As I settled down to read chapter one of One, two important truths almost literally leapt out of the first page of that chapter right into my spirit. Intuitively, I knew it was not just for me; I gotta to share them with other saints!
Jesus Christ: the singular topic of Scripture
Whenever you read any part of scripture, whether Old or New Testament, how clearly do you see Jesus Christ in it? That was the question that hit me, reading the second paragraph. I only just realized that the entire scripture has only one topic: Jesus Christ. Everything else points to this singular topic.
Admittedly, the Bible contains a variety of history, stories, laws, songs, philosophy, parables, and ethical and moral standards; and its readers may get confused or distracted by what seem to be a thick forest of topics.
However, the mystery the entire Bible unveils is Jesus Christ. He Himself affirmed this. In John 5:39, He told the Jewish leaders, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” [NLT] The Bible focuses on Jesus—who He is, both individually and corporately (in His body), what He has accomplished, and what He is doing today.
World over, there are tens of thousands of books that have been written and are still being written concerning the Bible. But the ones that are of greatest spiritual value are those that explore and expound on Jesus Christ or the relationship between Jesus and His believers.
Seeking His pleasure, not my own
To truly know a person beyond the surface, one must go beyond knowing their actions to the why of those actions. Why do they do what they do? What do they intend to achieve? Similarly, to truly know Jesus Christ, one must know more than His activities recorded in the Gospels; one must also know His purpose, His pleasure, and how He is carrying out His purpose today. Only then will we, as His followers, be able to participate in accomplishing His eternal will. This was the second truth that jumped at me as I read just the first page.
Unfortunately, many Christians are self-centered and only care about what God is doing for them. They seek after God’s will in order to meet their own personal goals. I think I am also guilty of this: Lord have mercy! This is why our lives on earth are driven by vanity and selfish motives. If, as followers of Jesus Christ, we follow His example, we will see the need to take His purpose to be our purpose and His pleasure to be our pleasure. I wanted to be well instructed in this.
At this point, I had to close the book and offer a few prayers. This is my usual custom, anytime, I sense that the Lord is speaking to me. Permit me to share the two items of prayer with you:
Dear Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see Jesus and Him alone anytime I am reading the Scriptures.
“Lord Jesus! Cause devotion to your house, to burn in me like a fire." (John 2:17 – GNT)
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Culled from “One: Unfolding God’s eternal purpose from house to house” Chapter 1, Page 15. You can read online: www.onebody.life