Greetings friends, wherever you are on this earth, I hope the word I share with you today will be helpful to make your day as purposeful as it is a step toward your destiny in life!

The word sanctification maybe as far-fetched and puzzling as a foreign language for many. Yet, in Christian thought, its basic meaning is as vital to a believer’s salvation, as material sustenance is to his physical body. It simply means an act of regeneration or renewal of something or someone for a specific purpose or design. In Christian thought the work of regeneration cannot begin in the life of the believer until the death of the “false self” and all its dreams and aspirations. Thereby, it means the birth of the “new self” in Christ with all of God’s blessing of a newfound relationship. In the “new self” the believer is set apart for a divine purpose. So, sanctification means death and rebirth. Jesus said it like this, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, ‘Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:5-7).

Baptism of Jesus, Depiction of Spiritual Regeneration, Artist: Grigory Gaagarin (Wiki Commons)

It is natural for humans to be afraid of death. Death is the reality of our human existence. From the day we were born, we are set on a path to the epitaph on our grave stones. But God did not create man for death, but for immortality. He is our Father, and we are His children. He is immortal, therefore we are destined for immortality. Christ, who is the personification of immortality for man, came and changed death to life. (Matt.1:23) Paul tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.6:23). He pointed man upwards to the promise of eternal life from our heavenly Father. In place of the grave stone, we hear our Father say, “I am not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Luk.20:38). He sent His Son, who says to us, “I am the way, the truth, and The Life” (John 14:6; John 11:25b-26). And isn’t that what life is about…to have someone show us the way to a life that’s true and authentic? The immortalized passage from John rings out clear through time, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (death) but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Paul said, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death itself… Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? …But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:26, 54-56). God’s promise of immortality gives us hope in life, for it brings victory over death. Jesus never minced words when He said, “I am the resurrection” (John 11:25a) That, in essence, is the meaning of sanctification. We lose our fear of death when we live in hope of what the Father has promised, and what Jesus has already done and made death redundant and made us live as conquerors. The key words are ‘living as conquerors’ – that’s to say the life of regeneration in the Spirit puts to death the “false self” so the “true self” with the seed of immortality may live and regenerate us.

So, the underlying meaning of sanctification is the work of regeneration of the Spirit in man to not allow death to be the final answer to man’s destiny, but immortality through Christ. The Spirit’s work of regeneration is encapsulated in Paul’s words, “As it is written, ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep for the slaughter.’ But no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom.8:36-37). There is an ongoing death that is the work of sanctification and renewal the Spirit is doing in our lives to prepare us for eternal life. Like seeds, we must first die before true life can be restored. But unlike nature which is hardwired by God to have this divine attribute, man has to use his mind under the Spirit’s move to make a deliberate decision to live out the meaning of sanctification.

Death – not Man’s Lot. Immortality is God’s Gift. Old St Peters Church, UK (Wiki Commons) 

Sanctification means the death relating to the demise and final death-knell of the “false self.” Yes, this is like living the crucifixion of Jesus, but on a personal level: “For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know our old self (“false self”) was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should be no longer slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him (“true self”). For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Rom.6:5-11) So, the work of sanctification is about the removal of sin from our lives – that is what facing death every day means, so we can enter immortality.

False Self:

Author Michael Murphree, in a rather succinct and honest appraisal of the “false self,” says, “In our fragmented world, we human beings tend to cluster into homogenous cultural, racial, or economic groups, building relationships on our commonality rather than Love (God is Love). Self-centered rather than other-centered, we limit relationships to ones that require no sacrifice on our part. Then we protect these artificial relationships, created for our convenience, while we play at being persons. Too selfish to Love those who are different from us, we settle for synthetic relationships and shallow personhood.” (The Trinity and Human Personality, Pg.60) In our fallen depraved nature we live this way of life which ultimately leads to emptiness and not life. There is only one solution: death! Yes, every day when we live life we are putting to death this old “false self” and come out more than conquerors in our “true self.”

True Self:

Murphree goes on, “A healthy relationship with God requires two qualities found in the Trinity. The first is a recognition of our distinct individuality (personhood). The other (is) God is Love.” (The Trinity and Human Personality, Pg.49). But here is the wonder of our respective gift and calling, not only do we see and relate with the Triune God through them, but through Christ we relate with one another in a true sense of friendship as the Father designed. The Bible tells us that in all our gifts, we form the very “Body of Christ.” (1Cor.12:12-14) Just as in the Trinity they find fulfillment not in themselves but in each other, so we find our fulfillment in Jesus through the power of the Spirit. Thus, Paul says, “You are complete in Christ.” (Col.2:10)

 Immortality-God’s Gift to Man. Fountain of Eternal Life, downtown Cleveland, Ohio, USA (Wiki Commons)

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bulamanriver.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                   

* ONLINE GIVING:  To all readers and visitors to my blog and web site: Friends:

I appreciate any donation you feel content in your heart to give in our effort to further the Lord’s work throughout the world. The Bibles says that it is of the spirit if we’re going to save the flesh (man) (Rom.8:13). So, your support to help the spiritually needy and impoverished will always be treasured!

He reminds us as He inspired Paul to write, “God is not unjust. He doesn’t miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you’ve shown Him by helping the needy, and that you keep at it.” (Heb.6:10-11) Thank you for your generosity. May the Lord bless you in your giving.

Please click the “Donate” button at the top to complete your online giving. You can also donate on my web site at: www.bulamanriver.com, Thank You!

Kiang

* Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bulamanriver, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Greetings friends! As I mentioned in the close of my last post, the rebellious heart of man cannot be overcome and changed without a surrendered heart.

Most people see surrender through the human eyes to mean defeat and subjugation. It means to ‘give in’ one’s right and freedom, like democratic liberty, the freedom of expression, freedom of worship, the freedom to live as one chooses. But with God, surrender does not carry the same imagery. With God, rather than subjugation, it is about ‘owning up,’ while not sacrificing our liberties. It is about conceding to a deficiency in our lives. It is about seeing the answer to this inadequacy as something only God can supply. So, within this context, surrender is a good thing, not a bad thing. Another word we can use is ‘concede’ – we make concession because we see our failures, and desire to change the status quo to one of success. Many don’t see surrender as a process of Love from a God who is Father to us. Ironically, surrender does not carry a singular meaning. In short, God’s call to surrender brings freedom.

WWII German Surrender Documents (WIKI COMMONS). Germany ‘Gave In’ But Did She ‘Own Up.’? In the Words of the Shakespearean Play, “To be, or, Not To Be” – That’s the Question.

We are talking of divine surrender to the Love of God, not to the will or whims of man. Surrender is in fact an act of self-evaluation, where the believer’s life is stacked up side by side with God and what He offers us in His promises, and we come to a logical conclusion about what it means to surrender because we are helpless. But it is not by any means a form of subjugation, but because He Loves us. Over time the self-evaluation process will make us see that to surrender to His Loving will is to pave a way forward for the better, with a purposeful and happy life. Most of all, surrender saves us from our natural, fallen, and self-destructive ways which bring human sufferings upon ourselves and others. (Eph.6:12; Jer.17:9; Isa.59:9,10,12) The opposite of Godly surrender is stubborness and obstinacy. It keeps us stuck in a time warp where we are actually surrendering to our own flaws and failings. When we have an objective view of surrender we will realize that whichever path in life we take, we are surrendering to something or someone – the question is, to whom?

I will touch on a human situation with which we are all familiar to further expound the meaning of Godly surrender. Think of the institution of marriage in our times, as an example. It is a sad fact that 40-50% of marriages end in divorce. (American Psychological Assn.) Imagine, half of our couples who pledge a lifetime of love and dedication to each other, only ends in the divorce courts. Yet, the most common ingredient missing in today’s marriages which would put it on autopilot to success is the attitude of surrender. Surrender liberates marriages. Surrender in marriage is not about subjugation to one partner’s selfish motives. It is not about defeat and giving up one’s freedom. It is about concession, where each partner finds completeness in each other through through surrender of their strength and gifts for each other’s well-being. Surrender is not about one being better than the other, but rather they find common ground in each other to make the marriage work. That common ground is their love for each other – but we are stepping ahead of ourselves. We must realize surrender is the foundation of love. Each partner is a free person in the marriage union, that is sacrosanct. Each partner freely sacrifice or surrender themselves to each other to make love work. Love has to be made to work through sacrifice and surrender.  Love is not some magic potion which makes everything magically okeydokey for both partners.

God’s Love Documents Reveal the Surrender of His Son for Our Salvation. The Gutenberg Bible Printed in 15th Century (Wiki Commons). God is not about ‘giving in,’ but about ‘owning up.’

This attitude of sacrifice is based upon the Tri-Personal nature of God. But each partner in marriage must make this decision about surrender (concession, not subjugation) so love can thrive in the union. Until we do that, our divorce rate in the US, supposedly the most Christian nation, will not come down from 40-50% currently. God’s Love is about sacrificing self (surrender) for the good of the other. It is about being other-centered, not self-centered. God saw man lacked something He had and wanted to share, and willingly surrendered His Son to make it possible for mankind. Do you think by of surrendering His Son to an ignominious death at the hands of man, God was subjugating Himself to man’s will? That’s unthinkable! His eternal sovereignty and power over all creation is unquestionable! But this is what Love does – for “God is Love” (1John 4:8). God would not ask man to do something unless He is first prepared to do it Himself. That’s what Love does. Love sacrifices one’s self for the good of another. God gave His Son so man can have a more complete Love-relationship with Him. God does not hold man in subjugation, He gives man complete freedom, even to rebel against Him, if he so wishes, like Adam and Eve. But He admonishes us – in your freedom, choose wisely. In fact, He points us to the right direction and says, choose Him. (Deut. 30:19) Marriage calls for surrender on both partners in the relationship. Human love is about the self-centeredness and self-gratification. Godly Love is about self-giving and surrender.

I hope we can see that through surrender we can overcome the rebellious  heart, and enter the divine union so God’s divine Love can flow into our lives. You may read my posts, “God’s Divine Love – How Does It Enter Human Life?” (published 1/22/15),  and, “What Prevents God’s Love From Entering Human Life?” (published 2/14/15).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bulamanriver.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                          (Your Servant in Christ)                                                                                                                                   

* Bulamanriver is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bulamanriver, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information.

Greetings again, friends everywhere!

In my blog post on January 22, 2015 entitled, “God’s Love – How Does It Enter Human Life?’” I unambiguously laid out the answer to the question I posed in the title. What I would like to do in this post is ask, what prevents God’s Love from entering human life? In that post, I said that from eternity before anything came into being in our material universe and world, God’s one activity was the Father Loving His Son. When everything in our physical universe as we know is discounted and brought back to the original estate of physical nothingness, only one thing remains eternal and never fades – God’s Love which exists in relationship between the Father and Son in the fellowship with the Spirit. Jesus mentioned this in His prayer to the Father before He was crucified, saying, “You, Father, have Loved Me from the foundation of the world” (John 17:24b). Jesus told the disciples, “As the Father has Love Me, so have I Loved you. Now remain in My Love” (John 15:9). So, by remaining in Jesus’ Love, we are organically embedded into the Love relationship He has with His Father from eternity, and remain for all eternity. Jesus further said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4). Love’s fruits is cataloged in 1 Corinthians 13 and other places in the Bible.

