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John 14:6 “I AM… THE LIFE”
Christ Himself is “THE LIFE” of our life in that He lives within those who are eternally united to Him; To the same extent and degree as the “vine” is the life of the “branch.” The branch does not live on
its own! Its life flows into it from the vine to which it is united. Considered as “THE LIFE,” Christ is viewed in the light of His Mediatorial Office work as Prophet, Priest, and King of the saints. Wherein He works in them that which they cannot do for themselves.
Hence, He is the very life of the Gospel WAY in which we are caused to walk if we are in fact in His WAY at all. Compare EZK. 36:23-29; the key is vs. 27.
There is an especially lovely passage of scripture that speaks of these heavenly operations of grace upon and within Christ’s loved ones. Eph. 2:4-6 reads this way: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his
great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) And hath raised us together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” I offer this brief exposition by way of paraphrases:
“But God” so exceedingly rich in His mercy, to satisfy His unspeakable love “wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins” by our own nature. He made us alive “together” in union with Christ. He
gave us the very “life” of Christ Himself, the same new life which “quickened” Christ’s body at His resurrection! For it is “by grace, ye are saved,” delivered from judgment, and made partakers of Christ’s salvation. Also, God “hath raised us (up) together”
while making us sit down together, giving us joint seating with Christ in the “heavenly places” prepared for us to be with Him by virtue of our union with Him Who is the “LIFE” of our very life!
CLOSING COMMENTS:
1st. Thomas asked the question, “How can we know the way?” I offer Christ's reply in paraphrases: “I am the way” to my Father. “I am the truth” of that way, and “I am the life” of the way to my “Father’s
house” and the place I am preparing for you.
2nd: Herein we discover again, the sufficiency of Christ to meet every need of every saint in every age. It is the eternal purpose “that in all things HE MIGHT HAVE THE PREEMINENCE,” Col. 1:18, and
not we ourselves! It is the same purpose for Christ to “appear” to us as He is in His own TRUTH which is even more clearly stated in Col. 3:11; That is, “ALL AND IN ALL.” Christ’s dear sheep are all being brought into their experiential union with their Good
Shepherd in such a way they will discover their DIVINE CONSOLATIONS are bound up in the Person and work of Him Who is in fact, their ALL IN ALL in all their being! We are caused “by” Christ to “come” into this old Gospel way and experience our union with Him.
Further yet, we are carried on “by” Christ to walk with Him along His “way” to His “Father’s house,” that we may be with Him where He is as He promised. In short: We are “by” Christ because we are “in Christ” and He is in us. In this process we are being carried
by Christ out of our own hellish pride to discover Him as our “all in all” or we are none of His at all! Christ is the “way” to God. He is the “truth” by which we discover God, and the “LIFE” that carries us onward to the truth discovered about Him while walking
on that WAY!
3rd: Christ is “All, and in all” to His people, because He is in them ALL. He is all to them because all that He is, is for them to enjoy in fellowship with Him. Whatever He has, He has for them to
experience. Whatever He is, He is for them personally. Whatever He has received from His Father, He shares with His brethren who enjoy the same FATHER! Hence, He prayed: “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one even as we
are one: I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one,” John 17: 22-23.
4th: He has prepared a place for His where they may be “ALSO!” It is in fellowship with Christ, that the saints enjoy their oneness in union with Christ and their Father. To this very end, Christ must
necessarily prepare His people for His fellowship and carry them onward into the experience of oneness throughout all time and into eternity so that “they may be perfect in ONE!”
5th: This should teach us some things: To see ALL in Jesus Christ; To look for ALL in Jesus Christ and to give us ALL to Him Who is “all and in all” TO US! This should further teach us:
1. The entire goal of this wonderous “way” of Christ is a recognition and enjoyment of the Father by His people that He brings to them according to Covenant promises.
2. Christ is aware that His people are anxious to find their way to His Father’s house and desire to rest in the Father’s heart of love for them wherein they discover their ONENESS in their
experience of life, even as Christ enjoyed as the Man-Christ in His earthly experience. He would have His people FEEL as He felt when blessed with tokens of His Father’s gracious presence along the way.
6th: Christ is the “truth” about God’s Divine Nature, the perfect exponent of the “way” to the Father and the alone means to that end.
FINALLY: I trust now we have faithfully answered the question: “How can we know the way?” Hopefully, we have proven the scripture is in union with Christ and established this important truth: The truth
is one and is never understood by any UNTIL THEY ARE BROUGHT BY CHRIST TO BECOME ONE WITH IT.
Dan O’Dell, a debtor to mercy if not deceived.
Weslaco, TX. Feb. 3, 2024.
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