Everlasting Splendours

Saturday December 20, 2014

C.S. Lewis grasped the essence of humanity and captured it in these choice words found in The Weight of Glory : "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." He then wrote the poignant, biblically accurate fact that each of us will either become an "immortal horror" or an "everlasting splendour."

In the early years of his life, Jesus' half-brother Jude couldn´t grasp the fact that his oldest brother was indeed divine, let alone that He was an everlasting splendour. Apparently after Jesus' death and resurrection, however, Jude came to believe that Jesus is the Saviour of the world (Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5), and he began to spread His message.

In the book that carries his name, Jude - now an old man - warned his readers of the dangers of false teachers and their treacherous message. But he then concluded the book by calling all true believers to grasp who they are in Jesus : (1) possessors of the "most holy faith"; (2) vessels filled with "the power of the Holy Spirit"; (3) recipients of "the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ" and the "eternal life" found in Him; (4) children who have received "God´s love" (Jude 1:20-21).

It's vital that we remind other believers in Jesus and receive reminders from them that God has made us His everlasting splendours. The world, with its false views and faith-belittling ways, will keep telling us that we´re simply "immortal horrors". And that´s why we must constantly "build each other up" in our faith, helping and rescuing one another when our faith wavers (vv. 20, 22-23).

You, as a believer in Jesus, are an everlasting splendour who one day will be in Jesus' "glorious presence" (v.24). Build up another believer with those truths today! - Tom Felten

Read
Jude 1:20-25
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God´s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy -- to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master´s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God´s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Colossians 2:10
and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Question to Ponder
What false views have been clouding your true identity in Jesus?
How can you better encourage believers in Him, helping them see that they´re "everlasting splendours"?

** Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Dec 2014 - Feb 2015 issue