This month of December, we've had a focus on the person of Jesus Christ, and it's been such a joy.
Normally, our method is to work through a book of the Bible, so we'll pick that up in January.
We're going through the book of 1 Samuel and especially seeing how this prepares the way for Jesus Christ, the Messiah, how it points to him.
For today, please turn to the Gospel of John.
The Gospel according to John and our sermon passage is in chapter 1.
All right, well, for the sermon today, we have a narrow focus, and with God's help, we'll be able to go deeply in just a couple of verses, but I do want to read a broader passage.
So let's do both, so you can know what the focus will be, and then also hear the context.
Let's start by reading John chapter 1, verse 14 and verse 18, and that'll be the focus of the exposition of our sermon today.
I'll read this trusting that it's God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, sufficient word.
It's God's very own word for you and me, his people.
John 1, verse 14, and this is in the New King James.
The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Verse 18, no one has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.
He has declared him.
Amen.
Now let's hear this in context.
Let's read verses 1 through 18 as well.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and he was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him.
Without him, nothing was made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
This man came as a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe.
He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light.
That was the true light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him.
He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.
But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God.
To those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.
The glory as of the only begotten, of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of him, and cried out, saying,
This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.
And of his fullness we have all received the grace for grace.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Please be seated.
Let's pray.
Lord, we ask that the light of God himself will shine into darkness.
Lord, we pray that you will give us the gift of faith.
That faith will be poured out mightily in a powerful way upon your people, Lord.
Upon all who hear the gospel of Jesus and the words you've given us.
Please help us to take the faith you put in our hearts and minds
and lift it back up to you.
As Calvin put it, like a beggar's open hand and freely receive Jesus Christ,
our Savior and our Lord.
We ask this for your glory.
Amen.
Neurologists have observed that a person's ability to concentrate
is influenced by a complex interplay of factors.
It's hard to fix our minds on even a worthy subject
when we are feeling strong emotions,
when we are sleep deprived,
when we are physically fatigued,
or when we have many problems that we're supposed to solve.
Can you relate to that this past week?
It's hard to fix our minds on even a worthy object, isn't it?
And these are times when we're also most weak and vulnerable
and susceptible to temptations, to attacks, and to sin.
So what do we do?
I love the clear, straightforward, encouraging command we have
in Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1.
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling,
fix your thoughts on Jesus.
Fix your thoughts on Jesus.
That's the title of today's sermon.
In centuries past, a fellow Christian like you and me,
battling this, exclaimed,
Oh, there is a sweet blessedness in contemplating Jesus.
When we meditate on him and his sin-atoning wounds,
we are melted in repentance.
When we contemplate his righteousness,
we are filled with assurance.
When we consider his sovereign reign,
we are strengthened with hope.
When we behold him coming in glory,
we are stirred to holiness.
Amen.
Let's fix our thoughts today
on three glorious truths
that every Christian must learn to believe about Jesus.
Number one,
fix your thoughts on Jesus
because he is the eternal word of God.
Jesus is the eternal word of God.
What I want to emphasize under this heading
is that Jesus is the very creator God himself.
He is the eternal word of God.
Please look at verse 14.
We're told the word became flesh
and dwelt among us
and we beheld his glory,
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
We don't need to resurrect an ancient heresy,
a wrong teaching from past centuries
because this is all around us.
In this area,
there are very,
very disciplined,
works-based missionaries
by a church that is not Christian
and it's the Latter-day Saints.
They go by Mormon.
They teach that Christ's divinity was achieved,
that God the Son had to achieve,
he had to work and eventually accomplish a divine status,
that Jesus is not God in the same way as the Father,
that he progressed to become God.
They say that all worthy humans
have this same potential
to achieve a similar,
even if it's lower,
divine status as Jesus Christ.
Christ,
this is all around us.
There are many people who think they are Christians
who believe that.
We must contend for the truths
necessarily contained in the Bible.
In 1 Corinthians 2.13,
we are told that what we impart in words,
it's not something that came up to us by human wisdom,
but it's taught by the Spirit,
interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
We need to fix our eyes on the truth
that the Spirit communicates
through his word to Christians.
We read how Jesus is the one
who reveals the glory of God,
full of grace and truth.
Look back at John 1, verses 1-3.
We're told that all things were made through him.
Without him, nothing was made that was made.
