As I say “farewell” to you, I expect to be reunited with you at a later time – whether it be here on earth or in the glory of our Savior. As my “good bye”, I would like to remind you of a simple truth that is at the core of our faith. My intent is that you would be encouraged and that your faith in the completed work of Christ increase.
There are many passages in the Scriptures – both in the Old and the New Testaments – that testify to God’s faithfulness. For example:
Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments...-- Deuteronomy 7:9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.-- 1 John 1:9
As you read the Old Testament, you see that God’s faithfulness was met with unfaithfulness on the part of His people. As a result, instead of blessings, God bestowed the promised troubles upon His people. While God’s faithfulness is without question, since with Him there is no variation or shifting shadows, the faithfulness of God’s people has always been found lacking.
While the Old Covenant was made between God and men, the New Covenant is made between the Father and His Son, who represents mankind. God does not make a covenant with you or me – simply because we are not able to keep our part of it. Instead, the Father makes a covenant with His Son and the blessings of the covenant are then bestowed upon Him. We become one with the Son when we are united with Him in His death. He is raised from the dead and we are raised with Him. He is seated in the heavens with the Father and we are seated with Him. His very life now fills us. The Son’s faithfulness is now our assurance of the Father’s faithfulness to us because we are one with Christ.
As you grow in your faith, God’s many blessings will also be accompanied by many trials so that you will not become so enamored with the gifts that you miss out on the joy of knowing the Giver. All our needs are created by Him for the very reason that He might satisfy them and, in the process, bring joy to us and glory to Himself as we thank and praise Him. Now when we pray and ask anything of God according to His will, He answers us – not on the basis of our, but His Son’s, keeping of the covenant. When you read that God is faithful to do “such and such” and you have a need, you should thank Him – because Jesus has fulfilled the covenant and you can freely ask anything in His name. The next time you feel unworthy to ask something of God, recognize that you are unworthy but ask on the basis of Christ’s worth. We do not deserve a single good thing from God, but He made a way for us to ask and receive His blessings by approaching Him through His Son.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.-- John 14:12-14
Ultimately, Jesus Himself is our treasure and our all in all. Even when I am stripped of everything in this world, as long as I have Him, I am the richest and most blessed man in the world.
Therefore, above all, treasure the Son of God in your hearts. May God’s grace and His peace be with you until we are united in complete fellowship with our glorious Savior.
