Husband, Father

"To make us as good as He is"

JESUS IS the example of how to be single. He set down His will to do the will of His Father, to do the work of His Father, and the Father was pleased. Jesus is also the example of a godly husband, where Ephesians 5 tells us He laid down His life for the church, to make her holy and beautiful. He is the bridegroom in the gospels, but in John’s Revelation, it is the marriage supper of the Lamb. Notice the difference. He was the bridegroom until His death, now He is the Lamb, who gave His life for His children.

New Jerusalem is pictured as a bride, bedecked as one. This is the description given. Jesus is wed as the Father, whose death He was. It is always the parent who dies and the child who inherits. In His death, Jesus was God the Father (who cannot die) and in His inheritance, He is the Son. Their unity is this complete. (Hebrews 9:16-17) We see this truth in Isaiah 9:6. Here Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father, and also the Counselor, who is the Holy Spirit. God who cannot die sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). And to set an example of how to live. How to live well. Spiritually, emotionally, mentally well, physically well. Financially well, sound and just.

“Dear friend, I pray that all things are well with you, that your health is good, and your mind is sharp, clear and at peace.” (3 John 1:2, Remedy)

“Hold on to loyal love and don’t let go, and be faithful to all that you’ve been taught. Let your life be shaped by integrity, with truth written upon your heart. That’s how you will find favor and understanding with both God and men—you will gain the reputation of living life well.” (Proverbs 3:3-4 TPT)

Some have said God is sovereign, meaning He can do with us as He wants. This is human reasoning and not God’s nature. Men have made gods with human reasoning who act as humans do. But Jesus became human in order to set our example of how to be godly. We can live like Him and do even greater works than He did (John 14:12) without suffering any hardship at all. Instead of God becoming human in sin and thought life, instead of Jesus giving into our humanity, God became human to make us as good, as loving, as “well” as He is. He has given us His wisdom, His authority, His dumanis power (ability). We are enabled to love all men because He is in us. We lay hands on the sick AND SEE THEM RECOVER.

Too much has been said on God’s vindication and vengeance. God’s vengeance is mercy. He mourns sin and has commanded us to mourn with the intent to be our comfort (Matthew 5:4) At the cross, He laid down His desire for judgment in favor of justice through our great salvation. Because of Jesus’ shed blood, we can be forgiven. If we will accept it. Jesus is Judge. But see His judgment and hear His cries for the unsaved. There is no man He will not seek, no one of any culture, gender, or social status. What He sees is men’s hearts, their thoughts and intents, and to these, through the Spirit of Christ, who is the Holy Spirit, He is forever interceding.

Hear “And He’s Ever Interceding” sung by The Talleys.

Jesus doesn’t even raise His voice now. His shouts in the temple were for that time, that moment, in that place. His rebuke of the Pharisees and other religious leaders whose murderous hate hung Him on the cross were so they would see Him for who He is, and though they did not and put him to death, He died for their forgiveness anyway. Such is God’s love, far greater, far higher, of a wider spread and a deeper depth than we can fathom on our own. But through His Spirit, who is God, we can see Him and be like Him. But we must make the choice and through the Spirit, change our way of thinking. We cannot fix ourselves by ourselves. It is God who makes us who we need to be. Our job is to seek Him for full revelation of it and to commit to obedience. Even when our emotions and what we know seems the opposite.

Here is our intimacy with God. Here is the child aware of the nature of their Father, and the wife who knows her husband. Instead of sitting in the pew, we should climb up in our Abba’s lap, we should hold hands with our husband and hear His heartbeat. There is a place for singleness, for learning to stand upright alone, but Adam was made to conceive Eve, and Eve was made to conceive these precious ones made from them both. Both physically and spiritually. I must ask, “What have I done for Him?” Or did I waste it all on myself.

“Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives.” (Ephesians 5:25-28 MSG)

Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com