This truth is reinforced in Colossians 1, 15-17.
By him, all things were created
that are in heaven, the spiritual realm,
and that are on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers.
All things were created through him
and for him.
He is before all things.
And in him, all things consist.
See, everything that exists in this world
falls into one of two categories.
Is it creator
or is it created?
And the person of Jesus Christ
is not a created or lesser being.
Jesus Christ is very God of very God.
He is God the creator.
The divinity of God the Son
is absolute and eternal.
There was never a time
when the Son was not God.
Thomas Watson commented,
we must look at Christ
not only as the Lamb of God,
but as the great God.
If Jesus Christ were less than God,
here's what it comes down to.
You and I would still be unredeemed.
As God's eternal word,
with the human nature,
Jesus Christ accomplished
all that God requires
and all that we need.
That's what's at stake.
There's a theological concept
used to describe this great mystery.
And we don't want to pry in
beyond what God has laid before us
and revealed.
But we do need to contend
for the glory of Jesus Christ
as our Redeemer.
The term of this concept,
it helps us to not make errors
or make less errors
and be careful with our words.
It's called the communication of properties.
There's a theologian in the 1600s
named John Norton
who I found very clear and helpful.
He explained how the communication
of properties attributes
an action belonging to one nature,
either his divine or his human nature
of Jesus Christ.
And whatever either nature does
can be correctly attributed
to his whole person.
And this is something we can relate to
in a way.
I would say that this morning,
you or I ate a piece of bread.
It was your person
who ate a piece of bread.
And we know that the person
is body and soul.
So even though the soul
doesn't have a tongue
or a mouth or a stomach,
it was your whole person
that ate the bread
through the body.
Think about how the scripture
talks about Jesus Christ.
In Mark chapter 1 verse 14,
we're told Jesus proclaimed
the kingdom of heaven.
This means God the Son,
the eternal word of God,
in his flesh,
was preaching.
What a glorious revelation.
This is God
through the person of the Son
with vocal cords
and a mouth and lungs
preaching truth,
full of grace and truth,
proclaiming the kingdom of heaven.
In 1 Corinthians 2.8,
we're told that the Lord of glory
was crucified.
The Lord of glory crucified.
This means that Jesus Christ's
human body suffered crucifixion.
And the scripture teaches us
to attribute this
to the Lord of glory himself.
Acts chapter 2 verse 28,
one of my favorite verses.
We're told that God
purchased the church
with his own blood.
Well, God is a spirit.
He's the creator.
He's not creaturely.
And blood is a creaturely thing.
But it was
in the person of Jesus Christ,
God the Son,
our Savior,
who truly bled.
And this is attributed to God
because Jesus Christ
is the eternal word of God.
Fix your eyes on Jesus.
He is the eternal word of God.
You and I
may feel accused right now
before the holy God.
On the other hand,
we may view ourselves
as good enough people.
But we cannot pay
an eternal debt we owe
to a holy, eternal God.
We can't do it.
We fix our eyes
on the only mediator
between the eternal God
and sinful men
like me and you.
The blood that ran down
the cross of Calvary
wasn't the blood
of an angel
that took on a body
or a lesser deity
that took on a body.
Not a man alone
as a martyr.
It was the blood,
as Acts 20 verse 28 says,
of God.
God.
Because Jesus Christ
is God,
he swallows up
the judgment
that would have drowned
you and me.
And if you are
in Jesus Christ
by faith alone,
because of who he is,
your security
is ironclad.
It can't be shaken.
Do you see who Jesus is?
Number two,
I invite you to fix
your thoughts
on Jesus.
Not only is he very God,
he is uncreated.
He is the uncreated
co-equal God.
And what I want to emphasize
is that he is
of the same substance,
not in any way
subordinate
to the Father.
The alternative
is this,
that
in eternity
past,
so to speak,
God the Son
was in a servant
position
to God the Father
so that
they have a different
will
as God.
Another way
that this has been
slightly nuanced,
twisted
is called
functional subordination,
that
God is really
a society,
and the Father
has ultimately
more authority
than the Son.
And so when it comes
to the decree
of God
to redeem sinners,
the Son really
has no will
to do so.
He's really
forced
to go to the cross.
That Jesus Christ
did not
freely choose
to take
what Philippians 2
tells us,
the form
of a servant
out of divine love,
but because
God the Father
made him
to do it.
