THE BELIEVERS ATTRACTION

Psalms 16:8

Morning Meditation 5/6/14

"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."

Jesus is our attraction. He is our "wisdom, righteous, sanctification, and redemption," 1 Cor. 1:30.

Satan's motto is, "Anything but Jesus." Religion, philanthropy, or pet pursuits, may engross, if by these the mind be diverted from "Jesus only," the one Soul Satisfier." The voice of the Father, the teaching of the Spirit, and the utterance of the Word are one on this point--"Jesus only." God's fulness is centered in Christ: His thoughts are of Christ, who communicates God's thoughts to us. Would we know God, we must know Christ.

All approach to God is through Him, so that if we would draw near to God, we must come in His name. All God's gifts are in Christ, so that if we would possess them, we must have Christ by being in Him. God's strength is Christ. He is the "power of God," so to have strength we must have Christ. The love of God is manifested in Christ. Would we experience the glow of that love, it must be as we are in touch with Him. All that God is, is revealed in Christ: "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." The glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Let us therefore abide in His presence, so that we may reflect His glory. What better attraction could we have than JESUS HIMSELF? Jesus Himself having us, and we having Him--let this theme engage our thoughts.

The Apostle Paul, in his second prayer in the epistle to the Ephesians 3:18-19 prayed that the believers there, "May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

Note the word "Himself" in the following Scriptures:

HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS

Galatians 1:4, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:"

What a great truth is found in the words, "Who gave himself," then adds what the sacrifice of Himself was for. It was "for our sins." It would be different if we were worth dying for. But the fact is we are sinners. We have missed the mark and gone astray from His purpose in creating us. Man has gone so far astray he denies that God even created him. He gives as our origin evolution that began with a big bang in the far distant past.. Even an idiot knows that order does not come out of disorder. But with all the denials and lies that come from the wicked heart of man, the Bible says, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world."

The present conflict tells the story of the cruelty of man under the domination of Satan. Mass murders, hatred, and no value placed on human life. Men think they can hide from God in the final judgement. It would do them well to read God's word and discover that they are defying a God that loves them. And even the worst of them can be forgiven. But He also knows them, has a record of every evil deed, every blasphemous thought that has gone through their minds. They need to see that He does hold them accountable. And it is not a pretty sight.

PAUL SAYS "HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME"

Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

This is Paul's testimony. It teaches a deep doctrinal truth and reveals Paul's devotion to Jesus for what He had done for him. Paul said, "He loved me." The word "loved" translates "agapao," the very same word that is in John 3:16 where it is said, "For God so loved the world." It is an aorist tense verb which makes it mean that He did it in a single act with eternal consequences. The single act is the Cross. The words "and gave himself for me," translates "paradidomi" and means, "to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death." The verb form is an aorist active participle. Jesus gave Himself up in our stead. He stood before God and God judged Him in my place. Jesus gave Himself for me. This caused Paul to say in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

JESUS GAVE HIMSELF FOR THE CHURCH

Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

The words, ". . . Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it," mean that the Church is a blood bought institution. Christ loved the Church, not just in word, but in deed on the cross. The Church should ever exalt the Christ. He is the Redeemer, Saviour, our heavenly Bridegroom. He paid an awful price to redeem us awful sinners that we might be with Him forever at His complete expense. This is grace unveiled and is spread across thousands of years and has become the reason for our praise and continual thanksgiving.

HE BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS

He did this without our help. He died a death that surmounts all the deaths that will ever be experienced. Hebrews 1:3, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

He was by Himself on the cross. No man had ever been so innocent, so pure, so impeccable. When He was accused of sin He answered not a word. He did not come to His own defense. The reason is very profound but simple. He was not on trial for His sins, He was on trial for mine. His silence revealed my guilt. He could not say I was not guilty. So He suffered in silence and let the judgment of God weigh on His person so that He could purge my sins and allow me to stand before Him as His son, His disciple and secure me for ever. I have a destiny and so do you if you have trusted Him as your personal Saviour.

Jesus is the believer's attraction. He is the one before whom we bow our knee and confess Him as Lord for the glory of God.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts..

In Christ

Bro. White