March 2, 2021

God’s Word is the “mirror” in which we observe our real person...

Because God’s Word reveals the real me, I know I have been a sinner, and I understand sin. God’s same Word provides the remedy for my sinful ways, and because His Holy Spirit has led me to the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) I have been redeemed (saved)… now I understand salvation; Yeshua’s suffering experience on the cruel cross is the only God-given remedy for sin. The Old Testament prophesied the work of the Messiah, who was to come:

“Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isa 53:4-6

If you read the entire chapter of Isaiah 53, you will see the purpose of the Messiah written 700 years before He appeared upon earth, about 2-3 BC. There really was no excuse for the theologians (religious experts) of Messiah’s day not knowing who He was… selfishly, denying His reality to the people around them. More so, there is no excuse for “educated” persons of our times not knowing who He was/is… yet, likewise, the same selfish spirit obscures His reality today… also prophesied to be the same in the last days… it’s the same spirit of anti-Christ now, as was then. 1 John 4:3

The amazing thing about God’s Word is that it pierces all darkness, especially that of our own making, in which we often try to hide from issues we don’t want to deal with. Choosing to obscure ourselves in this “disobedience,” we are confronted with “the multitude of anxieties within ourselves,” as noted in Ps 94:19 (NKJV) above… the contrast, obedience yielded to God’s ways, “delights our souls.” And we enter into His rest. Hebrews Chapter 4 speaks to this, here are a few verses to consider:

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Heb 4:11-13

Thankfully, God has created us, “in His image,” and we are prohibited from hiding from Him, but not from our rejection of His truth. The mirror of God’s Word, reflecting the real “us,” is a profound safety precaution God designed for our deliverance and opportunity for reconciliation with Him. We, by faith, hand-in-hand with Yeshua, come to the “mirror” and by His grace and mercy, and our acceptance of His sacrifice on our part, we are conformed into His likeness... and see a "new creation" man in the Mirror. Praise His Name forever.

Shalom… John