Knowing God through His Word — Part 15

The acronym for the word obey, openly being eternally yoked,* looks pretty simple on the outside, but taking it apart reveals profound truths about the Christian life.

Openly suggests having a heart and mind open to God’s thoughts, feelings, impressions and directions. Openly points to agreement with the law’s greatest commandment.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your    soul, and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37

A man or woman who is openly yoked with God is not a closet Christian, but a person who lives out a life of faith in all times and places.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of   God to salvation for everyone who believes . . . Romans 1:16

Being, in contrast with doing, suggests letting go and letting God; resting in Him. It’s a facet of His command to

Be still, and know that I am God . . . Psalm 46:10

 When we rest in God, all of our own striving works come to an end and God works in and through us.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who      has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as      God did from His. Hebrews 4:9-10

Abiding in Jesus and letting Him bring forth His fruit in us is another facet of being.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,   unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in    him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5

When we can dial down, be still and be with God, we are link up with the totality of all Being. When Moses asked God’s name and when the Pharisees asked Jesus’ name, the answer was, I AM that I AM, the present tense form of the verb to be.

God can honestly and accurately say of Himself,

I AM, I WAS, I SHALL BE.

We could truly say of God,

YOU ARE, YOU WERE, and YOU WILL BE forever more.

Bottom line, GOD IS.

And there is an unchanging continuity in God.

I am the Lord; I do not change. Malachi 3:6

 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Eternally captures this truth of God’s unchanging constancy. He who was, is and evermore shall be dwells outside of time, without beginning or end. Thus, when we are

Yoked with Him, believers are

Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:3

And yoked with Him, in obedience to God believers answer Jesus prayer:

those who will believe in Me . . . all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:20-23

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*from Art Tipon in How to Search the Scriptures