Last week in Lifegroup, I had some lights go on in that I made a connection that I'd hitherto never made before. You may, when you read it, think: Weren't you listening to the sermon, Walker? (In our mid-week groups we discuss the sermon from Sunday.) All I can say is that my eyes were opened a little wider on that Thursday evening to the vistas of God's glorious eternal work in Christ. I hadn't seen it until then.It was the link between John 13:3: "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;" and Philippians 2:5: "Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus."
Jesus washed his disciples feet (and went to the cross) knowing that he was the beloved son of his Heavenly Father, that he had come from God and was returning to God and that he had authority over every created thing placed into his hands by the Father.
So too, the Christian life is a mirror image of that kind of humanity and humility. God has appointed the true Church - the bride of Christ, as co-heir and co-judge with Christ. The Church, beloved and born of God and bestowed with his authority, is going to be with God forever in a new (recreated) world.
To be sure, the Church should never exalt itself in pride, for what we have received is not on the basis of our own efforts, it is God's mercy and love alone that has caught the Christian up into this whole new world of love. But that's not a reason for us to be apologetic or foster any kind of misplaced self-abasement and thus deny our exalted status and glorious destiny in the goodness and purpose of God!
Those who know their eternal future is beautifully secure in the God who is love will have the same attitude as their saviour and will never find any command of God beneath them, any person below them, any adventure in faith beyond them, or any trial and suffering bigger than they can handle; for he who began a good work in them will carry it on to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.
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