I was struck as I realized that I still want to hide at times, rather than be revealed or exposed. The reason is like many others, when I was exposed or revealed it was not for me to be blessed or because of my parents pride over me but because of things I did wrong. Yet it was not their choices that caused lasting damage but a lie I agreed with that I am a disappointment. I sensed the Holy Spirit taking me to the passage about the Father's blessing and baptism of love over His Son Jesus before He even began ministry. All four gospels record this event (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1) of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan river and when Jesus comes up out of the water the Heavens open up, the Spirit descended and remained on Jesus, and the Father's voice from Heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." This is before Jesus did any miracles, healing, signs, wanders, or any other heavenly work. I knew in my head that being placed "in Christ" (there are 87 times this is referred to in the New Testament) means that everything that happens to Jesus happened to us by being placed in Him, including His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Yet there was a block in my heart when it came to receiving my Heavenly Father's approval of me, that He is truly pleased with me. I could blame it on perfectionist tendencies (to see my every flaw), my lack of receiving my earthly father's blessing, or some other cause. The Holy Spirit began to reveal that the Father's pleasure over His sons and daughters is also His delight in the grace that was poured out through His Son Jesus Christ. The Word even says in Isaiah 53:10, "But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand." Since God is not bound to time and all time is present for Him, then His pleasure over Jesus as He was baptized could also be His pleasure over us as His sons and daughters united to Christ. I have always struggled with the idea that Father was totally pleased with me partly because of the lies of the Enemy but also for not understanding that God's pleasure is over our union with Christ making us acceptable and pleasing to Him. We see God's purpose in delighting over His children continued in Hebrews 2:10, "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings." This reminds me of Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-27 where God blesses His people with "The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you. The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace." which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and talked about in 2 Corinthians 3:18 "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." Glory among other things has a connotation of being revealed, yet shame moves us to cover or hide ourselves. No wander there is freedom where the Spirit of the Lord is because there is no need to hide, we have been cleansed, made new, united with Christ as sons, and even raised up because of the Father's pleasure to pour His Grace and delight in who we are (New Creations). In this video even though the son faulters in the race, you can see father's pleasure over him as he helps him to the finish.
In Father's Pleasure,
Bret
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