"The
Five Great Glories of the Resurrection"
The
Lord's Day, April 23, 2000
|
The ECF Pulpit |
Please turn to Romans, chapter 5, although I'm not going there - I'm going to I Corinthians 4:15; but you go to Romans 5 because we will end up there eventually...but we are going to start in Genesis.
In Genesis 24, we are given a wonderful account of the bride that was chosen for Isaac. Abraham, by this time, was getting quite old and he was concerned that Isaac would not have a bride and he didn't want Isaac to take a bride of the heathen nations they were surrounded by. So, he takes his servant and asks his servant to go back to his wife's ancestors and to meet up with them to find, out of that family, a bride for his son.
So this servant, who was his oldest servant in the household, who had been faithful and had been with him for years, loads up the caravan (actually, we are told he takes quite a large caravan), and with that, he takes a chest full of some of the things that are representative of the wealth of Abraham and what Isaac will inherit.
He goes, and he ends up in a certain place by a well. He's thirsty and the camels need water and he sees this beautiful young woman, Rebecca, who shows up, at the well. And he says to her, "Is there any way that we can get water for the camels?" And she goes, "Oh, hang on, I will take care of that!" and she immediately attends to the need and begins to water his caravan. Then he begins to make inquiry of her and he finds out that she's the daughter of Laban and, of course, this is the very family that he was sent to try and find.
Then, he takes some things down off the side of one of the camels and he opens the chest and he says, "I want to show you some of what the man, who wants to marry you, has to give." He puts (of course we would absolutely panic in this day and age) a ring in her nose. And he puts bracelets on her and he shows her the wonderful wealth, at least a token of it, that he has to give her, which is to say 'look at what this young man is going to be able to provide for you!' She's excited, naturally. Every woman loves jewelry. And she runs back to her parents (nothing has changed) and says 'I've found this man!' and they take him home and, after a few days, he begins to return back to Abraham with this young woman. Beautiful!
Now we need to notice, that the servant had a command. He was ever mindful of what was given to him to do; and that was, he was to paint a picture of the man that she was to marry, in such attractive terms, that she would want to do nothing else than to go and be with him. And if there is one thing that I feel constrained to do this morning, as we take a look at these five glories that are given to us in the resurrection of Christ, it is to remind you, as His bride, what He's like. I want you to know how wonderful He is! I want you to know how much He loves you, the ones who are betrothed to Him! I want you to know how exceedingly joyful He is at the prospect of that coming day when, at last, the marriage will be consummated. I want you to know how He delights after His Bride and open up the chest, for just a minute, and show you just some of the glorious things that He has prepared up for the people that He loves, with this everlasting love. So much that, while we yet hated Him, He would come and die for us. That's what we're about this morning.
In I Corinthians 15, Paul makes it abundantly clear that this point of the resurrection is so exceedingly important to the Gospel, that if we leave it out, or if we say there is no resurrection, we, in fact, make null and void the whole concept of salvation. In fact, He says if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith, also, is in vain. If the servant, who went to meet Rebecca, only told her about a guy who loved her, but a guy who was dead, that would be the end of the story! But he was to take her back to a man who was living, to a man that would love her and take her as his own. And for the rest of their lives they would be together. The story of the Gospel is not the story of one who is just dead but One who has been resurrected from the dead and we'll be united with Him forever! It's not just the story of Someone who loved us, once, a long time ago but the One who continues to love us with that infinite, everlasting, outpoured love in every capacity and He wants us to know His passion and His zeal and His desire after His Bride! That's what He did in His resurrection. He didn't just give us some things to think about in a religious context. He rose that He might pour out on us the fullness of His love and His bounty!
