Heard - Seen - Touched!
Reading: I John 1
My Verse: "[We are writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands" (1:1).
You, Lord God, are not some distant deity - existing only in the minds of people. No, You are a God Who is there! You are real. You have given us the Bible to testify to this through all the great men of the ages.
Here John makes this point. He is refuting some who were saying You were only a spirit. Lord Jesus, You were God amongst men. You experienced the human condition. John emphasizes this. He speaks of hearing Your voice. He speaks of how with his very own eyes he and the other apostles gazed upon You. He speaks of how they even touched You. They were truly eye witnesses to Your existence as a God amongst men. Even our courts today rely on the testimony of witnesses to determine a truth.
And so John and the apostles were sharing this amazing truth to the world - this Truth of Who You were - our Lord and Savior.
This passage brings to mind one of my favorite authors, Francis Schaeffer. He wrote many books but one in particular speaks to this. It is titled - He Is There and He Is Not Silent. Schaeffer clearly and convincingly expounds on Romans 1:20. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (NIV) I like how the ESV Bible footnotes this passage. "No one should complain that God has left insufficient evidence of his existence and character; the fault is with those who reject the evidence."
You, Lord God, "infinite . . . and all powerful reached down to us." You reached out to us that You might enjoy our fellowship. You used the apostles and all those early prophets to pass on to us the message of Who You are.
In the words of Schaeffer, "God has communicated to man, the infinite to the finite. The One who made man capable of language in the first place has communicated to man in language about both spiritual reality and physical reality, about the nature of God and the nature of man."
Yes, Lord God, You walked this earth. You died as the final and ultimate sacrifice to pay our debts. You continually and relentlessly reach out to us. You promise us that all that is required of us is to admit our need and ask You to forgive us and save us.
"If we[freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins. He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action] (I John 1:9).
Yes, You were heard, seen and touched! We need only believe.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: I John 1
My Verse: "[We are writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands" (1:1).
You, Lord God, are not some distant deity - existing only in the minds of people. No, You are a God Who is there! You are real. You have given us the Bible to testify to this through all the great men of the ages.
Here John makes this point. He is refuting some who were saying You were only a spirit. Lord Jesus, You were God amongst men. You experienced the human condition. John emphasizes this. He speaks of hearing Your voice. He speaks of how with his very own eyes he and the other apostles gazed upon You. He speaks of how they even touched You. They were truly eye witnesses to Your existence as a God amongst men. Even our courts today rely on the testimony of witnesses to determine a truth.
And so John and the apostles were sharing this amazing truth to the world - this Truth of Who You were - our Lord and Savior.
This passage brings to mind one of my favorite authors, Francis Schaeffer. He wrote many books but one in particular speaks to this. It is titled - He Is There and He Is Not Silent. Schaeffer clearly and convincingly expounds on Romans 1:20. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (NIV) I like how the ESV Bible footnotes this passage. "No one should complain that God has left insufficient evidence of his existence and character; the fault is with those who reject the evidence."
You, Lord God, "infinite . . . and all powerful reached down to us." You reached out to us that You might enjoy our fellowship. You used the apostles and all those early prophets to pass on to us the message of Who You are.
In the words of Schaeffer, "God has communicated to man, the infinite to the finite. The One who made man capable of language in the first place has communicated to man in language about both spiritual reality and physical reality, about the nature of God and the nature of man."
Yes, Lord God, You walked this earth. You died as the final and ultimate sacrifice to pay our debts. You continually and relentlessly reach out to us. You promise us that all that is required of us is to admit our need and ask You to forgive us and save us.
"If we[freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins. He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action] (I John 1:9).
Yes, You were heard, seen and touched! We need only believe.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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