to bring every sheep of His flock safe to His Father's right hand will not fail. He has never failed one of His covenant promises. He never will. Christ in you is glory. In having Christ, you have glory. Christ's glory and your glory are wrapped up together. If Christ were to lose you it would be a great loss to Him. If I can perish with Christ in me He will lose His honor. His glory is gone if one soul who has put their trust in Him for eternal life is ever cast away. As sure as the Lord God lives, Christ in you means you in glory with Him for all eternity. This is the most astounding truth taught in the Bible. "Christ in you." SOME ABIDING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Christ in me is a prophet teaching me His way, giving me His direction so I can proclaim His message with clarity and boldness. "To whom God willed to make known" is the result of God's grace, through no merit of the saints, making it known. God says, Now that you know all my deep secrets in Christ, go into the entire world and tell them. Instead of piously keeping them to yourself, "or your select group," go out and tell the secret to everyone who will listen. Only Christians can understand the mystery because it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ in me is my High Priest interceding and giving me immediate access to God so I can go directly into His presence with my petitions on your behalf. Christ is me is a king demanding my loyalty as I bow in worship only to Him as my Lord and Master and as His servant I go out to serve. Don't be ashamed for one moment of the fact that Christ in you is your hope of glory. This is the greatest mystery of the universe that God of the Jewish people would take up residence in Gentile men and women. The idea of salvation of the Gentiles was nothing new. The prophets spoke of it and the poets wrote of it in the Psalms. But the idea that He would tabernacle Himself in a Gentile was something wholly new. That is the mystery of "Christ in you the hope of glory." The eyes of the Lord
is an anthropomorphic expression, meaning that it attributes humanlike qualities to God. God, who is spirit (John 4:24), does not have a physical body with eyes and ears, or arms and legs. The omniscience of God is most often the intended implication of the eyes of the Lord, as seen in Proverbs 15:3: “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” Nothing and no one in heaven and on earth can escape being observed by the watchful, all-pervading eyes of the Lord. God is always assessing, appraising, overseeing, superintending, and safeguarding His creation. God sees all people and knows all people, both the unrighteousness and the righteous. Since the eyes of the Lord are everywhere, so too is His presence. Thus, the idiom also expresses God’s omnipresence: "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). The eyes of the Lord conveys the all-knowing, all-seeing limitlessness of God, and yet at the same time His personal, ever-caring nature. The Bible tells us that God is always paying attention to our needs: “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalm 34:15) Believers can count on the individual, intimate care and concern of a loving God: "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18). The eyes of the Lord often indicates His recognition and the bestowing of His favor: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8; see also 1 Peter 3:12). Likewise, the phrase frequently expresses His protection: “It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end” (Deuteronomy 11:12) The heavenly Father keeps a fond eye on His children: “He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3–4). The word tells us that God sees everything: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13; see also Psalm 11:4). The Lord’s field of vision is omnidirectional and unrestricted. Nothing we do can be hidden or kept secret from Him. Closed doors and locked chambers will not obscure His vision. He sees everything, including our sins, which displease Him, and the depravity of the world, which breaks His heart (Jeremiah 17:9–10). In His sovereign knowledge and foresight of all things, God is never caught off guard or taken by surprise. Nothing happens to Him or to His children unexpectedly. We may find ourselves in difficult circumstances, but we can rest assured that God is in control. As the psalmist reassures, God will be there with us: “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:11–12). The concerned and compassionate eyes of the Lord are always on us, penetrating even our darkest night. From the moment we are conceived and every day thereafter, He sees us (Psalm 139:16). The Lord keeps His eyes on His children to protect and preserve them and lead them home. May we pray daily for the Lord to equip us “with everything good” so that we “may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:20–21).
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