Here is the introduction to The Man of Heaven: A Christ-Centered Commentary Series (Reading the Scriptures in Light of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ)
Welcome to The Man of Heaven: A Christ-Centered Commentary series. Here, you have the commentary on the book (Bible Book). The Lord willing, I plan to publish as many volumes as possible, as He continues to give life, grace, and strength. In each introduction, I want to explain the background and name of this series.
When we don’t see the big picture of creation, history, and salvation, which is the story of God’s glorious redemption, we will never be able to properly understand all the details. In order to correctly read, interpret, and apply the Bible, we must do so in light of two main persons, two major events, and two eternal destines, whereby the lesser serves the greater. Unless we do so, we will fail to understand God’s word to the fullest.
That’s a reference to what Paul wrote in Colossians: “I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known.” What was it about God’s word—in light of progressive revelation from Genesis through Revelation—that wasn’t fully known until God chose Paul to do so?
We continue to read: “The mystery hidden for ages and generation but now revealed to his saints.” Paul wrote that the truest and fullest meaning of God’s word, until then, had been a mystery, “hidden for ages and generation.” What was that mystery?
In reference to the saints, he wrote: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:25-27). The truest and fullest meaning of God’s word is the person and work of Jesus Christ—what He has done for us in His life, death, and resurrection and what He will do in and through us as we are united to Him as our head (Col. 1:18).
That’s why Jesus said, the Scriptures are “they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). They testify of Him, including that He is the sole source—the vine—of everything that’s pleasing to the Father in and through our lives.
Thus, “Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11). All for His people and all in (and through) His people (see Phil. 1:11). Whatever God requires of man finds its fulfillment in and through the Son of Man, which was already true in the Old Testament, even though that was, for the most part, a hidden mystery.
To the believers in Rome, Paul stated this truth with these words: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). Through, with, and in His Son, the Father has graciously given us “all things.”
In other words: through His righteous life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection, Jesus has obtained the “all things” for His people, which includes all the spiritual and eternal blessings (Eph. 1:3), all God’s promises (2 Cor. 1:20), and all the righteousness that God requires of us (Isa. 45:23-25; Jer. 23:6; Dan. 9:24).
To the Corinthians, Paul expressed such divine grace as follows: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Cor. 1:30-31). Jesus is all our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
That brings us to the name of this commentary series, The Man of Heaven. It’s found in Paul’s passage about Adam and Jesus (see 1 Cor. 15:21-22, 45-58). In that passage, he referred to Adam as “the first man” and Jesus as “the second man.” He also referred to Jesus as “the last Adam,” indicating that there will never be a third man. What does it mean that the Bible states that there are, ultimately, only two men?
In a related passage (Rom. 5:12-21), Paul gave us the answer: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:18-19). Adam and Jesus are like two seeds from whom their offspring comes.
Adam’s sin, which in theology is referred to as original sin, affected everyone who stems from him. It led to “condemnation for all men.” Through Adam’s one trespass, mankind is condemned. As such, he is “the first man.” Adam, however, was “a type of the one who was to come” (Rom. 5:14).
Jesus came as “the second man.” Through His “one act of righteousness,” which I like to refer to as original righteousness, He established “justification and life for all men,” for all who stem from Him, being “his offspring” (Isa. 53:10).
“Justification” refers to the imputation of Jesus’ righteous life, and “life” refers to the impartation of His righteous life because of our union with Him. In both ways, Jesus is our righteousness, which is what God had foretold through Jeremiah: “And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness’” (Jer. 23:6). All right living stems from Him! That’s the meaning of “Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11).
This reality—the reality of Jesus as the last Adam, obtaining and securing our justification, sanctification, and glorification for all who are in Him—was expressed by a solemn oath. In Isaiah, God stated: “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To my every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance’” (Isa. 45:23).
What is it that every tongue shall swear allegiance to, which can also be translated as to “confess to God,” as the ESV footnote states? Our allegiance and confession to God is: “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory” (Isa. 45:24-25). Our only allegiance to and acceptance with God is found in the fact that Jesus is all our righteousness, both by way of imputation and impartation, as we are “found in him” (Phil. 3:9).