The Love-Bond of Family, Replicated after The Divine Love of the Eternal Father and Son, Which Humans are Privileged to Share (Wiki Commons)

To make this life possible for humans, the Father gave up His Son to become human (Immanuel – ‘God with us’) to die and make restitution for man’s sins, so humans can enter this holy Love-relationship of the Father and Son on a continual basis. (Matt.1;23; Isa.7;14) This has always been God’s plan for man from the start. (Gen.1:26-27). After His resurrection and ascension back to the Father, this time in His glorified humanity, Jesus kept His promise of sending the Holy Spirit, who is the manifestation of God’s Love in man. (John 14:16, 26; 15:7). Two passage of scripture comes to mind which we are all familar. Jesus Himself proclaimed this plan of God to give His Love to man, saying, “For God (the Father) so Love the world, that He one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). By ‘eternal life’ it conveys the Love relationship of the Father and Son which exists in their  eternal existence before the created world and universe. Yes, Jesus is the doorway into this eternal Love-relationship between the Father and the Son. Paul tells us how God’s Love is embedded into human life, “For we know how dearly God Love us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His Love” (Rom.5:5). The Love of God (the Love relationship of the Father and Son) has been poured in our hearts through the Spirit who has made the human body a temple in which to live. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Cor.16:9).

Let me now explain what has holds back the Love of God from manifesting in man. The prophet tells us what the devil has done to the heart of man when he deceived Adam and Eve. He made man adversarial and rebellious toward God as he himself is. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked (rebellious). Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jer.17:9) The prophet says, “We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows…we are like the dead… Our sins testify against us.” (Isa.59:9, 10, 12) That is the first base we have to pass when we are dealing with God’s Love – rebellion! Rebellion is the door which shuts God’s Love from man.

The Bible says that “rebellion is the sin of divination.” (1Sam.15:23) Divination has to do with evil fallen angels whose sin before man’s creation on earth was the sin of rebellion against God. (Isa.14:12-15; Ezek.28:13-15; Jude 1:6) Rebellion is part of man’s nature who has been held captive by the devil since Adam’s fall. Paul tells us, “Our struggle (with rebellion) is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph.6:12). Hence, when the Spirit rested upon Jesus after His baptism in the Jordan by John, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to enter into a titanic battle with Satan, and once and for all defeat rebellion at the very heart and core of rebellion itself – the devil himself! (Matt.4:1-11) The evil spirits of this dark world, the powers and authorities of rebellion which held sway over mankind, was defeated and Jesus sets mankind free forever.

Defeat of Rebellious Angels. John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” by Gustave Dore (Wiki Commons)

Man’s only hope is Jesus through whom we receive the Spirit who brings the Love of God to replace the rebellious heart. (Rom.5:5) Lets’ be clear about one thing, Love and rebellion are domains of the spirit world, not our physical world. What we see in our world is the result or output of the engines of Love and rebellion we can’t see, but feel their manifestations everyday in every way in our visible world. I hope we have the eyes to see that in life there are just two choices, we will always have a choice between Love and rebellion. The circumstance, nuance, and dynamics of life maybe different, but ultimately they rests upon these two major spiritual engines of life. We may call our decisions by myriads of name, but they originate from two trees: we must decipher our actions and answer from one of the two trees will we eat: the tree of life (Love), or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (rebellion). (Gen.2:9)

As long as we are humans, rebellion is an intrinsic part of our human nature. But God gives us His Love in His Spirit to nullify and overcome its influence. How does the Spirit does His work of dealing with man’s rebellion? Jesus succinctly utilizes a meaningful metaphor to convey this. He calls man a river, saying “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in Me. He was speaking of the Holy Spirit.” (John 7:37-38) The river has two parts, the riverbed (man), and its waters which flow through it (Spirit/Love). Jesus said if we believe in Him as Savior who delivers us from the clutches of the devil, He will replace the rebellious spirit with the gift of the Spirit whose Love will flow in us like “living waters” (John 7:38). The rebellious spirit had “deathly waters” in us, is now replaced by the Spirit’s “living waters” in man, the riverbed. Our calling and destiny is the way God has charted the river to flow in a prescribed course through the valley and community assigned to each of us. Rivers don’t change course, meaning God has given us a unchanging destiny that begins and ends with Him. He is the mountain from which rivers flow, and the ocean where all rivers gather. Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 22:13). All the putrid, disgusting, smelly odor of the riverbed (man’s rebellious heart) is flushed out and now completely covered by the Spirit so it can’t be seen or felt. All that’s seen is the Spirit covering man in the cloak of “living waters.” That is how God removes the darkness of man’s rebellious mind. When you think about it, that is exactly the way the devil has covered man in his foul “deathly waters” since Adam. Now God our Father, in His Love and compassion has reversed the condition to make His Spirit flow in man’s riverbed.

Dove, Symbol of Holy Spirit, Power of God’s Love in Man

Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” (brainyquote.com) Man must understand without any shadow of doubt where he stands, and why he needs saving. Man’s nature is bound to his rebellious heart, so much so, the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer.17:9). How can human life be lived in Love from this level of consciousness? If we will not change, Paul says, “Because of your stubbornness (rebellion) and your unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom.2:5). Think of rebellion as the spirit that’s always lying beneath us in our riverbed, and becomes exposed for all its putrid features when the “living waters” of the Spirit subsides to a dangerously low level. Hence, we are admonished, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1Thes.5:19). So, the Spirit can be quenched. We do not live a life of animals, immovable in our instincts, we are humans made in the image of God who walks and lives in freedom, like the Tri-Personal Being of God does. So, our only hope is to be filled to our river banks with the “living waters” (Spirit). We must always be on our guard against this uncovering decline in the “living waters” of Love. Realize rebellion and Love can never co-exist. And if at times we may slide, we have a Savior and High Priest in heaven, Jesus, to restore us in the Spirit’s Love. Be thankful because God’s work of sanctification in the Spirit will remove all rebellion.

If the answer to rebellion is Love, then Christ alone brings deliverance and is the full expression of the Father’s Love in and to man. But we have answered that in the first post mentioned in my introduction. 

So, the answer to rebellion is the death of the old self, the “false self,” and the birth of the new self, the “true self” in Christ’s deliverance. So we read Paul’s affirmation in this regard, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live (“false self”), but Christ lives in me (“true  self”).” (Gal.2:20a) This passage is clear about one thing, an incarnation has taken place and the believer has morphed from his old self to his new self in Christ. This is the reality which exist in God’s divine realm, as man is reincarnated from who he was in his rebellious nature, into who he is in Christ’s Loving nature. He’s a new man natured in the Love of God. So, Paul continues, “The life I now live in the body, I live by the faith of Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal.2:20b) Yes, it’s a rebirth, it’s deliverance! Jesus Himself said “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should be surprised at My saying, ‘You must be born again.” (John 3:6-7). We are given new birth to experience the Love of the Father and the Son from and into all eternity.

In my next blog post I will discuss the subject of surrender. Without surrender, defeating rebellion is not possible.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bulamanriver.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                                  (Your Servant in Christ)    

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

 

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information.

Greetings friends! We may have heard the saying, “Patience is a virtue!” Or, “Good things come to those who wait.” Of course, for patience is listed as a fruit of God’s divine Love: “Love is patient” (1 Cor.13:4). If patience is virtuous, them impatience is meanness.

“The Seven Virtues” – Patience (Temperance) at Front Second Left. Chapel in Sant’Eustorgio Church in Milan, Italy. (Wiki Commons)

How many times in a day or week does setbacks (of whatever kind) affect us and makes us upset, and even angry because we don’t have the patience to be cool, calm, and collected? Impatience leads to emotional stress which takes its toll upon our health and well-being. One of the root cause of depression is the lack of patience to deal with stressful situations. So we get upset easily. Life will always bring many demands upon us, and unless we are prepared for them, especially emotionally, we will live in the cycle of impatience and impulsiveness and become inadvertently unkind to ourselves. So, we can see that patience brings tons of virtue into your life – if you know how to practice it. Let’s talk patience today!

Here’s what we don’t fully realize about the subject, impatience is a meanness we impose upon ourselves, rather than someone else inflicting it upon us. We are the practitioner of impatience which makes us act rashly – it’s like shooting ourselves in the foot – pardon the pun! And, of course, it affects our relationship with others. How many times have we jettisoned something good for our lives because we lack the patience to act rationally, and stay the course. Sadly, most people try to justify their actions, and they are none the wiser. So they enter into this vicious cycle of exasperation and emotional roller coaster.

Be kind to yourself today, and let the virtue of patience shine into your life. We will face trials and tribulations and will make mistakes along the way, so be patient with yourself. Learn how patience can give you a well-deserved rest from the cycle of impatience you may find yourself. Today I will share with you just one point that can turn your life around so that patience can dominate your life like never before. But first things first. This is a vicious habit that has held untold numbers of people captive for most of their lives. So, you have to keep an open mind, and be willing to change. Here’s the one point we must observe: WAIT! Yes, wait! Patience is having the capacity to wait. Impatience means you’re incapacitated in this activity of waiting. Listen to what the Bible tells us, “Wait on the Lord!” (Psa. 27:14). It’s a very simple and straight forward call to a reality believers will always face. It’s a statement of reality we cannot dodge in our relationship with the God who Loves us unconditionally.

But what are we waiting on the Lord for? And that my friends is the right question when we consider this vital topic about patience and waiting. We “wait on the Lord” to deliver us according to His promises. In another passage from the Psalms, it says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psa.37:7). We find “rest” in the Lord’s promises which gives us patience. His promises are based on His Love for us. The Psalmist writes, “He remembers His covenant forever, the Promise He made, for a thousand generations” (Psa.105:8), The story of the Bible is one of His people patiently waiting on Him to deliver them according to His promise. Waiting is futile if it is an end in itself. On the other hand, if we are focused merely on the mundane dreams of this life, of what value is that? Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul,” or his true destiny, his divine calling? All God’s promises originate and spring from the covenant promise ratified in Jesus’ blood. Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant promise. (Heb.8:6; 9:15) To view the many promises of God, you may go to this helpful web site: www.scripturepromises.com. Or, you can go to a Christian bookstore and find a book on the subject of God’s promise. In this web site, you will find God’s promises for every need to help you in your faith-walk. It is by no means exhaustive, but it is a good starting point. Peter was inspired to write, “He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world by sinful desires” (2 Pet.1:4). When we partake of the divine nature through Jesus we enter into the eternal Love relationship of the Father and Son, and through the Spirit God showers His Love upon us. (John 17:23-24; Rom.5:5) That’s worth everything waiting for.