Jesus is called
in our passage
today,
look at verses
14 and 18,
he's called
the only begotten
of the Father.
Verse 18 repeats,
the only begotten
Son,
in some Greek
manuscripts
have the word
God
instead,
who is in the
bosom
of the Father.
John Calvin
takes a passage
like this
and says,
this is God
giving us
language to
grasp what
is a mystery.
It's really
incomprehensible
in its glory.
Calvin called it
baby talk.
It's God
like trying
to break it
down for
his dear
children
and we
don't want
to go
beyond that
but we
also have
to stand
on the
shoulders
of giants.
The church
has handed
down the
correct
distinctions
over time.
Not only
is our
Lord Jesus
Christ
eternal,
he is
also
uncreated,
co-equal
of the same
authority,
the same
divinity,
the same
substance
as God
the Father.
The term
only begotten
which we
also hear
in John
3.16
for God
so loved
the world
that he
gave his
only begotten
son.
It compounds
two terms
manos
which means
only
and genos
and you
know that
from you
can even
picture like
a species
or a genos
you know
and it
means he
is one
of a kind.
that's what
the sense
of begotten
is in
this context.
It reveals
to us
God the
son is
unique.
There are
no earthly
comparisons we
can throw
back up on
a holy God
that's a
creator.
Our language
will always
fall short
of his
glory.
But how
is the
word referred
to in
relation to
God?
The word
is God
we read
in verse
14 as
of the only
begotten
of the
father.
And this
is an
allusion
back to
psalm
chapter 2
which we
read
where God
says
referring of
the son
he says
today I
have begotten
thee
today.
It's also
mysterious
but it
stretches
our
faith
to receive
God as
he is.
The word
is God
and at the
same time
there is a
relation
among
father
son.
Today
in psalm
2 it
means
always
constantly
in the
present
tense
eternally
outside
of time
and space
and from
God the
word
God the
father
the word
has
eternally
proceeded
in relation
one to
the other
as a
father
to the
son.
Sometimes
what our
own language
trying to
teach
clearly
fails to
do
and as
I feel
like I'm
failing
right now
hymns
that the
church has
received by
faith and
sung poetically
capture it
just as
well.
Think of
this line
of the
father's
love
begotten
before the
worlds
began to
be
he is
alpha
and omega
he the
source
the ending
he
of the
things that
are
that have
been
and that
future
years
shall
see.
This is
our Lord
Jesus
Christ
the
uncreated
co-equal
same
substance
God.
I'll try
one more
category
to help
us and
this is
learning from
centuries
past
of the
orthodox
meaning
upholding
the truth
of the
Bible
church
and it's
a difference
between
substance
and
subsistence.
it's a
difference
between
his
essence
and his
persons.
Essence
answers the
question
what is
God?
What is
the essence
of God
as he's
revealed himself
in all of
scripture?
One of our
catechisms
that we
use and
reinforce
with children
and grown-ups
alike
says this
answer
God is
the creator
and sustainer
of everyone
and everything
he is eternal
infinite
and unchangeable
in his
power and
perfection
goodness
and glory
wisdom
justice
and truth
this is
God
this is
his essence
this is
the substance
of God
to be very
clear
father son
and holy
spirit
are one
true
God
the same
essence
Jesus is
very God
of very
God
Colossians
117
he is
before all
things
and in
him
all things
consist
the
Athanasian
creed
which we
read not
too long
ago
as part
of our
public
profession
it
powerfully
declares
this
glorious
mystery
of God's
unity
and
distinction
as a
triune
God
quote
in this
trinity
none
is before
or after
other
none
is greater
or less
than another
but in the
three persons
they are
co-equal
and co-eternal
we also
confess as a
church
the Nicene
creed
that
Jesus
is
God
from God
light
from light
true
God
from true
God
begotten
not made
being of
one
substance
with
the
father
so this
is of
God's
substance
his
essence
his
unity
now the
distinction
is among
the persons
or the
subsistence
of God
and
subsistence
is a
term
I think
it's worth
you
learning about
this
and me
too
to stretch
us
and to
help us
a little
bit
it's a
term
carefully
used
over
the
centuries
to
rigorously
guard
against
tritheism
on one
side
that
there
are
three
gods
Christians
are not
polytheists
worshipping
three different
gods
but on
the other
side
it guards
against
modalism
saying
that there
