Friday, October 16, 2015

In our last visit we began to amplify what is said in Isaiah 61:3, “Oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” The first point we amplified was this: God’s plan for my life before He planted me was to become an oak of righteousness. Now let’s focus on the second point: God’s purpose for this plan is ultimately to display His splendor through me. Isn’t that a humbling thought? The sovereign God of the universe who exudes magnificent, blinding glory wants to display it through me. Why? First of all, if He displayed His splendor directly those who were exposed to it would die, according to Exodus 33:20. God answered Moses, who had asked to see His glory, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” God created man in His own image because He wanted man to reflect in his character and behavior Christ-likeness. Jesus, the Son of God, shared in displaying this magnificent, blinding glory with the other persons of the Trinity in eternity past. When sent into the world to become our Savior, Paul writes in Philippians 2:6-8, He laid that glory aside and took upon Himself the form of a man and became the servant/Savior. That is somewhat understandable. But to think that God wants to display His splendor through me is hard to comprehend. I can’t make that happen by my own efforts. It will only happen when I first trust Jesus Christ to become my Savior and then turn the control of my life over to Him. Then the Holy Spirit will begin to display His fruit in me and that is the first-fruit of God’s splendor.