Moses Viewing The “Promise Land.” The Nation of Israel Was Born Out of Promise God made To Abraham. Illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible. (Wiki Commons)

We live in a world of instant gratification where waiting and patience is almost a nonsensical word. How unfortunate! We want things done yesterday, not now! Think of the modern day cell phone. What is its most attractive feature? Isn’t it the ability to give instant access to people and information, or many other features for that matter? There’s nothing wrong with obtaining information, but success will come to those who knows how to decipher information relevant to the present as it relates to their purpose. Success is about using the right information at the the right time for the right purpose. We can be distracted and deluged by information overload. We don’t know how to live with it, let alone what to do. If we are not vigilant, we can get caught up in this insidious appetite for instant gratification. The Bible says, “In your patience possess your souls” (Luk.21:19).The key is to know your place and purpose in life, and never deviate from it, but “patiently wait on the Lord” to take us forward in His Love. Listen, Paul said, “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything, tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done” (Phi.4:6). Yes, millions of people are lost in this world of information overload, and without guidance they are heading in directions which lead to dead-ends and cul-de-sacs.  

I’m no different from you. I have suffered at the hands impatience for too long, and have broken dreams to show for it. We are all in this together. I have spoken much about the “Triune Life” in my blogs. It teaches me never to look inside myself for answers, because the answers which bring true success and happiness is not found in the human heart. The “Triune Life” means a collaborative life we live with the Father, through the Son in the Spirit’s move in our lives. The Spirit who dwells in us reveals the will of the Father and Jesus in our lives as John affirms clearly: “He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak and declare the things to come” (John 16:13-15; 2 Tim.2:25-26). It’s a life of faith through which we process information about God, His promises, neighbor, and self. That’s the “Triune Life,” it’s based on the miraculous activity of the Spirit of God in your life and mine. How does it happen – all it takes is to receive Jesus and confess Him as your Savior who has rescued you from the devil who held you captive in sin all your life. (Matt.4:1-11) He frees us to live the “Triune Life” so we can claim His promises which brings true life. (1 Tim.6:19)

If you were to read an article on patience from a secular source, or hear a talk on the subject, you will find it points you to resources that’s humanistic in its philosophy and application – how to handle setbacks, count to ten before a decision, deep breathing, persistence, be calm, turn anger off, positive thinking, meditate, etc, etc. You will not find a write-up like this one because it’s not asking you to search for your own answers in yourself, or from secular sources, but where true answers have been, and will always remain – in the Spirit of God. This is what the collaborative life in the Trinity means.

So, we see patience is about waiting, and waiting is about holding onto God’s promises for us. We will call this the patience slogan – “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently on the Lord!” (Psa. 37:7). It’s very direct, and simple to understand.

Jesus gave a parable showing how people respond to God, and provides four different people types in life. (Luk. 8:4-15) Let’s quickly look at this parable in the context of our patience slogan: “Wait on the Lord.” Jesus uses the metaphor of soil types to represent people, and the seeds sown upon them to represent their response in life. The seed is God’s word. The first soil type is an unploughed field like a path, where the seeds fell but fails to germinate and is eaten by birds. Jesus said, they “are those hear the word but the devil comes and snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved.” In other words, they are just outright doubters. The second soil type has many rocks and stones so there’s not enough moisture where the seed can take root and grow. Jesus said they “are those who receive the word with joy, they believe for a while, but in times of testing, they fall away” because they have no roots. These people stumble easily under pressure. The third soil type had many thorns and weeds which choked the seeds to death. Jesus said they “are those who hear, but as they go their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature,” but die. They are people who are easily tempted and led away by their desires for material stuff. The fourth soil type is where seeds fell on good, rich soil and grew into a tree which produce a bumper crop. Jesus said they “are those with noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and through patience produce a harvest” of peace, joy, abundance, and Love. They are the people who have the patience to “wait on the Lord” to show them the way to go. Notice, the main element in the good soil is patience. The question is, which type are we?

The Parable of The Sower. Brooklyn Museum – James Tissot. (Wiki Commons)

Patience has to be grounded in faith. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). Through faith we overcome our doubts which the devil feeds upon, and we anchor our lives upon the promises of God. This is the living faith of Jesus. It is the Spirit who lives and moves in us who brings this kind of faith to life. Paul said, “The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who Loves me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20). So straightaway we see that if doubt can be instilled by the devil to make us impatient and not “wait on the Lord,” then the Spirit can likewise fill us with the faith of Jesus to make us patiently wait for the Spirit’s move. As I have often said in my blog, the “Triune Life” we live is a miraculous life made possible in the Spirit who move in our lives.

James says this about the trials of life and how faith and patience have their place in our lives, “The trying of your faith produce patience. Let patience finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (Jam.1:3-4). So, faith  energizes patience in us to produce an outcome we see in God’s promises. Imagine peace of mind, imagine confidence and assurance, imagine a joy that’s out of this world, imagine enduring hope, contentedness, abundance, and generosity. These are things money cannot buy. These are conditions included in God’s promises for His people. They are produced only by living in a certain way. When we rest our lives on God and wait on Him, He promises to show up for us every time. The Bible says, “Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed” (Psa.25:3a). God says, “Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be disappointed” (Isa.49:23b).

Although the many promises of the Bible may be general in its application for all, there is a promise that’s specific for you as a person, as God’s child. All our children have birthdays, and we treat them uniquely because they are all different and special. God does the same to each and every human. He gifted us differently because we have dreams that are unique to each of us. All our dreams are merely reflections of the greatness of God and His magnanimous Love for us. Think of the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob. As a boy God gave him a dream so grand it would blow anyone’s mind if he knew what it meant. The dream was a promise from God. God had planned for Joseph to become the leader of the nation like America is to the world today – that’s what Egypt was to the ancient world. He was going to save the known world at the time from a worldwide famine. But did God tell him the meaning of his dream? No, he was given symbols, signs, dreams, and metaphors, but Joseph did not know its meaning exactly, and how and when it would pan out. Sometimes, if not many times, we are not ready for the things we desire in God’s plan for us, and so the reason for “waiting” (patience) is so He prepares us before He orchestrates its fulfillment. The Bible says it like this concerning your personal destiny, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph.3;20). The road which leads to that beautiful place is called patience. Arnold H Glasgow said, “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” What this tells us is, His dreams for us is beyond our wildest imagination that if He told us when we are not ready for it, we will probably not believe it because it is too good to be true. And we have heard it said that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. But it is indeed true, because it’s God’s promise, not man’s.

You will recall that Joseph was sold a slave by his brothers at the tender age of seventeen. He was sold in the slave market of Egypt, but what kept him going through the thick and thin of life was his dream. Though he did not know its true meaning, he knew it was something from God, and it was good and it captivated his imagination. He went through many trials and tribulations, even being unjustly thrown in prison. Joseph’s faith never wavered, for he rested his hopes in his dream – God’s personal promise for his life. It was not until Joseph appeared before Pharaoh to interpret his dream, that his own dream had come full circle to converge in this majestic throne of Egypt which he was about to ascend to become second in command in all Egypt. Now he understood his dream. What followed is history.

We all have dreams. But to have a dream like Joseph’s, where a dream has the power to captivate you in the very depth of your soul – that, my friends, God alone can give you. Dreams like that is locked in everyone’s DNA which God alone can manifest. And the good news is He has done that for you and I through His Son. By giving us His Son as our Savior and Mediator, our Father blesses us with His Spirit to keep us in His Love. The Spirit which kept Joseph’s dream alive in his heart, will keep our personal dreams alive, and bring us to its fulfillment. The Bible says, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luk.11:13). What Joseph went through is not human effort alone, but it was the Spirit who orchestrated and brought His dream to reality. All you need is ask, and your Father in heaven will give you a dream to die for. The Spirit will lead you, prepare and bring you to your dream’s grand finale as He did with Joseph.

White Dove, Symbol of Holy Spirit. Principal Gift From God to Man. (Wiki Commons)

But here is the problem with many of us – even believers. How many of us believe that wherever we find ourselves today, we are always in the middle of God’s will in the dynamics of His destiny for us? Even in times of trial, as it was with Joseph, we are standing right in the center of His purpose of bringing us to our dreams. It is unfortunate that many of us see trials as an end in itself, and focus on trying to wiggle out of them, instead of being fixated on the big picture and see what the Spirit is orchestrating before our eyes. And then we murmur about living meaningless lives. We often forget an important promise concerning trials, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Cor.10:13). In other words, He will not allow the trial/s to exasperate us to the point of discouragement and hopelessness. 

Through patience we are not only mindful of our destination (dream), but patience gives us the heart to enjoy the journey. Yes, it’s in the journey that we take the necessary steps to reach our destination. For that reason we ought to find joy in the journey, for the destination will automatically unfold itself like it did for Joseph before Pharaoh. Yes, most times it is not so much about the destination as it is about the journey itself. We can’t wait in idleness because God’s work is in constant movement – often we forget that. Jesus said, “My Father is working until now (constantly), and I Myself am working (constantly)” (John 5:17). God’s purpose is always on the move. Jesus said, “From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it” (Matt.11:12, God’s Word). When we evade the journey (trials) our lives are in idle mode. Jesus is saying, “Seize the moment.” There is no idle time in God’s purpose for you.

Paul says, “Be joyful always. Never stop praying” (1 Thes.5:16-17). What do we pray for? Jesus taught us, “Your will be done…” (Matt.6:10). In other words, you are praying that God’s dream and destiny for you (like Joseph’s dream), and all the circumstances you will encounter this day, He will give you the capacity to see they are attractants that’s spontaneously drawing you to your dreams. People don’t choose who they become, their dream choose who they become.  A musician does not find his music, his music finds him. An author does not find his subject to write about, his subject finds him. An entrepreneur does not find his niche, his niche finds him. An artist becomes one because the calling is locked in the person’s gift. We are all free to accept or reject the prompts of our gifts. When we invert this basic truth, we’ll live like “square pegs in round holes” – we become misfits and live meaningless lives.

Many have defined success as being in the right place at the right time. However, no one can tell you how to do it successfully every time. It means the reverse is also true, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, then its consequence is failure. But let me tell you emphatically, you are one of the blessed, because you are always in the right place, you are always in the right time, and what you’re experiencing is not coincidence. And if that is your conviction, then you know you can live and act with self-assurance and integrity. How do I know that? Because God’s promise says, “All things work together for good for those who Love God and are called according to His purpose” (Rom.8:28). “All things” means in every circumstance and situation God’s purpose is at work. “According to His purpose” means all things to do with your dream-life. Your dream is God’s promise for your life. A promise is good only as long as we wait for it. A promise fulfilled is no longer a promise, you don’t look forward to it. Paul said it this way, “But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Rom.8:25). Waiting instills patience. It takes living faith to live in this way.

