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In Him
Monday of Epiphany 4
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The mystery of the incarnation always retains a "for us" character about it. Christ had no need in Himself to become human, but rather He took flesh of Mary entirely to rescue us from the fall into the realm of sin and death and raise us to the heights of adoption into the family of God His Father. Christ became incarnate that we might be filled by Him with all that is His. By being so elevated through God becoming man of Mary, we ourselves attain to all the blessed gifts that are His by reason of His deity. These gifts are never our own possessions. Instead, we become His possession and thus we attain to the same fellowship with God that Jesus possesses.
All that is His becomes ours by a gift of grace from Him. If we live by faith, we live in Him. If we live in Him, then we are filled with all that is His. Only at the judgment will we receive in ourselves what is now received only in Him. Until then we live by faith that we might live in Him. Until then we can revel in His divine honor and glory because we live in Him. Until then we can rejoice in the mystery that through the incarnation we are made higher than the holy angels in Him. The day of our assumption into His presence means that we shall be freed of our slavery to death. Eyes blind to the glories of His grace will be given sight by Him. The good news given to the poor in this life will make us rich in the one to come. Liberty will be granted to the captives of this age. We will be freed from oppression by our sin. We will bask in the eternal favor of the Lord proclaimed by Him.
Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray
Memorial Lutheran Church
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Hilary of Poitiers
"The Apostle Paul, who knew this mystery [of the incarnation], and had received the knowledge of the faith from the Lord Himself, was not unmindful, that neither the world, nor mankind, nor philosophy could contain Him, for he writes,
'
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority' (Col 2:8-10).
After the announcement that in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, follows immediately the mystery of our assumption, in the words, 'you have been filled in Him.' As the fullness of the Godhead is in Him, so we are made full in Him. The Apostle says not merely that
you have been filled
, but, '
you have been filled in Him.
'
For all who are, or shall be, regenerated through the hope of faith to life eternal, abide even now in the body of Christ. Afterwards they shall be made full no longer in Him, but in themselves, at the time of which the Apostle says,
'
who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself' (Phil 3:21).
"Now, therefore, we are made full in Him, that is, by the assumption of His flesh, for in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Nor has this our hope a light authority in Him. Our fullness in Him constitutes His headship and principality over all power, as it is written
'so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father' (Phil 2:10-11).
Jesus shall be confessed in the glory of God the Father, born in man, yet now no longer abiding in the infirmity of our body, but in the glory of God. Every tongue shall confess this. But though all things in heaven and earth shall bow the knee to Him, yet herein He is head of all principalities and powers, that to Him the whole universe shall bow the knee in submission, in whom we are made full, who through the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily, shall be confessed in the glory of God the Father."
Hilary of Poitiers, On the Trinity, 9.8
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2 Corinthians
1:19-22
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
(ESV)
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Prayer
Lord Christ, we abide in You and have our life from You. Let us live out our lives through faith looking forward with joy to that day when what is ours now by faith will be seen in us through Your power. Amen.
For Haven Ray Murray born to Jenessa Murray, that Haven would be kept safe until the day when he is brought into the kingdom God by the sacrament of baptism
For Carissa Vinovskis, that she would recover fully from surgery through which she is giving part of her liver for an anonymous transplant patient
For all those offended by the weakness of the Christian religion, that they might be converted by the weakness of Christ and learn from Him what true strength is
For safe travel for those who travel professionally, that the holy angels might watch over them and that their homecoming would be joyful
For the gospel-centered fervor to impart the good news, that we would share our faith with a fallen world
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Art: MICHELANGELO Buonarroti Isaiah (1509)
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