“God [the Father], who at
various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the
prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed
heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” – Hebrews 1:1-2
I have noticed, as I have
listened to people speak about the Bible and pray, that many people mix the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit up. An example is when they refer to attributes of
the Father and attribute them to Jesus. Certainly Jesus said that He and the
Father are one – but not. Jesus would not
pray to himself, would He? Or people will pray to the Father and thank Him for his
sacrifice on the cross – as you know, it was His Son, Jesus, that the Father
sent to redeem the world. So why talk
about it? I guess it is like the wife cooking a wonderful meal and the guest
thanking and praising the husband for the delicious meal. Certainly the
husband had a role in providing the money through work to buy the food that the
wife cooked. The Bible says the husband and wife are one – but they are also
separate.
I am not trying to explain the
Trinity – I would not be so bold – but I am saying that we need to understand
that the Father, the Son and the Spirit have different roles in the Divine
design. The Father sent the Son and then sent the Spirit when the Son returned
to heaven.
“But when the Helper
comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who
proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear
witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” – John 15:26-27
The Father speaks to us. In
the past through the prophets and other means – a burning bush. In the Gospels
through Jesus. After Jesus’ ascension – by the Spirit through the Word, prayer,
circumstances and other Christians.
Does that seem like a trivial
thing to you? I don’t think it is, actually.
Jesus came to bring glory to the Father.
“Jesus spoke these words,
lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify
Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority
over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given
Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have
finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me
together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world
was..” – John 17:1-5
The Father has given the Son
authority over all flesh and by Jesus we have been adopted as children of God,
the Father.
“Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory
of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” – Ephesians
1:4-6
And the Father has sealed us
with the Holy Spirit – Who abides in each Believer.
“In Him also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who
works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first
trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also
trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in
whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who
is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:11-14
While you are “staying at
home” perhaps you can meditate on this for a moment or two.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For
His Glory Alone
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