I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life (cont.2)

[HKHaugan]

In the last writing we closed with this statement:
“But spiritual life is more than just the personal awareness and experience of it. Its purpose is relational. It starts with a relationship with Jesus and then is extended to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Filled with the Spirit we extend ourselves to others and build a community of faith that makes us spiritual brothers and sisters. It is through this community of faith in Jesus that the world can be reconciled to God and fulfills the purpose for which it was created.”

Just what is God’s purpose? It seems to be an unfolding purpose of which we are a part and in which we play a part. Here is Paul’s view followed by John Stott’s comment on it:

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2Tim.1:9-10.)”

”In 2 Timothy 1:9-10 we seem to detect five stages by which God's saving purpose unfolds.
1.The first is the eternal gift to us in Christ of his grace.
2.The second is the historical appearing of Christ to abolish death by his death and resurrection.
3.The third is the personal call of God to sinners through the preaching of the gospel.
4.The fourth is the moral sanctification of believers by the Holy Spirit.
5.And the fifth is the final heavenly perfection in which the holy calling is consummated (John Stott in Ephesians Today).”

Again relationship seems to be the bottom line when describing God’s purpose. First, to see ourselves as created images of a relational God, second to live out our individuality in a relationship with Him and third, to develop and live in relationships with others. Further, God has established a spiritual training base here as well. He has fashioned a faith community based on His Trinitarian nature, a spiritual family called the Body of Christ in which Jesus is the Head, we are His younger brothers and sisters and His Spirit-directed Word is its structure.

While we have His great purpose revealed in His Word and in the extraordinary gift of His Son we must understand Paul’s cautionary words in 1Cor.13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” The life with God and one another we are called to live is a life through faith. We have limited perception, understanding and comprehension. Sin has separated us from Him and one another from birth. This is why we must be reborn spiritually from above, as Jesus told us in John 3. We enter spiritual infancy and grow through God’s grace and love by faith in Jesus and obedience to His Word. Hopefully we stay relationally open and teachable by His Spirit as long as we have breath in this world. This is how we mature in His family and look forward to living in His eternal kingdom.

Jesus’ life; His mind, His heart, His Spirit, as He lived day by day in this world reveals ‘the way’ lived in the Spirit. His Word reveals ‘the truth’ the Spirit plants in our heart. Every-next-moment faith reveals ‘the life’ the Holy Spirit lives in our spiritually born nature. ”Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God (1Cor.2:12).”