I ask the question at the beginning, how many times in a day or week does setbacks (of whatever kind) affect us and makes us upset, and even angry? Don’t, be patient for you are in the middle of God’s will for your life. Assess your life situation and ask, am I living in His Love and doing all that is right and proper before Him? “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it, ” James tells us (Jam.4;17). Always give thanks for everything He has done. I will conclude with the serenity prayer which is relevant for this subject of patience:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

“In your patience, possess your souls” (Luk.21:19).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write to me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing:-

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bulamanriver.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                                  (Your Servant in Christ) 

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Greetings friends everywhere! This may be the most important editorial I have posted thus far. For it has to do with the purpose of life and why we draw the breath of life. I share this with you as we enter the year 2016. I wish you all a Happy and Blessed New Year!

God made humans to be the receptacle for His divine Love. “God is Love” – that’s the “image and likeness” in which He created humans, and His one desire and purpose for making man. (1 John  4:8; Gen. 1:26-27). In this write-up, I would like to present with unambiguous clarity how God Loves man and how His divine Love enters the life and heart of man. First, man express human love all the time, but his narrative of love, no matter how good and noble he may try to convince himself of its benefit, is not the divine Love of God by any means at all. The prophet Isaiah said, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on Your Name or strives to lay hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have given us over to our sins” (Isa. 64:6-7).

Since Adam’s downfall at the hands of the devil in Eden, man’s nature has been under his evil sway, and man’s heart has never seen the light of God’s divine Love. By saying, “all our righteous acts (human love) are like filthy rags,” the Scripture is pointing us to the “tree of the fruit of good and evil” we partake of as Adam had done. (Gen.2:17) Paul said, “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom.3:10; Psa.14:1). Remember though, the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was in Eden, and therefore in God’s presence. So, all human “good and evil” exists within the sovereignty of God. That’s to say, human goodness is from God but not of God for everything exists within His sovereign will. Nothing escapes Him. Isaiah quotes God, thus, “I form light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isa.45:7).  

Often Asked, Seldom Understood – What Exactly Is God’s Love? (Pic: Wiki Commons)

Those are pretty straight shooting claims. So, there is no reservation whatsoever, our narrative of human love as we see it, is anything but divine Love. Like human life is not divine life, neither is human love, divine Love. But everything exists within His sovereign will. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. You must be born again.” (John 3:6-7). It cannot be more plain and simple than that. Humans can reproduce only human love, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual Love. (Rom.5:5) Jesus is the second Adam (or human) who opens the way to receive the divine Love. (John 14:6; 1 Cor.15:45)

God has given man the human mind with the potential to comprehend spiritual matters unlike any other species in creation. He gave man a mind like His, with decision-making ability, because He wanted man to comprehend and live in His divine likeness. In his fallen and depraved state of existence, he cannot become a receptacle of the divine Love which regenerates him. Something has to change, and change at a primordial level. His nature has to undergo a wholesale transformation, in fact, he has to be given a complete new life – literally! Jesus tells us, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom unless they are born with water and the Holy Spirit. You must all be born again” (John 3:5,7; Rom.5:5). Jesus is speaking of a reincarnation. Just as Jesus stepped into our human existence in His incarnation and became the prophesied Immanuel, so must we step into His divine life in our spiritual reincarnation to enter into His Love relationship with the Father. (Isa. 7:14; Matt.1:23) Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor.5:17-19).

God Loves man absolutely, beyond what our human minds can think or imagine, so much so He did not spare His Son but gave Him up for us. We have to understand the primary reason why the Father gave His Son. We have heard repeatedly Jesus died to save man from his sins, and rightly so. But we have not been told why. He is not merely Savior, but an ongoing Mediator in His High-Priestly role in heaven before our Father. He died not merely to save man from his sins, but what man’s sinless state would bring him. And here is the crux of the matter which is hardly taught, if ever – God can Love humans, only if man enters into the eternal Love relationship of the Father and the Son.

Listen to what Jesus affirmed before the disciples in His prayer to the Father, shortly before He was crucified, “You (Father) have Loved Me from the foundation of the world” (John 17:24b, emphasis added). Jesus said, “As the Father has Loved me, so have I Loved you. Now remain in My Love” (John 15:9). Before time was, from eternity, this was the only activity of God – the Father was continuously Loving His Son, and the Son was always Loving the Father. Each found fullness in each other in communion with the Spirit. Of course, if “God is Love,” then that is all He does – He Loves!. (1 John 4:8). This Love relationship between the Father and the Son has been flourishing and blooming from eternity, and will continue forever. It is hard to imagine such a Love with our fallen, depraved, and limited human minds, but the Spirit enters our hearts and reveals the deep things of God. (1 Cor. 2:10) 

Human Mind – Possessing the Spiritual Spark for Repository of the Divine Love (Wiki Commons)

Remember this, the divine Love of God cannot exist outside of His Triune relationship. The most basic and pivotal knowledge man can have is to understand God is Trinitarian, so is His Love. It is the basis for which God spontaneously and organically connects Himself to man through His Son, and in the power of the Spirit. This Love relationship between the Father and the Son is the spring from which the divine Love is channeled to man through the Spirit. “God’s Love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom.5:5). Humans cannot claim a separate relationship with God outside of the Love He has with His Son. Hence, Jesus said, “I am the Gate for the sheep. Anyone refusing to walk through the Gate into a sheepfold, who sneaks over the wall, must surely be a thief! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The Gatekeeper opens the gate to Him and the sheep recognize His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He gets them all out, He leads them and they follow because they are familiar with His voice” (John 10: 7b, 1-4).

There are only three Persons in the Trinity, man is not the fourth being in the union, God has always been Triune, and will continue to be so for eternity. Rather, man can only stand in Jesus if he is to be united in Love with the Triune God. And Jesus has done this by becoming the Immanuel, and becoming mankind’s Door into the Triune Life and Love of God. Man does not lose his separate and unique personality and become lost in a giant banana pudding, so to speak. God blesses each human with unique gifts with the freedom to express themselves as individual persons in Christ. Human personhood is fashioned after the image of God who is three distinct but unified Persons. Paul said the purpose of life is to “know and experience the Love of Christ – though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Eph.3:19). Love is God’s singular motivation, it is impossible for Him to exist in any other way but in His holy Love!

Man’s sinful and depraved state of being prevents the divine Love from entering the human heart. Only through removal from his sin condition, and substituted by the Spirit’s Love condition, can he enter into the divine Love relationship of the Father and the Son. (Rom.8:1; John 17:23; John 15:4-5) This is what Jesus has done once for all when He took our humanity in Himself and died as our Savior on Calvary. This is what Jesus came to do – He took up our humanity and glorified man in His perfect human life, His death, resurrection, and ascension, and literally begot (incarnate) and unified mankind into the Love relation He had with His Father from eternity. Paul said this, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6).

If Jesus had not come as the Immanuel (“God with us”), there was no other way for God to Love man, nor for the divine Love to enter human life so man can Love God. He took our humanity and included us in His Love relationship with His Father. Man is incapable of Loving God perfectly in a separate and independent relationship because he is not holy as God would have him to make a Loving relationship possible. But God made a way for man – only another God could Love God the Father perfectly and unconditionally in holy union, and He is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “You must remain in My Love. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit (Love); apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4, 5). In other words, we must be anchored in His life and Love, so as our Substitute and Shepherd, we can vicariously enter into His eternal Love relationship with His Father, and our Father.

Divine Love Springs Solely From The Life of The Trinity. Rublev’s Icon of the Holy Trinity (Wiki Commons)

The divine Love can only be lived within the realm in which Love exists – not outside it! I cannot claim God’s Love independently outside of Jesus’ mediation. I have to be anchored in His life and His Love to enter into a Love relationship with our Father. Why, because only Jesus can Love God perfectly and unconditionally, and man Love the Father through and in Jesus (Immanuel). Only by entering into that circle of Love between the Father and the Son, can Love enter the human condition so man is regenerated by the Spirit.

John was inspired to write, “See how great a Love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him (Jesus). Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He (Jesus) appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is (glorified human). And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3). By saying, “See how great a Love,” it is telling us something that’s beyond human love. Mankind had never seen nor tasted this divine Love until Jesus came and revealed it to man – first to the 12 disciples and the rest of humanity. Sin must first be removed, so we can enter into and participate in their holy union of Love.

Jesus prayed to the Father, “The glory (Love) you have given Me I have given them, that they may be one, just as we are one” (John 17:22). This “glory” means the Love activity that has eternally existed between the Father and the Son which united them as one God. Jesus asked the Father that the disciples may “see My glory which You have given Me, for You have Loved Me from before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Jesus wanted the disciples and His followers to not only see, but step into and participate in this glorious existence of Love between the Father and the Son. He prayed the Father that they may experience this divine Love relationship which existed from eternity, and continues after Jesus ascension back to the Father, and will exist for all eternity. He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you Love one another” ( John 13:35). John said, “Whoever does not Love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). Jesus prayer was the Father’s will from the start – for together in their Loving purpose, they planned to create and have humans enter and experience their Love relationship.

In this activity of divine Love, we Love our fellow humans, like Jesus did when He walked this earth, doing nothing but good by healing all who came to him. (Act. 10:38)  I become an extension of the Triune God in their intense self-giving Love for each other as they have always lived from eternity, and extend that in my relationship with another. Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have Loved you. Greater love has no one than this – to lay down one’s life for one’s friend. You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:11-14). Jesus gives us all a purpose and calling through which His Love is dispensed to God first, and secondly to our neighbors. (Luk.10:27) Remember, we cannot Love God and our fellow man unless we enter Christ’s life so we can receive the divine Love, and through the Spirit be empowered to do the divine will. (Rom.5:5; 2 Tim.1:7) Jesus was the only human who Loved God perfectly, and we Love because He has already done it for us, thus, we Love God and neighbor vicariously in Him. “Whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness, and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor.1:30). Paul said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God, who Loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Yes, He is our life now!

