THE NEW TESTAMENT CONSECRATION SACRIFICE OF WORSHIP — Part 5
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the MERCIES of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of WORSHIP” (Romans 12:1).
In the previous devotion, we began to consider the truth that the CATALYST for the consecration sacrifice of worship is ‘the manifold mercies of God’! We looked at those powerful words from Romans 9:15-16, quoting from God’s words to Moses, saying, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of GOD who shows MERCY.” Please never forget that if you have been truly converted to the Lord Jesus Christ, it is solely because God has shown you mercy. This means that God did not give you precisely what you deserved—which was the inflexible justice of God! You received mercy because our gracious Lord unleashed His ‘amazing grace’ on your life, which gave you what you did not deserve!
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 1:3, calls God ‘the Father of mercies’, for He is infinitely wealthy in mercy! Please note that God is not stingy in mercy. In fact, Ephesians 2:4 declares that our Lord is rich (plenteous) in mercy! He is the source from which all of the streams of mercy flow to His born-again children! Jeremiah, God’s prophet, explains, “It is of the Lord’s mercies, that I have not been utterly consumed” by His holy animosity and just hostility against all of my multitude of sins! Instead, God has delighted to demonstrate His mercy on one like me, who richly deserved His justice.
We must understand that no one could ever merit God's mercy. Why? Because, friend, any person who attempts to ‘earn mercy’ would be a blatant contradiction in terms! The only thing man earns is God’s undiluted justice. His holy justice declares that “you deserved to be the object of the unmitigated wrath of God” for all eternity in the pit of hell!
If you are reading this devotion and you are truly on the narrow road which leads to life, the fact that you are no longer on the broad road is solely due to the ‘marvelous mercies of God’! It is only because ‘it pleased God to call you by His grace and to reveal His Son in you’. It is not because of anything good in you! Amen? It is not because of any good that you could possibly be; or any merit that you could possibly earn by doing good works! Amen?
The Apostle Paul states, “And you, He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we ALL once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. BUT GOD who is rich in MERCY” (Ephesians 2:1-4a. “It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saves us.” No matter if you may have grown up on a bar stool or a church pew; without the mercy of God, you would have been justly cast alive into the eternal lake of fire!
Dear reader, God saw me in my utter rebellion and sin. He was fully aware that I deserved nothing but His eternal justice and His unalleviated wrath. But He was pleased to cascade His streams of mercy to wash over this wicked rebel! How could this be? This was all made possible because God poured out His just wrath on His sinless Son, so that God could pour out His mercy on a hell-deserving sinner like me! Glory to the Lamb!
Why do I state these things? Because none of the tremendous spiritual blessings, which Paul described in the first 11 chapters of Romans, are attributed to any human worthiness, human merit, human morality, human performance, or human achievement. All of these blessings are from the magnanimous mercies of God! “
So then, what shall believers render to the Lord, for all of these overflowing precious benefits? Every born-again believer should respond with the full consecration of the wholeness of their life to the Redeemer, in the New Testament consecration sacrifice of worship!
THE NEW CONSECRATION SACRIFICE OF WORSHIP — Part 4
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of WORSHIP” (Romans 12:1).
Today, let’s consider “THE CATALYST FOR THIS SACRIFICE OF WORSHIP”. Why use the word ‘catalyst’? Because the term ‘catalyst’ describes a substance used to cause a chemical reaction. It is an agent which provokes a significant change or action within a particular chemical! Then what is the catalyst (the spiritual substance) that should provoke a believer to respond to the Lord in this ‘spiritual service of worship’? The answer to that question is found in the middle of verse 1: “by the mercies of God...”
Paul is describing the many spiritual blessings involved in a person’s salvation, which was expounded in the previous 11 chapters! Remember that Christian living is intimately connected with Christian doctrine. Ultimately, all ‘right behavior’ must flow from ‘right believing’. Paul has been portraying a powerful portrait of the majestic truths of the marvelous mercies which encompass what God has accomplished in the Person and work of the God the Lord Jesus Christ! However, beginning in Romans 12:1, he connects all of the undeserved mercies with what a believer is called to give to the Lord.
