Who Has The Final Say?

 "Who has the final say?" sung by the leader and the congregation echoes, "Jehovah, has the final say." I grew up singing this song. The rest of the lyrics read, "Jehovah, turns my life around, Jehovah, turns my life around, He makes a way, where there is no way, Jehovah has the final say." I have always believed this to be true. However, before now I could not articulate the "why" in a substantial way. When digging into the reality of "propitiation" of Jesus's sacrifice which satisfied God's holiness, righteousness, and justice these lyrics became a reality in my heart. Jesus being fully man and fully God means He is the Great I Am. When thinking about the fact that propitiation means to satisfy this makes the satisfaction span from yesterday, today and forevermore because Jesus is God. Since Jesus is God, He is always now. Any action He takes is timeless. Jesus stepped into our timeline but as God very much remained outside of time all at the same time. You see why we cannot box this God in because while He can understand all of our weakness and humanity because he is human we cannot understand all aspects of His deity because we are not God. I never connected Jesus with His omnipresense. Therefore, I never connected His forgiveness of sins for us, His Beloved, and the whole world to be timeless as well. If I remember that Jesus is omnipresent then His sacrifice must also be omnipresent. When His humanity bore the weight of our transgressions, His deity having no past or future solidified the sacrifice to be true for all time because of His omnipresence (i.e. He is uncreated and existing outside of time). This is why all sins for all people at all times are covered by the blood of Jesus. 

Are you walking in fear of confession? I did. I walked in so much fear because I did not take time to get to know this God I claimed loved me and saved me. The bible says this,

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being My priest.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children." Hosea 4:6

The Devil's warfare is to hold us back from seeking wisdom that only comes from God. He wants you to only attend church on some Sundays when you are able to get up from bed, if at all. He wants to keep your bible tucked away never to be read. Satan knows the scriptures but because he does not have the spirit of the Living God in him he does not have the power to understand it. He does not receive the benefit of the power it has to give eternal life. He does not reap the joy that it transfers to all those who put their trust in it. The bible is the beginning of where we can seek God. He has written about Himself to give us confidence to face this world. I used to walk in shame. I willingly entered into relationships where I gave my body and put myself in positions to ruin my life. I willingly had a fear of man where I lied and sought their approval. I was ashamed of my testimony. Although I received God's sacrifice and took Him as my Lord and Savior, I still walked in shame. 

Open your word. Dive deep into it. The only way to unbox God is to begin with what He has shown us. Last week I wrote how the bible is just the beginning. My audience in that statement were believers who regularly feast on God's word because it is the food that sustains our spiritual and physical lives. If you do not regularly feast at His table by His word, then you cannot unbox Him, what is the source of your information? The bible must be the beginning. 

Have you ever read Psalm 119? David tells us of his experience with God's word. Only people who take delight in God's word can understand it. Here are some parts from Psalm 119:

"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart they do no wrong but follow His ways...Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law...Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors...You are my portion, LORD, I have promised to obey Your words...The earth is filled with Your love, LORD. Teach me your decrees...Do good to Your servant according to Your word, LORD...Your statutes are my heritage forever, they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end."

Not only do you perish or are destroyed for lack of knowledge you are forgoing delight, joy and an eternal inheritance. You are perpetuating a feeling of shame in your life. You are walking uncertain and distracted. What I am not saying is I never question or never stumble, that would be arrogant and untruthful of me. I am only saying my frail humanity is fully on display but my confidence in God is daily strengthened. My humanity is prone to wonder, question God and be mistrustful of Him, that is the fight against the flesh and the prince of the air, Satan. But as I take in God's word my resolve is empowered to trust my forgiveness of sin on Jesus, fully man and fully God, who satisfied the payment for my sin eternally because He is an eternal God. That is the confidence Satan does not want you to have. I would love to think after reading this you would have that resolve. Unfortunately, this is a journey you will have to take with God and the community of believers around you. I have arrived here after years of reading the bible even when I did not and still sometimes do not understand it. After years of prayer and lack of prayer. It began by putting my trust in Him, confessing that I am a sinner saved by His sacrifice alone, turning away from my lifestyle that was incongruent with His commandments and living with Him as Lord over my life. But it has continued as a daily desire to know Him more. The journey includes attending church through the power of the Holy Spirit because I'm thirsty and hungry for this God. Being discipled by men and women across continents and ethnic backgrounds. It is a journey that has been long with many questions. But at the center of it all is the Word of God and a heart to pursue a God who first pursued me and continues to pursue me "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8). 

The Devil doesn't want you to know, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." (Romans 8:1-2). As long as you continue running from His word you will remain ashamed and fearful therefore ignorant of God and His love for you. You forgo experiencing the immensity of this God that is so beyond comprehension yet would reveal Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ and now dwells in believers through His Holy Spirit. You will not walk in awesome wonder of God who is so delightful and can leave a real taste of honey on your tongue. I pray for you who reads this, for if you understand this and walk in this reality then my heart is full of joy. For those who do not, find a friend and pick up that bible, today. Do not relegate yourself to living in ignorance because God has given Himself in the form of the Word. He is from everlasting to everlasting and everything He says must be true to His character and everything He does is true to His character. He is the Great I Am therefore everything He does is timeless, lasts forever and is never existing in just one time but for all times and in all times. Another topic is his relevancy, this debunks any idea of christianity not being for us today. Jesus is today, all todays and eternal todays. 

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:7

 

P.S. Next time you hear the song remember He has the final say because only He is eternal therefore only what he says and does exists in and out of time, for all time. Who else can make that claim? Listen to "African Medley" by Tye Tribbett and Uche Agu, Mumen Ngenge