10/14/2019
Jesus isn’t just a pearl of great value for which we can sell everything in order to possess Him, no, we can hold a pearl in the palm of our hand. Jesus Christ is so much more, He is the glorious peace that never ends, the everlasting moment of ecstasy in which we lose ourselves forever, the joy of God that is without an end, and He is a bottomless well of living water that quenches our eternal thirst. Yes, He is all of these things and so much more. He is the only prize for which our entire life should be deemed worthy of sacrifice... just as God the Father, in His great love, felt we were worth the sacrifice of Christ.
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
Philippians 3:8 ESV
There is no earthly explanation that can enlighten a believer as to the complete nature, and majesty, of God, nor the degree of love contained in a single moment of the suffering involved in Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary. The way to our understanding of these is personal to each of us, and is meant to grow unchecked throughout our earthly life... and beyond. Believing has a beginning, as described in the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’...
“How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.” - John Newton
but faith is the never ending journey embarked upon by our soul for the love, life, and fullness that is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Yet in our pursuit, though we be willing to give our very lives, and all a life contains, it is still not enough to pay the price, or earn that prize. It is only by God’s mercy and grace that we receive, as a gift, all of eternity to continue our quest to gain knowledge of them.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
So even though we achieve eternity, the depths of God are unfathomable, and as we seek to know Him we will receive portions of understanding, but our search for the fullness of His knowledge is unending, and eternal.
“"Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.”
Job 11:7-9 ESV
King Solomon acknowledges that even heaven can’t contain God when he says these words while speaking of the temple...
“"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!”
1 Kings 8:27 ESV
So we pray, we worship, we ask for wisdom, knowledge, forgiveness, and so much more, yet though we seek God, and Jesus with all that we are, and we receive eternity to continue this pursuit... there is no end to Him, and our faith grows forevermore. So don’t lose heart, but continue on in faith without end.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your gift of grace that allows us to search out your mysteries forevermore. Thank you for your unbound self that will always keep us asking for wisdom, and knowledge of you... through all of eternity. We cannot fathom you now, nor will we ever know you completely because you extend beyond infinity itself. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our unbound God of all... not limited to wisdom, knowledge, and those things of the heart and spirit. Praised be your name in all there is, and for your undeserved mercy towards us. Great are you who loves us in spite of our decrepit nature, and leads us into a love for you that fills us as we seek you throughout eternity. All glory is yours Holy Father, now, and forevermore... you who was, and is, and is to come.
“these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV
Rich Forbes