If the Gospel has truly become the power of God unto your salvation, then it should motivate you to live a life of sacrificial worship. If you have been justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, then these magnificent truths should compel you to live a life of sacrificial worship. If you have been reconciled to God, then these magnanimous mercies should inspire you to consecrate your body to the Lord in a life of heart worship. If you have been baptized into a vital union with Jesus’ death, and raised to walk in newness of life, then these majestic mercies should persuade your mind and propel your heart to yield the totality of your life to the Lord in the New Testament consecration sacrifice of worship. If there is therefore, now, no condemnation for you, being in union with Christ, and having been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, then you should make a decisive dedication of your body to the Lord in worship!
In Romans 9:15-16, God paints a precious picture through His servant of these glorious truths by writing: “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy’”
Years ago, Captain Shaw (a medical missionary with the Salvation Army in India) visited a leper colony that his mission supported and directed. No sooner had he entered the colony than he observed three lepers who were chained with shackles on both their hands and feet. The links were cutting into their diseased flesh, causing them tremendous pain and suffering. As Captain Shaw observed these lepers, his eyes brimmed with tears. Tenderly, he asked the guard, “Please unfasten those chains.” The guard responded with a warning: “Captain, it isn’t safe to loosen those chains, for these men are also dangerous criminals!” Captain Shaw replied, “If you will release them from their captivity, I promise that I will be responsible for them.” After the shackles were removed, Shaw carefully treated all three of the men’s bleeding wrists and ankles and brought them to his home.
However, approximately two weeks later, Captain Shaw began to have his first misgivings about the liberation of these criminals. Shaw had to make an overnight trip to another area, so he hesitated to leave his wife and child alone with these three lepers. But Shaw’s wife insisted that she wasn’t afraid, because the Lord God was with them. Then Captain Shaw had the peace to carry out his mission. The next morning, as Mrs. Shaw went to the front door, she was startled by what she noticed. She found the three former criminals lying on her doorstep. One of them explained, saying, “We knew that the doctor had to travel. So, we stayed by the front door all night, so that no harm would come to you and your children.”
Friend, why would these leprous criminals do such an act, risking their lives? It is because, from their own experience, they saw the Captain as a channel of God’s mercy to them. Then, as a direct consequence, they responded out of a heart of love and gratitude to Mrs. Shaw and the children, because of the Captain’s abounding mercies toward them. They gladly were willing to serve and sacrifice for those whom the doctor loved! Oh, dear reader, may we, as believers who have received overwhelming mercies, be found doing the same for the glory of our Savior and Lord!
THE NEW TESTAMENT CONSECRATION SACRIFICE OF WORSHIP — Part 3
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of WORSHIP” (Romans 12:1).
In the previous devotion, we began to consider the ‘CALL TO WORSHIP’, addressed to the brethren. It was pointed out that only those who have given their souls to the Lord in authentic conversion possess the gracious ability to give their lives to the Lord in genuine worship. A wonderful example of this is given in 2 Corinthians 8:2, which states, “That in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.” Paul was speaking of the Macedonian believers, who were extremely poor and were being severely persecuted for the sake of the Gospel. Yet, even very poor believers are called to give themselves to the Lord in the consecration sacrifice of worship! Those particular disciples had heard that the saints in Jerusalem were in great need. How did these poor and persecuted believers respond to their needy brothers and sisters? They gave sacrificially, out of their own abject poverty, to meet the needs of other fellow believers who were suffering poverty and persecution. These Macedonian followers worshiped the Lord by serving their brothers and sisters sacrificially. They gave in a supernatural and sacrificial manner.
However, the question which immediately comes to mind is, “Why would they give away what they desperately needed? Why did they exhibit such service, sacrifice, and commitment?” The answer is found in verse 5 of that same chapter, “They first GAVE THEMSELVES TO THE LORD, and then to us by the will of God.” The great Apostle says to every born-again believer, “I beseech you!”