Fruits of The Spirit – Face of God’s Divine Love (Wiki Commons)

Of course, this divine Love is not entirely transcendent and nonphysical, nor is it incomprehensible. Jesus revealed the face of the divine Love when he went about doing nothing but good and healing all who came to Him. He brought healing to the sick and crippled, relief to those oppressed by evil, He raised the dead, fed the thousands, and finally dying for our sins at the cross. When it comes to God’s divine Love, Paul catalogs the moral inclinations of God’s divine Love showing how it affects our everyday human existence. In his letter to the Corinthians he reveals the fruits of the divine Love, yet, this is not entirely exhaustive, for Love is ultimately the life and move of the Spirit in our lives. It is something personable and intimate, not legalistic. But it gives us a window into His Loving nature: *The fruit of patience, *the fruit of kindness, *the fruit of contentedness,  *the fruit of being modest and unboastful, *the fruit of humility, *the fruit of honor, *the fruit of unselfishness, *the fruit of calmness and dignity, *the fruit of forgiveness, the fruit compassion, *the fruit of delighting in good and shunning evil, *the fruit of tolerance, *the fruit of responsibility, *the fruit of enduring hope, *the fruit of steadfast perseverance, *the fruit of joy, *the fruit of peace, *the fruit of goodness, *the fruit of faith, *the fruit of gentleness, and *the fruit of self-control. All these and other traits reveal to us how the Father and Son Loved each other from eternity. The fruits of the Spirit spells one thing: the power behind God’s Love. Jesus could not have done the good works if He was not cloaked by these Love fruits. For example, He showed gripping compassion for human suffering with the Spirit empowering His miraculous activity and ministry. (Act. 10:38) It was not human love but divine Love.

I must say that when the fruits of the Spirit is mentioned, most view them academically through the lens of human self-improvement. We live powerless lives when we do. We miss the fact that the “tree of good and evil” also produce counterfeits of the divine fruits. For every divine work of the Spirit, there’s a competing work of the flesh that’s of the devil. (2 Cor.11:13-15) For example, humans may show kindness, but it is the underlying motive that determines its roots in authenticity (Love) or vanity (fear).

In closing, Jesus gives us the metaphor of a river telling us how God’s Spirit, carrying the divine Love, flows through man. “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink.  Does anyone believe in Me? Then, just as Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from inside them.” When He said this, He meant the Holy Spirit” (John 7:37-39). There is one undeniable truth about rivers, they never stop flowing. It’s called hydrology. Hydrology is “flow” and is the central driving force of a river’s ecology. “Flow” means movement and life. So is the divine Love of God flowing in man. Man is the riverbed, and the Spirit is the “living waters” (Love) which flows in him. The riverbed is charted by God to the specific valley it is ‘called’ to water and replenish. Man and Spirit flows into the valley of people he is called to water and bring life. Without hydrology or “flow” of water, the river’s existence comes to a swift end. There’s only one way a river dies – the riverbed dries up for lack of water. Flow means action, it means life, and it spells the river’s mission in life. Hence, we are told “do not quench the Spirit.” Do not put out the Spirit’s “fire” (1 Thess. 5:19). To quench the Spirit is to empty your life of God’s Love (“living waters”). Whatever happens, never empty your riverbed!

God’s Love – Like a River of Living Waters Which Never Runs Dry (John 7:38-39) (Wiki Commons)

This is the heart and core of the Gospel. There is no other Gospel. The Gospel is Jesus Christ Himself! It is about the Messiah who came to take our humanity, glorified us in Himself, so we can take our place in His divinity and enjoy the Father’s Love. He died to restore us to right standing with the Father, so that we can enter into their Love relationship for all eternity. He gave us the gift of the Spirit to keep us safe on this earth for Himself. The Spirit is constantly taking us into Jesus glorified humanity as our High Priest in heaven so we can ever be with the Father in the Spirit – even in this human life now, and forever in immortality in the resurrection.

Paul was inspired to write, “If I can understand all the secret things of God and know everything about Him. And suppose I have enough faith to move mountains. If I don’t have Love, I am nothing at all. Suppose I give everything I have to poor people. And suppose I give myself over to a difficult life so I can brag. If I don’t have Love, I get nothing at all.” He goes on to say that if we master many languages and even speak the language of angels, and have not Love, we are just a loud gong which reveal the emptiness of our hearts. (1 Cor.13:1-3).

And why do we live like God does in His Triune Love? Because any other way opposite to God’s outgoing Love is destructive and leads to death. Sadly, that’s what we see much of in the world today. And that’s why we are nothing if His Love does not motivate our every thought, word, and deed.

So, friends, that in a nutshell is how God Loves humans and how we become recipients and receptacle of God’s divine Love in His Son and through the fellowship of the Spirit. God’s Love is for all humanity, for Jesus said, “God so Loved the world (all mankind) that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16) I hope you too can believe and receive His Love in faith.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the writer in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.* 

Blessing:

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you always. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in 2016.

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                          (Your Servant in Christ)   

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

It is with a heavy heart that I greet you all today. The whole world has heard France cry out, “Paris est Charlie” (Paris is Charlie) after the wholesale slaughter of innocent journalists of Charlie Hebdo (French for Weekly Charlie), a weekly magazine featuring cartoons, reports, and jokes. The newspaper has attracted worldwide attention, whose depiction of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, have been cited as the reason for this heinous attack. Our profound condolences are with the families and friends of the bereaved, and the nation of France. Although respect for others is a common denominator in human relations, nothing justifies the wholesale slaughter of innocent people.

This senseless attack has galvanized the French people, abhorrent and at the same time defiant, to say nothing of fear. The Bible says that “a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God” (John 16:2). This is what makes this kinds of acts so resolute because the perpetrators believe they are dispensers of God’s judgment. So, let’s talk about this important topic of judgment today. 

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France (Wiki Commons)

The word judgment, in the Bible, is principally used in the context of redemption, not wrath and punishment, as many presume. The word judgment in Hebrew has a different meaning in English. Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world, that whosoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness. If any one hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world (redemption). He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day” (John 12:47-48 RSV, emphasis added). This tells us of a judgment which is redemptive (now/today), and the judgment at the “last day” (future). Continuing with Jesus’ discourse on the topic, He goes on to say, “For I did not speak on My own (about judgment/redemption), but the Father who sent Me to say all that I have spoken. I know that His commands leads to eternal life. So whatever I say (about judgment/redemption) is just what the Father has told me to say.” (V.49-50, emphasis added). Jesus said, “I judge no one,” and eventually gave His own life as our Savior. Judgment is essentially about eternal life God offers humanity, and is brought to reality in the choices (responsibility) we make in life in the Spirit. In other words, we become our own judge through our decisions and actions – whether for good or evil!

The Bible makes an emphatic statement, while asking a pertinent question about judgment, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy (God). But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?” (Jam.4:12, emphasis added). God is well and able to carry out judgment (punishment) as He sees fit. But for now, His judgment is about man’s redemption, not punishment. When James says, “Who are you to judge,” it applies to each and everyone of us, no matter which side the hammer of justice falls. What then is God’s redemptive work today? If we can see the picture of the final judgment, it will give us a clue what His redemptive work is today, because how we live our lives has everything to do with it. I will present two scenarios about judgment that’s now (redemption), and the final judgment to come when all humanity will appear before God to give account.

Jesus’ view of judgment at the last day ties man back to the purpose of judgment and redemption now. God does not leave us ignorant of the future judgment by which humans will be judged. In other words, they are connected. It means you are I have no excuse. The final judgment picture is going on now in the present redemptive focus, it goes like this, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters, you did it for Me.’ Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For when I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, and the righteous to eternal life”  (Matt.25:31-46). There’s absolutely no ambiguity about the final judgment and its connection to our present reality today.

How is it that Jesus becomes the reality we see in every person we meet? Because God’s redemptive work in humanity is to owe no one anything but the “debt of Love” (Rom.13:8). Jesus’ life in the Gospels is about God’s Love for humanity. This is the divine motivation of life as God intended from the beginning when He made man in His image of Love (Gen1:26-27). Every human is made in the Love-image of the Creator, and every person is made to be a beneficiary of God’s Love. Just as we are made in his Love- image, we are to be dispensers of His Love. (Gen1:26-27; Rom.8:29; John 1:1-3) It is for the very reason that we are redeemed that we are being judged now and will in the final judgment in the future. Redemption today is about our future judgment. Peter said, “For it is time for judgment (right living/redemption) to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God” (1 Pet.4:7, ESV, emphasis added). Life’s outcome will be according to how we take responsibility for our actions. Make no mistake, we are being judged now as we take responsibility for our lives in the choices we make.

“Love of God, Love of Neighbor” (Latin) Stained Glass (Wiki Commons)

So the word judgment in its redemptive focus is more accurately rendered as ‘discernment.’ It is about decision-making. It is about how we choose to live life now in relation to the message of the Gospel. The story of the Good Samaritan depicted in the stained glass picture above comes to mind. (Luk.10:25-37) It seems the passing foible of humans today to pass judgment upon others. It is not our purpose in life to be judgmental of others, for there is only one Judge of all mankind – Jesus. (John 5:22) Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged…Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye.” (Matt.7:1, 3) Yes, we are to apply judgment personally upon ourselves and see where we lack as it concerns living responsibly in our relationship with God and our fellowman. Paul can’t be more clear when he said, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to Love one another” (Rom.13:8). Even when we see a wrong being perpetrated, this principle still applies – we are to correct the person in Love, not in judgment, knowing fully that we too need forgiveness daily. (Gal.5:26-6:1-2; Matt.6:12)

When we see wrongs perpetrated, it is not our role to become judge, jury, and executioner, but to remember the words of Jesus, “Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luk.6: 27-28). Now, Jesus puts an interesting twist to what He’s saying, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. Love your enemies” (V.32-33). Jesus wants His followers to stand out and above the ordinary and commonplace, and be a light for Him in a dark world. If we seek revenge, then where is the light, we are no better than they who live in darkness. Jesus said, “By this will everyone know you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Love is a powerful force – not love according to our human narrative, but the divine Love which God made man to be its container, and dispenser through His Spirit. God is in the business of saving people not condemning them – at least not for now. Jesus said, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17).

Recall, that when Jesus was taken to be crucified, His followers wanted to save and avenge Him. One of the disciples drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the cohorts. Jesus said to His followers, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Then Jesus says something in His defense, which many often forget, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Jesus doesn’t need us to defend Him, rather the opposite is true – we need His defense. Angels continue to be at the disposal of believers to help them carry out the will of God on earth. If Jesus could bring Himself to utter this prayer, His prayer would have been answered. But His prayer has always been, “Not My will, but Yours, Father, be done.” Then, He gave reason why He will not pray that prayer, “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matt. 26:52-54). Yes, He was ready to do the Father’s will to die on the cross as Savior for humanity’s sin. That’s God’s judgment, His redemptive act for mankind, His Love in action for all to see. Love… is more powerful than the sword. But if we choose to live by the sword, then we will perish by the sword.

But if it should become necessary to correct a situation, God says this,  “Do not take revenge. It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Yes, the Lord is well capable of looking after His own affairs. The last thing He wants is to give up our lives which He would like to use to glorify Him. The Psalmist said, “There is no mention of You in death; In the grave who will give You thanks?” Only the living can show others His praise.

