Issue, Answer & Test!

ISSUE, ANSWER & TEST!

"Which was Jesus", you ask, "Issue, Answer or Test?". That's right - ALL 3! As 'Issue', He was both Subject and Object of all Scripture! As 'Answer', He Embodies all of God's Supply for man! He IS both Living Water and Bread of Heaven! But as 'Test', we see Him best in Parable or Holy Symbol. Nevertheless, to know Him (hence to love & obey Him) is the acid test!

But we must never forget the 'Issue' if we would "pass" the 'Test'! Nothing less than God's Will (Choice!) is at stake! God gets to Do what HE Wants with His Creation - for the Purposes of whatever He has in Mind! The 'Issue' is; WILL GOD GET HIS WAY [w/you], OR NOT?!

The 'Answer' Is Jesus Christ (or "AMEN!"). Let man speak for all Creation, (as it was in the beginning, so now & ever shall be!), as [was] in Adam, so [now] in Christ . . .

Gen 2:19 "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." So, in 'Answering' God (by Naming), God's Will was made manifest (was seen!) in Adam's Word [Choice]! As this "Dominion" WAS Their Relationship, so now It *IS* (in-Christ) our's with our Father, God - to BE His Word, IS His Will!

As God said to Abraham in Gen 17:1 ". . . I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.", so Jesus now Commands us in Mt 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

The Promise was never what God would enable Abraham (or his decendants) to do, but rather what God had and would Do to Cause him (& his) to BE - PERFECT! Just how did God Do that? By Becoming Man (Son of!) to Do Pefection (God's Will) FOR us! My mother used to say, "handsom is as handsome does!". Was she right? Are we -by- what we do?; or do we -as- we are?

What does the bible say? Which comes first; behaviour, or character? - righteousness, or virtue? - sanctification, or conversion? - faith, or repentance? Notice that (at first) the question appears simple, only to emerge profound!

Mt 18:3 "And (Jesus) said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." And Peter said in Acts 3:19-21 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, (so) that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."

So, my mother was wrong afterall!: "Handsome does as handsome is"! But how do we know that we're truely converted? Jesus said in Jn 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" - did you catch that, "hear", "know", follow"? - and in John 10:4,5 "And when he putteth forth his own sheep (He "owns" them because he 'Bought" them with His Life!), he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: (why do they "follow" Him? Because He LEADS them!) for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."

Now sheep may be dumb about a lot of things, but one thing they know! - their "meal-ticket", or where their next meal is coming from! Sheep follow to feed! Sheep are very good discerners of "who loves 'ya, baby!?". Remember, "sheep" are those who have been "converted" (or changed) by the Love of God, and who (now) Love God (Whom they now Know!). They know Him because they love Him, and visa versa! He is now their "focus" because they now need Him, to feed - so they follow where he Leads! Simple! But the 'Test' is the Proof!

Obviously, if you know Him, it follows He knows you! So the question should be, "does Jesus know you?! Mt 7:22-24 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you (I don't Know you!): depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, *and doeth them*, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:"

Here again we see Jesus making it clear that only "hearers" of His Words can DO them! And their salvation (in any time of storm or testining) is the bedRock of a REAL Relationship with Him which is Able to Perforn the Impossible ("Possible with God!") which Jesus says is not possible *apart* from ["without"] Him!

To Love Him is to Obey Him - that is - it soon becomes our Joy to Do His WIll and Perform His Word - even as He Commands us! As it was His Joy to go the the Cross for us, it now becomes our Joy to Follow His Lord-ship - wherever He Leads. [Even taking our own DAILY cross!]

Now we see as Job, in Job 13:15 "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in (serve, or wait for) him: ..." And we begin to understand such "impossible" texts as Job 2:10 "...What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?...", and Job 1:21 "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.", or...

Isa 53:9,(10) "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; ..." Jn 12:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Jn 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease." Col 3:3 "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." II Cor 12:(5) "...of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities."

II Cor 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Ro 8:16,17 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ; -->if so be<-- that we *suffer with him*, that we may be also glorified together."

I Pt 3:(14) "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye:..." Ja 1:2,3 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."

No, the 'Test' is WITH Christ, IN Him! After all, the Victory goes to the Winner, right? I Jn 5:4 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." And *Knowing Him* IS our Faith!