Revealed and Displayed

The wind blew, the fire fell and all who embraced the wind and stepped into the fire were made new. This is the story of God’s plan to rescue man, to rescue him from the present evil age  and restore him to the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 1:4) Why does man need rescuing many will ask? Our answer will be that we have sinned against God and the penalty for sin is death and sadly many will not understand. This rescue plan was executed by one Man, was dependent totally and completely on that same Man Who by His death and resurrection made a way for the old to be made new.

Just as the Apostle Paul wrote……nothing else counts but a new creation. (Galatians 6:15) Jesus of course is that Man and He came not only to save but to reinstate what was lost at the fall. Christ came to take back and establish His Kingdom where He alone is King. Satan, known as the spirit of the air (spoken of in Ephesians) has ruled the earth since the time of the fall.  He has controlled and enslaved creation in sin and decay and has sought only to destroy what God has created as he extends his kingdom of darkness, a pervasive kingdom of evil. But at the Cross of Christ he was defeated! He is the bad news and I want to speak about the good news. The good news is the wonder of a New Heaven and a New Earth, a new Kingdom where Jesus is King. A promise made to King David fulfilled in Christ.

2 Samuel 7:12-13

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

The Prophet Samuel is not speaking about Solomon here, he is speaking about Jesus.

God’s plan has been to restore what He had originally created and so He promised a New Heaven, a New Earth with Jesus as King, a Kingdom that will last forever. I can still remember in religious studies that it was implied that a good Christian would die and go to heaven for eternity. What we would do up there forever and ever remained a mystery but that was the teaching. No, God has so much more for those who believe and His plan as far as we are able to understand it, it is more wonderful and thrilling than we can imagine.

God is restoring and re-instating what was intended at the beginning when He looked on His work of creation and said, “It is very good.” (Genesis 1:31) He had created the perfect world, a world in which He dwelt amongst man. He walked with man in the garden; a place where man could walk naked alongside God and not be ashamed. Since the day that man fell, God has been looking to restore this place of perfect harmony and restore His presence with us. He promised Abraham and He rescued Noah. He showed Himself present with the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness. Moses met with God face to face and when He suggested meeting with all the people in the same way they retreated in terror.(Exodus 20.18-21) It has always been God’s intention to dwell with His people, to be a present part of our lives. And so today, we born again believers, are part of that restoration plan. Salvation is just the beginning of a whole new way of life, it is not the complete story, only the start.

Ephesians 2:7

We are saved  in order that in the coming ages He (God) might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

The passion translation says it this way:

Throughout the coming ages we will be the visible display of the infinite riches of his grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ. 

He wants the world to see His goodness revealed in us and for them to see that we are different to the world that is full of evil, violence, pride, hatred, lust, envy etc. He wants the world, the lost, the unsaved to want what He is offering them, to see in us that life of abundance offered for eternity. He wants them to be jealous of what we have as believers so that they too will search for it  and be ready to hear and respond to the good news. Grabbing hold of the lifeline offered by Jesus. We are saved by the work of Christ on the Cross so that we may be an active part of bringing those outside the Kingdom (the lost, unsaved) into the Kingdom.

Mathew 28:19

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

We are told to go. Our lives are to reveal the transforming work of Christ and are to be a testimony to the victory that we have in Christ. Our calling is to be Kingdom builders. Recognizing that the Kingdom has not yet fully come. The Holy Spirit is at work transforming and establishing, burying the old so that the new can come out. And at the right time, when Christ returns, that change will be completed. But until He comes we are called to be active in building the Kingdom of God here on earth. Christ was all about doing His Father’s business and when He ascended into heaven He said we were to continue. That I believe is why you are studying so that you are equipped. We are encouraged to be fully equipped, to be ready in season and out of season, and in the word of God we will find all that we need, it requires only that we believe and have faith. The Holy Spirit will empower you to live the word and to fulfill your calling.  Remember the victory in Jesus is not a goal, it has already been accomplished by Him so that we may by faith enjoy the truth in His finished work and apply His promised power to our lives now.

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

As we yield (give way) to the Holy Spirit He is able to do a deep work in us, convicting us of sin, cleansing us and enabling us to bear the fruit of repentance. The fire of God doing a new thing in us. We are to live in a way that is radically different to the world, revealing the power and authority of Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:20

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.  

This is the hope that we have in Jesus and the hope that we can share with a world that is struggling with hopelessness. Christ in us the hope of glory. The micro picture is, of course, the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in each one of us as He prepares us for ministry and service.

Here is my word of encouragement for you:

You are not studying the scriptures by chance but by God’s grace. And you have been called and chosen to do the works that He has prepared in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2.10) I do believe that when we grasp the magnitude of the bigger picture it changes our perspective and we long for the wind of the Holy Spirit to direct us and the fire of His baptism to work His amazing transformation in us that we may be like a polished arrow in His hands, ready to be sent where He chooses.

Let's Pray:

Lord, let Your Holy Spirit have His way in us. Let us respond to You wholeheartedly and unreservedly that we may serve You as Saviour and King and be an active part of Your extraordinary plan. May that be our heart's desire.

In Jesus' name, amen.