CONSIDER THE LORD JESUS - PART 1

THURSDAY 07 NOVEMBER 2024

I'm introducing a new topic, known as "consider Jesus." I define and address the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God alive in those who have received Him as Saviour and Lord. If you belong to Christ Jesus, your spirit knows this and will always seek to identify with His abiding presence, His work and His glory which can manifest in you to the degree that you acknowledge, yield to and desire Him. How does your spirit know this? The Holy Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children (Romans 8:16 NIV). How did we become God's own children? To all who have believed Jesus Christ and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12 NLT). More below!

Reference: Hebrews 3:1 English Standard Version (ESV)

"Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession."

Although the above translation mentioned holy brothers, holy sisters are equally included, which means that it is addressed to all born again Christians who share in the heavenly calling. So the first thing to notice is that the author of the versified statement acknowledged that we have been accepted in the beloved, namely Jesus, although it is not directly stated (An inferred connotation). This is why we are addressed as those who share in a heavenly calling, for no one can share in heavenly calling outside the Lord Jesus Christ. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son (Ephesians 1:6 NLT). Now what are we expected to do? We are to always consider the Lord Jesus, by fixing our thoughts on Him, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

I will expound the referenced Scripture by starting with this thought:

If you would influence men on earth profoundly and eternally, no matter what your authority or stand is, you must consider Jesus in your dealings with them. Furthermore, you can't consider Jesus wholeheartedly, if you don't fully abide in Him. But when you are fully resident and grounded in Him, it produces the grand desire to consider Him in everything you do. To that effect, John 15:4 reads, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (NIV).

And if you would remain in Christ, you must walk in the same path, the one who says that he remains in Him, ought to. To that effect, Johannine literature, in accordance with Evangelist John's utterance, stated:  "Whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself" (1st John 2:6 AMP).

Now that we have established the true description of those who are brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, I will expound the versified reference by means of answering the questions listed below in this manner:

1. What is this heavenly calling?

2. Why should we consider the Lord Jesus?

3. How does His office as the apostle and high priest of our confession apply to our Christian faith?

Stay tuned for the successive parts of this topic designed to only bring uplifting and insightful exposition to the accurate knowledge of the answers, which the Spirit of truth has assigned to the above thoughtful questions. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Philippians 2:11; 1 John 2:23; Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 4:15.

Exuberant  Declaration:

I am a true born again Christian, who share in the heavenly calling, and I always consider the Lord Jesus, the apostle and high priest of my confession. Hallelujah!