What
About Jesus?
"All things are naked and opened unto
the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." --Heb. 4:13,14
We cannot know the essence of God. Many figures in the Bible express this truth: the nature of God's
being is incomprehensible to us.
"Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?" (Job
11:7). "To whom will you liken
God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?" (Is. 40:18).
This does not mean, however, that we cannot have true knowledge
about God. The Apostle John wrote,
"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John 1:18)
It is Jesus Christ "with whom we have to do." In him dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). The
surest way to spiritual shipwreck and damnation is to speculate on the nature
of God, seeking to penetrate His essence, while neglecting and denying Jesus
Christ. Jesus said it plainly: "I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Even His disciples didn't understand Him at
that time, and one of them asked, "Show us the Father, and it sufficeth
us" (John 14:8). Jesus set him,
and us, straight: "Have I been so
long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;
and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" (John 14:9).
In spiritual things, it is Jesus or it is nothing. If we are in Jesus Christ by faith, then he
"of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption" (1Cor. 1:30) Those who have the Son have life: they have
all they need, for in Jesus Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily, and we are complete in him
(Col. 2:9). Unbelief fails to grasp
this fundamental Christian concept, and seeks to add moral precepts,
law-keeping, ceremonies, or other things.
Sadly, these very things, intended to be helpers to faith, if thought as
an obedience required to gain a blessing,
come between the soul and Christ, so that the soul is cut off from the
very source of its life and vigor.
Obedience out of thankfulness for blessing, and obedience in order
to secure a blessing are two very different things. The forgiven soul is baptized into Christ and engrafted into Him
by the Holy Spirit. He must bring forth
fruits of thankfulness, but those who move the soul away from Christ by the
curses of the law, are teachers of error.
(Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 62-64)
Must the faithful maintain good works? Of course. But the spirit
of that obedience must be in grace. There
is a world of difference between the true obedience of light--joy and
thankfulness for God's blessings--and the slavish obedience of
darkness--fearing God's curse if our obedience is found wanting. Absolute and Perfect Obedience is found only
in Heaven, at the right hand of God.
Perfectionism of all stripes--Wesleyan, Keswick, Pentecostalism, or
legal or theological--all drive the soul from Christ crucified, the only hope
of the soul. Elitism is still elitism,
no matter what the denominational name.
The perfected church will be found only in Heaven, made up of perfected
saints. There is only one kind of
Christian: he who by faith is complete in Christ.
It is Jesus with whom we have to do. "Come unto Me," are His words, "and I will give
you rest." When you have come to
Jesus Christ, you have come to God.
There is nowhere else to go. Not
to the law, not to the ceremonies, not to the priesthood. Nathaniel understood it: "Rabbi, thou
art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." (John 1:49) Thomas was blessed for his faith: "My Lord and My God." (John 20:28,
29).
Pastor C. W. Powell
Trinity Covenant RCUS
Colorado Springs, CO