The whole of Ephesians chapter 2 contains the testimony of every “Born Again” Believer into the family of God, and verse 13 proclaims the divine catalyst – the blood of Jesus. Verse 13 declares, “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off are made nigh by the blood of Jesus.” At Calvary Jesus bridged the gulf between God and man, caused by sin. His life blood atoned for the sin of the world and opened the door to make a way for mankind to be reconciled to God. Jesus is the Way and the Door, through Him alone and His finished work on Calvary, do we access the relationship of divine love and intimacy with our wonderful, Heavenly Father.
Today, with the advancement of modern technology, it is amazing what information can be discovered from the examination of a single drop of blood. In the laboratory a wealth of information relating to it’s owner can be gleaned. The Lord God prepared a body for His Son, Jesus Christ, to come to this earth as the Son of Man, and that body contained the lifeblood that was sacrificed at Calvary, for you and me. The shed blood of Jesus contained something very different because it held something eternal from Heaven in it, and still speaks today. Out of the grave came a man who had paid the price for the salvation of mankind, and opened the door for tremendous eternal life that “Whosoever will, may come.”
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth on Him, shall have everlasting life.” If we hear the voice of God saying, “Come,” then let us simply come, and continue to come to Him on a daily basis. Jesus said, “…Come unto Me….” – may this become my daily portion and lifestyle for communing with Him over all my daily decisions.
We shared last week of the simplicity of daily living to the glory of God, “……or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Men may have a variety of goals in life, but the motive that drives a man can be for his own glory. God examines the secret chambers of men’s hearts and reveals the hidden motive behind their acts.
Consider how profound the following statement is:
THE GREATER INCLUDES THE LESSER
Man may seek truth, he may pursue righteousness, but neither of these are the goal, nor should be sought for man’s glory. Living our lives to the glory of God, (the greater), allowing the Holy Spirit to search our every motive, includes and fulfils truth and righteousness. The greater, includes the lesser.
John 7:18, “He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory, but he that seeks his glory that sent him, the same is true and no unrighteousness is found in him.” These words were spoken by our Lord Jesus.
George Mallory was famed for his attempts to conquer climbing to the summit of Mount Everest, 29,000 feet high. In his lifetime no man had attained it. He had made 2 attempts unsuccessfully, but the driving force within him caused him to attempt the climb once more, and cost him his life. The unfulfilled desire to conquer the mountain took first place in his life. In 1922, he left behind a beautiful wife and family of three children, and died in his third attempt to be the first man to reach the summit. Whether he did, or not, remains a mystery as his body, frozen in ice, was discovered on the slopes by an American explorer in 1998.
If, on the negative, a man can be driven to attempt the seemingly impossible, and go to extremes for his own glory, then how much more on the positive, should we be aware of the call of God on our lives, for His glory? When we find a reluctance in our own will to do what God requires of us, we, as Believers, can be taken beyond the confines of our own will. If it works in the negative, then on the positive, there is a place that God can take us beyond what we like or want, into the “Beyond of God”, beyond our wildest imaginations for His glory and purpose.
This is the greatest call on our lives, not in the world’s eyes, but in our Heavenly Father’s. Our part is that we choose the greater, His will, and forfeit the lesser, our will. In Gethsemane Jesus made a choice as He agonised and prayed, “…….nevertheless, not my will, but Thine.” We also have this choice to make if we are to be taken into the “Beyond of God,” to fulfil our destiny and divine purpose in His resurrection life.
The Easter message is, “He is risen,” but I can declare this message every day of my life as I surrender my will to His and my lifestyle proclaims, “He is risen in me!”