Here is the good news about judgment as it concerns God’s people. For those who receive Jesus as Savior, judgment in terms of punishment has been annulled and cancelled forever. It is now essentially about the reward the Father has prepared for His children. Listen, what the Lord will say at the final judgment, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness.” (Matt.25:21, NASB; also, Rev.22:12-13) But to the one who will continue to live in rebellion, and refuse to receive God’s redemption through His Son, judgment will be about God’s wrath, “You wicked, lazy servant…throw that worthless servant outside into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (V.26, 30) Peter said, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet.3:9). So, judgment is all about living responsibly practicing the Love of God in our relationship with God and others in the redemptive focus of God’s Loving work in man. (Mark 12:30-31)

For, it will be by God’s Love that we find commonality in our humanity, where such heinous acts as we have seen in Paris, has no defense or place in civilization.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write to me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com. 

Blessing

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you in this Christmas season of the birth of Jesus the Messiah. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bula man-river.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                               (Your Servant in Christ) 

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Greetings friends, and a happy and purposeful New Year 2015 to you all!

As we depart an old year and enter a new one, we reflect on what the old has been, and what the new will bring. While we  contemplate in reflective mood over the past year we’ll find many positives, but I’m sure much negatives too, where we say, “If only I had done this and that differently…” Or, “If only I had been a little more patient…” etc, etc. We all come away with our “If only’s.” We all do, no one is immune. This is what the new year is about, it is a new beginning, a time of renewal. It is a time of new birth, and fresh perspectives.

Modern Slavery. Slavery is Not an Ancient thing – We are all Slaves to Our Own Depraved Nature

We may not realize this, but God is in the business of rescuing and renewing man from his errors into His own perfect image of divine Love. Love is not how we imagine in our human narrative, but the Bible tells us Love is all what God does, and all He can be to us in His Love. And that is why Jesus came to reveal Him to us as a Father to each one of us. He said to Mary, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God” (John 20:17). That’s what our heavenly Fathers does – He Loves, better than anything or anybody, for He is Love! (1 John 4:8) He says, “I have plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you a future you hope for.” (Jer. 29:11) Renewal is not some abstract notion we conjure up, and it has to be some concrete image we can to look up to and vie for in our heavenly Father’s Love for us.  

Recall Israel’s story, they were slaves to Egypt for 430 years. (Exo.12:40-42) Their whole way of life was living as slaves. Every day they existed in this slave mentality as we may have with our mistakes and negative outcomes which has not bode us well in the past year/s. They never knew what freedom was, like we have not known freedom from a life without crippling weaknesses and blunders. We have been prisoners to our failings which has cost us dearly in whatever way they have touched our lives and those of our loved ones. We will never be truly free until we experience life beyond the walls of our flaws that’s tied to our selfish motives. We will never be perfect, but we will receive atonement, and through it God’s Love and blessings. The new year is like the exodus Israel was given by divine intervention, to be freed from the slavery of our failings. We can keep our successes.

However, the Israelites were given their exodus from Egyptian slavery to enter into a covenant with God in the Promise Land. What finally freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery? Answer: the final miracle of the Passover! (Exo.12) They killed a lamb and used its blood for protection which pictured to them the future Messiah who would come and bring true spiritual freedom to all mankind. He came and died as an unblemished lamb to save us from our sins, wrongs, and mistakes. The covenant Israel was given defined a way of life which would set them apart from other peoples and nations. It also provided Israel with a concrete picture of who they were to become as a people culturally and in their way of life. So they had guideposts for their future. In that future God would be their partner in life to forgive their faults, flaws and slip-ups, and bless them. It was a life wrapped up in the laws they were given which reflected the Love of God. The law (ten commandments) was very personalized which required personal commitment, rather than being nationalistic in its focus. But then, a nation is only a reflection of its individual citizenry.

History tells us Israel did not keep their covenant with God. They were hauled away as slaves once more, this time to the northern kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon. They had forgotten the purpose of their freedom. God made a new covenant to replace the old when Jesus came to save His people anew. Recall, the ancient Israelites were delivered by ten miraculous events God unleashed upon obstinate Egypt. Miracles are acts of God. This tells us that our recurring faults, whether we are aware of them or not, and might I add, not a few of which we don’t have eyes to see – yet. Our Father stands ready to hand us the miracle to free us from bondage. That’s the purpose for sending His Son so He will be our eternal Mediator before Him. The Bible says this of Jesus’ ongoing work on our behalf, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Cor.1:30).

The Love of God Depicted in His Laws. Austin, State capital of Texas (Wiki Commons)

The new covenant has this picture which we emulate in the Spirit as He renews us: “This new plan I am making with Israel isn’t going to be written on paper, or chiselled in stone; this time I’m writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts. I’ll be their God, and they will be My people” (Heb.8:10) So we see that God has a plan for us – His spiritual people. If we’re focused on His plan for each of us, we will enter a miraculous life where His Son will provide atonement, and His Spirit will give us the wherewithal to live with renewed energy, purpose, and freedom. Miracle means God has a hand in our lives. 

I will close with a favorite passage of scripture, “I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you a future you hope for.” (Jer. 29:11) 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com. 

Blessing

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you in this Christmas season of the birth of Jesus the Messiah. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bula man-river.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                            (Your Servant in Christ)  

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

Greetings again friends! Let’s continue with God’s story about man. Again, may I wish you all the joys of Christmas, and a reward-filled New Year, 2015.

We have seen the Why, What, and How of God’s story of man that began with Christmas in parts 1 and 2. Let’s answer the final question, When? 

The account of Jesus birth was recorded by Luke in this way, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to his own town to register.  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:1-20) This is the most beautiful and inspiring part of God’s story about man. For in it we witness the humblest manner God chose for His Son to enter our human world through the virgin Mary, in a manger, in the little town called Bethlehem.

The Magi Bring Gifts – Panel belonging to the old set Polyptych of Viseu Cathedral now the Grão Vasco Museum. (Wiki Commons)

Let’s now answer the final question When …

Faith
When…does all this happen in man? When…does this activity of God in making man into His own “image and likeness” become reality? It takes place when a human believes in the Messiah God has provided to make it possible. We take faith for granted. But for God, faith is the turning point in human life and in our relationship with Him. How… because every time a human believes in the Messiah God, a true miracle takes place. Listen to what this miracle does, Paul says, “WHEN YOU BELIEVED, YOU WERE MARKED IN HIM WITH A SEAL, THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT, … (Eph.1:13-14). You and I were specially and personally marked by God our Father as His own CHILDREN with His own seal of adoption in His Spirit – that is what faith in Jesus does. Faith in His Son is what moves God to do miracles – this one, all-important miracle of all man can ever want. You see, when it comes to matters about the spiritual realm of God and the physical realm of man, the only bridge that connects the two realities is faith. Faith is the only thing that bridges this wide divide between God and man. This passage goes on to say what the seal of the Spirit does, “who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory”– yes, we are guaranteed immortality, for eternal life is the “likeness” of God. He is Spirit-composed. Do you believe?

Seal

We know what a seal is, right – Paul said God set His seal upon believers. We place our seal of approval on a legal document to confirm ownership of something, or whatever the legal transaction may be. The seal of God is the seal of His Person in the Holy Spirit. By receiving the seal of the Holy Spirit man receives the image of God, in the very Person of God, which is the Love of God, and the Life and immortality of God. The Spirit breathes and vitalizes the Triune life of God in man. That is the way God our Father had planned for man to take on the “image and likeness” of God. By implanting and unifying Himself to humans, man takes on the “image and likeness” of God. There is no other way. Paul confirms this born again experience and its resulting life, “What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in Love.” (Gal.5:6, MSG)

The Pew Research Group says, and I quote, “Nearly half (47% of Christians) says that one’s actions are the key to determining eternal fate, with nearly one-third (29%) saying that being a good, moral person is the key to everlasting life.” So what do you think? Is it about man straying from a moral code? Or is it something much deeper – that we have strayed, that we are removed from Him?

A Barna survey says most Christian don’t believe in the existence of the Holy Spirit, neither do they believe in the existence of the devil, Satan. (www.pewresearch.org /www.barna.org) A person may claim to believe in the death of a man called Jesus. He can go so far as believe in His resurrection, and salvation by grace alone. But if he does not believe in the God who is Triune in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he is not a Christian. If you believe in Jesus, you cannot not believe in the Trinity, for He is the Trinity and homoousiosly part of it. The Tri-Personal God is the governing center of all Christian belief – it is the image of Triune Love man is made to take on. (see part 1)

Holy Spirit – Image and Likeness of God

Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63). Isaiah said all our good human acts are like filthy rags to God. (Isa.64:6) The human effort to be morally good springing from the fruit of ‘good and evil’ (because that’s all it is), cannot and will not conform man to the “image and likeness” of God. Only a rebirth and the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit does that. Notice how the image of God, the likeness of God takes shape, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1John 4:7-8). There is human effort, don’t be mistaken, but Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,” but we live by faith and that’s supplied by the Holy Spirit… “the life I now live, I Iive by the faith of Jesus.” (Gal. 2:20). It takes the faith of Jesus to live like that, not our faith. Our human faith was crucified on the cross. Speaking of the purpose and role of the Spirit in human life, Jesus said, “He (Spirit) will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’” (John 16:15). The purpose of the Spirit is conform man to the image of Christ’s Person through faith the Spirit supplies. Like living waters of a covering ocean, He covers man with the Love of God.

The Covering Love of God, Like an Ocean of Living Waters (John 7:38-39) (Wiki Commons)

Jesus has to take on the likeness of man, and man has to take on the likeness of God. Jesus can’t live the ‘Immanuel life’ in heaven – He has to take on His own humanity through Mary. Likewise, we cannot live the Triune Life of God’s Love, God’s very “image and likeness,” unless we are born again and the Spirit unifies Himself with us. Just as Jesus became fully God and fully man, we become a new species of humanity who is given a rebirth with divine life through the Holy Spirit. We have to be born again in the power of the Spirit. So, it’s not about human effort, no matter how noble our intentions, it is about God literally unifying Himself through the birthing of the Holy Spirit in man – it’s a new birth into the Triune Life of God.

Freedom

God’s Love will always give man the freedom to choose which way to go. God in His Love, will never exercise His authority whether by coercion, physical force, or even psychological means, to enforce obedience on anyone. But through the Spirit we are given true liberty to understand who we are destined to be as a person within the Triune Godhead in Christ. Peter said your are like ‘living stones’ being built into a spiritual house for God and for mankind. (1Pet.2:5) Paul said you are the temple of God and the Spirit dwells in you. (1Cor.3:16; 6:19) Through our calling and gifts and destinies, we obey willingly and lovingly. There’s a saying that says find what you love doing, your gift, and you’ll never “work” the rest of your life. That would be God’s own story He writes in your personal life. But that’s another subject, suffice to say, your gift and calling, whatever it may be, is essentially from Jesus and is Jesus for the Bible says ”this secret of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Col.1:16-17; 2:3) Our gift is our charge and mandate in life, isn’t it? It is our personal place in life where Jesus gives us authority, which is our destiny in Him.