Now, you are already in Romans 5, so let me get over there too because that's the beginning. The first thing that He gives to us, the first thing that is poured out in His resurrection for His Bride, and for His Bride alone...and please remember this, there are things that a husband gives only to his wife: There is an intimacy; there is a unity; there is a love; there is a passion; there is closeness; there is the opening up of the soul that a husband does for his wife that he can do with no other human being. And so, as we come to this passage in Romans 5, we see what He does only for His Bride, beginning in verse 25 of chapter 4, "He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." The first thing that we need to know is that our justification rests solely in His resurrection, not in His death. In His death, He took our transgressions upon Him but it's in His resurrection that we are justified before God. That's how we are made right with God!
Let me take the analogy of Rebecca and Isaac just a little bit further. Some of you men can identify with me. Did you ever take a girl home to meet Mom and Dad who was from the other side of the tracks? Maybe some of you ladies took a guy home and when you walked in the door with him they said, "Good grief! The missing link has been found!" It may have blown all of their theology, in a second, thinking I'm sure we've descended from apes or at least this one has. Can you imagine what it must have been like for the Son of God to have gone to the Father and pointed at a distance to this group on earth and say, "That's who I want to marry!" Lost and undone; filthy and unclean; full of hatred for the very Father, that's going to be the father-in-law, if you will; completely unworthy; completely unholy; completely unlike the family that she would be married in to. And yet, that's exactly what He did. But He didn't leave us like that. He said, "I can make you acceptable to the Father by giving my life for yu, and rising from the dead." So He takes this, which is so undeserving and so completely void of merit, this Bride who is nothing in herself - and by Him, taking our filth upon Himself, and in Him, taking his royalty and giving it to us...His righteousness, and imputing it to us - He makes us fully acceptable as a Bride for the very Son of God! That's justification! It's taking one, who has no royal blood at all, and making him royalty. It's taking one, who has no righteousness at all, and pronouncing them righteous. It's taking one who has nothing to offer and saying, "Ahh, but you are complete in Me and I am satisfied with your love in return."
As we mentioned this morning, over at the cemetery, on the Day of Atonement the high priest would enter into the temple or the tabernacle as it began. And as you know, he was only allowed to go into the Holy of Holies once a year and he could only go in there with the blood of the lamb that had been sacrificed. As he went into the Holy of Holies he had to pass in behind this veil, this curtain. And behind that curtain was the mercy seat, the Ark of the Covenant and I was at that mercy seat He was to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice. We're told, and we know from the account in Leviticus especially, that the high priest's robe had a fringe around it comprised of a pomegranate and a bell and a pomegranate and a bell and a pomegranate and a bell. Those bells were to make a continual sound as he was ministering before the Lord in the Holy place all by himself and, at last, in the Holy of Holies all by himself. We aren't told in Scripture but we are told in Jewish history that they would tie a cord around the ankle of the high priest as he went into that Holy of Holies, for fear that, if the sacrifice wasn't accepted, he would be killed in there and they couldn't go in and drag him out because they'd be killed too. So, they had the cord around his ankle and if the bells stopped tinkling, it was time to start pulling on the cord. The very proof that the sacrifice of Christ was accepted on our behalf was that He came out after having gone in before God. He went in with the blood of His own sacrifice! He stood before the Holy place, the Infinite God, drenched in His own blood and that blood was a perfect atonement and so He was able to then exit the very way in which He went in! And, He comes out and says, "There it is! I am the living proof thatyour sins are forgiven because I've been raised from the dead!" We'rejustified through His resurrection. See what that means? That's the whole of the Gospel! We have no saving Gospel without a resurrection from the dead and that's what Christ does.
If I might, there is this wonderful passage in Isaiah 33, verses 14 and 15. I won't ask you to turn there because it would take us too long to go through the whole thing but it ends with this idea after the people of Israel are being rebuked. It says, "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with the continual burning?" I can only think then of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego going into that fiery furnace and isn't that what Jesus did when He went before the presence of God but He emerged without the smell of smoke on His garments, just as they did. He emerged so that we know our sins are forgiven, once and for all! And, in fact, Hebrews says that after He entered in, He then went and sat at the right hand of the Majesty on high because He had once, for all, purged us from our sins! Wow, that's what He gives to His bride first! If that's the first, what's the rest? If He begins with justifying us so that we can be united with the Father...if He begins at this place, it's pretty extraordinary. What else then, He pours upon us, well; we need to take a look at just a few of them.
