All or Nothing...

Lately I find myself to be an “all or nothing” kind of gal about some things.  I love being creative, making art pieces or doing crafts - also referred to as “crefts” by the youngest Afrikaans speaking member of our family.  Where the “all or nothing” comes in is that for a while now I will only start a project if I know I will be able to finish it.  If I am unsure about that or if I don’t have a specific plan or purpose for the item - where I am going to display it or who I will give it to - then I don’t even start.

I wanted to write about the goodness of God and what the finished work of the cross of Christ really means and the totality of what He did for us.  But like with the arts and crafts projects, I didn't want to start until I had the full revelation of all that it means. Well, I soon realized that I will never have a complete list - because it seems the more revelation I get, the more there is - and that is why I will start to at least write what I know right now.  I guess in a way it is a bit like a treasure hunt - someone hides the treasures, and you find the obvious ones really easy.  But there are always some that you don’t find at a first or even a second attempt.  Others are only found much later when you stumble upon it by accident.

The most obvious one is about being saved from damnation with a guaranteed eternal destination of life in Heaven with the Father.

Eph 2:8-9 NLT -

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 

The word “saved” in V8 is the word "sozo" in the original Greek and it means so much more than just going to Heaven when we die.  It also means to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, protect someone from injury or peril.  To save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health.  To protect one who is in danger of destruction.  It also means to save or rescue. If that was all there was then it is already quite a mouthful, but there is more - much more.

During Jesus’ earthly walk, He was the sole expression or perfect imprint of the nature of God the Father.  

Heb 1:3 AMPC

3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.

God withheld nothing from us when He gave His Son.  

 

Jesus came to reveal to us the Father.  This is important because when Jesus walked the earth, people only saw God as a harsh God who enforced the law with its punishments.  Up to that point, they never saw Him as a Father.  Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed.  He did only good, He had compassion, He gladly healed and helped everyone who came to Him.  He then went on to say that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father.  This shocked the religious leaders of the day.  He went further to call God, His Father, which led them to want to kill Him.  This is what He wanted for us to have, that we are able to call God the Father, our Father.  He came to open the way so we can have a relationship with the Father right now, while here on earth.  That is why after His birth, the angels came and said:

Luke 2:14 KJV -

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

You will notice that it doesn’t say good will among men.  Jesus didn’t come to bring peace between people.  He came to open the way so humanity can once again have relationship with the Father.  His whole earthly ministry was dedicated to point the way to the Father.  That allowed Him to say, “if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”.

In the Old Testament, only the Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies once every year, to meet with God.  This only took place after the Priest made sure that he was free from all sin and that he did all the proper rituals that were required under the law.  If he didn’t, it would mean sure death.

When Jesus died, He not only fulfilled the law, but got rid of all our sin - past, present and even what we have not yet committed.  He also made doubly sure that He took care of all the bad stuff we could ever do or get ourselves into so it would never again be a barrier between us and God.  He paid double of what we deserved as punishment.

Is 40:2 KJV -

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

He gave us access to come to the Father boldly by yourselves and have a loving, intimate relationship - like you would with a good earthly father.  

Heb 4:16 NKJV -

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God on His part wanted this so much that He didn’t wait until Jesus was resurrected from the dead, but it is written that the veil of the Holy of Holies was ripped by God even before Jesus said, “it is finished”.  It was ripped to give us direct access to God through the sacrifice of Jesus. 

Luke 2:44-46 AMPC -

44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Because of what Jesus did for us, we can also now come directly to the Father in prayer.

John 16:23-24 NKJV -

23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

God wants to be so good to us.  Everything He ever wanted us to have He placed in the person of Jesus knowing that we would one day have the opportunity to receive Him.  

Have you ever secretly wished that Jesus would pray for you? The Bible says that He intercedes for us before the Father, but He actually prayed for us right before He went to the cross.  We know that His prayers are always answered and so we can already start to live and experience what He prayed for us to have.  Here is His prayer:

John 17:20-26 NKJV - 

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

There is a lot in this prayer, and it is worth taking the time to read it again.  I want to highlight that Jesus prayed that we would have the same unity - oneness - with the Father that He has.  That prayer has already been answered and there is now no more barrier preventing us from coming boldly to the Father, allowing Him to love us.

The prayer also mentions the glory.  Jesus says that the glory that God gave Him, He has given us.  That glory (doxa) is the opinion God has of Jesus and it is the same opinion God has of you today.  God loves you in the same way and just as much as He loves Jesus.  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, God your Father is pleased with you right now - today.

    

If ever you doubt God’s heart of love and compassion for you, remember Jesus - His selfless acts, His sacrifice and how His only reason for living and also dying - was to help you and me get back our access to God, so we can once again call Him our Father.

I titled this post “All or Nothing”, but I am mindful that with Jesus it was never about the nothing.  When someone had to come save humanity, He put up His hand knowing full well that He would have to leave His Father and Heaven behind.  That it would cost Him everything even to His very life.  And yes, He did it so we can enjoy the “all” - now in this life and also for eternity.  May we remember this Easter that He died for us.  But it doesn’t stop there - on the third day He rose again triumphant as Jesus the resurrected, glorious Christ. Because of that, we are now seated with Him right next to the Father - forever in oneness with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Forever grateful!

Col 2:9-10 AMPC -

9 For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].  10 And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].

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