is only
one
God
that
uses
three
different
modes
or
displays
himself
in
three
roles
no
there
are
three
distinct
subsistences
in
God
a
subsistence
is the
essence
of God
so all
three persons
have the
essence
plus a
relational
property
I know
this sounds
technical
but it's
important that
we understand
we can
easily use
language
that is
making us
think
creaturely
thoughts
about a
holy
God
that's
creator
he's
different
than
anything
in this
world
the
second
London
confession
of
faith
chapter
two
paragraph
three
upholds
this
truth
in
the
one
divine
and
infinite
being
God
the
creator
there
are
three
subsistences
or three
persons
the
father
the
word
or
son
and
the
holy
spirit
this
mysterious
truth
that we
confess
about
Jesus
these
are
important
doctrines
because
they
draw
good
lines
it
excludes
those
who
reject
the
full
glory
of
God
in
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
but
at
the
same
time
these
good
lines
unite
all
Christians
who
stand
on
this
common
ground
of
Nicene
Trinitarianism
we can
call it
John
Norton
again
affirmed
truth
and then
backed off
very quickly
at this
glorious
mystery
he wrote
this
mystery
is from
the
perspective
of the
internal
action
of the
Godhead
this
generation
is not
temporary
but
eternal
not
carnal
but
spiritual
not
of
necessity
but
ineffable
and that
means
too
great
to
describe
in
words
Romans
11
33
echoes
that same
sentiment
oh
the
depth
of the
riches
and
wisdom
and
knowledge
of
God
how
unsearchable
are his
judgments
how
inscrutable
his ways
we receive it
with a
childlike
faith
it's
impossible
for us
to understand
fully
or comprehend
completely
because
our minds
and our
words are
limited
we are
created
creatures
we are
so
creaturely
aren't
we
one
time
someone
asked
me
how
should
we
try
to
teach
our
children
about
father
son
and
holy
spirit
the
mystery
of
the
trinity
and
you
know
the
question
was
should
we
use
illustrations
like
an
egg
or
water
and
it's
different
stages
stuff
like
that
I
at
the
time
I
didn't
give
the
best
answer
so
I
want
to
tell
you
that
and
add
to
it
we
are
told
to
have
a
child
like
faith
receive
God's
word
as
he's
given
it
and
we
trust
him
in
this
glorious
mystery
so
think
of
that
simple
passage
in
the
beginning
meaning
before
time
and
space
were
even
created
God
the
one
creator
God
he
sent
his
only
begotten
son
there's
a
father
the
son
that
whosoever
the
whole
world
needs
to hear
this
glorious
gospel
and
whoever
the
spirit
will
draw
whosoever
believes
that's
the
Holy
Spirit
there's
father
son
and
spirit
will
have
eternal
life
how
can
sinners
have
eternal
life
because
of
the
work
of
God
to
save
us
through
the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
I
want
to
add
to
that
answer
though
I
don't
think
we
should
use
illustrations
to
speak
of
the
Trinity
because
every
single
one
will
train
our
brains
the
wrong
way
to
think
of
a
holy
God
I
do
think
though
we
need
to
use
scripture
with
scripture
we
also
need
to
use
hymns
that
capture
the
truth
of
scripture
and
help
melt
our
hearts
and
receive
this
in
a
childlike
way
and
we
also
make
it
our
practice
as
a
church
as
we've
done
today
to
systematically
profess
our
faith
together
to
read
these
creeds
from
the
early
centuries
of
the
church
the
Nicene
creed
chalcedonian
!
athanasian
creed
and state
what the
church
has held
up
because
it
guards
against
error
and
on
top
of
that
we
read
a
catechism
developed
mostly
for
children
and
families
like
we
do
today
in
our
simple
baptist
catechism
from
the
1600s
so
I
think
we
can
and
should
disciple
children
even
when
they're
in
that
developmental
stage
where
their
brains
are
the
faith
he
will
help
us
to
realize
in
our
own
thinking
how
can
it
be
even
sharper
and
this
is
a
glorious
way
to
grow
in
our
discipleship
our
confession
of
faith
states
this
the
trinity
is
the
foundation
of
all
our
communion
with
God
and
comfortable
dependence
on
him
this
does
matter
all
of
our
communion
with
God
is
only
possible
because
of
this
glorious
mystery
of
the
trinity
and
it
teaches
us
a
comfortable
dependence
on
Jesus
Christ
through
whom
God
unites
us
to
himself
brothers
and
sisters
we
are
saved
by
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ
no
one
forced
him
it
was
for
the
joy
set
before
him
that
our
Lord
endured
the
cross
it
was
his
good
pleasure
out
of
the
abundant
!