Thus, we must read the Bible in light of two eternal realities. Through Adam’s sin, there is “condemnation for all men.” This is also evident by the fact that, “Those who are in the flesh [those who stem from Adam] cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8). Through Jesus’ righteous life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection, however, there is “justification and life for all men,” which refers to all who are “in the Lord.”
From Genesis through Revelation (and throughout history and eternal ages), we have God’s righteous judgment on those who stem from Adam, and we have God’s great love, rich mercy, and unfathomable grace on those who stem from Jesus (see Eph. 2:4-7).
The Bible highlights that anyone’s salvation is wholly based on God’s grace without any human merit, because everyone who belongs to Jesus initially belonged to Adam. By nature, we only deserve God’s just wrath, which Paul clearly stated: “Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:3).
As such, a Christian is someone who deeply realizes (and feels) what he justly deserves by nature, and what He mercifully receives by grace, eliminating all forms of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness—all forms of pride.
By way of illustration, Adam’s sin so spoiled a fresh gallon of milk—like a cup of arsenic would do—that it is good for nothing. Those who stem from Adam cannot please God in any possible way, just like you wouldn’t drink from a gallon of milk that has a cup of arsenic added to it. It is to be completely rejected as good.
The “seed,” so to speak, was irreversibly affected by the poison of sin and cannot produce anything but the poison of sin: “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one” (Job 14:4).
Therefore, everything that is pleasing to the Father—everything that is good and righteous—stems from “the man of heaven,” which is the essence of “the mystery hidden for ages and generation but now revealed to his saints.” Jesus as the sole source of the Father’s pleasure is the truest and fullest interpretation and application of God’s word.
Not only did Paul refer to Jesus as “the second man” and “the last Adam,” he also referred to Him as “the man of heaven,” indicating His true divinity—as the Son of God—and His true humanity, as the Son of Man. He is the man of heaven. And, the man of heaven.
We read: “As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:48-49).
Notice how each of these two men have (had) a definite impact on everyone who stems from them. By nature, we are “of the dust” and are condemned. Through spiritual birth, we are “of heaven” and have “justification and life.” That’s why Jesus said: “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:7), which can also be translated as born from above. We must be born of heaven (see Ps. 87:5-7).
Therefore, all right thinking, feeling, and living stems from Jesus. All spiritual life, growth, and fruitfulness flow from Him: “I am the vine; you are the branches . . . apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Or as the psalmist stated: “Singers and dancers alike say, ‘All my springs are in you’” (Ps. 87:7).
Paul expressed that humbling and hope-giving truth with these words: “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:4-5). All that’s pleasing to the Father is always through Christ (see Heb. 13:20-21).
Thus, when we see any kind of spiritual life and activity throughout the Bible—anything that’s pleasing to the Father—it wholly stems from “the fountain of life” (Ps. 36:9), who is “the man of heaven.” As such, the Father is utterly Son-centered.
At the beginning of this introduction, I also referred to two events, related to the two persons and the two eternal destinies. They are Adam’s fall into sin and “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). It is through His suffering and death that Jesus brought about “justification and life for all men,” which is for all who stem from Him, being “his offspring” (Isa. 53:10).
The fall and the cross are the two determining realities throughout the Bible, history, and eternity. From Genesis through Revelation, we either read something about man’s fallen nature and God’s righteous judgement against sin, or we read about the reality of God’s redemption, showing grace for the sake of His Son’s righteous life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection: “And he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom’” (Job 33:24). The ransom is the sole reason for any and all of God’s favor (and favorable actions) toward man.
As such, Paul wrote: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). The cross is the sole source of all redemption. We can only say, both now and forevermore: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Ps. 115:1).
The author of Hebrews referred to the cross as “the blood of the eternal covenant,” whereby God works in us “that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 12:20-21).
As “the man of heaven,” Jesus obtained everything for us that’s pleasing to the Father, which includes our “everlasting righteousness” (Dan. 9:24). Thus, all the righteousness that God requires of us, He has freely and graciously given in and through His Son.
On this side of glory, “the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11), is still immature and imperfect. In glory, that fruit will be perfectly mature because “we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2). Either way, though, God has infinite delight in everything that stems from Jesus, even though it may still be unseen—in the root—or undeveloped—in the bud. As long as we are “of heaven,” belonging to “the man of heaven,” we are “in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6) and the Father has the same love for us as He has for Jesus, because we are one with Him.
