A Mystery

As I continue to read through the Bible, the Holy Spirit is bringing so many things together, like it were a grand puzzle, and He showing me pieces that connect.

The understanding is real, but the ideas so panoramic that I can only touch on portions. Things of faith, not sight, I guess.

One idea - it "dawned" on me so suddenly that I felt I'd discovered a great mystery.

Jesus Christ- in us? As faulty human beings? How is it? Is He invisible, part of our spirit as Christians, with form? How are we "born again"? It doesn't make sense- it's a mystery.

And then... "the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us".

Literally.


"Thy word is pure"..."For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" (1 John 5:7)

"He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him" (Daniel 2:22, Psalm 25:14)

"Lay up these words in your heart and in your soul" (Deuteronomy 11:18, 10:12)

"The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thine heart..." (Deuteronomy 30:14, Romans 10:8)

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"

"That He may incline our hearts to Him" (1 Kings 8:58)

The Bible - God's Word - Jesus Christ - in me.

Salvation by hearing the Word of Christ. Once I accepted God's gift in faith, the meaning, the Word, became a part of me. I may backslide, I may fail, but that Word will never leave my heart.

"Draw nigh unto me, and I will draw nigh unto thee."..."Then shall ye find me, if ye shall seek me with your whole heart"..."Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee..."

The Bible is God's gift to us - Christ. The more one studies it, allowing the Spirit to interpret, the more that Word becomes a recognizable part of us. The "new man". Jesus, the Word, in me.

In the Old Testament, God gave  His Word to a select people to save them. He loved them, He delighted in them as a Father (Deut. 10:15), but again and again the Israelites rejected the Word, and refused to follow it. It grieved God, and caused Him to be broken- hearted. (Hosea especially shows this).

As a final chance, He sent His only Son - His Word in flesh. (Luke 10) And the Israelites killed him. The grief God must have felt!

On my own, as only a human, I cannot receive the Word. I cannot follow it, I cannot save myself by following it. The same applied to the Jews under the Law.

What was the difference then, under the Law, with men such as Abraham, Noah, David, and Isaiah? They couldn't have kept the entire law. It was their belief in the Word of God, His power, His promise. The promise of salvation. The same promise I have today, the "hope that is in me".

It also makes sense why sin, backsliding, and failure to keep one's eyes on the Book can lead to loss of assurance of salvation. God's word is ignored, pushed aside, and hidden. The Law comes back into play, and we forget we are saved by faith in the Word, not ourselves. Meanwhile, the promise, the Word, is still there in the heart, waiting to be seen again, grieved, but never failing.

The Bible, the Word, is well and truly alive and powerful. The voice - that still, small voice - in which the Creator and Ruler of the universe speaks to we sinful, depraved, hopeless human beings, and gives us life.

That indeed is reason to sing His praises!