What could be more precious than a child–in this case a son? God thinks so too, and He not only holds His only begotten Son Jesus precious, but, wonder of wonders, He also holds us dear–so dear and so valuable that He was willing that an unthinkable price should be paid to rescue us from the death that fell upon all men in Adam. The second sign that Jesus did in the gospel of John 4:46-54 seems to me to point to this deliverance. It took the whole week for God to break through to me with this (now seemingly obvious) point. Here’s my final journal entry.
You were sold to death, consigned to death, dwelling in a dead land with a people dead in separation from Me. And so I came into this place. Galilee of the Gentiles — the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. My first act upon entering your life is to set you free from this death. By dying, I set you free. So if you die in Me, you shall also live in Me. One life — that old and feeble “life” — must die as you enter again into the womb (into Me) — to receive new, true life.
Just as the seed does not look like the tree that grows from it, so you are changed in Me. My life in you is the seed — the hope of glory. My word in you produces new life — kingdom life — divine life, as you live from Me — your source of life and power — rather than from the natural energy that runs down and dies. My life in you is not subject to entropy — the curse — but rather burns brighter the more you live by it. So while the flesh is subject to death, the Spirit — My Spirit within you — forms you, as an embryo develops until the time has come for it to be born — until it reaches a stage of maturity in which it can survive life in its new, its intended environment.
This is that life:
The water; your spirit
The wine; My blood
The seed; the Kingdom in you
For the redemption of the purchased possession
To the revelation of the glory of God.
With His help, I wrote the little poem below. And, happy accident, it can be sung to the tune of “Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”
Lord of Life
Lord of life, You’re our deliverer; fountain springing forth within
Worship from a heart unfettered; Lord of life, Our lives begin.
May we live, Lord, in Your presence, list’ning for Your every word,
For who can but live to love You; who can not with worship serve?
From the vine, the branches grow forth; drinking of the life so pure.
In Your presence we are fruitful; without You, our fate is sure.
Though we may retain appearance of a life that drains away,
Branches cut off soon will wither; none of them will last the day.
May we all, like trusting children, daily feed upon Your love.
Keep us, Jesus, by Your power; we’ve no strength but from above.
You’re the bread that came from Heaven; In our cup, You are the wine.
You’re the tree; we are the branches; we’re the tendrils; You’re the vine.
Lord of Life, we died within You; and with You were crucified.
In You, Lord, our sins were cancelled, and in You, we’re glorified.
Now in You, a new creation, Now in You, a brand new man.
You’re the head and we’re the body. You’re the King; we’re in Your hand
God bless you, Cindy
Hey, you forgot the matzo (bread), jk
What He is telling you is so amazingly true, it is to prepare us for this transformation that Paul spoke of becoming mature in Christ. It is the reason Paul made a distinction between immaturity and maturity.
Salvation is not the goal it is merely the beginning!
Wow, “entropy”, He gets really deep with you! Cool!
Blessings,
Nathan
So many of us go to church for years and decades and never learn how to grow into mature sons and daughters. His yoke is easy and His burden light, but we still need to lay down the old life to take up the new. Thank God He is always so patient with us. Still, at some point He does want us to travel on (into Him) from the cross.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Nathan!
Love in Him, Cindy