There is one more aspect that we must consider in order to understand God’s word in its truest and fullest interpretation and application. From Genesis through Revelation, we also have His expressed and actual judgment on sin. Jesus said: “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father” (John 5:22-23).
When Jesus began His ministry, He said that He came “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). He also said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt. 5:17-18). When we read the Bible, we must see it in light of Jesus fulfilling all God’s righteousness, both in graciously saving His people and in rightfully condemning His enemies.
As “the man of heaven,” Jesus lived a perfect righteous life. He poured out His righteous life as a sacrifice that freely atones, reconciles, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies everyone who is “of heaven.” Additionally, as “the man of heaven,” He will also administer God’s righteous judgment against sin, both in time and throughout eternity, which is also part of fulfilling all righteousness.
Thus, the story of the Bible is the story of “the Lamb of God” and “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” saving God’s people and conquering His enemies. As such, “all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John” (Matt. 11:13). They describe and testify of Jesus, finding their fulfillment in and through Him.
Unless we read, interpret, and apply the Bible in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have missed the mark and have failed to rightly handle “the word of truth,” at least in its truest and fullest meaning. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” He is “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:10, 13).
Additionally, when we read the Scriptures, we should use the “how much more” analogies (see Luke 11:13; 12:24, 28) of God’s greatness, goodness, and glory, whereby the earthly depictions serve as a testimony of the “how much more” when it comes to God.
This also applies to all the “greater than” analogies (see Matt. 12:6, 41-42), whereby earthly realities serve to testify of the “greater than” when it comes to Jesus. As such, the physical serves to illustrate the spiritual (when there are clear links between the one and the other).
The Man of Heaven: A Christ-Centered Commentary series is not an exegetical, expositional, or homiletical commentary series. While it may primarily fall into a devotional commentary series, the sole goal is to be as Christ-centered as can be, Reading the Scriptures in Light of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.
The truest and fullest exegesis and exposition, though, will fall short unless we see everything in light of Jesus, to whom the Scriptures bear witness (John 5:39). He is the very substance of God’s word, finding its temporal and eternal fulfillment in and through Him, being “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13).
This series doesn’t provide an introduction to each of the Bible books since there are tons of good Bible handbooks and commentaries that provide such excellent information. The main goal is to highlight The Man of Heaven, through whom and for whom all things exist, “in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” (Col. 1:16).
Everything and everyone exist for Him, saving His people and conquering His enemies—fulfilling all righteousness to the glory of His Father. That is the proper interpretation and application of God’s word—an utterly Christ-centered approach.
Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3). As such, we see His kindness and severity (see Rom. 11:22) throughout the Scriptures. Our only hope is found in our embrace of Jesus by faith: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 2:12). Jesus is our only and eternal refuge.
That reminds me of what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit, who inspired each of the biblical authors: “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:8-11).
As such, the message of the Bible can be considered as threefold. It’s about our sin and unbelief (man’s utter need), Jesus’ righteousness and His great work of redemption (God’s gracious answer), and the judgment of everyone who has aligned himself with “the ruler of this world,” who “is judged,” even though the finality of that judgment is still in the future.
Since God used progressive revelation in the writing of His word—taking about 1,500 years and about forty different authors—there was a growing revelation until He completed His final book, which most believe is Revelation, written at the end of the first century. Now that we have the complete revelation of God’s word, though, it is important to take the whole in the understanding of the particulars.
As with any imperfect and incomplete commentary, I encourage the reader to examine “the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). While the writer has the greater responsibility to accurately communicate the meaning of God’s word (James 3:1), the reader has the responsibility to “test everything” and “hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). By the way, the imperfection of this commentary is also seen in light of my abundant overuse of the words “thus” and “as such,” for which I, thus, apologize.
Every commentary is written within a specific time period and location. This includes the fact that that there are certain predominant (theological) issues that are on the forefront, which may or may not have been as relevant at other times or in other places. Thus, some of the comments may be more geared toward the issues of the day.