love
of
the
one
triune
God
who
himself
became
our
sacrifice
God
himself
so
loved
us
to
redeem
us
the
will
of
God
would
never
fail
to
redeem
Jesus
Christ
according
to his
human
nature
humbled
himself
and
according
to his
human
nature
he
knew
that
the
will
of
God
would
be
done
and
he
said
joyfully
your
will
not mine
according
to my
human
nature
be done
oh
father
our
lord
jesus
despised
the
shame
of
the
cross
he
who
came
from
heavenly
unimaginable
glory
to
this
created
realm
and put
to
shame
here
in
the
darkness
and he
did
this
because
it
was
his
will
he
was
not
forced
to
do
it
was
the
mission
that
the
triune
God
decreed
before
time
began
do
you
see
who
jesus
christ
is
well
our
third
and
final
encouragement
is
let's
fix
our
thoughts
on
jesus
because
he
is
the
glory
of
god
revealed
let's
fix
our
thoughts
on
jesus
he
is
the
glory
of
god
revealed
what
i
hope
to
emphasize
for
you
is
that
jesus
christ
is
the
eternally
united
exegete
of
god
that's
what
these
words
literally
say
he
is
the
eternally
united
exegete
of
god
verse
14
and
18
one
more
time
we
beheld
his
glory
the
glory
of
god
the
glory
as
of
the
only
begotten
of
the
father
verse
18
no
one
has
seen
god
at
any
time
the
only
begotten
son
who
is
in
the
bosom
of
the
father
he
declared
him
it's
an
old
word
that
maybe
we
need
to
bring
back
into
our
vernacular
bosom
it
brings
to
mind
a
picture
of
a
child
held
in
a
parent's
loving
embrace
cherished
bound
almost
as if
they're
one
that's
the
picture
we
know
from
scripture
that
Jesus
Christ
is
bound
in
this
way
God
the
son
being
the
same
substance
of
God
unites
eternally
Jesus
Christ
to
the
God
head
Jesus
Christ
knew
to
abide
in
God
and
because
of
this
intimate
union
he
is
alone
the
one
who
can
perfectly
reveal
or
declare
God
in
verse
18
we're
told
that
he
has
declared
him
and
that
word
declared
that
verb
in
Greek
it's
exegete
oh
my
it's
literally
mean
he's
the
one
who
will
exegete
or
draw
out
you
hear
of
an
exegetical
sermon
it's
drawing
out
what's
contained
in
a
verse
it
means
to
unfold
or
correctly
lay
forth
narrate
who
God
is
so
Jesus
is
the
ultimate
and
excellent
declarer
of
God
the
father
since
God
is
spirit
God
is
invisible
Jesus
had
to
reveal
him
he
had
to
come
and
translate
and
interpret
to
us
who
the
father
is
this
is
the
work
that
Jesus
came
to
do
and
now
from
the
right
hand
of
the
father
in
glory
he's
poured
out
his
spirit
he says
I
don't
leave
you
as
orphans
and
it's
the
spirit
of
Christ
who
ministers
who
declares
and
who
preaches
God
to
us
now
Jesus
is
still
doing
this
work
that
he
came
to
do
that
he
loves
to
do
and
he
does
it
through
his
Holy
Spirit
1st
Corinthians
2
verses
11
through
13
tell us
that
no
one
comprehends
the
thoughts
of
God
except
the
spirit
of
God
is
infinite
unsearchable
incomprehensible
description
still
when the
spirit
causes us
to
ponder
the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
the
eternal
word
of
God
and
by
faith
we
grab
hold
of
Jesus
we
truly
apprehend
we
truly
lay
hold
of
the
glory
of
God
in
him
God
has
graciously
revealed
himself
to
us
through
the
person
of
his
son
second
London
confession
of
faith
chapter 8
paragraph
2
says
the
son
of
God
is
quoting
scripture
the
brightness
of
the
father's
glory
it's
the
same
God
the
same
substance
but
made
visible
God
is
perfectly
revealed
it's
the
self
revelation
given
to us
in
Jesus
Christ
that
phrase
again
the
bosom
of
the
father
John
Norton
commented
that
this
puts
Jesus
in