The Relevance of Christmas – “Born Again”

Let’s see how this divine purpose takes place exactly. Here’s where the relevance of Jesus’ birth, and the message Christmas should convey to us. The process of making man into the “image and likeness” of God takes place in man in the same identical manner as the birth of Jesus in becoming human. What does the Scripture tell us of the birth of Jesus? It tells us that He is the child of the Holy Spirit. He is the Son of God. (Matt.1:18-24) The angel told Joseph, “The baby inside her (Mary) is from the Holy Spirit.” (V.20, emphasis mine) He is to be called Immanuel, God with us. (V.23) This is how God took on the image of our humanity and joined it to the Triune image and Person of God – by being born a human through Mary in the power of the Spirit. He became the prophesied Immanuel – fully God and fully man, “God with us.”

 Like the Transformation of a Dead Planet to a Living Earth, Man is Born a New Creation in the Image of God. (Wiki Commons)

Now with humans, taking on the image of the Tri-Personal God is the exact birthing process, the exact copy of Jesus birth, but in reverse. Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). He said, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). Man must undergo a new birth. That’s the relevance of Christmas for the believer. We say it’s Jesus’ birthday, but we ought to ask what does it mean? Think about this, God cannot take on the image of Immanuel unless He is born a human, in the same way, man cannot take on God’s divine “image and likeness” unless he is born of the Spirit. In both instances, there is a birthing process. So we see the salvation offered to us is very much a Tri-personal activity of God in His interactive Love through and through.

Christmas is as much about Jesus human birth as it is about man’s spiritual birth. It’s hard to believe that most Christians do not believe in the existence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s power makes this new birth in God’s spiritual Kingdom possible for man, just as the Spirit made Jesus birth in our human world possible. The new birth fundamentally means the Spirit’s power will take man eventually into immortality as John 3:16 affirms, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“To Fulfill ALL Righteousness”

So, I would like to put across to you that Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, is not only a time of celebration of Christ birth by itself, but His birth made possible our birth into the divine image of God in the Spirit’s power. Jesus became the first human to receive the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant when He was baptized in the Jordan. Remember, He did not need to be baptized because he had no sin to repent of. When John first refused to baptize Jesus, He told John it must be done “to fulfill ALL righteousness.” What does that mean? He was being baptized for us, so when the Spirit hovered upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and the Father declared, “You are My dearly loved Son, and you bring Me great joy,” Jesus inaugurated the new birth in man which brings the God-life which is the only way that ALL God’s righteousness can be brought to man. (Matt.3:13-17) John told the people, “I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8)

Conclusion

So, next time you hear a middle-of-the-story message of Jesus dying to save us from our sins (redemption) always see it as a jigsaw piece of a bigger picture we have covered today about God’s purpose to make man in His image (incarnation). It tells us why Jesus’ birth as Messiah by the Holy Spirit made possible our spiritual birth into the Triune Life of God. He came, was born in Bethlehem, baptized by John in the Jordan, lived perfectly doing good, died as a worthy sacrifice for human sins, was resurrected and ascended into the Triune Being of God, taking our humanity with and in Him and is our Mediator and High Priest today. He sends the Spirit who gives us a new birth to live the Triune Life in Christ, and so fulfill the original purpose – the purpose God has never deviated from, to make man into His “image and likeness” and complete ALL righteousness in man.

To view the complete write-up on these subject of Christmas, you may read parts 1 and 2 below, posted on November 29th and December 6th respectively.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com. 

Blessing

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you in this Christmas season of the birth of Jesus the Messiah. May the Spirit enliven you and make all things concerning you possible in Triune Living as a Bula man-river.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                                  (Your Servant in Christ), 

 

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

By Kiang P Lee

Greetings again friends! Let’s continue with God’s story about man. Again, may I wish you all the joys of Christmas, and a reward-filled New Year 2015.

The Prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of the Messiah in this way,

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” (Isa.9:6 NASB).

The Birth of Jesus (Wiki Commons)

By mentioning “government” more than once we are given an emphatic message about a Messiah whose influence is universal embracing all peoples. The New Testament echo this same thought in this manner, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT)It is not a message about a narrow religious sect, but a worldwide Government or Kingdom which has jurisdiction over territory and people. The Kingdom of God is God’s Government that has reign over political and spiritual boundaries. Hence, the world is given a Messiah who carries the title of “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” (Rev.20:4-6) God’s ultimate purpose of recreating His Loving nature in man is so people from all nations will become His Kingdom of kings, lords, and priests. So, the birth of the child Jesus, the giving of a Son, the provision of a Messiah, is not just for a religious sect one calls Christianity, He is given to unite all people and impact all mankind beyond borders, beyond religion, beyond any political persuasion, racial differences, and any wall of division. God gave Him for a universal purpose in which His Love unifies the whole world as He himself is One in His Triune Being.

Answering ‘Why’ and ‘What”

But let’s come back and continue from where we left off in part one on this message of the purpose of Christmas, and the Messiah’s birth. The essential prerequisite to the Messiah’s universal impact is the fulfilment of God’s underlying purpose of recreating His people in “His image and likeness.” Nothing happens until that change takes place in the heart and being of humans. We have seen His image is Love, when we answered the question, Why? And we have seen His likeness is Trinitarian, when we answered the question, What? All of the above is predicated on mankind being transformed from his fallen, fearful, and corrupt existence inherited from Adam, and freely adopting the image of God’s Triune Love in His Son, whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas. So, now we answer the question, How will God make this transformation possible in man?

How?

How…. will God make possible man’s transformation into His image of Love and the likeness of His Triune nature? Think of who God IS for a moment. He is the most holy God, all righteous, sovereign, all-powerful, omniscient, omnipresent, Loving Triune Being. He is the most awesome Spirit Being who have existed eternally without beginning, without end, whose sovereign Being occupies all space and time. There is no other god besides Him. Our limited, inadequate, imperfect, physical mind will never be able to grasp nor comprehend Him. What we know about God is what He has revealed Himself to us and given us minds to comprehend. Without His revelation and the mind and faith to comprehend and be convicted, we would remain ignorant of His attributes and purpose. When we look into the living universe with our mighty telescopes, the creation we see and the feel of this earth, awesome as they are, yet it all still remain utter mysteries to man. Even with the human mind, we are at a loss to explain how it works. We don’t know if we are the result of untold years of evolutionary process, or we are created beings. The question of human origin still baffles us. As we think more and more deeply about all of creation we come up with more questions than answers. Yet, there is a God who is the creative first cause of the universe we can’t explain. And He did all that out of His Love.

Now, this is the God, who, in all His unfathomable mystery, said from the beginning, He wanted to make man into the image and likeness of His Love in His Tri-Personal Being. How does man become like someone who exists in all His unknowable mystery, let alone comprehend and have some semblance of communication and relationship with which to begin? The Scriptures tell us He is utterly holy, and conversely, we are utterly depraved and unholy. Despite His mystery, He has given us minds to comprehend the essentials to sustain a relationship with Him. We were made with that potential in our minds. And it is not as hard as we assume all the mystery about Him suggests. We will go to our death beds never knowing all the answers to the mysteries of this world, but He has ensured humans can have a complete, fulfilling, and lasting Loving relationship with Him and with each other.

God’s Image: A Loving Triunity of the Father, Son, and Spirit

How will God’s “likeness mandate” be made a reality in man? How does He do it in this seeming impossible situation in man? Man has no alternative but to seek His answers. What is His answer? It has to take Someone from within the Tri-Personal Godhead who is a co-equal Being with the Father and the Spirit, to become human, and glorify our humanity in Himself, and forever unify man to the Triune God for eternity. When you think about it, it cannot be any other way. It is simple, it is awe-inspiring, it is something the prophets of old had wanted to peek into the wisdom of God. Man is helpless, so God Himself has to provide answer. Hence, we read of another passage about Christmas and the birth of Jesus in this way,

“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isa.7:14).

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring froth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which is being interpreted, ‘God with us’” (Matt.1.:23).

That Someone from the divine Trinity is Jesus, God’s own Son. He is the Immanuel who has fulfilled God’s purpose in the divine mandate of unifying God’s image with man. Jesus became man, so man can take upon himself God’s Loving Triune image. Man is transformed from his “solitary” image in himself, to the “Triune” likeness of God in Christ. Jesus becomes man’s Mediator and High Priest inside the Triune Life of God having taken our humanity, perfected and glorified it in Himself, and took us with Him into the heavenly abode of the Triune God. By expressing this impossible and unimaginably Love for man,  through Jesus man can now miraculously respond adequately, perfectly, and completely in Love to a God who is all-holy in his Being.

How did Jesus do it? a) He was born to Mary as the prophesied Messiah in Bethlehem. b) He lived a perfect sinless life teaching the Gospel. c) He was crucified to cleanse man from all sins past, present, and future. d) He resurrected in His glorified human body. e) He ascended and unified man’s humanity to the Triune God forever. That is the greatest story told about man – it is God’s story about man. Let’s now answer the question When? When does all this happen in man? When does this all this start for man?  We’ll answer the When in God’s story of man in our next segment.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you today and give you strength for authentic Triune Living as a Bula man-river.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                         (Your Servant in Christ)  

* The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

By Kiang P Lee

Greetings once more friends the world over! May the joys of Christmas be yours, and a reward-filled New Year await you!

It is that time of year which believers with genuine hearts, apart from all the distractions, celebrate with true rejoicing hearts. It is a story which carries such deep spiritual meaning with equally transcendent impact beyond any story man could have written. Why, because the story of Christmas, or the birth of the Messiah, is God’s own story about mankind. It’s time we read the whole story as God tells us, and celebrate it as a gift from God as we enter this season of rejoicing.

The Shepherds Visit the baby Jesus – a small section of the large altarpiece in the Certosa in Naples (Wiki Commons) 

Glad Tidings

God had His prophet Micah predict the birth of Jesus this way, “As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the One who rules in Israel for Me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity” (Micah 5:2). It is clear the Messiah’s progeny is key to His role as Savior – He exists from eternity, He is the Son of God.

The Ambiguous Story of Jesus

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let’s go back to the beginning to recap God’s story for man. For too long the message of Jesus Christ as the Savior has been cloaked in ambiguity because it is being told from the middle of God’s own story about man. There is one message millions have heard about Christ – Jesus died for your sins to save you. (John 3:16) Important as that is, it does not tell the full story. Not even half the story. When you read a book from the middle, you’re always left with many ‘whys’ as you go along because you don’t know what had gone on before. It’s so vital to understand that the incarnation comes before the redemption. So the onus is upon story-tellers to tell the full account of God’s story of man so hearers understand the fundamental imperative for a Messiah. So, many a non-believer has asked, why must my sins be forgiven? Why must it be Jesus and not someone else? Why must He die? The predictable reply is Jesus is God’s own Son, and He died to save man from his sins. Yet again, the person snaps back, but why – to what end? Right here, we have a coin-toss for the many answers that Christians give. Take your pick! We will see at the end of of the three-part write-up, there is only one answer God gives us when we understand the full story.