The next one then (and it actually comes in order of what He did) is, that He entered into the tomb, He came back out, but then He ascended. Turn to John chapter 16 if you would, where Jesus makes reference to what it is that He is going to be able to do and to give by virtue of His resurrection.
First, He justifies us. But secondly, it is in His resurrection that we become partakers of the Holy Spirit, poured out. Picking up in verse 5 of chapter 16, just before His death, Jesus is talking with the disciples and He says, "But now I am going to him that sent me; and none of you asks me, Where are you going? But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I go away: for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go away, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." What is the second great thing, then, that He gives to His bride in His resurrection? What is it that He provides for us, but the presence of His own Holy Spirit - the sending of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Again, the proof that He had ascended on the throne, that He was at the right hand of the Majesty on high He says will be, "I want you to have my Spirit with you until I return!"
He says an interesting thing there. I don't know about you but I've often heard people say, I've even said it myself, "Wouldn't it have been great to have walked on the earth when Jesus was here?" He says, "No, it's better that you walk with the Holy Spirit while I'm in Heaven!" Isn't that contrary to our thinking? Wouldn't we think that His bodily presence would be the most treasured thing that we could imagine? But He says just the opposite is true because when He was here, bodily, He could only be with us in one place at one time. But when He has sent His Spirit, He can be with us at all places, at all times! When He was here in His body He can only be with us on the outside. But in the sending of His Spirit He indwells us and He is with us perpetually and we are never without His presence! This is what our bridegroom has done for us! He said, "I've made a way that I can be with you until I come back. In a way that I can be with you; every where you go and in everything that you do. Never out of my sight; never out of my mind." Although we're so fallen that He's often out of our sight and out of our mind.
Look again at verses 8-11, He says, "And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." In other words, He says He is going to give you, by the power of His Spirit when He comes, power in your preaching so that those who hear the Gospel are converted and come to Christ. They'll be convicted of their sins, convinced of His righteousness, and convinced of judgment. And He also tells us in verses 13-15 that, "When the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide us into all truth." He'll open the treasury of the Word of God to us. In verse 14, He's going to "glorify me." He will exalt Christ to us! In 15, "All things that the Father has given are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you." It is the Holy Spirit who discloses to us the glories and the perfection and the majesty and the work of Christ! This is the gift He's given! This is His betrothal gift. In fact, we're told that this is only the earnest of our inheritance. This is just the down payment! This is just the beginning! Just the promissory note! Can you imagine what the fullness of it will be, then, when He returns? Wow! 'This is what I want to give those who love me and upon those who I've set my love.'
John Owen writes on this very passage. He says:
"The Lord Jesus hath told us that His presence with us by His Spirit is better and more expedient for us than the continuance of His bodily presence. Now, who is there that hath any affection for Christ but thinks that the carnal presence of the human nature of Christ would be of unspeakable advantage to him? And so, no doubt, it would, had any such thing been designed or appointed in the wisdom of God, but so it is not. And on the other side, we are commanded to look for more advantage and benefit by His spiritual presence, with us, or His presence, with us, by the Holy Ghost. It is therefore certainly incumbent on us to inquire diligently what valuation we have, hereof, and what benefit we have, hereby. For if we find not, that we really receive grace, assistance, and consolation from His presence of Christ with us, we have no benefit at all by Him nor from Him. He is now, no otherwise, for those ends, with any, but by His Spirit."
