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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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Hebrews 2:5-12
Psalm 8:2, 5-9
Mark 1:21-28

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"complete in christ" (col 1:28)

"In subjecting all things to Him, God left nothing unsubjected. At present we do not see all things thus subject, but we do see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death." —Hebrews 2:8-9

The more complete our relationship with Jesus is, the better our lives. If we don't believe in Jesus as God, we have missed out on life (1 Jn 5:12). If we haven't let ourselves experience Jesus as Man, we lose out on love. If we know Jesus as Healer but not Savior, we will be the healthiest people in hell. If we know Him as Lord but not Healer, we are saved but have not accepted all the benefits of salvation.

Jesus has revealed Himself in such fullness not merely for information's sake but for practical reasons. The devil will exploit any gaps in our relationship with Jesus. We must "grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love" (Eph 3:18). Every title and characteristic of Jesus is a revelation of immeasurable, practical significance.

The Lord warned us: "My people perish for want of knowledge!" (Hos 4:6) But if we know Jesus personally and fully we will inherit the Lord's promise: "There shall be no harm or ruin on all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea" (Is 11:9).

Prayer:  "Jesus, name above all names, beautiful Savior, glorious Lord; Emmanuel, God-is-with-us, blessed Redeemer, living Word."

Promise:  "At that the unclean spirit convulsed the man violently and with a loud shriek came out of him." —Mk 1:26

Praise:  Gert has continued to experience great spiritual healings, precious woundings of the heart, the longer she walks with Jesus.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our leaflet on Accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God or on audio AV 43-1 or video V-43.)

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 28, 2010

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