Dear Ones:
In Bimney’s great hymn, “Eternal Light, Eternal Light,” he writes: “The spirits that surround the throne may bear the Burning Bliss; but that is surely theirs alone, since they have never known, a fallen world like this.” In light of this hymn, how elevated and true are our concepts of the holiness of God? Paul writes Timothy: “….Now unto the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God…(1 Tim. 1:17), …who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see…” (1 Tim. 6:16). We have unveiled to us here, in some measure, what Isaiah saw in his vision of God, what Ezekiel saw, what Daniel saw. They, like us, only see “…as through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.” (1 Cor. 13:12) How then do we reconcile the truth of God’s holiness, and “unapproachableness,” to our existence, and the experience of Him? How do we come to grips with the vision that we need to always have of His greatness, soverignty, and holiness, when living in a “fallen world like this?”
We begin by coming to see and understand the concept and truth of God as our Father, our “Father in heaven.” This is a most wonderful, and blessed thought, because it is as if the Eternal God steps out of the greatness of His “pure, and spotless separateness” from His creation, to enter into the personal, individual realm of our existence, our lives. It is difficult to understand how One could be so great, so holy, and yet, give us access into His presence, and experiencing the reality of that which Jesus said: “…You Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matt. 6:6) What is the key in coming to an understanding of this relationship, grasping the reality of it, and living in the light of it?
Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples, did not grasp this relationship. He could not understand how he could be looking at, and talking with Jesus, and yet, was at the same time, in the presence of the Father. Jesus would tell him: “…he that has seen Me has seen the Father.” (Jn.14:9) But then Jesus deals with the issue of appropriation of this reality in the life of Philip. He asks Philip: “Do you BELIEVE that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” He later will tell Philip directly: “BELIEVE Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me.” (v.11) The KEY to understanding what it means, that the Father dwells in the Son, is taking Jesus at His word, believing it, counting absolutely upon it. How does this knowledge, and means of appropriation, affect us?
Jesus will proceed to the tell the disciples that He, by the Spirit, will come to dwell in their hearts by faith. And they will be called to grasp this knowledge of the truth BY FAITH. “At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I IN YOU.” (Jn. 14:20) “Abide in Me, and I in you.” (Jn. 15:4) The KEY to “bringing heaven down to earth,” and living BY the Son of God, is to take Christ at His word. How can we possibly grasp the scope of the Eternal Invisible God living in the heart, if it is not by faith in His Faithfulness, and the revelation of His truth?
Dear Father, enable us, when we come aside to be alone with You, to grasp the reality of Your presence, the nearness of Your Person to our hearts, even in our hearts. Open the eyes of our hearts to see what this blessed union with Christ by the Spirit means, and strengthen our hearts to appropriate the life of Christ for every need. You have made us, and saved us, to know you TODAY, where we are, trusting You with that which you have given us to do. Strengthen our hearts to lay hold of the fact that You are a Rewarder of those who diligently seek You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Love, Dad