More Sure

Clinging to our Christian activities and associations cannot give us the assurance we need to serve Jesus in our daily lives. Only by knowing Jesus, revealed in His Word, can we find the one more sure way of belonging to Him. Today’s reading from The Kingdom Turn is found on page 53:

“The Christian life consists in knowing the Lord, and for this to happen, we must be passionate about hearing Him.

“Peter himself would later observe that there was one thing ‘more sure’ than even such an experience as he and the others knew on the mount of Transfiguration, and that one thing was the Word of God, the very Word of Jesus Christ Himself. The Word of God in Scripture is where we may expect to encounter the living Christ with greater presence, power, and transforming effect than if we had such mountain-top experiences of His glory every day.

“For in the Word of the Lord, the Word of God concerning His Son, Jesus Christ, we encounter the face and glory of God Himself, and we learn about His greatness, holiness, and power. There we meet the Lord in His glory, as the Spirit parts the veil that separates time from eternity, and ushers us into the divine presence. We tremble before His immensity and might, and we are humbled with gratitude to know that this glorious and awesome God has set His love on us. We see Him in His glory, as the Spirit takes the revelation of Christ and works within and upon us to transform us into that same image.

“Filled with fear and joy and love at the beauty we have beheld, we go forth with glad hearts to wait on the goodness of the Lord in obedience to His every Word. No wonder Jesus explained to Martha that listening to Him, abiding in His Word, was more important than all the frenzied works we might do in order to please others and meet their needs.”

For reflection or discussion
1. Is your time in the Word of God sufficient to bring you into the Presence of Jesus Christ? Explain.

2. How do you experience the Holy Spirit, working within you to make you more like Jesus?

Being a Christian is not primarily a matter of going to church, getting involved in Christian activities, and trying to be a good person. These are all important, of course, but being a Christian involves knowing Jesus—both in His incarnation and His exaltation—and out of love for Him, serving the people around us. And only the Word of God, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, can do that work in us. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss it. Get several friends together, play or read the podcast, then lead them in discussing it. Your copy of The Kingdom Turn awaits you in The Ailbe Bookstore.