Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)This isn't rocket science. There's a lot embedded in there, but it's all clear. There is our being born again, the hope we have through the resurrection of Christ, the imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance we have coming, the security we have for salvation based on the power of God. This is just wonderful stuff. I suspect, in fact, that it's so wonderful that sometimes we miss just how wonderful it is.
The thing that struck me most in this, though, was not all that stuff. It is a lot of great gifts, but what really struck me was the emphasis, the point, the direction. It is not "I've been born again" and so on. It is "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!" Everything -- everything -- that follows that sentence is not about me; it's about God. It's about "His great mercy" and the resurrection of His Son and the inheritance He is holding and His power to guard us. It's not about us.
Imagine a whiteboard. You know, the modern replacement of the blackboard. Only with multiple colors. So, you go to the meeting and set out on your presentation to the committee. You draw on the board with words and pictures and explain the business plan in all its glory. When you're done, you stop and wait for comments. If you heard, "My, my, isn't that whiteboard special? And look at all the colors. Marvelous!", you'd know something went wrong. We are the whiteboard and dry erase markers. We are God's message writ large. We are not the point; we're the tools. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:16). That's the idea. The point -- of your salvation, your inheritance, your security, your forgiveness, God's grace and mercy, the Holy Spirit given ... on and on -- is God. The point is His glory.
Let's not be glory hogs. Let's not be prideful whiteboards. God has absolutely done magnificently good things for us. Keep in mind it's not about us. It's about Him.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! (Psa 115:1)
1 comment:
I get the idea that we are not the Main point. that God is glorified in all this wonderful work. however consider that all these wonderful works were done by God unto US..
salvation, inheritance, imputed righteousness. was all done so that we may "participate" in Glorifying God. as much as i want to become less and less, and Christ More and More, it is still I that participates. so although i am becoming less in preeminence, i am becoming more and more like Christ. When Christ died for us, he created a working two way love affair. we love him Because He first loved us. John 3:16 is often used to evangelize. but that verse is more about God's love, then what we should do. however in staying in the main theme here, God's love was directed toward "whom so ever" that is you and me.
Wow the coffee is kicking in big timme....
Post a Comment