Angel Announcing the Birth Of Jesus to Shepherds Stained Glass 1691 (Wiki Commons)

Reasons to Believe

One reason given is, so you can go to heaven when you die – but why is that so important? By obtaining a ticket into heaven, you obviously exchanged it for your ticket to hell because of your sins. Why heaven, what’s in there for me? What is hell anyway, has anyone been there to tell its horrific tale as the claim suggests? How does God’s Love reconcile with such a place as hell?

Take the prosperity gospel, it seems the proponents of this belief care just for the here and now. Perhaps heaven and hell is too far-fetched for them. Then, there are those who believe in Jesus because of one’s tradition, as it were a family or village custom to become a believer. It’s just rubber-stamping, but does it mean anything to the person? There are those who believe Jesus is a great moral teacher who came to make this a better world – much like Buddha, nothing more or less.

The Pew Research group says, “A majority of all American Christians (52%) think that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life.” (www.pewresearch.org) So, Jesus’ birth as man’s only Savior is now snubbed by His own followers. “Nearly half (47%) says that one’s actions are the key to determining eternal fate, with nearly one-third (29%) saying that being a good, moral person is the key to everlasting life.” So your moral compass means more to your eternal fate than Jesus.  A Barna survey says that most Christians don’t believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit exists. (www.barna.org) So, one may adopt his/her brand of faith before a smorgasbord of beliefs. Sadly, this is the upshot of religion dictating a relationship which God intended from the beginning to be personal and one-on-one. What do we believe? Why this confusion? Because the Christian message is unclear and ambiguous.

The Full Story

Let’s take God’s story from the beginning so we are not left with many ‘whys’ about God’s call to His purpose for providing a Messiah. The only reason God made man is revealed in these words He uttered from the beginning, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so they may have dominion over the earth.” (Gen.1:26-30) It’s plain, it’s simple. You can say it bears the title of the God’s book about man. I will share the story of God about man in three parts, with God’s Son as the central part of its theme.

History

Now, from Adam to this day, God has never deviated from His story line for mankind with His Son as central to its theme. The story of man’s own history upon this earth has been a mixture of experiences of “good and evil.” There have been many horrendous stories of man as there are helpful ones. In modern times many have not forgotten the atrocities perpetrated in the death camps of World War Two. We can go further back and recount many equally horrific acts of man’s inhumanity to man. There have been good done also, like what we have witnessed in recent history in the field of education, the sciences, technology, medical advancement, transportation, and so forth. Yet, despite the ‘good’ man has witnessed, his knowledge has also been used to create weapons of mass destruction that’s capable of wiping man from the face of the earth. Akin to Winston Churchill words, man’s own story has been “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

God had warned Adam, if he went down this path and write his own story about man, he would live a life of “good and evil” that was depicted in the forbidden fruit he and his wife Eve were deviously led to partake. Though there was ‘good,’ it was not God’s goodness, but man’s duplicitous good. (Isa.64:6; Jer.17:9; Rom.3:23) God’s goodness produces an authentic good that’s represented in the “Tree of life,” which was also in the Eden. (Gen.2:9)

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life was man’s salvation. It represented all the goodness and grace of God to man. Adam botched it, plain and simple. And mankind have been recipients of Adam’s story humans have been writing and rewriting for six thousand years of history. It’s the story of man’s stamp of good and evil in the world that’s leading to a certain dark future. Not unless, Someone steps in to stop this tide of ‘madness’ at its tracks. This is where the birth of the Messiah is ushered in which we celebrate today. Very simply, He came to take us to the Tree of Life which Adam failed to do. For in the Tree of life, God’s story about man can be written, and is being rewritten. The Tree of Life is the metaphor for the Holy Spirit who brings God’s Love to flow in us like a river of living waters. (Rom. 5:5; John 7:37-39)

I would like to present God’s story about man in 3 broad parts. In this piece we will cover part one, and parts two and three before we come to Christmas, 2014.

Tree of Life – Sculpture by Beth Erez (Wiki Commons)

Part One

When God said He created man for the purpose of irrevocably fashioning man in His own image and likeness, we have to ask why, what, how, and when about His story as it relates to you and me. His story about man has always been a personal story about you and me, just as it was personal with Adam and Eve. His work of fashioning man in His image can only be done on a personal, one-on-one basis. There was no religion around to dictate Adam and Eve’s relationship with God. Maybe there was, in the form of the intruder, the devil himself. He’s not asking you to join a religion which dictates your relationship with Him.

Our relationship with God is not based upon a system of beliefs but a relationship of Love with the Person whose birthday we honor at this time of year. He is the central theme in God’s story about man. We encounter Him in His Word, the Bible. Jesus is the Personified Word of God, and we have the Bible as the literal Word of God. We find our place in the world through His Word (Jesus). No religion can lead us to our destiny in Christ. Only God can lead us through each of our gifts He  bequeaths upon us on a personal, one-on-one basis. Our gifts is our personality embodied in the Tri-Personal Loving Being of God. Religion cannot do for God what only God can do for and by Himself. Nothing must and stand between you and God. He desires a personal relationship with you, directly. Jesus was born for that very purpose. That’s the important criterion to understand about the story of man God has written in the past, is doing now, and into the future. It is a story penned in the heart of each individual on the basis of a personal relationship with each man, woman, and child that’s ever been born. (Heb.8:10)

Why?

Why… should I be conformed to His image and likeness, I may ask? Because of His Love, and because He is Love! It’s plain and it’s simple, yet mind-boggling in its scope. God wanted man to share in everything that He Is, and who He Is – His image is His Love – because He can never deviate from doing things out of the magnanimity of His Love. We are told in Scripture, “God is Love” (1John 4:8). He is not made of Love – His IS Love! God is forever “giving,” that’s what Love does. From eternity, God exist in their Tri-Personal life through the power of their Love for each other. Man’s very existence is the result of the ongoing flow of God’s Love within His Triune Being flowing out to man. Were it not so, we would cease to exist altogether. God’s Love is like a river which flows and enriches everything and everyone in its path and never takes back. (John 7:37-39) It is hard to comprehend God’s ever-giving Love, when we have for six thousand years lived in the story line of self-centeredness Adam has penned for man. Man has always been about himself. He is fallen, depraved and corrupt. Even the good he does is done with an ulterior motive. (Jer.17:9) Jesus was born to unify mankind to the Tri-Personal Being and Love of God. God seeks a relationship of Love with man as His very own children as Jesus is His Son. God’s story of man tells us how he plans to do just that.

A Vital Part of Wisdom – Asking Questions (Wiki Commons)

What?

What… is His image and likeness? Love cannot exist in isolation. So, when He said “Let Us…make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…” in the Genesis creation account of man, He was revealing Himself as existing in His Tri-Personal Being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Gen. 1:26; Matt.28:19; John 14:10, 16; 16:7) The Hebrew word “Elohim” describes a uniplural God. God is Trinitarian in His nature. Love by its nature is relational. Is it possible for God who is Love to exist in isolation, in solitude – unaccompanied, secluded, alone in self-absorbed existence? If God were one solitary person, with no one to love and share His divine Being, then His affirmation that “God is Love” would be meaningless. (1 John 4:8) And we know God is Tri-Personal and spirit-composed, and we are solitary, self-absorbed humans made of flesh and blood. “Likeness” means to become ONE and alike. It is to be natured in the Love of God which binds us as ONE. God’s purpose is to make His people become ONE where they are of a single identity or image of Love in Him, not apart from Him. He seeks to make us His very own children so He can shower all His Love upon us.

God is composed of three Love Personalities, as Father, Son, and Spirit, in ONE Triune Being. And so is mankind composed of many different gifts and personalities God has conferred upon us through the Spirit. We are united in our diverse personalities in His Triune Being of Love. Our numerous and distinct personalities and gifts reveal the greatness of God who created and Loves us as His children. To conform to that image of the Tri-Personal God composed in Love is what salvation is to mankind. We may have different ways to explain salvation, but its essence is to conform as One in the image of God who is Love. Hence, we are told, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of (of LOVE of) his Son” (Rom.8:29, emphasis added). As I said earlier, this is the basis of how God’s story of man is written. It is based upon the Triune Love relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit, where we are brought into a personal relationship with each other within the Triune Being of God Himself in Christ. Jesus unified our humanity to the Trinitarian God as the prophesied Emmanuel. (Isa. 7:14; Matt.1;23)

Our mentality and psyche for living ought always to be that we are walking on the very grounds, and in the midst, of the Tri-Personal Being of God in the all sufficiency and expectation of His Triune Love.

 How… yes, how is God possibly going to make this “Triune-likeness” mandate happen? How will God go about making man, whom He has made of flesh and blood, into a spirit-composed person, and a Love-composed person as He IS?

The answer… We’ll answer the How question more in-depth in part two, but suffice to say that only Someone from within the Triune Godhead can take man and change man into the Trinitarian likeness and Life of God (Love). That’s the only way, there is no other way. It’s much like trying to domesticate a beast from the wild. We train it to give the animal, say a chimpanzee, some semblance of our humanity in order to live among us. We remove its wild instincts and to some degree instill the human spirit in it. Most times it’s to reflect our humorous spirit in the animal. Why is the dog call man’s best friend? We have seen and continue to see many animated movies that have been produced along this theme. Man trains the chimpanzee to project the image he wants the chimpanzee to adopt. When the beast cannot be domesticated and continues to be untameable, it is let back into the wild. That’s why certain animals, like a lion, cannot be domesticated because it is untameable.

So in like manner, only Jesus, who is God as the Father and the Spirit, and who comes from the Triune Godhead, is man’s doorway into the Tri-Personal Love-Being of God. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Now we can understand why Jesus was emphatic about what He said about Himself – why He had to come, be born a human, be fully God and fully human, live, die, and be resurrected so man can be unified to God forever – through no other way, but in and through Jesus.

That is why the Messiah came. That is why it had to be Jesus. That is why Jesus was born. That is why, in the true spirit of Christmas, we have much more than we realize to rejoice over. As I intimated, the message of His death seems to dominate the airwaves, that is ‘redemption’ – but the ‘incarnation’ is the doorway to ‘redemption.’ If there is no ‘incarnation’ (image and likeness, Immanuel), there is no ‘redemption.’

We will answer the how and when of God’s story about man as it’s seen through the birth of Christ in parts two and three. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write me in the space provided below, or email me on bulamanriver@gmail.com.

Blessing

Until we meet again in my next post, may the blessing of the God who ceaselessly expresses Himself in His dependable Triune Love, be with you today and give you strength for authentic Triune Living as a Bula man-river.*

Kiang,                                                                                                                                                         (Your Servant in Christ) 

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise.

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