The term “beseech” is a word of exhortation, which is baptized with an urgent passion. Paul is pleading with each of us, with all of the authority of his position as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, to consecrate our lives to the Lord in the consecration sacrifice of worship. He is urging each of us to yield our lives to the King of kings. Dear friend, this is the only response that is reasonable, rational, logical, and acceptable, in light of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us! Certainly, having been bought with a price, you must not treat your Lord and God in a manner that is less than a reasonable, rational, logical, and acceptable response.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, Paul is entreating us concerning what we need to give to our Lord and God. We no longer belong to ourselves. The Lord Jesus Christ has purchased every bona fide believer from the slave market of the tyranny of sin. Our Savior has transferred us into the Kingdom of Grace and Righteousness. We are not our own; we have been bought at the most precious price, His own blood. So, each of us must respond by making this commitment: “I freely and gladly surrender all of me to all of my Lord. Joyfully and willingly, I place my life on the New Testament consecration altar of worship.”
I emphasize, “The secret of the victorious Christian life is not found in attempting to get more from God. It is realized in giving all that you are and all you have to the Lord. My wife and I were given the privilege of spending two evenings with one of the most popular female Christian authors of the 20th century. Of course, that was Elizabeth Elliot. Most interestingly, and obviously God’s timing, we were graced with these evenings immediately following my return from a “church planters’ conference” in Ecuador. I had the joy of teaching in the immediate area where her husband Jim Elliot and four other American missionaries were speared to death by the Auca Indians. As a matter of fact, it was the 50th anniversary of their martyrdom. Her most famous book, entitled “Through Gates of Splendor”, chronicles the story of those 5 missionary families, who were attempting to reach this savage and murderous tribe with the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
However, a little over two and a half years after the 5 men were martyred, Elizabeth, along with her daughter and Rachel Saint, re-entered that barbaric tribe and began translating the scriptures into their language. Jim Elliot made this powerful statement of worship, not long before he would be speared to death for the name and fame of the Lord Jesus Christ: “He is no fool to give what he cannot keep, in order to gain what he cannot lose.”
Have you truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, then you are called to surrender your body to Him in the New Testament consecration sacrifice of worship.
THE NEW TESTAMENT CONSECRATION SACRIFICE OF WORSHIP — Part 2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of WORSHIP” (Romans 12:1).
Today, let’s observe the phrase at the conclusion of verse 1: “which is your reasonable service.” Some use different words to translate this phrase, as mentioned here. Others translate it as,
“Which is your rational and appropriate service.” Still others write, “which is your logical service.” However, I submit that this phrase is better translated as: “which is your spiritual service of WORSHIP”!
Paul declared that true and spiritual worship becomes a living reality when the born-again disciple gladly surrenders the totality of their life in a personal consecration to the Lord Jesus Christ. This surrendered consecration is for the purpose of serving the Lord’s agendas and glorifying Him! Authentic worship is nothing less than the continual yielding of the totality of your being to the Lord, just like a joyful and willing subject would yield to his Sovereign! This involves placing your life at the Lord's disposal. When this occurs, you become a surrendered and available vessel for the purpose of fulfilling your Lord's plans and purposes.
Notice the conjunctive adverb closely, ‘therefore.’ Whenever the word of God contains the word “therefore”, we are to understand that the following teaching is powerfully rooted and grounded in the doctrinal realities that preceded it. In this case, Paul has just completed the “Spirit-inspired” teaching in the preceding 11 chapters of Romans. In those teachings, the apostle presents profound and penetrating truths about the manifold glories of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hordes of foolish people, within contemporary ‘man-centered’ churches, would state such thoughts as, “We don’t need all of this doctrinal teaching. It is too dull and boring.” These same people would pander to something more closely related to a success-oriented ‘How To’ Manual rather than to an expositional explanation and application of the scriptures. However, an authentic follower of Christ will not have a solid foundation for God-pleasing behavior unless they first understand the majestic doctrines concerning the greatness of their salvation in Christ Jesus the Lord.