Additionally, since no commentary is written within a vacuum—I started the first commentary (on Galatians) at the age of forty-six—I am greatly indebted to decades of reading Christian books, attending Bible studies, and listening to sermons, all seeking to communicate, teach, and preach God’s word.
It would be too much to acknowledge everyone who has had a definite impact on my understanding of the Scriptures and outlook on life. There are four, though, who have had such a major impact that I want to acknowledge them by name. They are (anything written by) Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Pink (primarily his book on The Sovereignty of God), John Piper (and his emphasis on God’s glory), and Matthew Henry (his commentary).
By the way, if I could “enforce” Christians to do the one extra thing, it would be for them to listen to Matthew Henry’s commentary for fifteen minutes each day. That will take one through his commentary in about ten months. Unfortunately, his commentary is only available on audio in the abridged version.
Whenever a verse or passage wasn’t clear for me (especially with the prophets in the Old Testament and in the book of Revelation), or I needed some form of confirmation, my initial source has been the ESV Study Bible (for their succinct comments). If that didn’t help me, I would turn to other commentaries for assistance. I do believe, though, that all my comments are essentially my own (formed with the help of others).
This commentary series is my pursuit to continue to dig in the mine of Scripture for additional precious stones that, probably, have already been uncovered long ago but need to be polished again—in order to see the preciousness of Jesus Christ.
As such, I want to honor all who have dug in this mine throughout the centuries and have made an excellent path to explore those areas that have been properly excavated, so that anyone can see what has already been uncovered and to seek for more nuggets.
In that sense, every generation should “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), by way of touring those parts of the mine that have been properly excavated and to seek for additional precious stones that are part of “the faith.”
In other words: every precious stone of the Scriptures should be continually polished (by each generation of believers), lest it loses its shining radiance and be viewed as dull and without much or any preciousness. Additionally, we should never assume that we have exhausted this infinite mine called God’s word.
Summary
The Man of Heaven: A Christ-Centered Commentary series has three main points, through which all the comments have been filtered and should be read.
First of all, everything exists through Christ and for Christ (Col. 1:16). There isn’t one single molecule that doesn’t exist for Jesus and His glory. As such, everything finds its meaning and purpose in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including everyone’s eternal destiny (see Rom. 9:22-29).
Secondly, because of Adam’s “one trespass,” mankind is justly condemned (Rom. 5:18), cannot please God in any possible way (Rom. 8:8), and deserves nothing but His wrath by nature (Eph. 2:3). Apart from Christ, everyone is wholly undone, which means having been cut off from God and destroyed (Isa. 6:5 NKJV).
Thirdly, every single part of anyone’s salvation has been wholly obtained and secured through Jesus’ death on the cross, by way of “the blood of the eternal covenant.” As such, He has become the sole source of everything that’s pleasing to the Father in and through our lives (Heb. 13:20-21). That’s the meaning of being saved by God’s grace (Eph. 2:4-10).
This means that all our right standing before God and all our right living toward Him is wholly through Jesus (Rom. 5:18-19), being the vine from whom we receive all spiritual life, growth, and fruitfulness (John 15:5). He is our life.
By the way, we cannot separate our justification—our standing before God—and our sanctification—our living toward God—because both are intrinsically united in the person and work of Jesus Christ. They are indivisibly related.
Therefore, everything that we read in the Scriptures that’s “holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12)—everything that’s pleasing to the Father—is only found in Christ and experienced through Christ (Isa. 45:23-25). The other side of that same coin is the fact that everything that we read in God’s word that’s unholy, unrighteous, and evil is the reality of being “separated from Christ” (Eph. 2:12).
Jesus is the embodiment and fountain of all that’s “holy and righteous and good,” whereby all that’s unholy, unrighteous, and evil serves as the background for His glory, majesty, and splendor: “Our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God” (Rom. 3:5), which is the very righteousness of Jesus Christ as the second man.
Thus, for all the saved ones throughout history and eternity, “Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11), and we can have no other boast “except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). That is the message from Genesis through Revelation—the message of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8 NKJV).
Two Additional and Important Notes…
First of all, when we come to the Bible, of which this Bible book is one of the sixty-six books, is there a unifying, central theme—a divine, ultimate purpose—that runs throughout the sacred Scriptures and governs every aspect?
