INDWELT BY DEITY

"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23, NKJV).

Devotion 4 of 9

THE PRINCIPLE: Revealed in the prophets

God desires to dwell within individuals. While this was not realized of old time to the extent that it is now, God revealed His mind on the matter. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isa 57:15). The "contrite and humble spirit" is the one who views sin the way God does. Such are so earnest in their quest for the Lord, they cannot abide the thought of remaining in sin. While despised by the world, this is the kind of person in whom God desires to take residence. Because such persons were so rare (indeed, it could be no other way before Jesus), God identified with a place . . . a holy place. "For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it" (Psa 132:13- 14). But this was not the ideal situation. It only served to reveal His desire to be identified with His "offspring." When Solomon built the temple, he was acutely aware of this situation. He realized that a physical house could not contain the God of heaven. "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (1 Kings 8:27). Yet, the principle had been revealed--God desired to inhabit His people.

We have received from His fullness

"And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16). In salvation, God shares Himself with us through Christ. "His fullness" speaks of His person, qualities, or attributes. This is a marvelous consideration. Different versions of Scripture vary in their representation of this verse. Living Bible: "We have all benefitted from the rich blessings He brought to us . . ." TEV: "Out of the fullness of His grace He has blessed us all . . ." RSV: "And from His fullness have we all received . . ." NEB: "Out of His full store we have all received . . ." NIV: "From the fullness of His grace we have all received . . ." Jerusalem Bible: "Indeed, from His fullness we have, all of us, received . . ." Phillips: "Indeed, every one of us has shared in His riches . . ." The point of this expression is the SOURCE of the benefit, and not the benefit itself. The benefit is "grace for grace," or "grace upon grace." The source of that benefit is the rich reservoir of "His fullness." This is His Person, or His glory. In other words, what we have received from God is nothing less than a measure of His Person. He has extended Himself in us through Christ. While the recipient of grace is limited in measure, the source of grace is not! In salvation, God has shared Himself with us, not merely something impersonal that He possesses.

We partake of His nature

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Pet. 1:4). God's aim is for us to "participate in the divine nature" (NIV). Remember, He is extending Himself through mankind--particularly in Christ Jesus. We are being renewed in knowledge after the image of our Creator (Col. 3:10). The thought of being incorporated into the Godhead is a staggering one, but it is true. In Christ, we are "joined to the Lord," becoming "one spirit" with Him (1 Cor. 6:19). This is not the emulation of God. In redemption, we are not merely challenged to try and be like God. We actually share His nature. This sharing is measured, and certainly does not make us God's equals. But it does make us God's sons! "Now we ARE the sons of God," the Spirit declares (1 John 3:1-2). It is true that we are sons by adoption; that is the legal view of our sonship. The experiential view is that of partaking of the "divine nature." In Christ we are new creations, bearing the very likeness of the One from whose glory we have fallen (2 Cor. 5:17). PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You for enabling me to participate in Your nature. It is a challenge to my mind to consider such a magnificient blessing. Yet, by faith, I receive the benefit You have revealed You want to give!

-- TOMORROW: THE FATHER AND THE SON --