That's how He continues to be with us all the time. I don't know if any of you have been engaged in a long distance relationship but you know it can be pretty ugly. All you've got are phone calls and letters and, you know, all those funny things you send to each other in the mail that have titles on the covers that you wouldn't let any other human being see: Like, "This is mailed to my 'Sugar Booger' and 'Snookums and 'Pookie'" and all those other funny little names we call each other. But His long distance relationship with us is carried on by the immediate presence of His Holy Spirit so that He is never far from us. He's always with us, always near us, always ready to comfort, and always ready to move on our behalf. He's always consistently working in us so that we might see and know Him more beautifully and tenderly and sweetly and gloriously and so that we fall in love with Him, day after day, after day, after day. Oh, what a bridegroom! What a bridegroom!
Thirdly. We find in Hebrews Chapter 7 that it is in His resurrection that we have the greatest outpouring of His intercession. If you were here a few weeks ago and heard Don Kistler preach on this very point, I can only say please remember everything he said. Let me read you verse 25 for recollection's sake. "Therefore He is able also to save forever (or, 'to the uttermost', if you have a King James) those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." Let me tell you why that intercession is so important. As we near the end of Jesus' life in the book of Luke, we're given that fascinating account that Jesus has an exchange with Peter. He prophesies to Peter, that he is going to fail Him terribly. In fact, He says that Peter is going to deny Him. We're going to see in a second how magnificently He multiplied grace upon grace in the process. But first, He says to him, "Peter, Satan has desired to sift you as wheat." In fact, the word 'you' there is plural. He means that Satan has desired to sift the disciples like wheat. In fact, if we use that term 'has desired', it means He has petitioned God for permission to put you guys through the strainer. And then He turns to him and says, to this one man, "Peter, I have prayed for you, and so when you are converted from all of this; when you're turned around from all of this, strengthen your brethren." That's what His intercession does. That's what He's doing right now for you and me, which is the by-product of His resurrection. He stands in Heaven, continually before the Father, with one eye on us and one eye on the Father, and petitions Him on our behalf twenty four hours a day, non-stop praying for us! If nobody on this planet cares for you or prays for you, know this - if you are in Christ - you have an intercessor who never ends beseeching the Father on your behalf. Your Bridegroom who loves you, pleading with the Holy Father, all the time, that your needs be met. That even when the enemy attacks, and you have NO idea how to grapple with him, yet, He has prayed for you and He even as He gives the promise to Peter. And so, "When you are converted, strengthen your brethren." Child of God, you need to know that you have an intercessor continually. The resurrected Christ, who has justified you with the Father and has poured out His own Spirit upon you, and within you, is the One who constantly pleads for you on your behalf and knows your every need.
You know that when you are first going together, (women will all understand this, men, we dull up!), how you even notice the inflections in your loved one's voice. You pick up the phone and you hear it for two seconds and you say, "What's wrong?" Or, even sometimes when they write a letter you can tell by the tone of the writing on the page that something's amiss. Something is troubling them. Something's bothering them. I want you to know that, that is how He listens to His people. That's His love toward His Bride. His ear is always cocked toward us and He notices if there is the slightest difference...the change in pitch or tone. He knows the need of our heart! In knowing that need, perfectly and absolutely, not even having to ask the question 'What's wrong?'...Already, He is praying for us; already He is beseeching, on our behalf.
Let me show you how that intercession works out in practical terms, finishing the thing with Peter, turn to John chapter 13, just quickly. I can't pass this by. I know I have pointed it out before, but it is, to me, so precious. And maybe this morning you may be one who just needs to hear this. You should come to the end of chapter 13. Jesus predicts His betrayal and then in verse 36 He says, " 'Simon Peter?' Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, where are You going?' And Jesus answered, 'Well, where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.' Peter said to Him, 'Lord why cannot I follow you right now? I will lay down my life for you.' Jesus answered and said, 'Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say unto you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.' "
Now, will you do me a favor and will you get out the biggest, blackest pen you have and cross out the chapter division and read the next verse. "Do not let your heart be troubled." 'Peter, you are going to deny me three times before the cock crows, but', "do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God? Believe also in Me.'' See, that's the power of an intercessor. That's how much stock He puts in His own prayers on our behalf. 'I know you're about to do the lowest thing that you will ever do in your life, but Peter, you're Mine! You're Mine! You're betrothed to Me. Don't let your heart be troubled. Don't let it be afraid. Believe in God. Believe also in Me.' He justifies us. He sends His Holy Spirit. He intercedes for us.
