Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
We return to Revelation 22:11: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” We dealt with the first part of this verse on Saturday; the second half could also be misunderstood. Certainly it does not teach that we can simply decide to be “righteous” and “holy” or that we can work to become such. The Bible is clear that we are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1b) and that “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). Romans 3:23-24 tells us of the transformation wrought by our Savior God: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” “By the obedience of One shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19b), clarifying that it is Jesus Who does all of the “righteous” work for us. Colossians 1:22 adds, “And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight.” Thus, our current status as “righteous” and “holy” is not based on our efforts but on the efficacious efforts of Jesus. Our current position in Him cannot alter, for He cannot change. We are secure in His strength and stability.