|
The Beauty of Jesus
by Onyekachukwu Ukeje Just some hours before his death on the cross Jesus prayed to the Father, 'And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.'- John 17:5(NIV). The book of Philippians 2:6 talks about Christ Jesus 'Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,' (NIV). And Col. 2:9 says, ' in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,' (NIV). In talking about the beauty of Jesus we must understand that Christ and God are of the same essence, that they are one. All the gospels testify to this fact, especially the book of John. Christ Himself made such claims over and over that time will not permit us to get into all that. This basic understanding will help to truly know and understand the beauty of Jesus. Isa. 61:3 says 'They will called be oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.' - (NIV). At the time, God in a bid to show forth His glory, His beauty to the nations chose to do it through the nation of Israel when He had worked out His righteousness in them. The simple truth is that the beauty of God is His righteousness and everything consistent with it, which exudes from Him. It was by the nation of Israel showing forth God's righteousness that he intended to display His splendor which is His beauty, and a great one at that, in order to attract the attention and admiration of the rest of the world. Righteousness is the very nature of God from which thoughts, words and deeds and products and results consistent with His righteous nature and character exude. It is His very essence, and when God begets anything that thing takes on the nature of God which is righteousness. The beauty of Jesus has a lot, actually everything to do with the fruit of the Spirit of God which is love. This is the most awesome thing. 'the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control' Gal.5:22-23(NIV). These are not the same as you seemingly find in those who have no link with God, who have tried to achieve what looks like it by their own strength. No, these come from God himself as a result of direct link with Him. That's why Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5(NIV). These are holy, righteous and consistent with God's nature and character. Actually, the original Greek rendering of Gal.5:22-23 shows that 'love' encompasses the rest of the virtues resulting in a singular fruit from the 'tree' of the Spirit of God. Beauty is something that can be perceived, that is seen, and also something that can be experienced. God not only wants us to see His glory but also to participate in His divine nature (2 Pet.1:3-4). After watching a movie about a king who reigned in unrighteousness I was disgusted and I said to myself "righteousness is better". Unrighteousness truly is evil in the sight of God. One who is not born of God truly is evil in the sight of God because he does not share in God's righteous nature. To be evil means to be immoral, cruel or very unpleasant. In other words such a person is detestable to God. He is detestable such that you do not want to have anything to do with him if you see him in the light of what and who he truly is. For us humans it is the physical body that prevents us from seeing the real man inside of many but not when the eyes of your spirit are opened to see their spirit-man. It is love that makes God keep reaching out to man after this knowledge, and it is the love of God that makes us reach out to others even after the knowledge of the filth of their sin, after all we received mercy too. The beauty of Jesus which is His righteousness is such that carries the power of God, one that is able to cause the change required in a man's life when experienced. It is a force that is able to bring a man to his knees at the feet of Jesus when seen. There is nothing like it. The truth is words cannot describe it. It is better experienced. It is an experience that God gives. But He will use willing vessels to give that experience of His displayed splendor to others. Don't forget that God would have worked on you to adequately use you for this task. If you are not saved and you want to share in His divine nature you can call on Jesus now, ask Him into your life and you shall be saved and then you can go on and enjoy a world of beauty that is indescribable. When we let God He will work out in us the beauty of Jesus, not just in our nature but also in our words, in our thoughts, in our deeds, in our character et cetera. As we go about our daily routine may the words of Albert Osborn in that song never leave our hearts, "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, all His wonderful passion and purity O my Savior divine, all my being refine till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me." ?Onyekachukwu Ukeje is an itinerant preacher based in Enugu, Nigeria and can be followed on www.facebook.com/onyekachukwukejep and on www.twitter.com/onyiukeje and his channel subscribed on www.youtube.com/onyekachukwuukeje Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |