For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Years ago, I remember standing in a check-out line at the store when the cover of a popular magazine caught my eye. On it, I saw a beautiful picture of a faraway galaxy and underneath it the question, “Who is God?”
That question is the question of the ages. Since the dawn of humanity, Christians and non-Christians alike have sought more and more insight into that question. And though we as believers know God through the person of Jesus Christ, fully understanding who He is and how He works is a process that’s never complete.
Over 2,000 years ago, wise men looked to the heavens and saw a star that made them ask that same question: “Who is God?” These men who came from a very different culture and religion than the Jews somehow knew that this star heralded the birth of the King of the Jews. And not only that, but this King was deserving of worship – a divine King!
These men asked, “Who is God?” and found Him lying in a manger. It must have been quite a surprise for a divine King to be found in such humble circumstances. Yet, because of their faith, the magi knew the Lord when they found Him.
If you want to know who God is, look no further than Jesus Christ. In Him, the fullness of God dwelt in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Know Jesus, and you’ll know God.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW GOD, KNOW JESUS, IN WHOM THE FULLNESS OF GOD DWELLS IN HUMAN FORM.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Romans 8:2–4
No one who watched British runner Derek Redmond compete in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 will ever forget what happened. During the 400 meter semi-final, Redmond was running at top speed when a hamstring injury ended his dream of an Olympic gold medal. In great pain, he attempted to finish the race, though all hope of victory was gone. But the pain of his injury was so great, that he could not go on. Redmond’s father pushed past security and made his way onto the track. Placing his son’s arm around his shoulders, Jim Redmond supported Derek until they both reached the finish line. Though the official Olympic record lists Derek Redmond as “did not finish” because he had to have assistance, his father took him all the way to the end of the race.
Because of the power of sin over the lives of the lost, we have no ability to keep God’s perfectly righteous demands. The law cannot give us that power. All it can do is tell us what God requires—it cannot help us meet His holy standard. For that, we must have something better than the law. We must have Jesus. Because He perfectly fulfilled the law during His sinless life, we can have His righteousness applied to our account. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Today’s Growth Principle:
The gift of God’s Son offers what nothing else ever could—the promise of righteousness and acceptance by God to all who receive Christ by faith.
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