03/31/2021
When we speak with Jesus Christ, and pray to our Heavenly Father in His name, do we keep in mind who Jesus truly is? As the years of our faith go by, and we come to know Him as friend through thousands upon thousands of prayers, it is easy to lose sight of the magnificence, and dominion of Christ; replacing His kingship with an air of proforma, and familiarity. This can lead us to approach Him as if we were His equal, and thus, we should be able to make demands of Him. When treating Him in this way we are attempting to increase who we are, and diminish who He is, but lest we forget our place in this relationship we need to remind ourselves often of the respect and glory He deserves from us, and all that He is, and has done for us.
“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Revelation 1:5-6 ESV
I was raised the son of an army officer, and later attended the Virginia Military Institute. My relationships with military people of strength and power were such that I became comfortable with them as I befriended these men and women, and interacted with them everyday. But, I also knew that there was a line there that separated the friendship we had from the respect for our respective ranks.
Then as I left the company of military officers, I learned to behave in like fashion with those who had earned positions of rank in the civilian world. I have a good friend who for years was my primary care physician. Whenever I see Him in public, or professionally, I always preface his name with his title... Doctor VanDevender. He earned my respect in that regard, and I always yielded that honor to him. However, when we sit together as friends I call him Karl. This is very much like how we should see the relationship we maintain in faith with our Lord Jesus Christ. He calls us His friend, and we love Him as such, but He is always more than that, and has earned, and deserves, the respect and honor His position demands... Son of God, Prince of Peace, Messiah, Christ, Lord, King of Kings, healer... and so many other degrees of honor that have been bestowed upon Him. We should also be prepared to defend the manner in which we honor Him before those who treat Him differently...
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”
1 Peter 3:15-16 ESV
So how should we approach Jesus Christ in our relationship with Him? If we aren’t careful, our familiarity with Him will cause us to lose sight of the respect and honor He deserves as Christ. It is true that He abides in us, and calls us friend, but He also sits at the right hand of God, so there is a fine line here that we must walk. We love Him as one friend loves another, but we also love Him as He loves us with the agape love of God to man, and man to God. He loves us as Jesus the man, but He never relinquishes the fact that He is the Messiah, and as Christ He loves us just as God loves us, and yet remains forever our God...
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,”
Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, and for our ability to be in relationship with Him... calling Him our friend... in much the same way we call you our Father. Never let us forget that He is our Messiah, and Christ, just as you forever remain our God. Let your Holy Spirit remind us always that when we pray to you in the name of Jesus we are calling on a mighty name that you have elevated to sit at your right hand, and that we are not simply drawing on a friendship to garner your favor, but asking in every magnificent name you have bestowed upon Him as our Savior Jesus Christ. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who judges us and finds us worthy by the blood of the Lamb of God. Great are you as your grace flows from Christ, and your love pours over us through Jesus. Praised be your name Lord, and forever we thrill at being able to call you Abba, and Father. Find us worthy in Christ to receive eternity in your presence, but love us through the Prince of Peace who calls us His friend. Seat us at your table Father, and feed us the divine manna of your Word forevermore. Teach us to humble ourselves in your presence, and be unassuming among the guests at your table... yielding honor where honor is due.
““When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Luke 14:8-11 ESV
Rich Forbes