WE ARE INDEED HIS OFFSPRING

WE ARE INDEED HIS OFFSPRING
“Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock, His work is perfect!” Deut.32:3,4. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” Ep.2:10. “For in Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and all things share their common origin and identity in Him.” Col.1:15-17. The Gospel cannot reveal a redemption or reconciliation of lesser implication than this: “For He has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of His will, according to His purpose which He has treasured in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and on earth.” Ep.1:9,10. “Everything that exists in heaven or earth finds its perfection and fulfilment in Him.” (Phillips translation) “All this is God’s doing; camouflaged in Christ as it were, God personally reconciled the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” 2 Cor.5:19. The same perfection declared and celebrated in the Sabbath of Genesis 1 and 2 is now revealed in redemption and becomes the urgency of our appeal to humanity, to enter God’s rest, to see what God sees in order to co-know with Him and thus to cease from their own labours! Zeph.3:17. We cannot afford to see less in salvation than what God sees in it! “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” Heb.2:3. How can we exaggerate redemption, if the half was not told of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth? And Someone greater than Solomon has come! Luke 11:31.

In his famous address in Athens, (Acts 17) Paul reminds the Gentlemen of philosophy that the God they worship in ignorance is the God who made the world and everything in it, “being Lord of heaven and earth, He does not live in fancy decorated shrines made by man; nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. He made from one blood all nations of men to live across the whole earth. Even within their geographical boundaries of culture time and language, He is not beyond their reach; He is their true resonance! (Greek, psallo, to touch a string in order to make music) He is not far from each one of us, (He is not closer to the Jew than what He is to the Gentile!) for in Him we all live and move and have our being, for we are indeed His offspring.” He broke down every wall of division. Ep.2:13-16. Our origin in Him reveals our common identity. Heb.2:11. God is not the product of man’s best guess; He is bigger than religion’s biggest blunder or eloquence in their attempts to define Him. He is beyond extinction or threat and can never be reduced to either our clever or clumsy expression of philosophy or art. Our faith is not the fruit of our own invention or imagination, but the reflection of His initiative revealed in the person of Christ. God interrupted human history when for the first time since Adam, the brilliance of His image and likeness appeared again without flaw or distraction in the form of flesh, the exact expression of His character and Being. (Heb.1:3, Col.1:15,16, Col.2:9) “The age of ignorance is now concluded; this calls for a radical change of mind; God appointed a day and a Person through whom He would judge the world in righteousness and of this He has given assurance to all men by raising Him from the dead!” Acts 17:22-31. Mankind’s judgement fell on one man; His resurrection from the dead is the eternal testimony of their acquittal. He is the only one who qualifies to represent both humanity and Deity in one Person before the highest court of justice. “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He is the expiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1John2:1,2. “He was put to death for our trespasses and raised because we were justified.” Rom.4:25.

Part of a booklet by Francois du Toit

www.mirrorreflection.net
fdt@mailbox.co.za
PO Box 1428
Hermanus South Africa 7200