Redemptive Revelation

On Sunday I shared a message about the Redemptive Revelation of God. The text was Proverbs 29:18. I chose to expand upon the Amplified Bible translation of this verse. "Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God] the people perish..."

As I began to think about this verse again this morning, this old hymn came to mind. "Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, be all else but naught to me, save that thou art; be thou my best thought in the day and the night, both walking and sleeping, thy presence my light." I could not help but think how different the world would be if all they ever received from us was a redemptive revelation of God. How different would the church be if we shared the same with one another?

The reality is that Jesus came to give us a redemptive revelation of God. Not a distant disapproving deity but a Heavenly Father who loves His creation. A God who is willing to come down into the darkness of our existence. One who is willing to bridge every gap, cross every barrier, and give His life for us.

One of my favorite verses over the last few years comes from 1 John 4:16. It's simple. However, I cannot help but to be amazed by what this awareness creates in our lives. A Redemptive Revelation of God! "We have come to know and to believe in the love that God has for us..."
WE HAVE COME TO KNOW:
- The word "know" is an incredible word in the Greek. It speaks of experiential knowledge. A Jewish idiom that describes a sexual relationship between a man and a woman. A deep intimate knowledge.
AND TO BELIEVE:
- Think to be true, be persuaded of, to place confidence in.
We have to come to have a deep intimate experience and to be fully and confidently persuaded of the Father's love for us.
This is a game changer.

A redemptive revelation of God leads to life. Abundant life. A life that is fully persuaded of the Father's love. One that is confident, secure, and full of rest. A life that becomes well acquainted with His goodness. A life that realizes that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Isn't this what we need? Isn't this what the church professes to possess? Should this not be our vision?

May you be blessed with this awareness today. That you will be reminded of this simple fact: "There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you less. He loves you because He loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you, because that is what He is like..." [Graham Cooke]