Paul had previously penned 11 chapters of the astounding and amazing teachings which are the sum and substance of the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had actually given us the “grammar of the gospel”! Consequently, in light of these glorious Gospel truths, he now reiterates the heart of the Psalmist, who wrote, “What shall we render to our Lord, in response to all of His spiritual benefits?” So, how shall we respond to the magnificent truths which God has accomplished in the Person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ? Paul answered that question by defining what authentic and spiritual worship looks like in the New Covenant.
Consider, ‘THE CALL TO WORSHIP’ — “I beseech you therefore brethren.” Paul was reminding us that this ‘spiritual service of worship’ is only possible for those who have been born from above! The word “brethren” is a Greek term used to describe those who were born of the same womb. In this case, the word brethren is used in a spiritual sense, describing those born of the Spirit of God! The apostle used the family term “brethren” to refer to every born-again believer. Only the born-again disciple of Jesus Christ can worship Him spiritually and sincerely.
Recall these words from the Lord Jesus, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me”, and then said, “For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in EXCHANGE for his soul?” The genuine follower of Jesus understands that authentic conversion involves an exchange, an exchange of lives, His life for ours. So then, genuine conversion is far more than only giving a mental assent to a set of historical propositions concerning Jesus. It is a bona fide commitment of your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Consequently, only those who have given their souls to the Lord in authentic conversion possess the ability to give their lives to the Lord in genuine worship!
THE NEW TESTAMENT CONSECRATION SACRIFICE OF WORSHIP — Part 1
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of WORSHIP” (Romans 12:1).
I heard a true story about a believer who was really struggling to live the Christian life. This brother seemed to continually fail to do what pleased the Lord. Furthermore, he often did many things he knew displeased the Lord. So, he decided to seek biblical counsel from his pastor. He confessed that he had been visiting from ‘church to church, meeting to meeting, and experience to experience,’ with a deep desire to receive more from God! His pastor responded to his confession of struggling, taking him to Romans 12:1. Then the pastor counseled him with the following words, “Your victory is not dependent on getting more from God. Your victory is directly related to what you need to give to the Lord God! For brother, if you are born from above, you already have everything you need for life and godliness. If you are truly converted, the scriptures promise that you are complete in Christ. So, in reality, you do not need to receive something more from God. Your great need is directly related to what you must give to the Lord. For as a bona fide believer, you will know the victorious Christian life as you yield the totality of yourself to the Lord your God, in an act of true and spiritual worship!”
This is Paul's plea for the life of every believer. The Word of God declares that before our conversion to Christ, each one of us was living in union with fallen Adam, under the tyranny of the kingdom of sin and death. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (in union with Adam).” I remind you that when Adam fell into sin and death, he fell as the head and representative of the entire human race. All humanity is his heirs, when he sinned against God and died spiritually. So, I am reminding you that when Adam fell under the mastery of sin, the entire human race fell 'in him and with him’. Consequently, not only was Adam’s sin nature imparted to us; Adam’s sin was imputed to us!
Consider for a moment that there is a 'holy ledger' in the mind of God in Heaven, similar to an earthly accountant’s ledger. There are two sides of God’s holy ledger in glory. One side of His ledger we find these words, “Perfectly righteous in union with Christ Jesus, the last Adam". Then on the other side of the ledger states, “Fallen sinner in union with the first Adam, after his fall under the power of sin and death!” So, when Adam fell into sin, the Lord placed the entire human race on the side of His holy ledger of justice which states, “Fallen sinner in union with the first Adam, after his fall under the dominion of sin and death.”
For this reason, when you and I were born into this sinful world, we were born in union with the first Adam, after his fall under the terrible tyranny of sin and death. All are born with a fallen heart, which is described in Scripture as deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Also, God’s word states: “For as by one man’s disobedience (Adam’s) many were made sinners.” Because of our union with fallen Adam, we were enslaved under the dominating mastery of sin. We were spiritually alienated from the life of God, and spiritually blinded by the prince of the power of the air.
Consequently, all are guilty of utterly failing to fulfill the purpose for which we were created. What is that purpose? We are all created to glorify God and enjoy Him through a life of true and spiritual worship!
