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.)
Because Jesus is building His Church, He is continuing His work in each Christian. I Corinthians 3:16 speaks of the construction of the Church: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” Similar language is used of the individual Christian in I Corinthians 6:19: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [Who] is in you, [Whom] ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” Our part in this productive process is found in I Corinthians 3:10-15. Crucial to the Christian’s careful craftsmanship is the correct cornerstone; as verse 11 states, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” If our faith is firmly in Jesus, then we can follow Galatians 5:16: “Walk in the Spirit” (or “Keep in step with the Spirit”). How do we know if we are keeping pace? First, we must speak the truth about Jesus – unequivocally, boldly, without apologies – for He is the only foundation. Second, we should evaluate what matters to us. Are these things also important to our Savior? They should be. Third, we must yearn for good things in the lives of others, for Jesus certainly does. There are other tests that we could apply to ourselves, but these three will certainly indicate if we are moving in the right direction.