But, look at the fourth thing He gives us. As part of our dowry, as part of that which awaits us. It is the promise of our own resurrection. I already read it for you in I Corinthians 15:14, that, "If Christ be not resurrected from the dead, then our preaching is vain." But, in 15:19, Paul makes that a personal thing, even beyond that, for He says, "For if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Isn't that interesting? I've heard people say, as a matter of fact, there was a famous song that was on the air for a long time, and as much as I love some of the writings of Andre Crouch, he missed the boat on this one: "If heaven was never promised to me it was enough that I knew you in this life." No, it's not! You'd be of all men most miserable. The great glory is that we have a resurrection promised to the Bride! Were going to rise with Him! In newness of life! We're going to be resurrected in His likeness and in His image. All of this that still clings to us, of sin and the remnants of our corruption will, at last, be completely purged and destroyed. It'll all be gone and in utter holiness and perfection, we will meet Him and be betrothed to Him at last! That's the promise!
If Isaac had said to his servant 'well, when you get over there and you find Rebecca, tell her that I like her a lot. And tell her I'd really like her to be with me. But, tell her, the truth is, she's going to die. So, maybe we shouldn't even do that now. I mean, it's all just going to end!' It doesn't end! It doesn't end! For the child of God, there is eternity in Christ. We just had it read for us, but please, bear with me. Look where Paul goes with all of this as he begins to write about the resurrection. In verse 42, the first thing he wants us to know is that this resurrection body, isn't like our present one is, that is perishable, but it will be raised imperishable. In verse 43, He says, "This, that is sown in dishonor, is going to be raised in glory; this, that was sown in weakness, is going to be raised in up in power; this, that was a natural body is going to be raised up a spiritual body." In verse 49, here it's earthly, it's made for this environment but there, we're going to have a heavenly body made for the environment to dwell with Christ forever. In verse 53, it's a mortal body but, there, it's going to be an immortal body and can never never never pass away! Wow! A resurrection so that we'll be together forever and ever. No wonder then, that He ends this chapter saying, "Therefore, my brethren, be steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain with the Lord." because He has been raised from the dead, so will you! So will you!
But then, there is the last one. And I've got to tell you, I don't know how to even begin to unfold the glory of what He tells us in this last 'gift' that He holds for the Bride, and for the Bride alone. But it's wrapped up in those words that He wrote again back in John 14.
When he said to Peter, "Peter you are going to deny Me, but not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God? Believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions. I'm going there to prepare a place for you and, if I go there, I will come again. And I will receive you to Myself." He not only promises the resurrection but he promises the Kingdom to come. And it will be with Him in that resurrection. It will be with Him in that Kingdom, that is, yet to come.
Go to Revelation 21, just for a second. We've got to look at some of what this is going to be like. Picking up in verse 1 of chapter 21. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. And there is no longer any sea." Then, what is it that He sees? He says, "I saw the holy city." Think of that, Saint! When He sees you there, in that moment, He sees you as a holy city! A place that is, both, His dwelling place and a place that is fitting for His holiness. "It's the New Jerusalem, and it's coming down out of heaven from God made ready as a bride adorned for her husband." That's what we are going to be like.
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold the tabernacle of God is with men." That's the second description. First it's called the holy city, but secondly, it's called the tabernacle of God with men, a term that can only express one thing: His dwelling with us, in real space and time, knowing Him face to face without any veil in between. And, He will dwell among them and they shall be His people and God Himself will be among them. Oh, wow!