However, the good news is that when a sinner becomes a new creation in Christ, they are brought into a vital union and living connectivity with the last Adam, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. This individual is delivered from the dominating realm of the reign of sin. They are transported into the realm of the reign of grace. They are raised together with Christ, to walk in newness of life. They are transferred to the side of God’s holy ledger, which declares him to be now “perfectly righteous, in union with Christ Jesus.” So then, what should be the response to this amazing grace and marvelous mercy? Romans 12:1 answers that question.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for your redemption, so that you might give yourself to Him, in a life of enthusiastic and extravagant worship! Like me, He has graced conversion to this former rebel, so that I might give my life to Him, in a continual lifestyle of the “New Testament Consecration Sacrifice of True and Spiritual Worship”!
The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, teaches that the consecration of your life, in the sacrifice of worship, is the only reasonable and rational response to the One who has transformed us from rebels into worshippers. I hope you will follow these devotions as we contemplate the “sacrifice of worship”!
Dear friends,
Over the next few days, our ministry will be taking a short break from our daily devotions as we spend some much-needed time with our family. We are so grateful for your continued prayers and encouragement.
Even while we're away, we encourage you to stay in God's Word, spend time in prayer, and continue sharing the hope of the gospel with those around you.
May the Lord richly bless you and your family!
We'll resume with a new series on July 8. Until then, have a wonderful and blessed week!
A DRAMATIC ENCOUNTER WITH THE GLORIFIED CHRIST — Part 7
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation 1:17-18).
In the previous devotion, we focused on “John’s traumatizing encounter with the glorified Christ and how it sent him hurling to the ground”. This apostle was prostrate before the unveiled glory of God the Son, as if he were a corpse. However, the Savior restored and revived the beloved apostle with His gracious words and His merciful touch. Oh, friend, no other hand could have quickened the apostle, except the nail-pierced hand of the Son of God. For the same hand that was wounded for John’s transgressions was now the hand that was revitalizing him.
Consider the Lord’s words: “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” John has been given a vision of the One whom “God has highly exalted and given a name which is above every name”. What qualifies King Jesus to occupy this preeminent position over the entire universe, as well as His blood-bought church?
Look at the first qualification stated: Jesus said, I am the First and the Last.” This is the title by which the Lord God identified Himself on three separate occasions in the book of Isaiah. However, in the book of Revelation, John used this title three times in direct reference to the Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus’ claim to be the eternal Son of God is fully verified in these divine titles, “the Alpha and Omega; the First and the Last; the Beginning and the End”!
This is the resurrected Lord, who says, “I am He who lives.” This too was another Old Testament title for Jehovah God, and applied to Christ the Lord. I am pointing out that “the Savior is making the astounding claim that He is the eternal Jehovah God the Son. He is the One who was before the ‘beginning of beginnings.’ He is the One who existed above time and space. Yet, He condescended to enter into time and space. Now, He declares that, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” The Lord Jesus loudly and undeniably proclaims that He entered into time and space to be obedient even to the death of the Cross. Moreover, He has totally triumphed over death, hell, and the grave. Subsequently, He has won the authoritative victory over the realm in which death held its captives.
These next words seal those proclamations by voicing: “And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” In ancient Greek mythology, Hades was the false deity who ruled over the realm of the dead. But as time passed, the realm of the dead became known by the name of its pseudo-ruler (Hades). Death was known as the manner of entrance into this realm, which was entitled Hades. The Lord Jesus Christ is declaring that, “when He died, He entered into the realm of the dead. But Hades was not capable of holding His body in the grave. Jesus boldly defied death! He fully devastated death! He utterly defeated death!
And now, dear reader, Jesus Christ is the ruling and reigning Lord over the realm of death. He holds the keys that open and close the door of death. We must never forget or negate that this means that those who have been purchased by His blood are invincible until the Lord Jesus is ready to call them home! What an encouraging truth to stand on and embrace as I travel tomorrow to the other side of the planet to share His Gospel message.
For this reason, there is not the slightest cause for the born-again child of God to fear. We do not need to fear any realm in which our Lord and Savior holds the keys! He does hold the keys.
