LIVING SPRINGS FELLOWSHIP

Jesus, The Exalted Joy of Creation

"But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” - Hebrews 1:8-9

The book of Hebrews opens up with a declaration that God has spoken to us in many diverse ways and at various times but He has made JESUS His ultimate and final Word. Jesus is the Word that "became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). He is the full express image of God and the One who is exalted over all created things. Him and His words we must know!

Isn't amazing when we consider not only who Jesus is but what He has accomplished for us to bring us into the New Covenant and into A NEW & LIVING WAY.

Here are SEVEN KEY DISTINCTIONS OF JESUS:

1. He is the Heir of all things (The TRUE HEIR)
2. He made the worlds (The CREATOR OF ALL)
3. He is the brightness of the Father’s glory (The FULLNESS OF GOD)
4. He is the express image of God (The REVEALER)
5. He upholds all things by His Word (The SUSTAINER OF LIFE)
6. He purged our sins (The SAVIOR and REDEEMER OF THE WORLD)
7. He sat down at the right hand of the Father (The SOVEREIGN LORD)

The book of Hebrews calls us to leave behind the old ways of life which includes our selfish renditions and our sacred traditions, as well as our rebellious iniquity and our religious monotony. We must understand that all things have been and always will be pointing to Christ!

The Law and the sacrificial system had it place for Israel for a period of time but when God sent to us Jesus, everything now finds its fulfillment in Christ. Everything in the Old Testament was "a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (Col. 2:17), which is why Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17).

The book of Hebrews is all about EXALTING Christ and EXHORTING us to MOVE ON in Christ, to REST IN HIM, and FULLY embrace the New Covenant, which is why Paul says in his epistle to Romans, "we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom. 7:6).

We learn THREE KEY AREAS of the New Covenant in the opening chapter of Hebrews:
  • The Word of God was made complete in Jesus.
  • The Worship of God focused solely on Jesus.
  • The Joy of God in the fullness of Jesus.

All of the activity and worship of heaven centers upon Jesus. This is why we are to pray "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Since the angels and the saints were created to worship Him, we deviate from God's created design, we fall into the error of Satan himself, whose rebellion began in the heart when he thought everything should revolve around him.

O dear saint, we must always remember this all important truth: We exist entirely for HIS glory...and not the other way around. We must be willing to daily die to ourselves so that everything in our lives bows before Christ.

Are you making Christ the highest praise and pursuit of your life?
Are you worshipping Him today by your attitude and actions?

To have Jesus is to have true Joy! There was no one who ever walked this earth who had more joy than Jesus. His joy was His own and yet it was also the result from His perfect union and communion with the Father. This is why Jesus, as God, was anointed by God "with the oil of gladness more than [His] companions". For as David declared in Psalm 16:11, "in His presence is the FULLNESS OF JOY".

Jesus wants our JOY to be FULL, since He said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full...for "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 15:11, 16:24).

Jesus wants to REWARD us by inviting us into HIS JOY, saying,  and “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matt. 25:21)

Therefore, let us yearn and learn to ASK and BASK in His presence until His joy becomes our joy!

THIS WEEK’S “New Covenant” EXHORTATION:
Let us choose to EXALT JESUS over all things and daily practice being in His presence that we might ENJOY HIM more and more  and worship Him as our Exalted JOY.

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