the
perfect
and
required
position
to
know
God
truly
and
to
present
him
perfectly
Norton
wrote
he is
both
the
inward
and
outward
word
he is
the
inward
word
in that
he is
the
knowledge
of
God
himself
and
he is
the
outward
word
in that
he makes
known
to us
the
counsel
of
God
in
this
world
he's
also
called
the
image
of
the
invisible
God
Colossians
115
which
means
he is
the
perfect
and
essential
image
of the
father
manifesting
all the
glory
of God
even
as a
perfect
reflection
contains
the
full
likeness
of the
original
that's
the end
of
Norton's
quote
do
do you
see
who
Jesus
is
fix
your
thoughts
on
Jesus
we're
told
in
Philippians
4
8
finally
brethren
whatever
things
are
true
whatever
things
are
noble
whatever
things
are
just
whatever
things
are
pure
whatever
things
are
lovely
whatever
things
are
of
good
report
if
there
is
any
virtue
if
there
is
anything
praiseworthy
meditate
on
these
things
and
there's
nothing
more
noble
more
praiseworthy
more
pure
more
just
more
lovely
than
Jesus
Christ
because
of who
he is
Jesus
Christ
not only
saves
us
from
the
wrath
that
our
sins
deserves
but
he
also
helps
us
to
do
what
we
can't
do
in
our
weakness
we
struggle
to
fix
our
thoughts
on
him
like
we
want
to
don't
we
but
Jesus
Christ
came
and
fulfilled
all
righteousness
he
fixed
his
thoughts
on
God
perfectly
perpetually
and
he
imparts
to us
he
gives
to us
freely
his
power
his
righteousness
his
thoughts
of
God
he
puts
them
on
to
his
people
he
makes
us
willing
and
able
by
his
spirit
to
obey
him
in
John
10
he
said
I
came
so
that
you
may
have
life
of
the
God
creator
himself
and
that
you
will
have
my
life
in
you
abundantly
so
when our
thoughts
bounce
off of
God
quickly
remember
the
active
obedience
of
Jesus
continually
and
empowering
us to
do the
same
God
causes
those
he
redeemed
to
grow
in the
righteousness
of
Jesus
even
in our
thought
life
even
in our
thoughts
of
him
Jesus
is
in the
bosom
of
the
father
he's
one
with
the
father
and
his
gospel
is to
invite
you
and
me
to
share
in
this
intimate
union
this
intimate
bond
with
our
creator
in
Christ
you
and
I
are
brought
to
the
very
heart
of
God
himself
the
ceremonial
law
had
the
people
standing
far
away
and
through
ceremonial
rituals
you
could
get
a
little
bit
closer
and
then
no
closer
at
all
because
there's
a
veil
keeping
sinners
away
from
the
holy
God
and
the
book
of
Hebrews
tells
us
that
the
veil
is
the
body
of
Jesus
Christ
and
it's
torn
for
you
and
me
to
enter
into
that
closest
most
intimate
communion
with
our
creator
through
Jesus
Christ
come
near
to
God
in
him
oh
may
we
ponder
marvel
and
savor
God
trust
this
that
because
Jesus
Christ
is
who
he
is
you
and
I
are
also
held
by
God
in
his
loving
embrace
just
as
the
father
cherishes
the
son
he
cherishes
you
and
me
who
he's
adopted
we're
bound
eternally
we're
united
to
God
in
Christ
we
are
kept
sustained
and
protected
in
him
Hebrews
3
1
therefore
holy
brothers
and
sisters
who
share
in
the
heavenly
calling
fix
your
thoughts
on
Jesus
Colossians
2
9
in
him
the
fullness
of
God
dwells
bodily
let's
pray
and
thank
him
oh
lord
we
know
your
arms
are
open
wide
you
call
us
to
yourself
you
receive
us
by
faith
we
get
we
get
a
real
taste
of
your
love
but
we
have
no
idea
how
much
you
love
us
we
pray
you
keep
teaching
us
this
lord
that
we
will
know
it
more
and
more
and
more
may
we
experience
the
love
of
God
through
the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
for
the
sake
of
Christ
alone
we
pray
amen