Look at the third thing He, then, says. "And He will wipe away every tear from your eyes." Please note the personal aspect of that? It doesn't say every tear will be gone, but He Himself will wipe away the tears. His personal, tender, intimate touch ministering to every last vestige of sin that bothered us and troubled us throughout our days in this life, He'll remove by His own hand, any remembrance of it of plaguing us again. "Every tear, He will wipe away from their eyes; and there will be no longer any death; and there will no longer be any mourning or crying, or pain; for the first things have passed away." All gone. All gone. All because Christ has been resurrected and has justified us and made us His own.
Let me jump over to verse 10. "And He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from out of heaven from God. And it is having the glory of God." Not her own, but His! Like on the day of a marriage. When the bride suddenly takes the husband's name; fully, we take His Name; fully, we take His glory as though it's our own! So completely exalted by the saving work of Christ. And then He describes a city that is just so beautiful that words defy the ability to describe it carefully. "It had a great and high wall, and twelve gates and the twelve gates had twelve angels; and names were written on them, and they are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three on the north and three on the south and three on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones." And it begins to describe them over in 18. "The material of the wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold; like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst." Can you imagine seeing all of that? Just think about that for a second. Think of a city that is built out of these gigantic stones, that are all precious jewels, and inside that city is the refulgent glory of Christ shining through it with utter brilliance so that all of those colors light up all of the universe with His glory! That's what He calls us. That's what this Bride is going to look like! Talk about a Bride who's radiant on Her wedding day! Think of a Bride who is filled with the glory of Christ, to such a degree that He shines out through Her, and every last beauty that He has created in Her is displayed for all the angels, of all eternity, to marvel at.
And, verse 22. "And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." There is no artificial worship, just the pure intimacy of God with His people! "And the city has no need of the sun or the moon, to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it."
And verse 27. "And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abominations and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." This is a place that can never be defiled. Revelation 22, starting at verse 1. "Then He showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb." All are sustenance in His revealed glory. "And on either side of the river a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit." And verse 3. "And there will no longer be any curse." And verse 5. "And there will no longer be any night." And, the end of verse 5, " And they will reign forever and ever, Amen." And hear this closing word because it's the promise. It's the final pledge. "And he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true'; And the Lord, the God of the spirits, of the prophets, sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place." ...the resurrection of Christ. All of this is found in the resurrection of Christ. If He was not raised from the dead, let's pack it in. As Paul said, we might be just like the stoics. 'Let's eat and drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.' But the truth is, in His resurrection He has justified us. He has poured out His Spirit within us. He has promised us the Kingdom; our own resurrection. He's prepared everything for His Bride. Oh, the resurrection of Christ. Don't let anybody tell you the resurrection isn't important!
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, there's no way to respond to this reality, properly. You so graphically paint the picture with Israel when you say "I passed by you in a field and you were like a cast off baby who no one had washed, covered with blood and matter, helpless, crying, unable to protect yourself, unclean, defiled, worthless, and undone." But You've stopped and You washed us with Your Word. And You dressed us in garments of Your own righteousness. And You changed us by causing us to be born again and You adopted us into Your family. You justified us. And with the worthiness of Christ, You made us worthy; with the righteousness of Christ, you made us righteous; with the glory of Christ, You made us look toward this hope of our own resurrection, in the fullness of that glory, in Your presence, for eternity. Oh, Father, may we, then, begin to live in the full impact of those truths. Oh, may they consume our souls. May we not grow weary in the days that intervene, for You've placed your own Spirit within us to comfort and to continue to reveal to us, the majesty of Christ. And may we pour over this letter that You have written to us and hear Your voice and love You more every day. Oh, may we await, with all patience, the full consummation of that which You have promised, and that which cannot fail; for He is risen from the dead. And in His rising, things are sealed to us. We give You the blessing, and the praise, and the glory, and the majesty, and the might, and the dominion, in that Precious Name, of the One who has bought us, Jesus, the Living Christ. Amen.
Transcribed by Jude Heberger
Copyright © 2001 Reid A. Ferguson. Permission granted to quote in context.