Oh, dear reader, do you truly believe that Jesus Christ is ultimately sovereign, possessing the keys of death and Hades? Will your faith in the Sovereign Lord over “death and Hades” energize you to go into the sphere of influence of your life and fearlessly proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? He has given a promise, saying, “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age!”
A DRAMATIC ENCOUNTER WITH THE GLORIFIED CHRIST — Part 6
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation 1:17-18).
The Lord of the church graced the incarcerated apostle John with an exalted and illuminating view of Himself. John has been supernaturally and miraculously graced with a vision of the same ascended eternal Son of Man that the prophet Daniel had beheld centuries before. This majestic vision of God the Son was given to comfort and encourage him with the incredible reality that ‘the Lord of the born-again church perpetually walks in the midst of His church; and is with every born-again member of the body of Christ.’
Please allow this to encourage every believer who is reading these devotions that ‘this exalted view of the unrivaled King of kings will also strengthen you and me to run our race with a faithful endurance’! This passage reveals that the uncontested Lord of lords is presently sustaining every born-again believer with the grace to remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Oh, dear believer, even today, the Lord of the church continues to walk among His redeemed people. His amazing affection for His bride has not waned in any way. His undivided attention to His bride has not diminished in the slightest manner. These realities most certainly were reassuring and reinvigorating to this apostle of love! So, they should be a source of personal and corporate revival for us, who are called by His name!
Yet, at the same time, this encounter was an incredibly unnerving vision of the resplendent glory of the ascended Lord. You can be certain that, ‘when a false prophet claims that they have had a “face to face” encounter with the glorified Christ, they are either a liar or a lunatic. For when John beheld the unveiled glory of God the Son, he fell at His feet as though dead! Falling at His feet as one dead was not an act of worshipful reverence from the beloved apostle. Indeed not! This was a radical reaction of unbridled terror, driven by his overwhelming concern about impending danger! John immediately collapsed in crushing anguish and an overwhelming alarm. The text describes John being hurled to the ground. He was paralyzed and traumatized with sheer terror in the presence of the divine glory of the exalted Lord!
When Manoah (the father of Samson) was given a similar vision of the pre-incarnate glory of God the Son, he said to his wife, “We shall surely die! For we have seen God!” When the prophet Isaiah was confronted with the pre-incarnate glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, he responded by pronouncing a curse on himself. He cried out, “Woe is me; I am accursed!” He was confessing that he was eternally condemned! Actually confessing, ‘I am coming to pieces!’ For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’ Both of these men were well aware that, “If they had seen the Lord, this also meant that the Lord had seen them. And the reality of this truth vanquished them with a traumatizing terror!
When Ezekiel received a vision of the pre-incarnate glory of the Lord, he, too, fell on his face in a disquieting dread, for he was in the presence of the unveiled glory of the Son of Man. Recall that this was not a one-time experience for Ezekiel. This prophet had multiple encounters with the glory of the Lord. Each time, he was mortified when in the presence of the glory of the Lord.
Moreover, remember the encounter recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, when the Lord Jesus Christ stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee; the disciples responded with “filled with great fear”! They realized (through a revelation from God) that there was something more dangerous than a raging storm outside their fishing boat. It is a terrifying reality to have “God the Son” in their fishing boat with them.
Again, John testified, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.” Oh, but the Lord Jesus laid His right hand on His beloved apostle and spoke words of comfort. I remind you dear one that it is better to be ‘as dead’ at the feet of the Lord Jesus, than to be alive anywhere else! For the hand which holds the church is also at the disposal of any individual saint of God who needs His reviving and strengthening touch.
A DRAMATIC ENCOUNTER WITH THE GLORIFIED CHRIST — Part 5
“His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” (Revelation 1:15_16).
When one carefully considers biblical imagery, one will come to realize that when the Lord Jesus Christ treads upon anything or anyone with His feet, it symbolizes His total triumph over whatever has been conquered and subjugated. Also, observing that His feet are made of bronze means they can crush everything in their path.