While these few additional paragraphs won’t be able to properly expound on it, the Bible has a central theme, of which creation is the setting, history the outworking, and eternity the finalization.
If God is all-wise, all-powerful, perfectly good, and perfectly righteous, it would be beneath Him—it would be unworthy of God—to not have an all-wise, perfectly good, and perfectly right goal that He is more than able to accomplish in time and eternity (see Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; 3:11).
It is the revelation of God’s glory, which is the beauty and excellence of all His perfections, “in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). As The Man of Heaven, Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3).
God’s eternal glory is manifested in the gracious salvation of His people, through Jesus who fulfilled all God’s righteous requirements on their behalf and, as such, became the source of all their righteousness, whereby they reflect God’s glorious image.
It is also manifested in the just condemnation of His enemies, through Jesus who is the sole judge (John 5:22-23), the executioner of God’s righteous judgement on those who are in rebellion against God, whereby His righteous judgment is meant to highlight His mercy and grace (Rom. 9:22-23 and see Eph. 2:7).
Thus, we have the revelation of God’s kindness and severity (Rom. 11:22), the demonstration of His mercy and wrath (Rom. 9:22-23), which He expresses and accomplishes through Jesus, “the Lamb of God” and “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” establishing an eternity that depicts all of His perfections, which includes the eternal enjoyment of God by His people in all His perfections.
Such God-centeredness is, obviously, a matter of great enmity for the carnal mind (see Rom. 8:7-8). Yet, the Godhood of God is the eternal substance from “before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 25). Any other view—any other view that has the slightest measure of man-centeredness—is unworthy of the all-glorious God.
Secondly, when we consider the word of God, we must know that God’s word is inherently all-sufficient and all-powerful to accomplish what He intends. Whatever God says (as the great I am in the eternally present tense) will stand forever: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:8).
Thus, God’s word itself, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has the inherent power to bring about spiritual birth: “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23 and James 1:18).
It also has the inherent power to bring about spiritual growth: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). As such, it is “the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (1 Thess. 2:13).
Just like all of creation exists and is upheld by God’s word (John 1:1-3; Heb. 1:3), even so all of salvation, including all perseverance in faith, is through God’s unfailing word. No wonder Paul charged Timothy “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:1-2), for God works through His word (see John 17:17; Eph. 5:25-27).
Obviously, the Bible is undeniably clear that the Holy Spirit is essential in the Father bringing about His word (in and through our lives). He is “the Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2), who is the sole cause of our walking in God statutes and obeying His rules (Ezek. 36:27).
Yet, it seems that, often, God’s word falls to the ground because there is a deliberate rejection of His proclaimed word. Here is Paul’s answer to that apparent dilemma: “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15-17).
The true proclamation of God’s word will either confirm from death to death (for those who are perishing) or from life to life (for those who are being saved). Obviously, no one is sufficient for these things, which means no one is sufficient to eternally confirm either state except God Himself (through His everlasting word).
In other words: what is beneficial to one for the saving of his soul is detrimental to another, “storing up wrath for yourself,” the one who presumes on “the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience” (Rom. 2:4-5).
Either way, God’s word accomplishes His intention, whether for the “vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory,” or the “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Rom. 9:22-23).
May the Lord, through His life-giving Spirit, use The Man of Heaven: A Christ-Centered Commentary series for life to life to both the writer and reader, in order to forever boast in His mercy andenjoy His grace throughout endless ages, for all the expressed wrath has been forever done away with through Christ for the believer, and all the expressed favor (with all the blessings and promises) has been forever obtained in Christ for the believer.
God’s call to you is clear. Unless you have already done so and continue to do so, will you respond to Him and embrace Jesus by faith? In doing so, you will be able to say with every other believer: “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil” (Ps. 119:162). The great spoil is also known as “all things” (Rom. 8:32) and “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8), freely offered to you through, with, and in His Son.
Without question, God’s word provides the greatest wonder for the most intellectual person and the deepest (and only genuine) satisfaction for the most emotional person, even though head and heart should never be separated from the reality of His word.
We are to “listen diligently” to Him in order to “delight.” As such, God calls you to come and eternally partake of Christ’s spoil, which He has obtained and secured through His righteous life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection as The Man of Heaven:
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David (Isa. 55:1-3).
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