I’ve just come from a wonderful camp in New York State that featured the presentation of God’s Word from some of His wonderful teachers, plus the great fellowship that arises when His Word is taught. I learned of God’s righteousness, His love and His forgiveness. I grew in my appreciation of His wonderful Son, our lord and savior Jesus Christ and what his life means to me. I learned that the Bible is a love story of a loving Father God and His great love for His children. I learned that I have Christ in me and that I can operate the great power of God and in the name of Jesus Christ, I can do much. I learned that I need to love myself and forgive myself and that there is nothing God won’t do for me according to His Word.
With that I’d like to look at a wonderful gospel record of a forgiving father. In Luke 15:31 we see the conclusion of a record where a man’s son took his inheritance early and went out and wasted it. When the circumstances caught up with him, he became destitute for a while. But he always had his father he could come back to. We see that the elder son was offended with his father’s celebrating the return of his brother, because he felt his father favored his brother over himself, who had never transgressed his father. Verses 29-32 of that record: “And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” Isn’t this true of so many of us. You don’t have to physically go out and blow a lot of money or whatever. But you can sure be lost in your mind. It’s about the same thing: if you’re lost, you’re lost. However, Jesus Christ so loved that he made it available for us to come back to God at any time. God has already forgiven us and if we look to Him, He will help us to forgive ourselves. That’s a big deal, to be able to forgive yourself! And just because you’re born again of God’s spirit doesn’t mean you can’t get lost in your mind. A lot of people teach that when you’re born again, everything is or should be perfect. That’s not true! The immediate change is spiritual but we have to work it and believe it. 1 Peter 1:23 tells us, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed [which corrupts], but of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” You can’t lose it: It’s there forever. Our job is to work it and to understand it and to profit from it so that we can live that more abundant life which Jesus Christ said he came to make available in John 10:10.
There’s a song called “He’s the Healer of Broken Hearts”. That is so true because in the name of Jesus Christ hearts can be healed and restored. God has made Jesus Christ the head of the Church to which you and I belong to and in his name, many wonderful things can happen: spiritual power can be manifested. In Acts 3:6 a man was healed in the name of Jesus Christ. “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” This man had been crippled since he was born. The same power that created the heavens and earth is the same power that is in the name of Jesus Christ. Healing a man like that is no harder than taking a drink of water for God. We can push past the resistance of our minds and operate the power of God if we just decide to do it.
Philippians 2:10,11 speak very highly of the name of Jesus Christ. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Vs 9 tells us, “Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” How the devilishness of the world has tried to belittle the name of Jesus Christ. He is our lord and savior. He is God’s master plan for the ages. He completed God’s plan of redemption and salvation for us and believed to get it done. Therefore, he is our primary example in all things spiritual, because he was The Spiritual Man of all men. He knew that God was exalting him. It could have gone to his head and made him arrogant, such as what happened to Lucifer. He could have reacted negatively to the disappointment and hurt of Judas. Instead he was the epitome of humility and had the love and forgiveness to give him the sop at the last supper.
So where are we with all this? It’s very simple! It’s in our best interests, as Christian men and women, to dedicate the rest of our lives, or until the Lord returns, to making that name of Jesus Christ primary in our lives. He is God’s only begotten Son. We have him in us spiritually, and there is no reason why we can’t do exactly what Peter and John did in Acts 3:6. That kind of stuff should be commonplace in our lives. It may not be, but it should be and why not?
Funglimpses to all! Thanks for reading. Respectfully submitted, Will Grove