The Psalmist declared in Psalm 2:9, “You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.” The ‘rod’ is a biblical representation of His Kingly omnipotence, which becomes a weapon! A ‘rod of iron’ designates the infinitely devastating strength of that weapon. Then ‘a piece of pottery’ signifies the utter weakness of the object that is being shattered into pieces. This simile clearly demonstrates the Lord of the church's assured victory. All who defy Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords, will ultimately be pulverized. As John will write later in Revelation 11, “The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Friend, the deteriorating conditions may seem bleak at this moment in history. However, history is ultimately ‘HIS STORY’! It is marching toward a preordained culmination, in which the Lord of lords will have the final say!
Next, the apostle describes His voice saying, “and His voice as the sound of many waters.’ Notice the overpowering roar of His voice. We know the sound of thunderous water, like Niagara Falls, or the horrific rain storms, but multiply them by infinity! His voice is one of overwhelming power and commanding authority. It is the same voice with the power of His word, which raised Lazarus from physical death. It is the same voice which will one day speak, and every grave will give up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades will deliver up the dead who were in them, at the sound of the final effectual call. This is the omnipotence of the voice of the Son of Man. And thankfully, I add, that it is the same powerful voice Who spoke to the soul of this formerly agnostic, arrogant, argumentative rock and jazz drummer, and raised me from spiritual death!
Now, he saw in this vision that, “He had in His right hand seven stars.” This right hand is called His Righteous Right hand. This reveals that He owns His church; they are His. He bought His church with His own precious blood.
Furthermore, the seven stars are very likely representing the messengers of each of those seven churches. The Good Shepherd owns each under shepherd. In this address to the church, the seven elders probably represent the congregations, whom the Great Shepherd holds under His special care. They are the human instruments through which the Head of the church mediates His guidance and government.
He speaks with power and precision: “out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword”. This gives us the image of a mighty conquering warrior. The sharpest weapon in the entire Roman arsenal was a two-edged sword. This is what the writer of Hebrews describes in Hebrews 4:12: “The word of God is living and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword.”
This is why the Lord’s spiritual arsenal is dramatically more powerful than any human arsenal. In Revelation 19:15, John writes, “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.” The Lord Jesus Christ will be the Messianic executioner of all who reject His Gospel and refuse His Lordship. The fact that this sword is going out of His mouth reveals that this is a word of judgment.
Moreover, the Lord wields His sword to defend His church from all satanic assaults! In Revelation 2, the Lord Jesus spoke these words of warning to the compromising church at Pergamos, “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” Yet, most act as if the Lord, who is coming again, remains like the babe in the manger. But the first time He came was to seek and save the Lost. He is coming again in Judgment and set up His Kingdom.
Notice, “and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” This is not the first time that John beheld this feature of the blazing glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. For 60 years earlier, he was on the Mount of Transfiguration with James and Peter, when they witnessed the Lord Jesus being transfigured before them in all His resplendent majesty! John and the other two disciples needed to see His unveiled glory on the Mount of Transfiguration as the Cross drew near. All those many decades later, once again, John was allowed to see this vision of His glory as he suffered under Roman incarceration for the Gospel’s sake.
Friend, we, too, need to see His resplendent glory when tempted to doubt our significance as a body of believers in this pagan world. We, too, need to be reminded of His radiant glory when we falsely imagine that the church has no future. We, too, need to remember His magnificent glory when tempted to think that all of our effort and suffering have been in vain. We, too, need to see His transcendent glory when tempted to turn and allow ‘far lesser things into idols’ in our lives; instead of embracing Jesus as our preeminent love. We, too, need a fresh encounter with His overwhelming glory, through reading and abiding in His word. Then, we will be reminded that Jesus is infinitely more precious than family, possessions, pleasures, prosperity, position, prestige, or anything else. All of these things will be put in their rightful places, to be enjoyed, but to never become first place in our hearts. He alone, the One who is full of splendor and glory, love and grace, the Great I Am, can hold that position!
Dear Reader, “Do you need a fresh vision of the True and Living God? You can see Him afresh and anew through His Word and obedience to Him.